POLLUTION

- It is the release of substances from human activities that are harmful to the
environment
- It refers to the harm done to the environment by the release of substances produced by
human activities.
- The substance that is released and causes harm to the environment is a pollutant

pollutant Source(s) Harm to the environment

Carbon dioxide Burning of fossil

Enhanced greenhouse effect (global warming)
(CO2) fuels
Methane (CH4) Cattle, paddy fields,
extraction of coal Enhanced greenhouse effect
and oil
Fertilizers
Arable Agriculture Eutrophication
herbicides Can kill harmless plants. Persist in the
Arable Agriculture
environment as well
pesticides Agriculture (both Kills harmless species. Bioaccumulation in food
arable and livestock) chains
sewage Human and Reduces concentration of oxygen in rivers.
livestock waste Destroy freshwater communities
Nuclear fall-out Leaks/accidents at
(beta and nuclear power Cancers in humans, mutations in non-human
gamma stations, nuclear species
radiation) tests, atomic bomb
Industrial
chemical waste Can be fatal to wildlife and humans. Causes
(heavy metals bioaccumulation. Lead harms the nervous
factories
such as lead, system. Mercury and silver can result in the
mercury and birth of idiots and malformed children
cyanide)
Discarded solid Landfills reduce productive land and produce
waste methane gas. Eye sore if scattered on land.
(biodegradable Domestic and Rubbish can leak toxic liquids which leach into
and non- industrial waste the ground. Plastics can choke livestock. Plastic
biodegradable bags can choke sea turtles. Plastic nets in water
rubbish) can entangle marine organisms like dolphins
- Biodegradable plastics are those that can be broken down by decomposers. These
usually have starch incorporated into their structures and the starch is digested by
bacteria in the soil
- Non-biodegradable plastics cannot be broken down by decomposers

EUTROPHICATION OF WATER DUE TO OVER-USE OF FERTILIZERS

- Most fertilizers used by farmers to increases crop yields contain nitrates, phosphates
and potassium ions.
- Nitrates are highly soluble (they quickly dissolve in water). The nitrates that are not
immediately taken up (absorbed) by plants get washed away in drainage water. This is
called leaching.
- The leached nutrients (mainly nitrates and phosphates) get washed into rivers, streams,
dams and other water bodies.
- The nutrients stimulate the vigorous and rapid growth of algae (water plant)
- The algal leaves cover the water surface and block out sunlight from plants submerged
in water, resulting in their death.
- The vigorous growth of algae also causes stiff competition among the algae for
resources and some die.
- The dead plants and algae are decomposed by aerobic bacteria which multiplies rapidly
due to the availability of food resources.
- The bacteria uses up the dissolved oxygen (through aerobic respiration) and marine
organisms like fish die of lack of oxygen (suffocation).
*** By definition, eutrophication is algal bloom caused by water pollution, resulting in death
of marine organisms (polluted by fertilizers, organic waste or untreated sewage).

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

- Greenhouse gases naturally contained in the atmosphere include carbon dioxide,
methane and water vapour.
- Made-made greenhouse gases are mainly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) like carbon
tetrachloride and chloroform, which are usually used as solvents, aerosol propellants
and refrigerator coolants
- The greenhouse gases act as a blanket surrounding the earth, keeping it warm.
- The gases are transparent to short-wave UV radiation from the sun allowing it to freely
pass through to the ground. The ground is warmed up by this radiation.
- In turn, the ground radiates heat back into space as longer wave length infra-red
radiation. The greenhouse gases do not allow all of this infra-red radiation to pass
 through. Much of it is absorbed by the gases and reflected back towards the earth,
making the air above it warm.
- This trapping of long wave radiation resulting in it warming the atmospheric air is the
greenhouse effect. The temperature could rise by about 320C above what normally
happens without greenhouse gases.
Importance of the greenhouse effect
- If it did not happen, the earth would be too cold for life and living systems to exist.
- The earth’s surface temperature would be so low that the rate of biochemical reactions
would not sustain life.
- All the water on earth would be frozen
Negative effects
- A lot of the ice that is locked up in Polar Regions and on high mountains would start to
melt. There would be melting of ice caps, releasing more water into oceans. This would
cause a rise in sea levels and flooding of many low lying areas of land.
- There will be more violent storms in some countries
- Some countries would become hotter, drier and develop into deserts
- Plants and animals in certain areas might become extinct
- Some areas might not sustain crop growth
- A significant rise in surface temperature causes changes in the distribution pattern and
intensity of the major planetary systems and the distribution of organisms.

ACID RAIN
- Gases that cause acid rain are sulphur dioxide (SO2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
- The SO2 is formed when fossil fuels like coal are burnt and the sulphur that is produced
combines with oxygen. This happens in large industries that burn coal, such as power
stations.
- The oxides of nitrogen (nitrogen oxides) are released as exhaust fumes from cars and
trucks
- These gases can be drifted over large distances and be deposited as solid, dry particles
on plant leaves or in water bodies.
- The gases in the atmosphere dissolve in rain water to form acids (sulphuric acid and
nitric acid) which lower the pH of the rain water to as low as 3 in some places. Generally,
acid rain has a pH of less than 5.

Effects of acid rain on the environment

- Sulphur dioxide irritates the linings of the breathing system. Those with asthma and
bronchitis can suffer attacks.
- Sulfur dioxide particles can be absorbed into the plant through the stomata, damage
leaf cells and reduce their disease resistance
- When acid rain falls on soils, it causes leaching of ions like calcium ions and magnesium
ions. These become deficient.
- Aluminium becomes soluble (dissolves in water) and gets absorbed by plant roots,
resulting in the poisoning of those roots (Aluminium toxicity). The dissolved aluminium
can also poison aquatic life
- Phosphates become insoluble (as it forms insoluble compounds) and cannot be
absorbed by plants
- Soils become acidic and this reduces microbial activity, resulting in accumulation of
organic matter and reduced nitrogen fixation
- Fish eggs are killed as acid rain dissolves the egg shells (calcium carbonate)
- Buildings, especially built from limestone rock, get eroded
- Marine organisms with chalky shells get affected as the shells dissolve in acidic
conditions
How to reduce effects of acid rain
- Use of low sulfur fuels. Coal can be crushed and then washed with a solvent to dissolve
the sulfur compounds, hence reducing its sulfur content
- Rather burn more oil than sulfur to reduce sulfur dioxide
- Flue gas desulfurization can be used where sulfur from power station chimneys is
removed by treating waste gases with wet powdered limestone which neutralizes the
gases before they can escape. This can be done by passing gases from industries
through a fine spray of lime (scrubbing)
- Use of catalytic converters fitted in exhaust pipes to reduce nitrogen oxides in exhaust
fumes.