Environmental Pollution

Pollution
 Pollution is the introduction of contaminants
into the natural environment that cause adverse
change. Pollution can take the form of chemical
substances or energy, such as noise, heat or
light.

 Pollutants, the components of pollution. They

can be either foreign substances/energies or
naturally occurring contaminants.
Air Pollution
 Air pollution Air pollution is said to exist if the levels
of gases, solids, or liquids present in the
atmosphere are high enough to harm humans,
other organisms, or materials.
 Indoor Air Pollution
 Outdoor Air Pollution
Air Pollution
 Types of Air Pollutants
 Primary
 harmful chemicals that are released directly from a
source into the atmosphere.
 Examples: Particulate matter such as soil particles,
lead, and asbestos, Oxides of carbon and nitrogen and
sulphur dioxide, Hydrocarbons like methane and
benzene
 Secondary
 produced from chemical reactions involving the primary
pollutants.
 Example: Ozone, Sulphur trioxide, PAN (Peroxy Acetyl
Nitrate), Photochemical smog
 Primary Pollutants

CO CO2 Secondary Pollutants

SO2 NO NO2 SO3
Most hydrocarbons HNO3 H2SO4
Most suspended H2O2 O3
particles –
Most NO3 and SO42 – salts

Mobile
Natural
Sources Stationary
Air Pollution
 Major Air Pollutants
 Carbon Monoxide
 Product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas,
coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of carbon
monoxide.
 Carbon Dioxide
 A greenhouse gas emitted from combustion but is also a gas
vital to living organisms. It is a natural gas in the atmosphere.
 CFCs
 Source: Refrigerators, air conditioners, foam shaving cream,
spray cans and cleaning solvents
 Ozone
 Ground level ozone (O3) formed from NOx and VOCs. Ozone
(O3)
 Air Pollution
 Major Air Pollutants
 Nitrogen oxides
 Especially nitrogen dioxide are emitted from high temperature
combustion. Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the
formula N02. It is responsible for photochemical smog, acid rain etc.
 Sulphur dioxide
 SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes.
Since coal and petroleum often contain sulphur compounds, their
combustion generates sulphur dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2,
usually in the presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4.
 Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
 Particulates, alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM) or fine
particles, are tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas.
Sources of particulate matter can be manmade or natural. Increased
levels of fine particles in the air are linked to health hazards such as
heart disease, altered lung function and lung cancer.
 PM10
 PM2.5
Air Pollution
 Causes of Air Pollution
 Natural Causes
 Natural disasters like volcanic eruption, cyclones, forest fires,
microbes(CH4)
 Natural emissions from animals, decaying organic matter
 Anthropogenic (Man made) Causes
 Industrial emissions
 Automobiles
 Thermal power stations
 Nuclear explosions
 Nuclear power plants
 Agricultural activities
 Disposal of garbage
 Mining activities
Air Pollution
 Effects of Air Pollution
 Effects on Human Health
 Carboxyhaemoglobin
 Inflammation of lungs
 Damage to respiratory system,
and blood vascular system,
 Cancer
 Effects on Plants
 Bleaching of the leaf pigment
 Development of necrotic spots
 Premature falling of leaves
 Effects on Climate
 Greenhouse effect and global
warming
 Acid rain
 Ozone (O3) layer depletion
Air Pollution
 Prevention and control of air pollution
 Air pollution can be prevented by
 Adopting cleaner technologies,
 Reducing pollution at the source,
 Implementing laws and regulations to make people
pollute less,
 Introducing appropriate transportation policies
 Making cleaner and fuel-efficient vehicles
 Air pollution can be controlled by
 Various Air Pollution Control (APC) devices
 Sprinkling water on soil that is being evacuated during
road construction
Air Pollution
 Air Pollution Control (APC) devices
 Particulate Matter
 Cyclone separator
 Bag house filter
 Scrubbers
 Electrostatic precipitators
 Gaseous pollutants (Adsorption and Absorption)
 Venturi scrubbers
 Packed bed scrubbers
 Spray towers
Air Pollution Control Devices

Baghouse Filter

Cyclone
Electrostatic Precipitator
separator
Air Pollution Control Devices

Venturi Scrubber Packed bed

Spay Tower
Scrubber
Ill Effects of Fireworks
 Fire Hazards: Fireworks can set fire to huts, heaps of
dry grass and even houses.
 Noise Pollution: Firecrackers make more noise than
the allowed decibel limit.
 Air Pollution: Components of the smog caused by
firecrackers are harmful when inhaled. Such as,
 Copper causes irritation in the respiratory tract. Cadmium
causes anemia.
 Lead in the body has a harmful effect on the nervous
system.
 Magnesium and zinc fumes cause metal fume fever.
 Smokes from fireworks causes reduced visibility.
Water Pollution
 The addition of various
organic and inorganic
substances that change
the physical and chemical
properties of water thereby
leading to detrimental
effects on living organisms
and reducing water
usability is termed as water
pollution.
Causes of Water Pollution
 Natural Causes-
 Soil erosion due to rain, floods, high speed wind.
 Deposition of dead and decaying remains of plants and animals.
 Man-made Causes-
 Sewage and other wastes: Includes papers, cloth, soap,
detergents, waste.
 Industrial waste: effluents such as oil, grease, plastic, metals,
acids and other toxic chemicals.
 Agricultural waste: fertilizers, pesticides.
 Human activities: bathing, washing clothes (use of synthetic
detergents).
 Customs and traditions: disposal of dead bodies, immersion of
idols of gods.
Sources of water pollutants
 Point sources
 Pollutants enter the water at a single point.
Examples: sewage treatment plant and factories.
These can be regulated through law.
 Non point source
 pollutants enter the water over large areas.
Examples: Surface run off, mining wastes, municipal
wastes, acid rain and soil erosion
Water Pollutants and its effects
 Sediments: Excessive amounts of soil particles carried by flowing water,
when there is severe soil erosion. Sediments cloud the water and reduces
photosynthesis, destroys feeding ground of fishes, clogs reservoirs and
channels.
 Oxygen-demanding wastes (BOD and COD): Organic waste such as
animal manure and plant debris that are decomposed by bacteria, from
sewage, animal feedlots, paper mills, and food processing facilities. These
bacteria deplete the oxygen and causes death of fish.
 Infectious microorganisms (Pathogens): Parasitic worms, viruses and
bacteria from infected organisms as well as human and animal wastes.
They are responsible for water borne diseases.
 Synthetic chemicals: Synthetic chemicals from industrial effluents, surface
runoff, and cleaning agents. These chemicals causes health problems for
humans and harm fishes.
Water Pollutants and its effects
 Inorganic nutrients: Substances like nitrogen and phosphorus from
animal waste, plant residues, and fertilizer runoff. These nutrients
causes eutrophication.
 Radioactive substances: Wastes from nuclear power plants,
nuclear weapons production, mining and refining uranium and other
ores. Such substances causes cancer and birth defects.
 Thermal pollution: Hot water from industrial processes. Heat
lowers oxygen demand and makes aquatic life more vulnerable to
diseases, parasites. Thermal shock in aquatic organisms.
Effects of Water Pollution
 Effect on human health
 Infectious diseases can be spread through contaminated water. These
water-borne diseases are caused by bacteria (Typhoid, Cholera,
diarrhoea etc. ) or by viruses (Infectious Hepatitis)
 Pesticides – can damage the nervous system and cause cancer.
 Mercury – Minamata disease
 Chlorides can cause reproductive and endocrinal damage.
 Nitrates – are especially dangerous to babies that drink formula milk. It
restricts the amount of oxygen in the brain and cause the “blue baby”
syndrome.
 Lead – can accumulate in the body and damage the central nervous
system.
 Arsenic – causes liver damage, skin cancer and vascular diseases
 Flourides - in excessive amounts can make your teeth yellow and
cause damage to the spinal cord.
Effects of Water Pollution
 Effects on animals
 Loss of aquatic biodiversity: Harmful chemicals and pollutants
in water effect survival of aquatic organisms
 Effects on plants
 Polluted water contains high concentration of heavy metals
becomes toxic for plants.
 Eutrophication of water bodies: Nitrate and phosphate
fertilizer used to increase nitrogen and phosphate content of soil
goes in water and increases the growth of certain plants on
surface of water body.
Eutrophication
 Enrichment of a standing water
body by nutrients, such as
phosphorus and nitrogen.
 Increased photosynthetic
activity.
 Excessive algae die, they fall to
the bottom and gets
decomposed. This process
requires dissolved oxygen, some
fish species die.
Pollution of Groundwater
 Excessive extraction of groundwater leads
to the natural pollution of groundwater.
Examples are fluoride and arsenic
contamination.
 Groundwater receives pollutants from
septic tanks, landfills, hazardous waste
dumps, and underground tanks containing
petrol, oil, chemicals, etc.
Biomagnification
 Biomagnification is the increase in
concentration of a substance, such as
the pesticide, that occurs in a food
chain. The pollutant enters the first
organism in a food chain. When the
second organism in the chain
consumes the first one, the pollutant too
moves into the second organism.
 As we go up the levels of the
ecological pyramid, there is energy loss.
Hence, at each succeeding level, the
predator consumes more of the prey. As
a result, the organisms at higher levels
have greater concentrations of the
pollutant.
Control of Water Pollution
 Treatment of domestic and industrial waste in order to
reduce toxicity.
 Control on excess use of fertilizers and pesticides in
agriculture
 Human activities such as bathing, washing ; throwing
dead bodies should be stopped.
 Non- biodegradable waste material such as plastic
should not be disposed in water bodies.
 Strict enforcement of rules
 Public awareness
Waste water treatment
 Primary treatment
 Grit removal
 Sedimentation
 Floatation
 Secondary treatment
 Trickling filters
 Activated sludge process
 Rotating biological contactor
 Tertiary treatment
 Chlorination
 Anaerobic treatment
 Hydrolysis, Acidogenesis, Acetogenesis, Metanogenesis
Waste water treatment
Thermal Pollution
 Causes of thermal pollution
 Heat producing industries (thermal power plants, nuclear power
plants, refineries, steel mills etc.)
 Effects of Thermal Pollution
 The dissolved oxygen content of water is decreased.
 The composition of flora and fauna changes
 Metabolic activities of aquatic organisms increase at high
temperature and require more oxygen, whereas oxygen level
falls under thermal pollution.
 Toxicity of pesticides, detergents and chemicals in the effluents
increases with increase in temperature
 High temperature becomes a barrier for oxygen penetration into
deep cold waters
 Thermal Pollution
 Control of Thermal
Pollution
 Cooling ponds
 Cooling towers
 Cooling Ponds
 Spray Ponds
 Cooling Towers
 Wet cooling tower
 Dry cooling tower
 Marine Pollution
 Sources of marine
pollution
 Rivers, Catchment area,
coastline, oil drilling and
shipment.
 Pollutants
 sewage sludge, industrial
effluents, synthetic
detergents, agrochemicals,
solid wastes, plastics,
metals and waste heat
Control of Marine Pollution
 Toxic materials from the industrial plants should not be
discharged in coastal water.
 Run off from non-point source should be controlled.
 Sewer overflow should be prevented.
 Oil and grease from the service stations should be
reused.
 Oil balast should not be dumped into the sea.
 Developmental activities in the coastal region should be
minimized.
Soil Pollution
 Any change in the physical, chemical, and biological
properties of soil due to natural or anthropogenic
activities that leads to adverse effects on human health,
plants, animals or environment is known as soil pollution.
 Major Soil Pollutants and their effects
 1) Heavy Metal (Mercury, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium)
 2) Chemical waste
 3) Pesticides, fertilizers and other agricultural products
 5) Radioactve waste
Soil Pollution
 Causes of Soil Pollution
 Industrial waste disposal on open land
 Mining activities
 Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides
 Unplanned disposal of domestic wastes
 Poor radioactive waste management
 Effects of Soil Pollution
 Reduces the fertility of the soil
 Causes an increase in the number of mosquitoes and flies, which are
vectors of several deadly diseases
 Reduces the aesthetic value of land
 Radioactive elements present in polluted soil enter human body and
cause a number of adverse health effects such as cancer, deformities in
bones, etc.
Soil Pollution
 Control of Soil Pollution
 Treatment of industrial waste before being disposed to reduce
soil pollution.
 Garbage from urban waste should be segregated into
biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste products.
Biodegradable waste can be used for production of manures and
biogas, non-biodegradable waste can be recycled and reused.
 Planting of trees must be encouraged.
 Reduction in the amount of radioactive materials released in the
soil
 Reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides
 Solid waste can be used for electricity generation.
Solid waste
 Solid waste is that material (such as domestic trash, garbage, metal
scrap etc.) which arises from various human activities and which is
normally discarded as useless or unwanted. It is responsible for land
pollution in urban and industrial areas.
 Garbage refers to the putrescible solid waste (Solid waste that
contains organic matter capable of being decomposed by
microorganisms easily) constituents produced during the preparation
or storage of meat, vegetables, etc.
 Rubbish is the non-putrescible solid waste constituents, either
combustible or non combustible. Combustible waste includes paper,
wood, wood scrap, rubber, leather, etc. Non-combustible wastes are
metals, glass, ceramics etc.
 Refuse means all decomposing and non-decomposing combustible
and non-combustible solid wastes such as garbage, ashes, paper,
cans, wood scraps, plastic etc.
Important source of solid waste
 Domestic garbage refers to household wastes such as plastic, paper, glass
pieces, metal objects etc.
 Pathological wastes include dead animals and human waste.
 Industrial wastes generally include chemicals, paints, sand, metal ore
processing, fly ash, sewage treatment sludge, etc.
 Agricultural wastes contain mainly farm animal manure and crop residues.
 Municipal Solid waste (MSW) is commonly known as trash or garbage and
consists of everyday items such as product packaging, furniture, bottles etc.
 Mining wastes result from mining activities. Eg. Heavy metals.
 Radioactive wastes: Nuclear explosions, nuclear testing, use of radioactive
substances in medical and scientific research etc.
 Hospital wastes (BMW) includes disposable needles, syringes, blades,
tissues etc.
 E-waste refers to electrical and electronic equipment wastes.
Effects of Solid Waste
 Solid waste helps disease-causing organisms such as
mosquitoes, flies, etc., to thrive freely and increase in population.
 It runs off with rainwater and mixes with the nearby water bodies
causing water pollution.
 Burning of solid waste leads to air pollution.
 Radioactive substances present in solid waste cause a number of
diseases in human beings.
 Solid waste reduces the aesthetic value of land.
 Non-biodegradable solid wastes such as polythene, plastic, rubber,
etc., release toxic gases when burnt hence causing air pollution.
Solid waste management
 Indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes-
especially of hazardous waste causes
adverse environment effects.
 The main objective of solid waste
management is to minimize these adverse
effects before it becomes too difficult to
rectify in the future.
Solid waste management
 Solid waste management (SWM) is a
three-step process:
 Collection of solid waste
 Transportation of solid waste
 Processing/recovery
 Disposal of solid waste
Collection of solid waste
 Large number of dustbins must be provided to
enable proper collection of solid wastes
according to categories.
 Door to door collection of domestic garbage, is
the most common and popular practice.
 Rag pickers contribute to waste management.
They segregate recyclable materials from other
wastes and hence save the cost and time.
Transportation of solid waste
 Transportation of solid wastes from urban
areas to the dumping grounds with the
help of tractors, trucks etc.
 Transfer station
 Reduces transportation
cost, vehicular emission,
maintenance cost.
 Break-even point
Processing/Recovery of solid
waste
 Reduction of the use of raw materials
 Reuse of waste materials
 Repair
 Recycling of materials
 Reformation of old products
 Formation of new products
Disposal of solid waste
 Open dumping
 Land fill
 Ocean dumping
 Burning (Incineration)
 Composting
 Reduction at source
 Disposal of solid waste
 Sanitary landfill
 Garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted and covered with clay/plastic foam
 Bottom is covered with impermeable linings to prevent the percolation of leachates.
 When the landfill is full, it is covered with clay, sand and gravels
 Monitoring wells are drilled near the landfill area
 Landfill gas (Methane) is produced.
 Composting
 It is done due to the shortage of landfill area
 Decomposed in oxygen-rich medium
 Nutrient rich manure is produced
 Incineration
 Burning of waste in very high temperature
 Initial cost is very high
 Dioxin, furan, lead, cadmium etc. can be released. So, battery or plastics should be
removed before burning
Noise Pollution
 Noise: Unpleasant/ unwanted sound
 Noise pollution: The noise propagates through the atmosphere that
leads to discomfort and health hazards is known as noise pollution.
 Noise measurement is expressed as Sound Pressure Level (SPL)
 SPL is a logarithmic ration of sound pressure to a reference
pressure.
 International reference pressure is 2 X 10 -5 Pa. (average threshold
of hearing)
 Unit of SPL is decibel.
 Threshold of pain is 130 dB
 Types of noise: Continuous, Intermittent, Impact/Impulsive
Sources of Noise Pollution
 Natural phenomena such as violent volcanic eruptions,
thunder, fierce storms, etc.
 Domestic appliances such as mixers, washing machines,
telephones, etc.
 Industries such mills and factories
 Automobiles –music system n constant honking by
drivers, Noise by Trains, ships, and aircrafts
 Bursting of crackers and playing loud music during social
gatherings and festivals.
 Entertainment devices such as radio, television, etc.
Effects of Noise pollution
 Auditory effects:
 Temporary or permanent hearing loss
 Non-auditory effects:
 Heart problems
 Change in blood pressure
 Loss of working efficiency
 Insomnia
 Emotional and behavioral change
 Effects on wildlife
 Habitat loss
 Problems in laying eggs
 Damage in vocal chords
Control of Noise Pollution
 Control at source
 Designing, fabricating and using quieter machines to replace the
noisy ones
 Proper lubrication and better maintenance of machines
 Installing noisy machine in soundproof chamber
 Using vibration dampener
 Using silencers in automobiles
 Control in transmission
 Noise barrier
 Control at receptor
 Ear-protection aids like earplugs, noise helmets, headphones etc.
Control of Noise Pollution
 Other methods
 Acoustic Zoning
 Planting of Trees
 Legislative measures
 Radiation Pollution
 Radiation pollution is the emission of any form of ionizing (alpha and
beta) or non-ionizing (gamma) radiation as a result of natural or
human activities.
 Causes
 Natural
 Cosmic rays from outer space
 Radioactive Radon-222
 Soil, rock, water, air and food
may contain radioactive materials
 Anthropogenic
 Nuclear power plants
 Nuclear accidents
 Medical X-rays, test laboratories
Radiation Pollution
 Unit of radioactive exposure
 Rem (Roentgen equivalent man)
 Effects of Radiation Pollution
 Somatic Effects (Change in body cells)
• skin cancer
• bone cancer
• reduction of life span
• premature ageing
 Genetic Effects (Change in DNA)
• Defect in child birth
• Infant mortality
Radiation Pollution
 Control of Radiation pollution
 Dense trees should be planted around atomic power plants.
 Proper management of radioactive waste should be ensured.
 Unnecessary X-ray examination should be avoided. Lead shields
should be used by workers.
 During nuclear installations, various aspects must be considered
• Site selection
• Design
• Construction process
• Operating conditions
• Precautionary measures and preparedness for disasters