ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE QUARTER 2
pollutants and particulate matter are introduced
Lesson I: Atmosphere
Composition of Atmosphere
• about 21% is oxygen
• about 78% is nitrogen
• the remaining 1% is mostly argon (0.93%) with
some carbon dioxide (0.035%), varying
amounts of water vapor and trace amounts of
other gases
Layers of Atmosphere
1. Troposphere - The troposphere is the layer of
the atmosphere nearest to earth. All weather
happens in the troposphere. The only layer
where life is possible.
2. Stratosphere - Many jet aircraft fly in the
stratosphere because it is very stable. It is in
the stratosphere that we find the ozone layer.
Ozone Layer is a gaseous layer in the upper
atmosphere that protects the earth from
harmful ultraviolet radiation.
3. Mesosphere - Air is very thin and cold.
Meteors or rock fragments burn up in the
mesosphere.
4. Thermosphere - Space shuttles fly in this
area, and it is also where auroras are found.
5. Exosphere - This layer of the atmosphere
merges into space also known as the outmost
layer. Satellites are stationed in this layer.
Les. II: Distribution and Properties of Water
About 97% of the water on Earth is saltwater,
while freshwater makes up the remaining 3%.
About 2.59% of freshwater is in the form of ice
caps and glaciers, and in the deep ground water.
Less than 0.5% of freshwater is readily available
as soil moisture, surface water in lakes and
streams, and as water vapor.
Water is essential to life. Deprived of water,
humans would die within a week. The human
body is approximately 60% water, blood is at
least 50% water, and the brain is about 77%
water.
Les. III: Air, Water, Soil Quality
Pollution is the introduction of substances (or
energy) that cause adverse changes in the
environment and living entities.
Pollutant is a substance or energy introduced
into the environment that has undesired effects.
Pollution need not always be caused by chemical
substances such as particulates (like smoke and
dust). Forms of energy such as sound, heat or
light can also cause pollution.
a) Air pollution refers to the release of harmful
contaminants (chemicals, toxic gases,
particulates, biological molecules, etc.) into the
earth’s atmosphere.
b) Water pollution is said to occur when toxic
into water bodies such as lakes, rivers, and seas.
c) Soil pollution, also called soil contamination,
refers to the degradation of land due to the
presence of chemicals or other man-made
substances in the soil.
A. AIR POLLUTANTS are substances whose
concentrations in air are high enough to be
considered hazardous to human health.
The 8 classes of air pollutants are:
1.Oxides of carbon - carbon monoxide (CO) and
carbon dioxide (CO2).
2.Oxides of sulfur - sulfur dioxide (SO2) and
sulfur trioxide (SO3).
3.Oxides of nitrogen - nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen
dioxide (NO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O).
4.Volatile organic compounds - hydrocarbons
such as methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), and
octane (C8H18), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
such as dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl2F2)
5.Suspended particulate matter - consists of tiny
particles of dust, soot, asbestos, and salts, and
of microscopic droplets of liquids such as
sulfuric acid and pesticides.
6.Photochemical oxidants - Photochemical
oxidants are primarily produced during the
formation of photochemical smog.
7.Radioactive substances - radon-222, iodine-
131, and strontium-90.
8.Hazardous air pollutants - benzene (C6H6) and
carbon tetrachloride (CCl4).
B. WATER POLLUTANTS
1. Infectious agents - bacteria, viruses, and
parasitic worms cause diseases such as typhoid
fever, cholera, hepatitis, amoebic dysentery, and
schistosomiasis.
2. Oxygen-depleting waste - animal manure in
feedlot and farm runoff.
3. Inorganic chemicals - mineral acids, toxic
metals.
4. Organic chemicals - oil, gasoline, pesticides,
and organic solvents.
5. Plant nutrient pollutants - include nitrates
(NO3-), phosphates (PO43-) and ammonium
(NH4+)
6. Sediments -Erosion of soils is the main
process contributing sediments, or silts, to water
bodies.
7. Radioactive materials - iodine-131 and
strontium-90
8. Thermal pollution - A power generating plant
commonly discharges water used for cooling into
a nearby river, lake, or ocean. Because the
discharged water can be significantly warmer
than the ambient environment, it represents a
source of thermal pollution.
C. SOIL POLLUTANTS
The thin outermost layer of the Earth made up
of soil is called the pedosphere.
1. Metals, inorganic ions, and salts - phosphates,
carbonates, sulfates, nitrates.
2. Organic compounds - lipids, proteins, DNA,
fatty acids, hydrocarbons, PAHs, and alcohols.
These organic compounds are mainly formed
through soil microbial activity and
decomposition of organisms (e.g., plants and
animals).
Various compounds get into the soil from the
atmosphere, for instance with precipitation
water, as well as by wind activity or other types
of soil disturbances.
Les. IV: Natural Resources
Natural resources are the materials that are not
made by man: rather they came from nature.
Classification of Natural Resources
A. Renewable resources are resources that can
grow again or can be replaced after they are
consumed.
• The air, the freshwater, the light from the
sun, the plants, and animals that we use as
foods are all examples of renewable resources.
Energy coming from sun, water, and wind are
considered renewable.
B. Nonrenewable resources are those that cannot
be replaced or regenerated easily. It can be
found in nature in small or limited quantities
since they need a long period of time to generate.
• Fossil fuels-coal, oil, and natural gas. Rocks,
soil, minerals, and metals.
• Minerals naturally form elements and
compounds that are found naturally in
Earth’s crust.
Creation of Fossil Fuel
1. Trees, plants, and animals absorb the sun’s
energy.
2. Remains of trees, plants, and animals go to
the soil.
3. Decaying matter of trees, plants, and animals
undergo a continuous cycle of heat and
pressure.
4. Earth crushes the fossils and converts the
long-stored energy into fossil fuels.
Les. V: State of the Philippine Environment
The Philippines are prone to natural disasters,
particularly typhoons, floods, landslides,
volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis,
lying as it does astride the typhoon belt, in the
active volcanic region known as the “Pacific Ring
of Fire,”
The Philippines suffers major human-caused
environmental degradation aggravated by a high
annual population growth rate.
1. Loss Of Agricultural Lands
2. Deforestation
3. Soil Erosion
4. Air And Water Pollution
5. Improper Disposal of Solid and Toxic Wastes
6. Overfishing.
Due to massive deforestation, about 50 to 100
species of animals are being lost each day.
Air pollution is one of the biggest health emergencies
in the Asia Pacific region, with the Philippines
recording 45.3 air pollution-related deaths for every
100,000 people.
Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR)- responsible for the
formulation and implementation of policies,
guidelines, and rules related to environmental
management.
Mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources
in the Philippines because of overfishing,
unabated illegal fishing activities, and lack of
political will to fully implement fisheries laws
and regulations, a lack of post-harvest facilities.
Les. VI: Advocacy in Conserving and
Preserving our Environment
Conservation is using, managing, and protecting
our environment through responsible use of our
natural resources.
Preservation means maintaining the present
state or conditions of areas, which insofar is
undisturbed by human activities.
The Protect Wildlife Project was launched in
2016 in collaboration with Conservation
International, USAID, and other partners to
combat the threats to wildlife and the causes of
biodiversity loss in the Philippines.