Pollution: (local) cars/trucks also SO2 because it’s toxic, soil polluting, spilling oil is local.

(Regional): like acid rains affects region which changes the pH of the water in the lakes affecting fish population in that region. (global): affects earth in general or continent, big region countries such as global warming
through Greenhouse gases also ozone depletion, thinning of ozone layer which can cause skin cancer Can convert SO2 to sulfuric acid before it exists. Lethal dose/Effective dose: Lethal dose of chemicals can be indicated depending on the type of chemical used and it is an indication of the amount that should be
exposed in order to be considered fatal, or leads to death. Effective dose is in indication of the amount of dose that a human can be exposed to a certain chemical it does not indicate that it can have a negative impact. The lethal dose indicates what amount of chemical is fetal and can potentially cause death and the
effective dose indicates whether the chemical is toxic, non-toxic, or beneficial. We can assess this by having a standard, this way we know the amount of exposure and how safe it is by having the therapeutic index=( LD50/ED50). Which is an indication of standard concentration of chemicals of 50%. Exposure Time:
concentration of airborne chemicals can vary from one time to another because of the factor of sunlight and pressure, also some individuals have different exposure tolerances. We can also compare chronic and acute conditions, a chronic condition develops and worsens over time while acute conditions symptoms
appear and change or worsen rapidly. There are many factors to exposure times, such as if you are indoors or outdoors during the time of exposure or what chemical is currently exposed in the air. If it is not toxic, the exposure time can be longer. Classes of pollution potentials: there are five classes as seen in class:
1) acidification potential (AP): the discharge of sulfur dioxide which can damage buildings with marble/limestone. Acid gases that are released into the air or resulting from the reaction of non-acid components of the emissions are taken up by atmospheric precipitations and the falling “acid rain” forms an acid input
which is absorbed by plants, soil. The industrial discharges can affect this by increasing the amount of sulfur exposed, this creates a higher concentration of acid and more acid rain can develop. 2) Eutrophication Potential (EP): this process is done by “aging” water. It is the enrichment of a water body with nutrients.
It is effected by industrial sewage since this cause it to accelerate the process. 3) Global warming potential (GWP): When determining the climatic impact of a substance, (GWP) is used. This is a measure of the effect on radiation of a particular quantity of the substance over time relative to the same quantity of CO2.
This causes a reaction with the ozone layer and accelerates the process. Industries can release CH4, N2O or CFCs into the atmosphere. 4) Ozone depletion potential (ODP): of a chemical compound is the relative amount of degradation to the ozone layer it can cause. The industrial discharges released (Such as CFCs)
into the air increase the depletion rate. 5) Petrochemical ozone depletion potential: used as a measure for estimating airborne substances' potential for forming atmospheric oxidants. Industrial discharges such as smog can accelerate this process and harm the environment. Petrochemical smog: the smog is a mixture of
air pollutants which have been chemically altered into further noxious compounds by exposure to sunlight. The main components of photochemical smog are nitrogen oxides, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). In order to form petrochemical smog, the temperature should be 18 degrees or more, usually a sunny
day so that UV light can exist, and hydrocarbons such as NOx and the presence of O3. Ozone Layer: the ozone layer is important because it can filter or reflect most of the UV rays that comes from the sun. The UV rays can be harmful to humans, animals and even plants. It works as a filter to reflect or absorb these
kinds of harmful UV rays. Ozone is a gas in the atmosphere that protects everything living on the Earth from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the Sun. Without the layer of ozone in the atmosphere, it would be very difficult for anything to survive on the surface. The ozone layer acts as a shield to absorb the UV
rays, and keep them from doing damage at the Earth's surface. Greenhouse Gas: Energy (light) from the sun passes through the Earth's atmosphere and is not absorbed by the greenhouse gases (due to its short wavelength). The Earth absorbs this energy and radiates heat energy at a longer wavelength (infrared
radiation) back into the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases absorb some of this energy and radiate much of it back towards the surface whilst the rest is radiated out to space. This plays an important role in keeping the Earth's surface warm and able to sustain life. Without this greenhouse effect the Earth would be
much colder and life on this planet would be very different. Also, it works as a protector from the suns UV rays. Instead of being 100% exposed to the UV, the greenhouse gas layer reflects 25% of it and the rest would be absorbed (19%) or lost (4%) which results to being exposed to 51%. This reduces the heat which
can help with global warming. Environmental impacts in public spaces: As discussed in class, public places are crowded, this mean that a lot of people are present. People exhale CO2 and the room can be exposed to air pollution which also contributes to the building as potential pollution. If there are chemicals
present inside the building or public space it can also cause discharges and release into the air. Light pollution: since public buildings need lights so that we can see. This is mostly a concern for humans since over use of lights can affect or sleep and some lights release greenhouse gasses. This also adds to the light
pollution from the city/region. Thermal pollution: All structures have cooling or heating systems, this contributes to the thermal pollution by producing heat. Mostly industrial pollution, can warm up rivers/lakes. Thermal pollution is when an industry or other human-made organization takes in water from a natural
source and either cools it down or heats it up. They then eject that water back into the natural resource, which changes the oxygen levels and can have disastrous effects on local ecosystems and communities. Noise pollution: noise pollution can damage hearing, since public spaces have loud speakers or hundreds of
people talking in the same room. Loud machines used in construction or the cleaning of the building can also have an effect on noise pollution. Noise pollution affects both health and behavior. Unwanted sound (noise) can damage psychological health. Noise pollution can cause hypertension, high stress levels,
hearing loss, sleep disturbances. Radioactive pollution: is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable. Such contamination presents a hazard because of the radioactive decay of the
contaminants, which emit harmful ionising radiation such as alpha particles or beta particles, gamma rays or neutrons. The degree of hazard is determined by the concentration of the contaminants, the energy of the radiation being emitted, the type of radiation, and the proximity of the contamination to organs of the
body. Environmental impact of cement: disposal of cement has impact on the environment after using the cement product as it is full of toxic chemicals so there are consequences when using it. Lowering number of cement plants to control emissions and control waste, about 1 million construction companies so it’s
not easy to inspect and control. 1. Educating construction companies about environment 2. Redesign process by changing formulations and chemicals. Such that in nickel furnace we can make inert environment in furnace instead of oxygen minimizing SO2 formation since nickel ore contains sulfurs 3. Minimizing
waste by converting waste into other useful products such as converting SO2 to sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and selling to other industries. Paints and coatings: main components: 1. FILLERS, hides substrates 2. GLUE, makes paint sticks to surfaces 3. PIGMENT, colour can be filler i.e. Titanium dioxide as white
pigment for white colour paint 4. Solvent, are organic compounds that allow us to apply paint by making it wet and evaporating after the pain is applied leaving dry paint stuck on surface within glue VOC: Volatile organic compounds: help apply paint then evaporate by evaporating they have an environmental impact
so to tackle VOC impact we: 1. remodify product process not only building a fan to suck it away from workers but also reformulating by replacing VOC with water, (water based paints). Car Manufacturing Industries: they don’t use solvents but spray powder into surface of car. POWDER has electrostatic charge
and car body is a conductor so powder sticks to body then they take car from fridge to furnace to melt pigment on car surface, this way it’s easy to paint corners because that is where charge is concentrated LEAD PAINTS: thin coating on outside, hides below (protective coating) banned due to health hazards also used
as anti-knocking agent in gasoline. Toxicology: if something is hazardous we eliminate, what levels can you discharge, exposure time (not just concentration), where is the impact ear, inhalation, mouth, there is difference between breathing nickel or inhaling nickel, is it dust or liquid gas. Worst exposure is by blood
by breathing goes into lungs, liver, heart, brain. Impact depends on how it gets to your body. Particulate matter: PM, size of particle PM5 = 5um diameter particle, PM 10 = 10um diameter particle. PM 5 and PM10 clog lungs but most dangerous is PM2.5 because it gets into lung tissue and blood. Threshold
Amount: how to test for amount of toxins. Some substances are toxic to humans but not to animals such that when drinking the contaminated water human fertility goes down but horses fertility goes up. “All substances are potential poisons, it’s just the dose” dose and length of exposure. It is the level to which a
worker can be exposed day after day for a working lifetime without adverse effects. Three types of TLVs for chemical substances are defined: 1) Threshold limit value − time-weighted average (TLV-TWA): average exposure on the basis of an 8h/day, 40h/week work schedule 2) Threshold limit value − short-term
exposure limit (TLV-STEL): spot exposure for a duration of 15 minutes, that cannot be repeated more than 4 times per day with at least 60 minutes between exposure periods 3) Threshold limit value − ceiling limit (TLV-C): absolute exposure limit that should not be exceeded at any time. Types of impacts: Primary
impact: what comes out of a process. Secondary Impact: what goes in the process (such as chemicals). Types of toxins: 1) toxins: poisons, instant effect, immediate response not 30 year exposure toxins like asbestos. Has built in redundancy, liver is like a filter one time drinking alcohol is not going to do harm first
time but over time it can be toxic and if drink much at one time it is toxic so it is a poison. 2) Carcinogens: mostly from long term exposure such as smoking, asbestos. One cigarette doesn’t kill you but over time it can cause cancer. 3) Mutagens: induce hereditary defects, chemical doesn’t kill you directly but
influences genetic build creating mutations. Radiation, exposure to sunlight can turn DNA cells to cancerous cells 4) Endocrine disruptors: hormones added to increase growth telling our body to do something so they influences body. Hormonal imbalances caused by chemicals male hormones become like female
hormones due to chemicals we breathe or drink in water. 5) Xenobiotic: anything in environment that doesn’t occur naturally. Chemicals that are not natural to that environment, artificial. Creating chemicals that are not found in the environment. Disrupt nature, environment doesn’t know how to cope with it. 4 Ways
Chemicals Can Combine: 1) Additivity: A toxic impact = 20%, B toxic impact is 30% and combined toxic impact is 50% 2) Antagonism: A toxic impact = 20%, B toxic impact is 30% and combined toxic impact is 5% 3) Potentiation: A toxic impact = 5%, B toxic impact is 20% and combined toxic impact is 50% 4)
Synergism: A toxic impact = 5%, B toxic impact is 10% and combined toxic impact is 100%. Antagonism: antagonistic effect such as acid + base = neutral, used in medicine, add something to combine with poison to neutralize it. Potentiation, just like presence of radon in granite it’s safe but if you smoke around it,
you increase risk of cancer. Synergism, rhinoceros birds give him ticks which are helpful, bacteria in our stomach a lot of them are helpful. When A and B meet in a river, what is net effect they can combine to reduce impact or increase impact. Air Pollution: In Canada we get impacted by air pollution in non-
developed countries air pollution is not problem but water pollution is problem. Each person pollutes atmosphere, people emit 500 million cells, we sweat to keep us cool, and bacteria that eats sweat create odour, by-product of the bacteria create the odour. Two types of sweat glands Eccrine glands- arms, apocrine
glands, armpits, Isovateric acid-foot odour. Atmosphere: troposphere (below 10km at 10km -50 to 60°C), stratosphere (10-50km at 50km 15°C), mesosphere (50-80km), thermosphere (80-400km), exosphere (Space). Most action happens in troposphere, even most planes fly there. Troposphere: polls 6-7km, equator
18-20km, -51°C, most molecules are distributed between troposphere and stratosphere. Stratosphere: temperature increases, due to UV light absorbed by oxygen, ozone layer (absorbs UV light) other gasses also absorb UV and that helps us not fry. Thermosphere: no gas molecules so temperature drops. Fact:
friction between airplane and gas molecules is enough to generate heat. Acid Rain: SO2 goes to atmosphere increasing pH in air most important air pollution and main one, impacts leaves (damaging leaves and limiting nutrients going to tree or hurting trees by toxic substances released slowly from the soil) and salts
(sea salts absorb SO2 and converting it to Sulfuric acid and affecting pH of water) and buildings (lime stone is prone to attacks of acid rain causing corrosion). Air pollution: worldwide 4-6 million people die per hour Europe 339000. Particulate Matter: diesel cars produce it penetrates lungs, gets into blood stream
example is the (London Smog) December 1952, from burning coal. Air pollution incidents: 1984 Bhopal in India, union carbide. Inversion: cold air trapped by warm air, ground cools rapidly so you have a layer of cold air. PM10 means particulates of 10um diameter or less. In 1952 it was 30000-140000 ug/m^3
now 30 ug/m^3. Classes Of Air Pollution: Type I, (indoor, local, urban). Type II (regional, continental (SO2 acid rain), (Na) (regional for example impact in west Canada is different than impact in east Canada) Type III (Global, hemispheric)( global for example greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, ozone layer in
stratosphere, creating hole in ozone layer and making it bigger). Sources Of Air Pollution: 1. manufacturing (industrial) 2. Transportation 3. Natural (forest fires which generate CO2 which is Greenhouse gas (also volcanoes). Anthropogenic: human created pollution (not natural), creating CO2. The Big 3 are: 1.
Particulate matter (not toxic or porous material but can block lungs and penetrate through it and can clog arteries) 2) SO2 3) Ozone (ozone dangerous concentration is 0.0012ppm).INDIRECT impact is CO2. Air Pollution Agencies: 1. WHO (world health organization) 2. Environment Canada – across Canada. 3.
Province (EPA- province wise). 4. Municipal – Local. As agencies go smaller rules become stricter and rules increase. WHO doesn’t force countries to comply they are just guidelines Air Quality Air Index: AQHI (1-3 low), (4-6 Moderate), (7-10 high), (10+ very high). If 4-6 symptoms are coughing throat irritation.
If 7-10 reschedule activity like jogging. If 10 then don’t do any activities. Data is normalized so all have same impact AQHI = (1000/10.4) (exp (0.000537xO3)-1), (1000/10.4) (exp (0.000871XNO2)-1), (1000/10.4) (exp (0.00048XPM2.5)-1). Air Pollution Time To Decompose: banana peel (3-4 weeks), paper bag
(4 weeks), plastic bag (1 million years), wool pack (1 year), and tin can (50-100 years), Styrofoam (too long) these all break down because exposed to moisture and UV. Alcohol 0.05% nontoxic, 0.1% toxic, 0.5% lethal. You don’t build tolerance to alcohol if you drink lots of it. CO, less than 10% nontoxic, 20-30%
toxic, more than 60% lethal (CO is hemoglobin bound so it stops oxygen from binding to hemoglobin because it start to bold to hemoglobin blocking oxygen stripping oxygen from blood system). Aspirin 0.65g nontoxic (2 tabs), 9.75g (30 tabs) toxic, 34 g lethal (105 tabs). Ibuprofen, 400 mg nontoxic (4 tabs), 1400
mg toxic (7 tabs), 12000 mg (60 tabs) lethal. FOR ASPIRIN, increasing tabs increases toxic levels, just because we feel better doesn’t mean that it is good. Bell curve 2 tans probably will help most people so peak of bell curve is 2 tabs. Nitrogen Oxide: NO and NO2 produced from incomplete combustion PANs are
( O3,UV,inversion) due to transportation 69% of this increase is in petrochemical NO2 =UV=> NO + O , O+O=>O3, that’s how ozone is formed in stratosphere. The nicer the day the higher the chance for pollution, because if there are clouds, less pollution because less UV. Sulfur Dioxide: smelters 62%, other
industries 26%. Roasters we get SO2, furnace we also get SO2. Roasted => SO2 => H2SO4 => gas stream not O2 => furnace =>roasters this way more SO2 is captured. Percent of total energy generated on earth: Solar radiation = 99.9% of all budget, Thermal energy = 0.025%, Tidal waves (ocean waves) 0.002%
waste from fossil fuel burning 0.007%. Global warming potential table: CO2 (after 30.95 years, 20 is 1, 100 is 1) Methane (after 12 years for 20 we get 72 for 100 we get 25) methane is 72 times stronger than CO2 but it degrades faster, oxidizes down. Table for industrial revolution in 1750: CO2 280ppm, Methane
700ppb, N2O ppt. Contribution to GHG: Liquid 36%, Solid fuels 35%, gases 20%, cement production 3%. FLAT ROOFS: 100 largest sites in the world (flat roofs and roads) billions of tons of GHG. Roofs = 25%, roads = 35% of surface area. River contaminations: BOD is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed (i.
e., demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period. If water is having high BOD, aerobic bacteria will utilize the available Oxygen Demand of water. In case of excessive BOD there will be deficiency of DO
and water will be in anaerobic condition resulting in mortality of living aquatic organisms; release of ammonia, methane, CO2 etc. In absence of oxygen, anaerobic bacteria become active. When BOD value is medium, water will possess excessive nutrients causing algal bloom. Such condition is again dangerous
because during day time water will be supersaturated with oxygen (due to photosynthesis in presence of sun light), but at late night Demand Oxygen may be zero or close to zero. This is primarily due to utilization of oxygen for respiration by plants and animals (without any production of oxygen in absence of
sunlight). For this purpose BOD must be maintained up to certain level in any surface waterbody. Nitrates and phosphates: drinking water from river that contains high amount of nitrate can interfere with the ability of our red blood cells to carry oxygen. Infants are more at risk of nitrate poisoning than older
children or adults. It can cause brain damage or death. Fertilizers often increase the amount of nitrate and phosphate in surface water and groundwater resulting in accelerated algae and weed growth. When the algae and weeds decay, the decomposers remove oxygen from the water, which can kill fish and other
aquatic life. This process is known as eutrophication. Phosphate will stimulate the growth of plankton and aquatic plants which provide food for larger organisms, including zooplankton, fish, humans, and other mammals. Plankton represents the base of the food chain. Initially, this increased productivity will cause
an increase in the fish population and overall biological diversity of the system. But as the phosphate loading continues and there is a build-up of phosphate in the lake or surface water ecosystem, the aging process of lake or surface water ecosystem will be accelerated. The overproduction of lake or water body can
lead to an imbalance in the nutrient and material cycling process. Biomagnification: increase in concentration of a substance that occurs in a food chain as a consequence of Persistence (can't be broken down by environmental processes), Food chain energetics, Low (or nonexistent) rate of internal
degradation/excretion of the substance (often due to water-insolubility) Biological magnification often refers to the process whereby certain substances such as pesticides or heavy metals move up the food chain, work their way into rivers or lakes, and are eaten by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in turn are eaten
by large birds, animals or humans. The substances become concentrated in tissues or internal organs as they move up the chain. Concentration increases in flesh (animals). PCB, DDT, DDE. Organic chlorines tend to accumulate in fats. Certain materials can accumulate in different parts of the body, not distributed
evenly such as cadmium metals accumulate in kidneys, metals accumulate in livers. Heavy Metals and plants: Pollution of biosphere by toxic metals has accelerated dramatically since the beginning of the industrial revolution. As a result of human activities such as mining and smelting of metals, fertilizer, sewage
and pesticide application, Excessive accumulation of heavy metals is toxic to most plants. Heavy metals ions, when present at an elevated level in the environment, are excessively absorbed by roots and translocated to shoot, leading to impaired metabolism and reduced growth. In addition, excessive metal
concentrations in contaminated soils result in decreased soil microbial activity and soil fertility, and yield losses. Phytoremediation of heavy metals may take one of several forms: phytoextraction, rhizofiltration, phytostabilization, and phytovolatilization. Phytoextraction refers to processes in which plants are used to
concentrate metals from the soil into the roots and shoots of the plant; rhizofiltration is the use of plant roots to absorb, concentrate or precipitate metals from effluents; and phytostabilization is the use of plants to reduce the mobility of heavy metals through absorption and precipitation by plants, thus reducing their
bioavailability; phytovolatilization is the uptake and release into the atmosphere of volatile materials such as mercury- or arsenic-containing compounds. PYTHO REMEDIATION PLANTS: plants, poplar trees good for decontaminating gas stations, good at adsorbing lead. ARSENIC: sunflower and Chinese fem
are both good at absorbing arsenic. Cadmium + zink: alpine penny craps. LEAD: indian mustard plant, poplar trees, hemp, rag weed. NICKEL: wild mustard and about 1.2% of this plant body weight can be metal. ORANIUM: sunflowers. STRONG OXIDENTS hydrogen peroxide to treat soil contamination by
organics. Put ELECTRODESs which are metal ions toward negative electrodes since metals are positive. But for this we need water in soil so moisture. PUMP solvent in soil using pipes and as solvent goes in and absorbs the metals it gets sucked by another pipe through vacuum and try to separate metal from
solvent and recycle the solvent. Air Quality Index: The Air Quality Index (AQI) is an indicator of air quality, based on air pollutants that have adverse effects on human health and the environment. The pollutants are ozone, fine particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide and total reduced
Sulphur compounds. It also provides advice on how you can improve the quality of the air you breathe. Computation of the AQI requires an air pollutant concentration over a specified averaging period, obtained from an air monitor or model. Taken together, concentration and time represent the dose of the air
pollutant. Health effects corresponding to a given dose are established by epidemiological research. Air pollutants vary in potency, and the function used to convert from air pollutant concentration to AQI varies by pollutant. Air quality index values are typically grouped into ranges. Each range is assigned a
descriptor, a color code, and a standardized public health advisor. This index pays particular attention to people who are sensitive to air pollution and provides them with advice on how to protect their health during air quality levels associated with low, moderate, high and very high health risks. How the AQI is
determined and used SO2, ozone (O3), nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate -At the end of each hour, the concentration of each pollutant, measured at each site, is converted into a number ranging from zero upwards, using a common scale, or index. The calculated number for each pollutant is referred to as a
sub-index. -At a given site, the highest sub-index for any given hour becomes the AQI reading for that hour. The index is a relative scale, in that, the lower the index, the better the air quality. Here's what the readings mean: If the AQI reading is below 16, the air quality is in the very good category. If the AQI reading
is in the range of 16 to 31, the air quality is in the good category. If the AQI reading is in the range of 32 to 49, the air quality is in the moderate category, and there may be some adverse effects for very sensitive people. If the AQI reading is in the range of 50 to 99, the air quality is in the poor category, and may have
adverse effects for sensitive members of human and animal populations, and may cause significant damage to vegetation and property. If the AQI reading is above 99, the air quality is in the very poor category, and may have adverse effects for a large proportion of those exposed. Main sources of anthropogenic SO2
and Acid Rain: SO2 goes to atmosphere increasing pH in air most important air pollution and main one, impacts leaves (damaging leaves and limiting nutrients going to tree or hurting trees by toxic substances released slowly from the soil) and salts (sea salts absorb SO2 and converting it to Sulfuric acid and
affecting pH of water) and buildings (lime stone is prone to attacks of acid rain causing corrosion). The largest sources of SO2 emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power plants (73%) and other industrial facilities (20%). Smaller sources of SO2 emissions include industrial processes such as extracting metal
from ore, and the burning of high sulfur containing fuels by locomotives, large ships, and non-road equipment. SO2 is linked with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system. Two elements, sulfur and nitrogen, are primarily responsible for the harmful effects of acid rain. Sulfur is found as a trace element in
coal and oil. When these are burned in power plants and industrial boilers, the sulfur combines with oxygen to form sulfur dioxide (SO 2). Because SO2 does not react with most chemicals found in the atmosphere, it can travel long distances. Eventually, if it comes in contact with ozone or hydrogen peroxide, it can be
converted to sulfur trioxide. Sulfur trioxide can dissolve in water, forming a dilute solution of sulfuric acid. Environmental Laws: 3 stages of Law; Federalcovers entire country  oceans, air transportation, railways, military basis, national parks, Indians and lands reserved for Indians, navigation and shipping.
Provinceprovincial, property and civil rights in the province (section 92(13)), which empowers the provinces to regulate most types of business and industrial activities, including emissions from such activities; management of provincial Crown lands which empowers the provinces to regulate activities such as
mining and lumbering on their substantial landholdings; municipal institutions in the province (section 92(8)), under which authority the provinces have delegated to municipalities the power to regulate matters such as zoning, development, waste management and recycling, drinking water and wastewater; and
generally all matters of a merely local or private nature in the province; Municipalvery specific, go locally to prevent pollution; Town/city in Californianew mall being builtbut local municipal laws stop the buildingas the number of cars travelling in the region will increase, GHG increases,  did not take
into account of enviro impact local laws can be implemented. Nitrogen Oxide: When nitrogen is released during fuel combustion it combines with oxygen atoms to create nitric oxide (NO). This further combines with oxygen to create nitrogen dioxide (NO2) NOx gases react to form smog and acid rain as well as
being central to the formation of fine particles (PM) and ground level ozone, both of which are associated with adverse health effects. High levels of NOx can have a negative effect on vegetation, including leaf damage and reduced growth. It can make vegetation more susceptible to disease and frost damage. When
sulphur dioxide and ozone are also present, the effects on vegetation are worse. Along with sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide can cause acid rain. Human Anthropogenic Activity: The soil contamination occurs where intensive industrial activities by Humans, inadequate waste disposal, mining, military activities or
accidents have introduced excessive amounts of contaminants. Soils only have a limited ability to process these contaminants, through filtering or transformation. Acid Rain on Trees: It is thought that acid rain can cause trees to grow more slowly or even to die but scientists have found that it is not the only cause.
The same amount of acid rain seems to have more effect in some areas than it does in others. As acid rain falls on a forest it trickles through the leaves of the trees and runs down into the soil below. Some of it finds its way into streams and then on into rivers and lakes. Some types of soil can help to neutralize the acid
- they have what is called a "buffering capacity". Acid rain can effect trees in several different ways, it may: dissolve and wash away the nutrients and minerals in the soil which help the trees to grow, Cause the release of harmful substances such as aluminum into the soil, wear away the waxy protective coating of
leaves, damaging them and preventing them from being able to photosynthesize properly. Acid Rain and Lakes: As the acidity of a lake increases, the water becomes clearer and the numbers of fish and other water animals decline. Some species of plant and animal are better able to survive in acidic water than others.
Freshwater shrimps, snails, mussels are the most quickly affected by acidification followed by fish such as minnows, salmon and roach. The roe and fry (eggs and young) of the fish are the worst affected, the acidity of the water can cause deformity in young fish and can prevent eggs from hatching properly. Acid
Rain on Buildings: Every type of material will become eroded sooner or later by the effects of the climate. Water, wind, ice and snow all help in the erosion process but unfortunately, acid rain can help to make this natural process even quicker. Statues, buildings, vehicles, pipes and cables can all suffer. The worst
affected are things made from limestone or sandstone as these types of rock are particularly susceptible and can be affected by air pollution in gaseous form as well as by acid rain. Water Pollution: Contamination can happen in fresh water and salt water (oceans). TERMINOLOGY: DO (dissolved oxygen), BOD
(Biochemical oxygen demand). SS (suspended solids) which inhibit sunlight penetration through the water. KEY ISSUES: pH, metal level in water, industrial waste. DO in mid night is low since no algae to produce oxygen and also algae die at night because no sun light so bacteria comes out to eat them which
consume the DO and this also increase the BoD of the water. DO increases during the day since the algae will consume sunlight to produce DO in the water. BoD is measured in ppm. BoD5 5 days. Sewage typical 300 ppm, if I had 1 L of water need 300 mg DO, in whole milk 100,000 ppm. BoD5: method to so
incubated 250-500 mLs for 5 days at 20oC measure at start and end of 5 days. DO at end – DO at beginning = BoD. If you have strong waste you can dilute it. 0ppm means clean water, bacteria did not demand anything or can mean that there is a toxin in the water that kills or prevents bacteria from growing, nothing
alive and real BoD could be high. Rivers usually cope with discharges and recover the DO but just make sure when you discharge, you don’t bring the DO to zero otherwise it will be permanent decreasing of the DO in the river resulting in killing fish. They use electrodes to measure oxygen. In summer there is more
oxygen because air bubbles but problem is that we have to be more careful with discharges because bacteria is more active for every 10oC increase in temperature bacteria doubles in activity. BIOACCUMILLIATION: insects-small fish-big fish-humans. PESTICIDAL: DDT accumulation. Water 0.000002 ppm =>
plankton 0.0025 ppm => zoo plankton 0.123 ppm=> rainbow trout 13.04 ppm => lake trout 4.83 ppm => humming gulls (birds) 124 ppm. As seen concentration of DDT accumulate just like heavy metals. The high concentration of DDT causes these humming gull birds to bear eggs with soft shells and burst easily and
can’t protect inside baby and so decrease their reproduction and leads to decrease in their population. METALS: if Iron goes in soil => plant sucks it => animal eats it like cow. So you will have higher concentration of metal in flesh and so it keeps increasing and significant concentration can occur.