ENVIRONMENT AND

POLLUTION
ENVIRONMENT
• The ‘Environment’ is very important for us to understand because it
constitutes our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth. It
comprises of the air we breathe, the water that covers most of the earth’s
surface, the plants and animals around us, and much more.
• DEFINITIONS
- It is the sum total of water, air and land and the interrelationships that
exist among them with human beings, other living organisms and
materials.
- The term Environment includes water , air and land and human beings,
other living creatures, plants, micro organisms and property ( sec 2(a)
Environment Protection Act, 1986)
- the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors that act upon an
organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form
and survival. (Britannica Encyclopedia)
• ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
- Sec 2(c) Environment Protection Act, 1986- "environmental pollution"
means the presence in the environment of any environmental pollutant
- Sec 2(b) Environment Protection Act, 1986- "environmental pollutant"
means any solid, liquid or gaseous substance present in such
concentration as may be, or tend to be, injurious to environment
- The term ‘pollution’ refers to unfavourable alteration to our
surroundings, wholly or largely as a by-product of human’s action
through direct and indirect effects of changes in energy patterns,
chemical and physical construction and abundance of organisms.
TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT
.
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT MAN-MADE ENVIRONMENT

• Self regulating
mechanism • Created by man for
• Change in the system his own development
caused due to
natural processing
 • COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
ENERGY
ABIOTIC BIOTIC
COMPONENTS

• LITHOSPHERE • FLORA • SOLAR

• HYDROSPHERE • FAUNA • GEO
• ATMOSPHERE CHEMICAL
• BIOSPHERE • THERMO
ELECTRICAL
• HYDRO
ELECTRICAL
• NUCLEAR
• ATOMIC ETC…
FACTORS AFFECTING ENVIRONMENT
. Altitude, mountain chains, plains, plateaus,
Topographic factors
water bodies, sea level, valleys

Climatic factors Atmosphere, humidity, temperature, light

Edaphic factors Lithosphere

Biotic factors Human, animals, plants, micro organisms

KINDS OF POLLUTION
.
NATURAL POLLUTION MAN-MADE POLLUTION

Due to natural Human activity-

phenomenon- agriculture, industries,
earthquakes, floods, telecommunications,
droughts, cyclones automobiles, radio
etc… active pollution etc….
CATEGORIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
1. Water pollution
- Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or
indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful
compounds.
2. Air pollution
- Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals,
particles, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death
to humans, damage to other living organisms
- Burning of petroleum and military ammunition produces sulphur dioxide
and ammonia which causes acid rain (Taj Trapezium case 1997)
Noise pollution
- Major source of ‘noise’ is by motor vehicles, aircrafts, fire-crackers, sirens, loud
speakers and machinery.
- Noise pollution has harmful effects on the environment, humans and animals.
- Effects
Hearing loss or hearing impairment;
Rise in blood pressure;
Cardio-vascular health effects;
Increase in stress level;
Decrease in efficiency and concentration
4. Land pollution
- Deforestation, release of toxic substances on the land, throwing of
unhygienic waste on earth, dumping of garbage, biomedical waste etc.
causes land pollution. Excessive use of pesticides is also a source of land
pollution as this effects the potability of water.
- It affects the food chain- thus damages the life cycle
5 Food Pollution
- The pollution of food begins by use of chemical fertilizers and various
pesticides at different stages of plant growth. These chemicals directly or
indirectly affect the quality of food and affects health of the consumer.
Food also gets polluted during processing, storage, packaging and
transportation.
6. Thermal Pollution
- Any undesirable, harmful change in natural temperature disturbing the
natural heat balance of the surroundings is called ‘Thermal Pollution’.
7. Radioactive pollution
- ‘Nuclear pollution’ is produced by nuclear explosion which are carried
out for performing nuclear tests and which is further used for making
nuclear weapons. Due to these explosions about 15 to 25% of the
radioactive particles enter into the atmosphere. Once they enter into the
atmosphere they continue to fall on the earth for several years.