Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Technology Environment Society Note by Dr. K.N. Dulal
Technology Environment Society Note by Dr. K.N. Dulal
Definitions
Technology
According to Websters dictionary, technology is defined as a description of arts.
General definition of technology
Technology is technical means, which involves the systematic application of organized knowledge, and
tools and materials for the extension of human faculties.
Technology is the source of change in society.
Technological innovation
Creative. feasible ideas
Practical application
Diffusion through society
Environment
Environment is defined as the immediate surroundings which supports life and sustains various human
activities. The surroundings comprises of
Biotic or living things: plants, animals, microorganisms
Abiotic or non-living things: land, water, air etc.
Society
Society is people living together in communities.
Stone Age
Age prior to the beginning of civilized society (up to 3000BC)
Tools: stone, wood, animal bone, horn
No use of metal tools
Potters wheel (around 6500BC)
Nomadic culture: Humans moved from one place to another place searching for the foods
At the end, more settled
Impact
Era of invention and machine-based change in society that began with the Industrial Revolution
Most important development of machine age
o Fossil fuels such as coal as sources of energy
o Improvement of metallurgical processes (especially of steel and aluminum)
o Development of electricity and electronics
o Invention of the internal-combustion engine
o Use of metal and cement in construction work
Development of computer
First fully electronic computer (using vacuum tubes) in 1946
Storing program in 1946
Development of Germanium transistor in 1947
Development of modern computer with the invention of Integrated Circuit (IC) in 1950
by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments
After the invention of silicon chips, drastic change on other electronic equipments
The fast development of silicon chips predicts the maturity of information era
Post industrial society in which most of the people are involved in the business of information
Publication of millions of pages of scientific journals and technical literature per year
Billions of websites in the internet to provide information
Increase in scientific works
Increased use of computer even in undeveloped countries like Nepal
In an information economy, value is increased not by labor, but by knowledge
Emerging communication network fueling the information society
Information always worked to enhance the knowledge
From the information we acquire knowledge power and therefore the source of knowledge,
information, is power.
2. Color
Cause
Clay, silt, organic
matters, inorganic
matter, minerals, algae,
fungi
Dissolved organic
matters, inorganic
matter and minerals,
industrial waste
Dead or living
microorganisms,
dissolved gases e.g.
H2S, minerals, e.g.
Nacl, industrial waste
Impurity/pollutants
1. Pathogenic
organisms
Cause
Human and
animal fecal
waste
Effect
Turbidity, color,
odor
Remedial measures
Treatment: Settling,
coagulation,
filtration
Objectionable from
aesthetic and
psychological point
of view, no health
effect
Bad smell, not
suitable for drinking
Treatment method,
such as aeration,
treatment with
activated carbon,
oxidation of organic
matters
Biological
Effect
Water-borne diseases,
e.g. cholera, typhoid,
paratyphoid, dysentery,
diarrhea, vomiting
Remedial measures
Disinfection, e.g. by boiling,
by ultraviolet rays, by using
ozone, potassium per
magnate, chlorination
Chemical pollutants
a. Some chemicals
Impurity/pollutants Cause
Acidity/alkalinity
Presence of acid or
(PH)
alkali
PH = log10[1/H+]
Calcium and
Magnesium
Chloride
(In the form of
NaCl)
Sulfate
Fluoride
Natural
Natural, pollution
from sea water, brine
or industrial and
domestic waste
Natural
Effect
Acidic water:
tuberculosis, corrosion
Alkaline water:
incrustation, sediment
deposits
Hardness
Not significant in small
amount, salty taste,
corrosion
Not significant in small
amount, Laxative effect,
hardness, taste
<1ppm, fewer cavities in
the teeth of children
>1.5ppm, spotting and
discoloration of teeth
Remedial measures
Neutralizing
Water softening
Treatment method,
such as dilution,
reverse osmosis,
distillation
Treatment method,
such as reverse
osmosis, distillation
<1ppm, fluoridation
(adding fluoride
compound)
>1.5ppm, defluoridation (e.g. limesoda process)
Phosphate
Natural, agriculture,
boiler water,
laundries
b. Dissolved gas
Impurity/pollutants Cause
Dissolved oxygen
Absorption from
atmosphere
Dissolved CO2
Dissolved H2S
Absorption from
atmosphere
Natural: due to Sulfur
reducing bacteria, hot
water heater fitted
with Magnesium
Algal growth
Effect
Positive effect: taste
Negative: corrosion
Bad taste, odor,
corrosion
Bad taste, odor,
corrosion
c. Forms of Nitrogen
Impurity/pollutants Cause
Nitrite, Nitrate
Runoff from fertilizer
use, leaching from
septic tanks, sewage,
erosion of natural
deposits
Ammonia
Metabolic, agriculture
d. Agrochemicals
Impurity/pollutants
Pesticide
Chemical fertilizer
Chemical precipitation
Remedial measures
Chemical method for
treatment e.g. using
Sodium sulfite, boiling
Treatment method, such
as aeration
Treatment method, such
as aeration, activated
carbon, oxidation
Effect
Effect to infants,
blue-baby
syndrome, algal
growth
Remedial measures
Treatment method, such
as biological treatment,
distillation, reverse
osmosis
Not of immediate
health relevance,
Pollution, growth of
algae
Cause
Agriculture
use
Effect
Positive: Increase in crop
production
Negative: water pollution,
effect to other animals, birds,
including human health
Agriculture
use
Remedial measures
Pest management by ecofriendly manner, e.g. crop
rotation, multi-crop
agriculture, natural
predator, parasites,
pathogens for controlling
pest, sterilization
Use of organic fertilizers
(manure, compost), use of
minimum level of
inorganic fertilizer
e. Metals
Impurity/pollutants Cause
Iron and
Natural deposits, iron
Manganese
pipes
Copper
Corrosion of household
Effect
Taste, color and
turbidity, staining of
clothes, incrustation
in water mains
Liver or kidney
Remedial measures
Treatment method,
such as aeration,
oxidation
Corrosion control
plumbing systems;
erosion of natural
deposits
Zinc
Natural deposits
Aluminum
Natural deposits,
treatment using
Aluminium sulphate as
coagulant
Lead
Mercury
Cadmium
Chromium
Cyanide
Barium
damage, effect on
lungs, restriction in
the growth of aquatic
plants
Not water hazard
overdose: vomiting,
dizziness
Neurological
disorders
Treatment method,
such as coagulation,
filtration
Treatment method,
such as reverse
osmosis, softening
Cause
Effect
Remedial measures
Natural, Industrial
effluents (glass &
electronics), medicinal use
Corrosion of plumbing
systems, erosion of
natural deposits, industrial
waste, dust, paint
Erosion of natural
deposits, industrial
discharge
Erosion of natural
deposits, industrial
discharge
General discomfort
Reduction in efficiency of persons
Psychological effect
Effect on sleep, recreation and personal communication
Reduction in gastric activity, dizziness, rise in breathing
Irritation, anxiety and stress
Lack of concentration
Mental fatigue
Effect of prolonged exposure: Physical damage to ear, temporary/permanent hearing loss, or
nervous breakdown, increase in blood pressure
Countermeasures
Protection of the recipient: use of air plugs or air muffs
Increasing path distance
Noise barriers: absorptive materials, e.g. heavy drapes, carpets, special ceiling, wall acoustic
material
Reduction of noise at the source
Rules and regulations
Effect on storms and desertification: more storms, expansion of deserts and sub-arid areas
with higher evaporation
Socio-economic effect: chances of disease due to high temperature, increase in poverty due to
flood and drought
Ecological effect: effect on agriculture and forest ecosystem
Countermeasures
Environmental taxes on GHG emissions
Using the revenue of tax to develop permanent and stable funding for improved efficiency
and developing renewable energy sources
International efforts to control global warming
1. Atmospheric scientists meeting in Geneva in 1990
Steps to reduce emission of GHGs: industrialized nations could reduce CO2 emission by
20% by 2005
2. Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992
Signing of treaty to stabilize emissions of GHGs at year 1990 level by year 2000
3. Global warming conference in Berlin in 1995
Binding time table for reduction in GHGs emission after year 2000
4. International conference in Kyoto, Japan in 1997
Kyoto protocol: set of binding emission targets and timelines for developed nations
Wet deposition: the pollutant material that comes down with rain, includes particulates and gases
Dry deposition: the material reaching the ground by gravity during dry intervals, includes particulates and
gases and aerosols
Impact of acid rain
Lowering of PH in lakes and rivers, springs, wells, harming fish and aquatic life
Decline in forest, reduction in pollination of crops, crop quality and quantity
Deterioration of building materials, e.g. steel, paint, plastics, cement, masonry, limestone,
marble, sandstone
Potential infiltration to groundwater and increase in solubility of toxic materials (Pb, Cu, Zn)
in groundwater
Effect on human health: due to acidic surface and groundwater consumption, respiratory
illness, asthma
Corrosion of water pipes, dissolving metals, e.g. lead , cupper and iron in water pipes causing
direct harm to human through consumption
Damage to soil fertility
Countermeasures
a. Technological approaches
1. pre-combustion: choose fuel with low S and N content or treat the fuels, physical and chemical process
to remove S and N
2. Reduce emission of pollutants during combustion, e.g. catalytic or coal-limestone combustion
3. post-combustion: reduce emissions by high efficiency removal techniques, e.g. scrubber
b. Environmental clean up and restoration
e.g. liming of acidified surface water bodies (for neutralization) to save or restore many important
resources
c. Technical measure to reduce CO2 emission
1. Improve the efficiency of fuel to useable ends
2. Direct removal of CO2: technique for removal of CO2 from atmosphere by power plant
3. Reduction of CO2 by forestry
4. Cleaner energy production, e.g. photovoltaic, wood or wind
Important role with regard to atmospheric chemistry in both troposphere and the stratosphere
Pollutant at ground level, but stratospheric O3 is crucial for life on the earth: blocks/absorbs most
of the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays coming from the sun, thus protecting plants and animals
Effect of UV
Human skin cancer, eye cataracts, suppression of immune system response
Effect on plants and aquatic life
Ozone hole: ozone depleted region over Antarctica
O3: unstable molecule, balance between formation and removal
Main cause of O3 depletion: presence of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) in atmosphere
Source of CFC: using refrigerant, air-conditioning, fire extinguisher, cleaning solvent, blowing agent,
aerosol spray
From CFC, release of Cl atom by UV, acts as catalyst for destruction of O3
Countermeasures
Adoption of environmentally safe alternatives to CFCs for refrigeration and thermal insulation
Reduction in CFC use
To remove unemployment
To develop agriculture and industrial sector
To develop infrastructure and manpower
To remove poverty
To expand domestic and foreign trade
To achieve balanced regional development
To achieve self-reliance