Pollution Studies Main Sheets

Prepared by
ASHIKUR RAHMAN
Muhammad HIJBULLA
GES-batch: 2018-2019
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Environmental Pollution Study
Index of the sheet

Topic 01
Definition……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 03
Types ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 03
Air pollution ……………………………………………………………………………………... 04
Water pollution …………………………………………………………………….…………….. 04
Air pollution ……………………………………………………………………………………… 04
Land pollution …………………………………………………………………………………..... 05
Radioactive pollution …………………………………………………………………………….. 05
Noise pollution ……………………………………………………………………………,……... 06
Light pollution …………………………..……………………………………………………….. 07
Case study of Environment pollution ………………………………………………………………………. 07
Effect or consequence of Environment Pollution ………………………………………………………….. 07
Importance of Pollution study in Geography ………………………………………………………………. 07
Difference between Pollution and contamination ………………………………………………………….. 08
Topic 02
Definition …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 08
Types ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 08
Cause of Air pollution ……………………………………………………………………………………… 09
Effect of Air pollution ……………………………………………………………………………………… 10
Major source of Air Pollution ……………………………………………………………………………… 10
Pollutants …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11
Classification of Pollutants ………………………………………………………………………; 11
Primary Pollutant ………………………………………………………………………………… 12
Secondary Pollutant ……………………………………………………………………………… 12
Difference between Primary and Secondary Pollutants …………………………………………. 12
Difference between indoor and outdoor pollution …………………………………………………………. 13
Indoor Air Pollution ………………………………………………………………………………………... 13
What are the major sources Indoor air pollution? ………………………………………………………….. 13
List the human activities responsible for indoor air pollution ……………………………………………… 13
Discuss the health impact of indoor air pollution ………………………………………………………….. 14
Greenhouse gases ………………………………………………………………………………………….. 14
Global Warming ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 15
The Effect of Global Warming …………………………………………………………………………….. 18
Discuss the role of greenhouse gases in global warming …………………………………………….......... 19
Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion …………………………………………………………………………. 19
Effect of Ozone Layer Depletion …………………………………………………………………………... 20
Ozone Destruction mechanism …………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Topic – 03
Definition of Water Pollution ……………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Type of Water Pollution …………………………………………………………………………………….. 20
Ground water ………………………………………………………………………………………………… 21
Ground water contamination ………………………………………………………………………………… 22
Effect of Ground Water pollution …………………………………………………………………………… 22
List the difference source / causes of water pollution ………………………………………………………. 23
Discuss the health impact of water pollution ……………………………………………………………….. 23
Ground water Arsenic problem in Bangladesh ……………………………………………………………... 24
How water pollution can be reduce …………………………………………………………………………. 25
Difference between BOD & COD ………………………………………………………………………...... 25
What is Ocean / Marine Pollution ………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Type of Marine Pollution …………………………………………………………………………………… 26
Causes of Ocean pollution …………………………………………………………………………….......... 27
Effect of Ocean Pollution …………………………………………………………………………………… 27
The adverse effect off PCBs Pollution ……………………………………………………………………… 28
Topic – 04
Definition of Soil Pollution ………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Types ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 28
What are the pollutants that contaminate soil ……………………………………………………………… 29
What are the process that causes Sol Pollution …………………………………………………………….. 30
Anthropogenic Soil Pollution ………………………………………………………………………………. 31
Causes of Soil Pollution …………………………………………………………………………………….. 31
What are the negative consequence of Soil pollution ………………………………………………………. 31
Effect of Soil Pollution ……………………………………………………………………………………… 32
Case study of soil pollution ………………………………………………………………………………… 32
Discuss the major issue of soil degradation in Bangladesh ………………………………………………… 33
Topic – 05
Definition of solid waste …………………………………………………………………………………… 34
What is hazardous waste …………………………………………………………………………………… 34
Types of soil ……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Major source of solid waste ……………………………………………………………………………….. 34
Municipal solid waste (MSW) …………………………………………………………………………….. 35
Characteristics of MSW ……………………………………………………………………….... 35
GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE
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Effect of solid waste ………………………………………………………………………………………. 35
Explain on conventional and innovative waste utilization / recycling technologies ……………………… 37
Illustrate the effects of solid wastes with reference to Chittagong city? ………………………………….. 37
Solid waste management ………………………………………………………………………………….. 38
Waste Hierarchy or the principal of solid waste management ……………………………………………. 39
Process of Solid Waste Management or Municipal solid waste (MSW)? ………………………………… 40
Effects of Poor solid Waste Management? ……………………………………………………… 40
Recycling ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 41
Difference Between hazardous and non-hazardous wastes ………………………………………………. 42
Methods of Solid Waste Disposal and Management ……………………………………………………… 42
Ocean dumping …………………………………………………………………………………………… 43
Causes of Ocean Dumping ………………………………………….……………………………………. 44
Effect of Ocean Dumping ……………………………………………………………………….. 44
Topic – 06
What is pest ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 45
Types …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 45
Effect of pesticides ………………………………………………………………………………………. 46
Discuss the ecological effect of pesticide. Give your suggestion about safer pesticides ……………….. 47
Toward Safer Pesticides …………………………………………………………………………………. 47
Difference between pesticides and insecticide is given below ………………………………………….. 48
Discuss the importance of integrated Pest management ………………………………………………… 48
Topic – 07
What is plasticity ………………………………………………………………………………………… 48
Properties of plastics …………………………………………………………………………………….. 48
Composition of Plastic …………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Classification of Plastic …………………………………………………………………………………… 49
Categories of plastics …………………………………………………………………………………….. 50
Effect of plastic Pollution ………………………………………………………………………………… 50
Some important statistics of plastic ………………………………………………………………………. 50
Plastic bag statistics ………………………………………………………………………………………. 51
How Does plastic Waste impact Ocean? ………………………………………………………………….. 51
Plastic impact on environment …………………………………………………………………………….. 52
Alternation of Plastics ……………………………………………………………………………………. 53
The 5R Concept of waste management system ………………………………………………………….. 53
The 3T concepts of Waste management system …………………………………………………………. 54
Plastic waste management ………………………………………………………………………………… 55
Topic – 08
Method of sample collection …………………………………………………………………………….. 55
Environment testing ……………………………………………………………………………………… 55
Major Environmental problems …………………………………………………………………………… 56
What is environmental monitoring ………………………………………………………………………… 57
Object or Monitoring ……………………………………………………………………………………… 57
Environment Monitoring Methods ………………………………………………………………………… 58
Satellite based Environment Monitoring Areas …………………………………………………………… 58
Some international Weather Satellites (Geostationary) …………………………………………………… 59
Water pollution monitoring ………………………………………………………………………………… 59
Soil monitoring …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 60
Noise Pollution monitoring ………………………………………………………………………………… 62
Gravimetric Analysis ………………………………………………………………………………………. 63
Volumetric Analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 64
Short notes
Acid rain …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 66
Carbon Trading ……………………………………………………………………………………………… 66
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) ……………………………………………………………………. 67
Plastic recycling …………………………………………………………………………………………….. 67
Environment policy and their implementation in BD ………………………………………………………. 67
Eutrophication of Lakes …………………………………………………………………………………….. 68
Environmental Protection act and environmental policy of Bangladesh …………………………………… 69
Environment control & management Control of Environment ……………………………………………... 69
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) …………………………………………………………………… 70
Ship breaking industries in Bangladesh ……………………………………………………………………… 70

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Topic – 01
Environmental Pollutions: Definition and types, importance of pollution study.
Q-01 Define Pollution & Environmental Pollution.
 Disequilibrium condition from equilibrium condition in any system is called pollution. – According to
Savindra Singh,
 Pollution is viewed as the release of substance and energy as waster products of human activates which results
I changes, usually harmful within the natural environmental. ---Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC)
 Pollution is the effect of undesirable change in our surroundings that have harmful effect on plants, animal
and human beings.
 Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the environment that cause harm or discomfort to human
other living organisms, or that damage the environment, which can come in the form of chemical substances,
or energy such as noise, heat or light.
 Environmental pollution means lowering of the quality of environment at local scale caused exclusively by
human activities.
 Environmental pollution is the discharge of material, in any physical state, that is dangerous to the
environment or human health.
Types of Environmental Pollutions:
On the basis of nature of Pollution:
a) Physical Pollution
1. Air Pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Soil Pollution
4. Land Pollution
5. Radioactive Pollution
6. Noise Pollution
7. Light Pollution
8. E-waste
b) Social Pollution
(i) Economic Pollution (Poverty)
(ii) Religious Pollution (commercial riots and violence)
(iii) Political Pollution wars
(iv) Ethric Pollution (Ethric riots)
(v) Social Pollution (crimes such as robbery, rape, murders)
On the basis of area and source of pollution
(i) Urban Pollution
(ii) Rural Pollution
(iii) Industrial Pollution
(iv) Agricultural Pollution
On the basis of Location of Pollution –
(i) Point Pollution
(ii) Non-Point Pollution
a. Rural Non-Point Pollution
b. Urban Non-Point Pollution
Air Pollution: Air pollution refers to the release of harmful contaminants (chemicals, toxic gases, particulates,
biological molecules, etc.) into the earth’s atmosphere. These contaminants are quite detrimental and in some cases,
pose serious health issues. Some causes that contribute to air pollution are:
 Burning fossil fuels
 Mining operations
 Exhaust gases from industries and factories
The effects of air pollution vary based on the kind of pollutant. But generally, the impact of air pollution ranges from:

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 Increased risk of respiratory illness and cardiovascular problems

 Increased risk of skin diseases
 May increase the risk of cancer
 Global warming
 Acid rain
 Ozone depletion
 Hazards to wildlife
Among the other types of pollution, air pollution is theorized to have a planet-wide implication. Scientists have even
speculated an apocalypse-like scenario where air pollution if left unchecked, can bring about an extreme form
of global warming called the runaway greenhouse effect. Though this is purely speculative, it is a phenomenon that
has already occurred on Venus.
Water Pollution: Water pollution is said to occur when toxic pollutants and particulate matter are introduced into
water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. These contaminants are generally introduced by human activities like
improper sewage treatment and oil spills. However, even natural processes such as eutrophication can cause water
pollution.
Other significant causes of water pollution include:
 Dumping solid wastes in water bodies
 Disposing untreated industrial sewage into water bodies
 Human and animal wastes
 Agricultural runoff containing pesticides and fertilizers
The effects of water pollution are very pronounced in our environment. Furthermore, toxic chemicals can bio
accumulate in living beings, and these chemicals can travel their way up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans.
Among the other types of pollution, water pollution has a more disastrous consequences on humans. For instance, in
1932, a grave case of water pollution incapacitated the inhabitants of an entire city in Japan with neurological diseases
and mental illness for many decades. However, the immediate cause was not apparent but was eventually attributed to
acute mercury poisoning. Methylmercury was dumped into the surrounding bay and had ultimately bioaccumulated
inside the fish. The local population then consumed these fish, and this resulted in the manifestation of ill-effects and
neurological diseases.
Soil Pollution: 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. The xenobiotic substances alter the natural composition of soil
and affect it negatively. These can drastically impact life directly or indirectly. For instance, any toxic chemicals
present in the soil will get absorbed by the plants. Since plants are producers in an environment, it gets passed up
through the food chain. Compared to the other types of pollution, the effects of soil pollution are a little more
obscured, but their implications are very noticeable.
Some of the common causes of soil pollution are:
 Improper industrial waste disposal
 Oil Spills
 Acid rain which is caused by air pollution
 Mining activities
 Intensive farming and agrochemicals (like fertilisers and pesticides)
 Industrial accidents
The effects of soil pollution are numerous. Specific wastes, such as radioactive waste become particularly hazardous
when they are not well-contained. A well-documented example is a nuclear accident in Chernobyl, which has left an
area of 2,600 km2 uninhabitable for several thousand years.
Other effects of soil pollution include:
 Loss of soil nutrients, which renders the soil unfit for agriculture
 Impacts the natural flora and fauna residing in the soil
 Degrades vegetation due to the increase of salinity of the soil
 Toxic dust (such as silica dust) can cause respiratory problems or even lung cancer
Land Pollution: Land pollution, the deposition of solid or liquid waste materials on land or underground in a manner
that can contaminate the soil and groundwater, threaten public health, and cause unsightly conditions and nuisances.
Causes of land pollution:
 Mining, Erosion and quarrying.

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 Household Garbage.
 Urbanization and Concentration of Pollution.
 Municipal Solid Waste.
 Industrial Waste and Hazardous Waste.
 Uncontrolled Land Treatment.
 Burning open dumps and forest fires.
 Deforestation.
Effects of Land pollution:
 The Land cannot use to build houses.
 Man cannot be farming.
 Ground water will gets Affected.
 Death of animals that inhabit the land.
Radioactive Pollution:
Radioactivity is a phenomenon of emission of alpha, beta and gamma rays due to the disintegration of atomic nuclei of
some elements.
 Radioactive pollution is the pollution caused on account of the release of radioactive substances or radiations
in the environment. There are many ways of radiation pollution like nuclear wastes from nuclear power plants,
mining and processing of nuclear material etc.
 Radiations are mainly of two types:
 Non-ionizing radiations: The electromagnetic waves at the longer wavelength of the spectrum ranging from
near infra-red rays to radio waves constitute non-ionizing radiations.
 It affects only those components which can absorb them.
 Ionizing radiations: when ionizing radiations pass from a medium, they ionize the atoms and molecules of
the medium.
 They have high penetration power and can cause breakage of even macromolecules.
Sources:
 Natural sources: cosmic rays from space and terrestrial radiation in earth’s crust etc.
 Man-made sources: nuclear power plant, disposal of nuclear waste, nuclear transportation, uranium mining
and nuclear weapons etc.
Effects:
 The effects depend upon energy releasing capacity, half-life, rate of diffusion of pollutants and various
environmental activities like wind, rainfall and temperature.
 Non-ionizing radiation can damage eyes due to coastal sand, snow etc.
 They destruct the cells and blood capillaries and can cause sunburns.
 Ionizing radiations cause sunburns, dead tissues, death of organisms, mutation increase in the occurrence of
cancer and tumours etc.
Control measures:
 Prevention is the best method for this pollution because no specific cure is available. All safety measure
should be strictly enforced and leakage of the radioactive element should be checked.
 Regular monitoring and safe disposal of nuclear waste and safety measure against nuclear accidents.
 Banning of nuclear weapons and nuclear explosions.
Noise Pollution: Noise pollution refers to the excessive amount of noise in the surrounding that disrupts the natural
balance. Usually, it is man-made, though certain natural calamities like volcanoes can contribute to noise pollution.
In general, any sound which is over 85 decibels is considered to be detrimental. Also, the duration an individual is
exposed plays an impact on their health. For perspective, a normal conversation is around 60 decibels, and a jet taking
off is around 15o decibels. Consequently, noise pollution is more obvious than the other types of pollution.
Noise pollution has several contributors, which include:
 Industry-oriented noises such as heavy machines, mills, factories, etc.
 Transportation noises from vehicles, aeroplanes, etc.
 Construction noises
 Noise from social events (loudspeakers, firecrackers, etc.)

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 Household noises (such as mixers, TV, washing machines, etc.)

Noise pollution has now become very common due to dense urbanisation and industrialisation. Noise pollution can
bring about adverse effects such as :
 Hearing loss
 Tinnitus
 Sleeping disorders
 Hypertension (high BP)
 Communication problems
Light Pollution:
Light pollution is excessive, misdirected or inappropriate outdoor lighting. Too much light pollution washes out the
view of the Universe, increasing energy consumption, interferes with astronomical research, disrupts ecosystems, and
affects the health and safety of humans and wildlife.
Why is Maintaining Natural Light so Important?
While science has made great strides in creating ways to illuminate darkness, we now know that changing the natural
light of any environment can have devastating effects on the plant, animal and natural life. It can even affect the
weather in some cases.
The natural world is set to respond to the sun’s patterns of light. The seasons are a result of the distance of the sun to
the Earth. This creates the growing and hibernation seasons that natural life recognizes because most are
photosensitive.
Different types and sources of  Smog and Clouds  Sleeping Problems
light pollution.  Light From Cars and  Effect on Traffic
Other Motor Vehicles  Air Pollution
 Over-illumination
 Streetlamps, Light From  Waste or Resources
 Glare
Houses and Garage
 Light Clutter Lamps Solutions to Light Pollution:
 Skyglow  Nighttime-lighting
 Light Trespass  Light Shields
 Downtown Areas  Warm Lighting
Causes of Light Pollution Effect of Light Pollution  Use Certified Lighting
 Motion Sensors
 Poor Planning  Effects on People  Cut off Light
 Irresponsible Use  Effects on Animal  Turn off the lights
 Over Population  Effect on the Earth and  Educates Others
 Excessive Use of Light Ecosystem
E-Waste
 Discarded electronic products like computers, equipments used in information technology, home appliances,
audio and video product etc are known as electronic waste.
 E-waste is not problematic if it is safe storage or recycled from time to time but it can be hazardous if recycled
by primitive methods.
 Most of the e-waste in India is recycled by unorganized sector.
 Proper education, awareness, cost-effective technology and a need for a holistic approach are necessary.
Cause of Environmental Pollution:

1. Pollution fro cars, trucks, and othe vehicles is and has been our major environmental pollution issue for
Bangaldesh.
2. Fossil fuel emission from power plants which burn coas as fuel contributed heavily, along with vehicles burning
fossile fules, to the production of smog. Somg is the result of fossil fuel combustion combined with sunlight and
heat, The result is a toxic gas which now surrounds our once pristine planet. This is known as “ozone smog” and
means we have more problems down here than we do in the sky.
3. Carbon dioxide is another product from all of the vehicles on the planet as well as unreformed power plants and
other industrial facilities.
4. Water pollution is a major issue. Many industries dump wastes into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams in an
attempt to hid wastes from EPA inspectors. These water sources feed major crops and food becomes
contaminated with a variety of chemical and bacteria, causing rampant health problems.
5. Deforestation causes major problems for one simple reason: it decreases the number of trees, which clean the
environment, provide oxygen and also affect rain patterns.
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6. Overloading the land with fertilizers, overgrazing and shifting agriculture are ruinous agricultural policies that
degrade land, creating soil erosion that leads to silting in major rivers and reservoirs.
Consequence of Environmental Pollution:

1. Effects on Humans: The effects of environmental pollutions on humans are mainly physical, but can also turn into
neuro-affections in the long term. The best-known trouble to us are respiratory, in the form of allergies, asthma,
irritation of eyes and nasal passages, or other forms of respiratory infections.
2. Effects on Animals: Environmental pollution mainly affects animal by causing harm to their living environment,
making it toxic for them oto live in. Acid rains can change the composition of rivers and seas, making them toxic for
fishes, an important quantity of ozone in the lower part of the atmosphere can cause lung problems to all animals.
3. Effect on Plants: As for animals, plans, and especially trees, can be destroyed by acid rains, ozone in the lower
atmosphere block the plant respiration, and harmful pollutants can be absorbed from the water or soil.
4. Effects on the Ecosystem: In short, environmental pollution, almost exclusively created by human activities, has a
negative effect on the ecosystem , destroying crucial layers of it and causing an even more negative effect on the upper
layers.
5. Effects on building: The most important example of the effect of pollution on the human building is on one of the
world heritage monument, the Taj Mahal in India which has a depletion of the wall sandstone due to polluted air
around it. It also changes the color of the monuments or building and damages them.
Importance of Pollution study in geography:

Pollution issue is one of the most important environmental, social and health issues in the world. The rapid growth orr
world population has been closely accompanied by the rapid increase in all form of pollution, especially air and water
pollution.
 Pollution studies helps to maintain ecological balance by providing a basic knowledge of environmental system
and their processes.
 World still lacks global unity needed to solve pollution issue. Some regional successes are overshadowed by ever-
increasing levels of pollution in some countries such as China and India.
 Pollution issue is important because Earth is still our only home, and pollution is making this planet dirty and
unhealthy to live in. Pollution creates many diseases and causes death of many people all across the globe.
 Air pollution, for instance leads to problems with lungs and respiratory diseases, and long-term exposure to air
pollution can even lead to cancer. On the other hand water pollution leads to different waterborne diseases such as
diarrhea and can also lead to poisoning.
 The environmental Damage caused by pollution can reach catastrophic proportion and destroy entire ecosystem
leading to death of many species and a big biodiversity loss.
 Reducing pollution means clean health environmental but tackling pollution is anything but easy. Why? Because
pollution has many different sources, - industry, vehicles and agriculture. There is no doubt that our society need
industry, vehicles and agriculture but our society also need less pollution which means that means that world is
faced with the really big challenge of how to make these sources less polluting
 The big level of pollution in many parts of the world is a clear sign that our global society still has a long way to
go before grasping the importance of our environment and our planet in general.
We need to take pollution issue seriously because ignorance is certainly not the proper way to go. The stakes are really
high and world needs to wake up and start acting right now because environmental issues are constantly growing in
both number and size.

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Different between pollution and contamination.

The different between pollution and contamination are given below.
Pollution Contamination
1. Disequilibrium condition from equilibrium 1. A substance which does not occur in nature but is introduced by
condition in any system is called pollution. activity into the atmosphere, affecting its composition is called
contamination.
2. Pollution is harmful for life. 2. Contamination is not automatically harmful.
3. Pollution is often the result of human activities 3. contamination may be caused by humans or occur naturally in the
environment
4. Pollutants are byproducts of the processing and 4. Contaminates are already exits in water or soil.
manufacturing industries.
5. Pollution usually impacts the larger environment 5. Contamination may occur on a limited scale or within a particular
substance or body
6. Pollutions is to make dirty with poisonous or 6. Contamination can happen to impure by exposure to poisonous or
harmful substance. polluted substance
7. Pollution is less likely involved with the biological 7. Contamination is much more likely to be associated with infectious
transfer of diseases. such as, The air in the city is diseases compared to pollution. For example, bacteria, contaminated
polluted by flue gas emissions. blood, genes, or cell lines can lead to sickness
Topic – 02
Atmospheric pollution : Major sources, Primary and Secondary pollutants, Indoor air
pollution, Environmental and health impacts, Air pollution and global climate
changes, Acid rain, Greenhouse gases, Ozone layer depletion.
Define Air Pollution?
 “Air Pollution is the release of pollutants such as gases, particles, biological molecules, etc. into the air that is
harmful to human health and the environment.”
 It is a broad term applied to all the physical, chemical, and biological agents that may modify the natural
characteristics of the atmosphere and the environment
 Air pollution is define as limited to situation in which the outdoor ambient atmosphere contains materials in
concentration which are harmful to man and his surrounding Environment. ---WORLD HEALTH
ORGANIZATION
Types of Air Pollution
Humans are the main cause of air pollution. Industry, including factories and power plants, burn large quantities of
fuel. Burning coal and petroleum releases sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxide into the air. Airplanes, boats, and cars burn
petroleum, releasing carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
According to origin:
(a) Primary pollutants: These are emitted directly into the air e.g
 Carbon monoxide. (CO)
 Carbon dioxide (𝐶𝑂2 )
 Sulfur dioxide (𝑆𝑂2 )
 Nitric dioxide (NO)
 Nitrogen dioxide (𝑁𝑂2 )
 Hydrocarbons (Human hair, PM 2.5, PM 10)
 Particulate matter.
 Floating particles (Smoke, fog, mist, spray, ash etc)
(b) Secondary pollutants: These are formed by interaction of the primary pollutant with a natural component of the
environment e.g.
 Ozone (O3)
 Sulfuric acid and nitric acid (component of acid rain)
 Particulate matter
 Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
 Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs)
 Photo chemical smog etc.
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According to chemical compositions

a) Organic Pollutants : Hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, amines and alcohols etc.
b) Inorganic Pollutants: 𝐶𝑂, 𝑆𝑂2 , 𝑁𝑂2 .
According to State of matter:
a) Gaseous Pollutants: 𝐶𝑂, 𝑁𝑂2 , 𝑆𝑂2 , b) Particulate pollutants: Smoke, fumes, dust, mist, fog, sprays etc.
Causes of Air Pollution

The rising number of air pollutants has made breathing fresh, clean air next to impossible. Causes of air
pollution have left everyone worried about their health.
As pollutants in the air cannot be seen with our naked eyes, we don’t realize the sources of the increasing pollution
level. In order to understand the sources of air pollution, we need to first go through the basic causes of air pollution.
Following are the important causes of air pollution:
1. The Burning of Fossil Fuels: Most of the air pollution takes place due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal,
oil, gasoline to produce energy for electricity or transportation. The release of carbon monoxide in high level indicates
how much fossil fuel is burned. This also emits other toxic pollutants in the air. Inhaling air induced with pollutants
due to the burning of natural gas and fossil fuel reduces heart’s ability to pump enough oxygen causing one to suffer
respiratory illness.
2. Industrial Emission: Industrial activities emit several pollutants in the air that affects the air quality more than we
can even imagine. Particulate matter 2.5 and 10, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulfur dioxide, and carbon monoxide are key
pollutants that are emitted from industries that use coal and wood as their primary energy source for production of
their goods. Industrial pollution effects associated with your health can range from irritation in your eyes and throat to
breathing issues, at times can even lead to chronic illness.
3. Indoor Air Pollution: Use of toxic products also called as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), inadequate
ventilation, uneven temperature, and humidity level can cause indoor air pollution, whether you are in office, school or
at your comfortable home. House air pollution can take place due to ignorant factors, for instance, smoking tobacco
inside a room or leaving mold infected wall untreated. Use of wood stove or space heaters is capable to increase the
humidity level which can directly affect the health a person in no time.
4. Wildfires: Climate change is not just increasing wildfire but also spiking air pollution. Burning stubble and farm
residue is also a major contribution to wildfire. It causes increased PM2.5 in the air which collides with other harmful
substances like chemical gas and pollen creating smog. Smog makes the air hazy and people find it difficult to breathe.
5. Microbial Decaying Process: Manufacturing, chemical, and textiles industries release a large number of carbon
monoxides, hydrocarbons, chemicals and organic compounds which contaminate our environment. Bacteria and fungi
play a fundamental role in the biogeochemical cycles in nature. They are the key indicators of abnormal
environmental conditions. Decaying of these microorganisms present in the surrounding releases methane gas which is
highly toxic. Breathing toxic gas like methane may lead to death.
6. Transportation: There is no denying that vehicle pollution is the major contributor to air pollution, especially in
urban cities. When the car burns gasoline, it emits pollutants in the air which is as harmful as smoking 10 cigarettes a
day. Your vehicle emits carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter. When the vehicle
pollution is high in the atmosphere, it creates a hole in the ozone layer contributing to smog and causing various health
issues.
7. Open Burning of Garbage Waste: Open burning of garbage is much more harmful to your health and the
environment than one may think. Exposure to open burning of garbage waste can pose serious health risk including
cancer, liver issues, impairment of immune system, reproductive functions; can also affect the developing nervous
system.
8. Construction and Demolition: according to government data, brick kilns are responsible for 58% of outdoor air
pollution. With the rise of population in the city, construction and demolition is a part of the ever going development
phase of the national capital. Several construction sites and raw materials such as bricks and concrete cause haze and
foul air which is hazardous for the people especially, children and elderly citizens.
9. Agricultural Activities: Agricultural activities have had a serious impact on the decreasing air quality. To begin
with pesticides and fertilizers are the main source to contaminate the surrounding air. Nowadays, pesticides and
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fertilizers are mixed with new invasive species which are not found in nature, for quick growth of the crops and
vegetation. Once they are sprayed over, the smell and the effect of the pesticides are left in the air. Some mix with
water and some seeps into the ground which not only destroys the crops but also causes numerous health-related
issues.
10. Use of chemical and synthetic products: Talking about air pollution, we always consider outdoor air pollution
dangerous for our lives but never talk about indoor air pollution. Household products cause indoor air pollution which
is 10 times more harmful than outdoor air pollution. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) found in paints, cleaners
and personal care products such as perfume and deodorants are a reason for common heath issues. Risks like asthma
or other respiratory issues and lung disease are other issues cause by inhaling poor house air quality.
11. Domestic Sources: The household cleaning products and paints contain toxic chemicals that are released in the
air. The smell from the newly painted walls is the smell of the chemicals present in the paints. It not only pollutes the
air but also affects breathing.
12. Automobiles: The gases emitted from vehicles such as jeeps, trucks, cars, buses, etc. pollute the environment.
These are the major sources of greenhouse gases and also result in diseases among individuals.
Effect of Air Pollution

The hazardous effects of air pollution on the environment include:
Diseases: Air pollution has resulted in several respiratory disorders and heart diseases among humans. The cases of
lung cancer have increased in the last few decades. Children living near polluted areas are more prone to pneumonia
and asthma. Many people die every year due to the direct or indirect effects of air pollution.
Global Warming: Due to the emission of greenhouse gases, there is an imbalance in the gaseous composition of the
air. This has led to an increase in the temperature of the earth. This increase in earth’s temperature is known as global
warming. This has resulted in the melting of glaciers and an increase in sea levels. Many areas are submerged
underwater.
Acid Rain: The burning of fossil fuels releases harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides in the air.
The water droplets combine with these pollutants, become acidic and fall as acid rain which damages human, animal
and plant life.
Ozone Layer Depletion: The release of chlorofluorocarbons, halons, and hydro chlorofluorocarbons in the
atmosphere is the major cause of depletion of the ozone layer. The depleting ozone layer does not prevent the harmful
ultraviolet rays coming from the sun and causes skin diseases and eye problems among individuals.
Effect on Animals: The air pollutants suspend on the water bodies and affect the aquatic life. Pollution also compels
the animals to leave their habitat and shift to a new place. This renders them stray and has also led to the extinction of
a large number of animal species.
Major source of Air Pollution

Major source of air pollution are divided into two categories. They are-
1. Natural Sources: The natural sources of air pollution emissions include-
 Volcanic activity products smoke, ash, carbon, dioxide, sulfur dioxide
 Geysers include hydeogen sulfide, arsenic
 Dust
 Sea Salt from breaking waves
 Radioactive decay
 Forest fires
 Weathering of Rocks
 Wet lands
 Lighting
 Termites
 Soil of outgassing
 Pollens and terpene from plants

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2. Anthropogenic Sources: The anthropogenic sources of air pollution include-

 Industries  Transport  Nuclear fusion & fission
 Urban Centers  Use of Chemical in  Agricultural activities
 Automobiles Agriculture  Chemical process
 Power Plants  Mining, quarrying  Smelting and forming of
 Domestics Refuge  Fuel combustion ores.
What is pollutants?
Any substance present in the environment in harmful concentration, which ad-versely alters the environment by
damaging the growth rate of a species and by interfering with the food chains, is toxic and affects the health, comfort
and property etc. is considered as a pollutant. Such as, Smoke from industries and automobiles, domestic and
commercial sewage, ra-dioactive substances from nuclear plants and discarded household articles (tins, bottles, broken
crockery etc.) come under the category of pollutants.
Classification of Pollutants:
The classification of pollutants is done from different points of view:
(i) Depending upon their existence in nature pollutants are of two types, namely quantitative and qualitative pollutants.
a) Quantitative Pollutants: These are those substances normally occurring in the environment, who acquire the
status of a pollutant when their con-centration gets increased due to the unmindful activities of man. For
exam-ple, carbon dioxide, if present in the atmosphere in concentration greater than normal due to automobiles
and industries, causes measurable effects on humans, animals, plants or property, then it is classified as a
quantita-tive pollutant.
b) Qualitative Pollutant: These are those substances which do not normally occur in nature but are added by
man, for example, insecticides.
(ii) Depending upon the form in which they persist after being released into the environment, the pollutants are
categorized into two types, namely pri-mary and secondary pollutants.
a) Primary Pollutants: These are those which are emitted directly from the source and persist in the form in
which they were added to the environ-ment. Typical examples of pollutants included under this category are
ash, smoke, fumes, dust, nitric oxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons etc.
b) Secondary Pollutants:These are those which are formed from the pri-mary pollutants by chemical interaction
with some constituent present in the atmosphere. Examples are: Sulphur trioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
alde-hydes, ketones, ozone etc. Nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons are two primary pollutants released from
automobiles but in the presence of sunlight, they react to form peroxyacyl ni-trate (PAN) and ozone, two
secondary pollutants which are far more toxic than the primary pollutants from which they are derived. This
phenomenon of in-creased toxicity by chemical interaction among the pollutants is known as Synergism.
(iii) From the ecosystem point of view, i.e., according to their natural disposal, pollutants are of two types:
(a) Bio-degradable Pollutants: These are the pollutants that are quickly degraded by natural means. Heat or
thermal pollution, and domestic sewage are considered in this category as these can be rapidly decomposed by
natural processes or by engineered systems such as municipal treatment, plants etc.
(b) Non-degradable Pollutants: These are the substances that either do not degrade or degrade very slowly in
the natural environment. These include mercury salts, long chain phenolic chemicals, DDT and Aluminum
cans etc.
Such non-degradable pollutants accumulate and are biologically magnified as they move in the
biogeochemical cycle and along food chains in the ecosystem. For example, DDT, when washed from the
ground goes to the streams where it is absorbed by the phytoplankton’s which are eaten by the fishes.
So, the initial dose of DDT which was harmless in the phytoplankton becomes very harmful as it accumulates in the
fish day by day, with the result that large populations offish die or become sterile and same is the case with the birds
feeding on such fishes. This phenomenon is known as bio-magnification or biological magnification.
Primary pollutant: A primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted from a source directly into the atmosphere. The
source can be either a natural process such as sandstorms and volcanic eruptions or anthropogenic (influenced by
humans) such as industrial and vehicle emissions.

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Examples of primary pollutants are sulfure dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and
particulate matter (PM).
 Sulfur dioxide (𝑺𝑶𝟐 ): Sulfur dioxide is an invisible gas with a strong odor. Its main sources are anthropogenic,
resulting from the combustion of fuels and the processing of mineral ores containing sulfur. Humans and animals
exposed to sulfur dioxide display severe respiratory problems. Sulfur dioxide can interact with water in the
atmosphere to form harmful acid rain.
 Carbon monoxide (CO): Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas emitted by the incomplete combustion of fuel. The
main sources for atmospheric carbon monoxide are gasoline or diesel-powered engines and biomass burning
(forest fires and biomass fuels). Carbon monoxide is very toxic and is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Exposure to high levels of CO may lead to unconsciousness or even death.
 Nitrogen oxides (NOX): Fossil fuel combustion (gasoline and diesel engines) is the main source for nitrogen
oxides in urban areas, while microbial activity in the soil and agricultural practices such as the use of synthetic
fertilizers are its main sources in rural areas. Exposure to nitric oxides may cause an inflammation of the
respiratory tracts.
 Particulate matter (PM): Particulate matter is a term referring to solid particles and liquid droplets found in the
atmospheric air. Primary particles may be natural, originating from soil dust and sea spray. They can be industrial
and transportation-related as well when their sources are metallurgical processes or exhausts and tire breaks.
Secondary pollutants
A secondary pollutant is an air pollutant formed in the atmosphere as a result of the chemical or the physical
interactions between the primary pollutants themselves or between the primary pollutants and other atmospheric
components. Major examples of secondary pollutants are photochemical oxidants and secondary particulate matter.
 Photochemical oxidants: Photochemical oxidants result from the photochemical reactions involving sunlight
with nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, or volatile organic compounds. They include acids, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur
trioxide, and ozone. Ozone is considered a highly dangerous air pollutant. Exposure to ozone can cause many lung
diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis. Repeated and long exposures to ozone may even
permanently scar the lung tissue.
 Secondary particulate matter: Secondary particles are the result of the condensation of gases, the chemical
reactions involving primary particles with gases, and the coagulation of various primary particles. The main
primary pollutants involved in the formation of secondary particulate matter are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides.
Difference between primary and secondary pollutants:
The difference between primary and secondary pollutants are given below:
Primary Pollutants Secondary Pollutants
1. A primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted from a source 1. A secondary pollutant is an air pollutant formed in
directly into the atmosphere. the atmosphere as a result of the chemical or the
physical interactions between the primary pollutants
themselves or between the primary pollutants and
other atmospheric components
2. Primary pollutants are considered chemical reactants, being 2. Secondary pollutants are chemical products
involved in the chemical reactions that result in the formation of inferring that they might be more stable and inert with
secondary pollutants. Therefore, their pollution effect can either a limited polluting effect. While this might be true to
be direct like the impact of sulfur dioxide on the human some extent, it is not the case of ozone where
respiratory system or indirect when sulfur dioxide interacts with photoactivation is involved, making the chemical
water in the atmosphere to form acid rain, with serious process highly reactive.
consequences on the ecosystem.
3. The atmospheric concentration of primary pollutants can be 3. Controlling the secondary pollutants is a much
controlled in a direct way through the reduction of more complicated process: the chemical reactions
anthropogenic emissions. involved in their formation must be understood and
interrupted.
4. Examples of primary pollutants include sulfur dioxide (SO2), 4. Examples of secondary pollutants include
carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOX), and particulate photochemical oxidants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide,
matter (PM). sulfur trioxide) and secondary particulate matter.

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Difference between indoor and outdoor pollution

The difference between indoor and outdoor air pollution is given below:
Indoor Air Pollution Outdoor Air pollution
1. Indoor pollution refers to toxic contaminants that we 1. Outdoor air pollution is pollution outside
encounter in our daily lives in our homes, schools and a house, building etc.
workplace.
2. The main source of indoor air pollution are household 2. the main source of outdoor air pollution
products, tobacco smoke, pesticides random etc. are forest fire, industry and transportation
3. Indoor air pollution is more dangerous than the outdoor 3. Outdoor air pollution is less dangerous
air pollution than the indoor air pollution.
What is Indoor Air Pollution?

 Indoor Air Pollution is the term used to describe the amount of contaminants in the air inside a building from
sources such as cigarette smoking, fuel combustion for heating or cooking, certain wallboards, carpets, or
insulation as well as the geology of the area (radon in soil rocks beneath the structure).
 Indoor air pollution refers to chemical, biological and physical contamination of indoor air. It may result in
adverse health effects. In developing countries, the main source of indoor air pollution is biomass smoke
which contains suspended particulate matter (5PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon
monoxide (Ca), formaldehyde and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
In industrialized countries, in addition to NO2, CO, and formaldehyde, radon, asbestos, mercury, human-made
mineral fibres, volatile organic compounds, allergens, tobacco smoke, bacteria and viruses are the main
contributors to indoor air pollution.
What are the major sources Indoor air pollution?

 Cigarette smoke: Deadliest indoor air, pollutant, Contain formaldehyde. Carbon monoxide, Causes lung
cancer, Emphysema Second hand smoke may Be worse due to Particulate that come from tip.
 Mold: Moisture in vents, Carpets, Allergy symptoms, breathing problems, headache, fatigue.
 Carbon Monoxide: Malfunctioning, furnace, gas appliances, Cars Blood cannot carry oxygen fell sleepy,
nausea, dizzy, causes death
 Radon: Colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, Comes from soil under basements, Fix cracks in floor or walls to
prevent influx or radon, Install ventilation fan in basement to blow radon out.
 Asbestos: Roofing, flooring, insulation, brakes, Ok ..unless disturbed or deteriorates, Can cause asbestosis
(scarring of lungs) and mesothelioma (types of lung cancer)
 Lead: Old homes, toys, lead crystal dishes, Causes behavior & learning problems, slow growth, hearing
problems, headaches.
 Formaldehyde: Pressed wood, paneling, particle board, glue, deodorizer, Respiratory irritation, fatigue, skin
rash, known to causes cancer.
 VOC’s: Paradichlorobenzene- mothballs, insecticides PERC- dry cleaned clothes, Benzene-paints, cigarettes,
Causes respiratory problems, headaches, loss of coordination, nausea.
List the human activities responsible for indoor air pollution.
List the human activities responsible for indoor air pollution is written below:
 Burning fossil fuels: When we burn fossil fuels in our houses it emits gases like carbon mono-oxide causes,
nausea, unconsciousness and eventually death.
 Volatile Organic Compounds: Paints, varnishes, paint removers, printer are the commonly used household
products that also emit toxic gases into the air.
 Tightly scaled building: Rightly scaled building are mostly such in urban areas. These buildings are lack or
proper ventilation. This causes indoor air pollution.
 Using low quality building materials: These expose various volatile organic compounds.
 Using Gas Stoves: These expose nitrogen oxides that can damage lungs.
 Using Carpets: These expose Formaldehyde that may cause headache & insomnia.
 Using AC: Aerosols, the micros copic pollutants suspended in air from AC may causes legionaries daises.
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 Cigarette and Tobacco Smoke: Smoke released from a burning cigarette and tobacco is also responsible for
indoor pollution.
 Mould: Mould is harmful to an allergic person. People having asthma diseases are the most vulnerable from
Moulds.
 Dust: This the major cause of indoor pollution. PM 2.5 dust particles are the most dangerous pollutant files in
the air.
Discuss the health impact of indoor air pollution:

Indoor air pollution is one of the leading causes of disease and premature death in the developing world. The health
impact of indoor air pollution is written below:
1. Dust particles causes respiratory diseases. Diseases like silicosis, asbestosis etc result from specific dusts.
2. Fiber glasses may causes skin rashes & itching.
3. Moisture from AC, ornamental plants, refrigerators help in the growth micro-organisms like fungi & bacteria that
can causes fever & others disorders.
4. Aerosols, the microscopic pollutant particles suspended in air from Ac & air coolers may cause legionaries
diseases.
5. Tobacco smoke may cause burning or eyes, nose & throat irritation, bronchitis, cancer & a decrease in lung
function.
6. Carpet expos Formaldehyde that may cause headache & insomnia.
7. Gas stove expose nitrogen oxides that can damage lungs.
8. When w burn fossil fuels in our houses it emits gases like carbon mono-oxide which causes, nausea,
unconsciousness and eventually death.
9. In rural areas smoke from cow dung & wood burning which create a mixture of particles, hydrocarbons and CO
that may lead to chronic bronchitis.
10. Volatile Organic Compounds such as perfumes, hair spray, furniture polish, glues cause irritation of the eye, nose
& throat.
11. Asbestos may causes cancer.
The health impact of outdoor air pollution:
The health effect of each major outdoor air pollutant –ozone, particulate matter, and 𝑆𝑂2 – will be discussed in terms
of acute high-level and chronic low/moderate-level exposure:
1. Ozone:
Ozone is considered one of the most important outdoor air pollutants. The acute health-effects ozone exposure have
been studied in both occupational and general environmental settings. Acute exposure to ozone may cause:
 Coughing, irritation of nose and throat.
 Decreased lung function, which may last1-2 days after exposure.
 Decreased exercise tolerance in individuals with heart disease.
 Increased overall death rates in the population, especially among individuals with preexisting heart or lung
disease.
2. Particulate Matter (PM) and SO2
The health effects from acute PM exposure have been studied mostly in general environmental settings. Acute
exposure to PM may cause:
 Coughing and wheezing
 Decreased performance on lung function tests.
 Increased hospital admission in individuals with preexisting heart and
lung disease.
3. Carbon monoxide and Nitrogen oxide reduce oxygen carrying capacity of
blood.
4. Carbon dioxide causes headache and nausea.
Greenhouse gases
1.What is the green house gases?
 A greenhouse gas is a gas that absorbs infrared radiant (IR)
and radiates heat in all directions.
 A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs

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and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range.

 Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect NY absorbing infrared radiation
produced by
solar warming of the Earth’s surface.
Greenhouse gas properties
 Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation that corresponds to the vibrational and rotational energy levels of
their bonds
 Normally these gases have three or more atoms.
Name of Greenhouse gases (List the name and source of greenhouse gas)
 Carbon dioxide (𝐶𝑂2 ) 54%  Ozone (𝑂3 )
 Water vapor (𝐻2 𝑂)  Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 Methane (𝐶𝐻4 )  Hydro fluorocarbons (inlc. HCFCs and HFCs
 Nitrous Oxide (𝑁2 𝑂)
Sources of Greenhouse gases:
The primary source of greenhouse gas emission
The primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are:
 Transportation (29 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – The
transportation sector generates the largest share of greenhouse gas
emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from transportation primarily
come from burning fossil fuel for our cars, trucks, ships, trains, and
planes. Over 90 percent of the fuel used for transportation is
petroleum based, which includes primarily gasoline and diesel.2
 Electricity production (25 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas
emissions) – Electricity production generates the second largest share
of greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately 62 percent of our
electricity comes from burning fossil fuels, mostly coal and natural
gas.3
 Industry (23 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) –
Greenhouse gas emissions from industry primarily come from
burning fossil fuels for energy, as well as greenhouse gas emissions
from certain chemical reactions necessary to produce goods from raw materials.
 Commercial and residential (13 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions
from businesses and homes arise primarily from fossil fuels burned for heat, the use of certain products that
contain greenhouse gases, and the handling of waste.
 Agricultural (10 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture
come from livestock such as cows, agricultural soils, and rice production.
 Land use and forestry (12 percent of 2019 greenhouse gas emissions) – Land areas can act as a sink
(absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere) or a source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the United States, since
1990, managed forests and other lands are a net sink, i.e., they have absorbed more CO2 from the atmosphere
than they emit.
Global Warming
Is the climate becoming warmer and
warmer?
• According to the National Academy of
Sciences, the Earth's surface temperature
has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in
the past century, with accelerated
warming during the past two decades.
There is new and stronger evidence that
most of the warming over the last 50
years is attributable to human activities.
Human activities have altered the
chemical composition of the atmosphere
through the buildup of greenhouse gases
– primarily carbon dioxide, methane, and

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nitrous oxide. The heat-trapping property of these gases is undisputed although uncertainties exist about exactly
how earth's climate responds to them. (source:US-EPA)
What cause the temperature of the atmosphere to go up?
• There are many possible mechanisms that can cause the warming of the atmosphere, for example:
– Natural variation – the climate becomes warmer by internal chaotic dynamics of the earth-
atmosphere system (that is, no external influence).
– Solar activity – either direct increase of solar energy output or indirect “trigger” mechanisms due to
solar activity (though nobody knows how) may cause the surface temperature to go up.
– Greenhouse effect – increasing “greenhouse” gases such as CO2, CH4, NO, CFC,…etc. (actually H2O
is very efficient, too, but at present it is assumed to be in steady state).
• The last one is presently thought to be the most likely cause of the global warming and hence we will examine
it here in this chapter..
How is the 𝑪𝑶𝟐 increase connected to the
global warming?
• Physically, via the greenhouse effect.
• The connection is usually made via the
use of a climate model.
• Control run versus scenarios.
• If the scenario run results show warmer
surface condition than the control, then
it is plausible to suspect that the
increasing CO2 concentration in the
atmosphere may cause warming. (from
mam’s slide)
How does carbon dioxide trap heat?
When sunlight reaches Earth, the surface absorbs some of the light’s energy and reradiates it as infrared waves, which
we feel as heat. These infrared waves travel up into the atmosphere and will escape back into space if unimpeded.
Oxygen and nitrogen don’t interfere with infrared waves in the atmosphere. That’s because molecules are picky about
the range of wavelengths that they interact with, Smerdon explained. For example, oxygen and nitrogen absorb energy
that has tightly packed wavelengths of around 200 nanometers or less,
whereas infrared energy travels at wider and lazier wavelengths of 700 to
1,000,000 nanometers. Those ranges don’t overlap, so to oxygen and
nitrogen, it’s as if the infrared waves don’t even exist; they let the waves
(and heat) pass freely through the atmosphere.
With CO2 and other greenhouse gases, it’s different. Carbon dioxide, for
example, absorbs energy at a variety of wavelengths between 2,000 and
15,000 nanometers — a range that overlaps with that of infrared energy.
As CO2 soaks up this infrared energy, it vibrates and re-emits the
infrared energy back in all directions. About half of that energy goes out
into space, and about half of it returns to Earth as heat, contributing to
the ‘greenhouse effect.’
Smerdon says that the reason why some molecules absorb infrared waves By measuring the wavelengths of infrared radiation
and some don’t “depends on their geometry and their composition.” He that reaches the surface, scientists know that carbon
explained that oxygen and nitrogen molecules are simple — they’re each dioxide, ozone, and methane are significantly
contributing to rising global temperatures. Credit: 2006
made up of only two atoms of the same element — which narrows their via Skeptical Science.
movements and the variety of wavelengths they can interact with. But
greenhouse gases like CO2 and methane are made up of three or more atoms, which gives them a larger variety of
ways to stretch and bend and twist. That means they can absorb a wider range of wavelengths — including infrared
waves.
Climate Change – Scientists View – Do all scientists agree that climate change is occurring and is caused by
human activity?
No.
Despite the apparent scientists view consensus among scientists, NGOs, international organizations, policy makers
and the media, there are respected scientists who remain “climate sceptics,” that is, who doubt that the overall theory
of human induced global climate change is correct, or that the observed phenomena demonstrate conclusively that it
is, or that the observed phenomena are anything out of the ordinary (viewed in the time frame of “earth history”).
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It is important to separate these scientists from ‘sceptics’ who have a financial interest in denying climate change.
These people have been important in framing the climate change debate in the United States and the position of the
United States government on the issue of climate change. Their success has little to do with alternative science,
however, and everything to do with the permeability of the US political process to the influence of such actors.
It is also important to separate these scientists from the ignorant and people who do not understand evidence-based
science. Such people are simply uninformed or misinformed, make such ignorant statements as “it’s just a theory” or
cite isolated facts as if they mattered. Their numbers have
made this group politically powerful in the US, but their
ignorance sidelines them in the global debate.Climate
sceptics fall into three camps: those like Freeman Dyson,
Bjorn Lomborg and Kiminori Itoh who acknowledge
climate change, but think that carbon-based theory and
current models are too simplistic to capture such a
complex process; those like Ivar Giaever who think that
the data is too thin to support such bold claims; and
those like Will Happer who contend that the nice
analogy of a greenhouse does not apply and that CO2 is
too insignificant to be the culprit.
An article prepared to accompany a petition urging the
US not to sign global climate accords reviews each of
the main contentions of climate change scientists view
and presents data suggesting that each is wrong.
The authors of the article cite data, for example, that
suggests that the earth’s temperature today is essentially
at the 3,000-year average global temperature, while
during the medieval period, long before the use of fossil
fuels, temperatures were 24⁰ C higher.
In a similar vein, they cite data to suggest that glacier
shortening began in the early 19th century, 25 years
before the start of intensive fossil fuel use. For a more
recent web piece by a well-informed, non-scientist sceptic, see David siegel’s “scientists view on global warming”
What has been the result of disagreement among scientists?
Science does not exist in a vacuum.
Scientists have strong beliefs about the world they live in and personal agendas. The people who manage the funding
agencies, companies, political action groups, political parties and NGOs that pay for their research also have
ideological and organizational agendas.
When talking about disagreements among scientists view, it is therefore important to distinguish between scientific
contests between different theories, models and data sets, and the shouting matches among nonscientists who use
science for their own purposes.
The key result of disagreements among scientists view has been more science.
Where climate-sceptics have challenged climate scientists’ time frames, data and theories, the climate change
scientists have re-tested the climate-sceptics’ data and claims, re-tested and improved their own data and reworked
their models and theories. Every time they return with improved results, the climate-sceptics do the same thing. To
date, the ongoing research suggests that the climate change models are better and improving rapidly, but the continued
contest demonstrates the living nature of the scientific process.
Outside of the scientific view world, however, ignorance of the facts and of science itself have created a free-for-all.
Fringe environmental groups, right-wing internet blogs, politicians of all stripes have spread falsehoods far and wide
or distorted the truth to serve their own ends. Beware three particular versions of “science” abuse:
 At the start of “My cause is so critically important that a little exaggeration/a few lies are no sin”: This is the
most common version indulged in equally by left and right. Environmentalist feel that “life on earth” or
whatever is worth any price; the hard light believes that the “climate myth” is simply another internationalist
plot to impose government control on free people – whose freedom must be protected at all costs. In both cases,
attention to the truth takes a back seat.
 “The sky is falling” – “Oh, give me a break”: Here the divide is between the doomsayers (“Climate Change
Impacts Could Collapse Civilization by 2040” report) and the perpetually disengaged (“American don’t worry
much about climate”). The doomsayers will find any excuse to believe the worst; the “whatevers” see no reason
for concern about anything. To put these contending positions in context and observe the misuse of science in
action, remember, first, the 1970s and the gloom that surrounded the impending exhaustion of world oil
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resources that led to a policy of “pump America dry first” and then, second, the “oh, give me a break” reaction
to the efforts that ultimately led to the 1970 Clean Air and Water Act.
 “They only believe in/deny climate change because they are [dumb, insane, evil, deluded, godless,
terrorists…]”: This is such a common type of “argument” that it must be mentioned, although it is so illogical an
“explanation” that it is hard to consider. Most people learned in primary school that such ad homonym attacks
do not constitute compelling refutations, but such assertions form such an essential part of what passes for
global “public discourse” today that it bears repeating that any such contention only bears tossing out.
The effect of global warming:
 The melting of the ice caps in the polar region
 The economic consequences
 Increased probability and intensity of drought and heat waves
 Warmer waters and more hurricanes
 Spread of diseases
1) The melting of the ice caps in the polar region:
 The melting of the ice caps will cause the sea level to rise.
 There are 5,773,000 cubic miles of water in ice caps, glaciers, and permanent snow.
 According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, if all glaciers melted today the seas would rise about
230 feet.
 That’s not going to happen all at once, but still, the sea level will rise.
 As the consequence, the melting of the ice caps will change the landscapes of the artic
 If more ice melts, it means that there are less land areas for creatures living in the artic.
 Living creatures such as polar bears need the ice in the artic as their living ground and shelter.
2) The Economic consequences
 According to a 700-page report written by former world Bank chief economist Nicholas. Stern, hundreds
of millions of peolle could suffer from hunger, water shortages and coaster flooding as the Earth gets
warmer.
 This could cause us lots of money since we have to spend more money on food and water , and more
money to build land areas for people to live in.
 If temperatures rise by 3 degrees Celsius, rising sea levels and flooding could displace 200 million people.
3) Increase probability and intensity of drought and heat waves
 A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high
humidity.
 the temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be termed a heat wave in cooler
area.
 Although some areas of earth will become wetter due to global warming, other areas will suffers serious
droughts and heat waves.
 Africa will receive that worst of it, with more severe droughts also expected in Europe.Water is already a
dangerously rare commodity in Africa, and according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
global warming will only worsen the conditions.
4) Warmer water and more hurricanes:
 As the temperature of oceans rises, so will the probability of more frequent and stronger hurricanes.
 The most devastating hurricane was the Katrina. which happened in the year 2005 in the United States.
 It produced catastrophic damage –estimated at $75 billion in the New Orleans area and along the
Mississippi coast – and is the costliest U.S hurricane on record.
 Katrina is also responsible for approximately 1200 reported deaths, including about 1000 in Louisiana and
200 in Mississippi.
5) Spread of diseases:
 As the temperature gets hotter, the climate changes drastically.
 Vectors such as mosquitos adapted well to the changes in their ecology and became stronger.
 They developed in their body system in order to adapt to the climate change and so they develop new
diseases.
 As northern countries warm, disease carrying insects migrate north, bringing plague and disease with
them.
 Indeed, many scientist point to global warming as a factor in the spread of malaria and other vecot-born
infectious diseases.

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Discuss the role of green house gases in global warming ?

Global warming the gradual increase in the overall temperatures of Earth’s atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.
There are give gases of human origin that contribute most – together up to 100% of the total – to the increase in global
warming. Here you will discover the source of their emission, the time they spend in the atmosphere and what
percentage they contribute to the greenhouse effect.
 Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the level of global
warming. it is the result of processes such as fuel use, Chlorofluor
deforestation in the atmosphere varies. but it’s very high at ocarbons
all times: 80% lasts for 200 years and the other 20% can take (CFCs)
8%
up to 30,000 years to disappears.
 Methane is the next of the greenhouse gases which has the Methane
15%
biggest effect production, agriculture, sewage treatment
natural gas and oil distribution, coal mining, fuel use and is
also given off from waste tips. It last an average of 12 year
in the atmosphere. Ozone Carbon-di-
12% oxide
 Halogenated compounds such as CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, 60%
PECs, SF and NF are responsible for 8% of global warming
and generate as a result of the production of chemical by Nitreous
diverse sector such as refrigeration and air condition, Oxide
5%
electrical and electronic equipment, medicine, metallurgy,
and so on. Depending on the type of compound, their
duration in the atmosphere varies from a few months to tens of thousand of year.
 Tropospheric ozone also has an 12% effect on global warming, This is a product of the reaction between the gases carbon
monoxide (𝐶𝑂), nitrogen dioxide (𝑁𝑂2 ) and 𝑉𝑂𝐶𝑠 (Volatile Organic Components), given off during the burning of fuel.
These gases don’t last as long in the atmosphere as others, a matter of months at the most.
 Finally, nitrous oxide also contributes around 5% to the global warming total. It comes mainly forms the use of
fertilizers, fuel use, chemical production and sewage treatment, and lasts longer in the atmosphere, up to 114 years.
To avoid global warming, it is necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The best way is to commit to renewable
energies, which generate clean electricity without harming the environment or polluting the air. Renewables , also help
preserves the oceans and forests, which are natural carbon sinks absorbing some of the carbon dioxide.
Discuss the ozone layer depletion and its impact on environment?
The ozone layer is found in the lower portion of the earth’s atmosphere. It has the potential to absorb around 97-99%
of the harmful ultraviolet radiations coming from the sun that can damage life on earth. If the ozone layer was absent,
millions of people would develop skin diseases and may have weakened immune systems.
However, scientists have discovered a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctica. This has focussed their concern on
various environmental issues and steps to control them. The main reasons for the ozone hole are chlorofluorocarbons,
carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
“Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused due to the
release of chemical compounds containing gaseous bromine or chlorine from industries or other human activities.”
Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion
The ozone layer depletion is a major concern and is associated with a number of factors. The main causes responsible
for the depletion of the ozone layer are listed below:
 Chlorofluorocarbons: Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the main cause of ozone layer depletion. These are
released by solvents, spray aerosols, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc.The molecules of chlorofluorocarbons in
the stratosphere are broken down by the ultraviolet radiations and release chlorine atoms. These atoms react with
ozone and destroy it.
 Unregulated Rocket Launches: Researches say that the unregulated launching of rockets result in much more
depletion of ozone layer than the CFCs do. If not controlled, this might result in a huge loss of the ozone layer by
the year 2050.
 Nitrogenous Compounds: The nitrogenous compounds such as NO2, NO, N2O are highly responsible for the
depletion of the ozone layer.
 Natural Causes: The ozone layer has been found to be depleted by certain natural processes such as Sun-spots
and stratospheric winds. But it does not cause more than 1-2% of the ozone layer depletion.
 The volcanic eruptions are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.
 Presence of Bromine.
 Presence of halogens
 Presence of oxides of nitrogen.

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Effects Of Ozone Layer Depletion

The depletion of the ozone layer has harmful effects on the environment. Let us see the major effects of ozone layer
depletion on man and environment.
 Effects on Human Health: The humans will be directly exposed to the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun
due to the depletion of the ozone layer. This might result in serious health issues among humans, such as skin
diseases, cancer, sunburns, cataract, quick ageing and weak immune system.
 Effects on Animals: Direct exposure to ultraviolet radiations leads to skin and eye cancer in animals.
 Effects on the Environment: Strong ultraviolet rays may lead to minimal growth, flowering and photosynthesis
in plants. The forests also have to bear the harmful effects of the ultraviolet rays.
 Effects on Marine Life: Planktons are greatly affected by the exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays. These are
higher in the aquatic food chain. If the planktons are destroyed, the organisms present in the food chain are also
affected.
Ozone destruction mechanism: Substance such as CFCs, and other that are cited, that lower the ozone layer do not
directly destroy ozone. First they undergo photolysis, forming hydrogen chloride (HCL) or chlorine nitrate (𝐶𝐼𝑂𝑁𝑂2 ),
molecules that do not react with ozone directly, but slowly decompose, giving, among othe things, a molecules that
catalyze the destruction of ozone.
The reactions involved in the processes of destruction are more than 100, but can be simplified in the following:
𝐶𝐿 + 𝑂3 → 𝐶𝐿𝑂 + 𝑂2 1. CFCs are emitted into the atmosphere.
𝐶𝐿𝑂 + 𝑂 → 𝐶𝐿 + 𝑂2 2. CFCs rise into Cl from CFCs
Net effect: 𝑂3 + 𝑂 → 2𝑂2 3. Cl destroys ozone.
The chlorine atom acts as a catalysis, i.e. it is not consumed in the reaction, so it destroys the thousands of ozone
molecules before disappearing. The bromine atom is even more destructive than chlorine (about 10 or 100 times
more). On stratosphere and the bromine concentration are even lower.
topic - 03
Water Pollution: Surface and ground water pollution, source and pollutants,
eutrophication of lakes, physiochemical aspects in marine environment, oceanic
pollution.
What is water pollution?
 Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of a stream, river, lake, ocean or any other stretch of
water, depleting water quality and making it toxic for the environment and humans.
 Water pollution occurs when harmful substances are released into the water in large quantities which cause
damage to people, wildlife, or habitat or indirectly into water bodies without proper treatment to remove
harmful compounds.
 Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies like (oceans, seas, lakes, rivers and groundwater) usually
caused due to human activities.
 Water pollution can be defined as presence of solid, liquid or gaseous contaminants in such concentration that
may change the quality of water.
Types of water pollution:

If water pollution come from a single source such as factory’s waste oil spils it is called point-source pollution. If it
come from many sources, it is called nonpoint-source pollution.
Most types of water pollution only effect the immediate area but sometimes the pollution can travel hundreds or
thousands of miles and then it is called trans boundary pollution
These different types of water pollution come from varied sources: surface water, groundwater, microbiological,
oxygen depletion, nutrient, suspended matter, and chemical.
1. Surface water – Surface water pollution is the most visible from of pollution and we can see it floating on
our waters in rivers, lakes, streams, and oceans.
Trash from human consumption, such as water bottles, plastic and other waste products, more often evident
on water surfaces.
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This types of pollution also comes from oil spills and gasoline waste, which float on the surface and affect
the water and its inhabitants. Water contaminants from fracking include a range of toxic chemicals, methane,
benzene, and radiation.
2. Ground water pollution: This types of pollution is becoming more and more relvant because it affects our
drinking water and the aquifers below the soil.
When humans apply pesticides and chemical to soils, they are washed deep into the ground by rainwater.
This gets to underground water, causing pollution underground.
3. Microbial pollutions: Microbiological pollution is the natural from of water pollution that is caused by
microorganisms in uncured water. Most these organisms are harmless but some bacteria, viruses, and
protozoa can cause series diseases such has cholera and typhoid. This natural pollution can cause fishes and
other water life to die. They can also cause serious illness to humans who drink from such waters
4. Oxygen Depletion Pollutions: Microorganism that thrive in water feed on biodegradable material gets
mixed it water, the number of microorganisms increases and they end up using all the available oxygen
leading to its depletion.
5. Nutrient Pollution: Nutrients are usually found in wastewater and fertilizers. These can cause excess
vegetation in the water such as algae and weeds, using up the oxygen in the water and hurting the
surrounding marine life and other organisms in the water.
6. Suspended Matter Pollution: This type of pollution occurs when pollutants the water and do not mix in
with the water molecules. This can harm an even kill aquatic organisms that live at the bottom of water
bodies.
7. Chemical Pollution: Agricultural and industrial activities produce many chemicals that are allowed to run-
off into the difference water bodies and pollute it. Metals and solvents from industrial works pollute river and
lakes, and, endangering the aquatic life in them. In fans, chemical pesticides are used to control weeds,
insects and fungi. Run-offs of these tend to poison the aquatic life, and also harm the birds, humans and other
animals that drink water and/or consume the infected fish.
8. Oil Spills: Oil spills are another cause of water pollution. Spilled oil can caused the death of fish and other
marine creatures numbering in the thousands.
Ground water
What is ground water?
 Ground Water lies beneath the ground surface, filling pores in sediments and sedimentary rocks and fractures in
other rock types
 Represents 0.6% of the hydrosphere (35x the water in all lakes and rivers combined)
– Resupplied by slow of precipitation
– Generally cleaner than surface water
– Accessed by wells
Porosity and Permeability:
 Porosity - the percentage of rock or sediment that consists of voids or openings
– Measurement of a rock’s ability to hold water
– Loose sand has ~30-50% porosity
– Compacted sandstone may have only 10-20% porosity
 Permeability - the capacity of a rock to transmit fluid through pores
and fractures
– Interconnectedness of pore spaces
– Most sandstones and conglomerates are porous and permeable
– Granites, schists, unfractured limestones are impermeable
The water table:
 Subsurface zone in which all rock openings are filled with water is
the phreatic, or saturated zone
 Top of the saturated zone is the water table
– Water level at surface of most lakes and rivers corresponds to
local water table
 Above the water table is an unsaturated region called the vadose
zone
 A perched water table is above and separated from main water table by an unsaturated zone
– Commonly produced by thin lenses of impermeable rock (e.g., shales or clays) within permeable ones
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Gournd water Contamination:

Infiltrating water may bring contaminants down to the water table, including (but not limited to):
 Pharmaceuticals  Heavy metals
 Pesticides/herbicides  Bacteria, viruses and parasites from sewage
 Fertilizers  Industrial chemicals (PCBs, TCE)
 Feed lots  Acid mine drainage
 Mercury and gold mining  Radioactive waste
 Landfill pollutants  Oil and gasoline
Source of Ground water pollution:
 landfills
 leaky underground storage tanks
 mines
 septic tanks
 hazardous waste - deep well injection
 any pollutant in runoff that percolates
 Agricultural Chemical
 Septics waste
 Sstorage tanks
 Hazardous waste sites
 Underground pipes
 Road salts
Effects of Ground water pollution:
1. Health Issues: Contaminated groundwater has detrimental effects on health. In areas where septic tanks installation
is not set up correctly, the Human waste may contaminate the water source. The waste may contain hepatitis causing
bacteria that may lead to irreversible damage to the liver.
Also, it may cause dysentery which leads to severe diarrhea, dehydration, and in some cases death. Additional health
problems include poisoning that may be a result of the use of excessive pesticides and fertilizers or natural chemicals.
The chemicals leach into water sources and poison them. Drinking water from such a source may lead to serious
health effects.
2. Affects economic growth: Contamination of groundwater sources renders the area incapable of sustaining plant,
human, and animal life. The population of the area reduces and the land value depreciates. Another effect is that it
leads to less stability in industries relying on groundwater to produce their goods.
Therefore, the industries in affected areas will have to outsource for water from other regions which may turn out to be
expensive. In addition, they may be forced to close down due to the poor quality of water.
3. Can lead to damaging impacts on the environment such as aquatic systems and the overall ecosyste:
Groundwater pollution can lead to devastating envionment changes. One such alteration is the loss of certain nutrients
that are essential for self-sustenance of the ecosystem. Also, when the pollutants mix with water bodies, alteration of
the aquatic ecosystem may also occur. Aquatic animals such as fishes may die off quickly as a result of too many
contaminants in the water bodies.
Solutions of Groundwater Pollution:
1. Legislation: There are federal laws in most countries that help in protecting the quality of groundwater. Safe
Drinking and Clean Water regulations should ensure the protection of drinking water by establishing measures for
them to meet health standards.
2. The use of water cleaning systems: Point-of-use treatment systems should be installed in outlets that dispense
water for human consumption. The techniques used include chemical disinfection, boiling, solar distillation, filtration,
ozone water disinfection, activated charcoal absorption, and ultraviolet disinfection.
Arsenic Removal Filters (ARFs) are usually installed to remove arsenic compounds present. Maintenance of these
filters is essential to ensure that the drinking water is always safe.

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Groundwater Remediation is also another management technique. The biological treatment techniques employed are
bioaugmentation, bioslurping, bioventing, phytoremediation, and biosparging. Chemicals techniques such as ion
exchange, ozone gas injection, membrane separation, and chemical precipitation can also be used.
3. Proper management of the sources of pollution: The landfills should be designed with proper clay and leachates.
The maintenance should be done regularly. The location of the landfill should also be far from groundwater areas.
Further, any hazardous wastes should not be dumped in the landfill unless it is designed for that purpose.
In constructing and managing underground storage tanks, it is important to comply with the set regulations and
policies to avoid contamination or even lawsuits. A containment device that acts as a leak back up should be put in
place and any unused underground tanks should be removed.
Underground pipelines installation should be designed professionally. Inspections should be done regularly and causes
of corrosion or leakages noted should be resolved immediately.
4. Recycling: Most landfills in various countries have a recycling plant nearby. Therefore, used petroleum products
should be taken to such places. Apart from oil, other recyclable materials such as plastic, bottle, and paper wastes can
also be taken to recycling plants. The state should provide designated recycling pick up areas in places that they are
not established.
Together with other enviromental organizations, the state can mobilize people to participate in the recycling initiative.
They can do this by holding awareness campaigns and educating communities on the importnace of recycling.
– Monitor aquifers & landfills
– Requirements for old fuel tanks
• Leak detection system
• Liability insurance
– Stricter regulations on toxic waste disposal
• Above-ground storage of toxic waste...but then you have toxic mud spills!
List the difference source/causes of water Pollution

1. Industrial waste 8. Leakage from sewer 16. Transportation.
2. Sewage and waste lines. 17. Plastic materials in
water. 9. Global warming contact with water.
3. Mining activities 10. Radioactive waste. 18. Improper disposal of car
4. Marine dumping 11. Urban development. batteries.
5. Accidental oil leakage 12. Leaking landfills. 19. Accidental leaks and
6. Burning of fossil fuels. 13. Construction activities. spills.
7. Chemical fertilizer and 14. Agriculture run-off 20. Animal waste.
pesticides. 15. Storm water run-off
Discuss the health impact of water pollution.
Water pollution is greatly affected public health in many ways. Contminated water is very ahrmful for human being.
The effect of water pollution on public health is discussing briefly in below:
Water pollution effects on public health in two ways, such as-
(1). Direct effect (2). Indirect effect
(a) Direct Effect: Direct effect when human being are affected by pollution without any media. Some direct effect on
human health is given below:
1. When people drink water, they can affect in many diseases, such as- Cholera, Typhoid, Diarrhea, Dysentery
etc.
2. Many skin disease can be showed in upper of skin.
3. Anemia, vomiting, loss of appetite.
4. Paralysis, colic pain and caner.
5. Damage liver and kidney.
6. Paralysis, colic pain and cancer.
7. Low blood pressure and lung irritation.
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8. Blood cancer, Typhoid, Jaundice

9. Abdominal pain, headache, chest pain.
10. Bone reformation, injury of central nervous system.
11. DNA breakage.
12. It is also caused polio.
13. Loss of memory power and metal sharpness.
14. Reduce bone development and muscular development.
15. Reduce make fertility.
16. Reduce activity of immune system.
17. Dangerous effects pregnant woman.
18. Fever, nervousness, blindness and even death.
19. Direct effect is very dangerous for human being.
(b) Indirect Effect.
1. By aquatic life: All aquatic life are important for all living things. But pollute water effect the all living things
as well as it effect on human beings.
2. By soil: Productivity of soil decrease due to water pollution. because the amount of soil water sometimes bear
s DDT, Calceum 45. It can damage food chain.
3. By pesticides and herbicides: people use fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides etc for increasing their production.
When these medicines are use, these are mixed with water and pollute water. Then these medicines flow with
rain and go to the river and ocean. These medicine are take place into aquatic plants or animals which are very
essential for human being. So, man can affected by them.
4. By arsenic pollution: Arsenic is a toxic metal. It can dissolve with water. so it can pollute water easily.
Arsenic pollution is very harmful on human health.
Discuss how water pollution deteriorates the total ecosystem :
Ecosystem can be severely changed or destroyed by Water Pollution. Many of the eways in which water pollution
causes destroys in ecosystem. Some of ways in describe below: b
1. Pollution of groundwater from pesticides causes damage to the reproductive system in the wildlife ecosystem.
2. When sewage water, agricultural run-off that contain organic materials are discharge into fresh water, causes
increase in the growth of algae in turn causing oxygen depletion,.
3. Low levels of oxygen in rivers and lakes du rot water pollution are a major cause for extinction of indigenous
organisms.
4. Water pollution kills life that inhabits the water based ecosystem, disrupting the natural food chain.
5. The non-biodegradable pesticide and chemicals causes mass destruction of aquatic life.
6. Steep increase in the BOD levels of water.
7. Imbalance in hose parasite relations in the ecosystem, changing the food webs and food chain.
8. Affects microbial population.
9. Deposition of hazardous chemicals in soil leads to soil infertility.
Groundwater arsenic problem in Bangladesh:
Arsenic is the chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol (As) and atomic number 33. Arsenic
pollution is a serous health hazard. It is caused by drinking tube-well water containing arsenic. thousands of people in
Bangladesh are suffering from arsenic poisoning,. Arsenic poisoning is a slow process. It is due to the gradual build-
up nature of the poison i=in the humabn body. Irt causes sores in the body and abdominal pain.
In Bangladesh 6500 sq. km. of 64 districts are affected along the Padma river course 50 milluion peole are exposed to
arsenic contamination.
the worst arsenic affected districts are –
Chadpur – 90%, Murshiganjn- 83%, Giopalganj-79%, Madaripur -69%, Noakhali-69%, Satkhira-67%, comilla – 65%,
Faridpur- 65%, Shariatpur- 65%, Meherpur -60%, and Bagerhat – 60%.
Mainly the southern part half of the country is contaminated, but there are few occurrences of contamination in the
north-east part.
Arsenic is very much poisonous which causes not only affect on human body but also on environment, crops, and
fruits also. Humans may be expose may also occur through skin contact with soil or water that contain arsenic.

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 Irritation of the stomach and intestines

 Decreased production of red and white blood cells.
 Skin changes and lung irritation.
 Changes of cancer (skin, lung, liver) development.
 Organic arsenics can cause neither cancer nor DNA damage.
 It affects all systems in the body.
 It causes “black foot diseases”
 It may cause motor and sensory paralysis,.
 It may lead to skin cancer, lungs and kidney.
 It causes melanosis, leuko-melanosis.
When a man deinks tube well water containing arsenic poison, he is attacked with a disease called arsoncosis. It is
slow process of poisoning with the gradual build up of the poison in our body, which affects our health. if we want to
save ourselves from this diseases, we should drink water from a safe sources. We should not drink arsenic
contaminated tube well water. Moreover, people affected by arssonicosis should eat a balanced diet containing fish
and vegetables. Vitamins especially vitamin A, C and E can play a vital role to fight against this disease. however we
are still sure that there is no arsenic in majority of the tube wells in Bangladesh. However, the government should take
more effective steps of save the people from the menace of arsenic
How water pollution can be reduce?
Water pollution is a leading cause of death. I cause many a death every day. Water pollution can be reduced with some
efforts, such as:
1) identify industrial unit that are the biggest polluters of river water.
2) A regular qualitative monitoring of fresh water resources.
3) construct proper sanitary landfill sites.
4) Investigate ground water quality.
5) Provide government help for waste management by industries.
6) use less plastic.
7) Do not dispose oils in the sink
8) Do not throw away medicine
9) Limit the use of detergents and bleaches
10) Avoid Pesticides
11) Do not litter.
12) Use water sparingly
13) Stop chemical pollution
14) Stop immersion of ahes in the river
15) Reduce air pollution
16) Reduce resources waste
17) Practice four R’s of resource use (refuse, reduce, recycle, reuse)
18) Preventing soil erosion.
19) River should not be used for washing clothes or bathing animals in.
20) Stop Ocean dumping.
21) Modify agricultural practices.
22) Decrease silt runoff
Difference between BOD & COD.
The difference between BOD & COD is given below:
BOD COD
1. BOD stands for Biochemical Oxygen demand 1. COD stands for Chemical Oxygen Demand.
2. It measures the amount of food (organic carbons) 2. It is the total measurement of all chemicals in the
that bacteria can oxidize. water that can be oxidized.
3. It use oxidizing micro-organisms. 3. It uses a strong chemical agent.
4. It is affect by toxic substance 4. It is not affect by tonic substance.
5. It is difficult method. 5. It is a simple & easy method
6. This method needs 5 days. 6. This method nee 5 days.
7. For this method, 20° C temperature is needed. 7. For this method, normal temperature is needed.
8. Permissible limit of BOD is 30 mg/L. 8. Permissible limit of COD is 250-500 ppm.

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What is Ocean/ Marine Pollution?

 Oceans are the largest water bodies on the planet Earth. Over the last few decades, excessive human activities
have severely affected marine life on the Earth’s oceans. Ocean pollution, also known as marine pollution, is the
spreading of harmful substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into
the ocean.
 The continued degradation of the human environment has become a major con-temporary problem in all parts of
the world. The major components of environ-ment are: air, water and soil. Sea water which covers about two third
of the planet, plays a vital role in maintaining the fundamental biological and ecologi-cal balance.
Types of marine pollution:

The negative impacts of human activity upon our seas and oceans are manifold and well-documented. Indeed, until
recently, it was believed that the sheer scale of the water which covers much of our planet was so vast that it would
swallow up any and all waste that we threw at it, meaning humans polluted without any thought for the potential
repercussions.
Although today’s society is much better informed on the dangers of marine pollution, the damage has already been
done in many cases – while it continues to occur in many more. However, not all forms of contamination are created
equal. Here’s a breakdown of the four most common varieties of marine pollution and the harmful effects they can
have on marine populations.
 Eutrophication: When there is an excess of chemical nutrients mainly nitrates and phosphates in the water, it
leads to eutrophication or nutrient pollution. Eutrophication decreases the level of oxygen, reduces the quality of
water, makes the water inhabitable for fish, affects the breeding process within the marine life and increases the
primary productivity of the marine ecosystem.
 Acidification : Oceans act as a natural reservoir for absorbing the carbon dioxide from the Earth’s atmosphere.
But, due to rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the oceans across the world are becoming acidic in
nature, as a consequence, it leads to acidification of oceans. Researches and scientists have not been able to
uncover the potential damage ocean acidification may have on the Earth’s atmosphere. But, there is a strong
concern that acidification might lead to dissolution of calcium carbonate structures, that can affect the shell
formation in shellfish and also the corals.
 Toxins: There are persistent toxins that do not get dissolved or disintegrate with the marine ecosystem rapidly.
Toxins such as pesticides, DDT, PCBs, furans, TBT, radioactive waste, phenols, and dioxins get accumulated in
the tissue cells of the marine life forms and lead to bioaccumulation hampering the life underwater and sometimes
leads to a mutation in aquatic life forms.
 Plastic pollution : It’s estimated that around eight million tonnes of plastic waste enter our oceans each year, on
top of the 150 million tonnes already present in them. While larger pieces of plastic can damage coral reefs or
ensnare fish and mammals, over time, they eventually break down into much smaller fragments. These particles,
known as microplastics, are potentially even more dangerous, since they are more likely to be mistaken for food
by organisms of all sizes. After ingestion, they can harm the internal organs and weaken the immune systems of
the animal in question, not to mention filling their stomach with plastic matter that contains zero nutritional value.
 Light pollution : Wherever there is human habitation, there will be light. Many towns and cities are built near to
coastal areas, meaning the lighting used to illuminate our streets, homes, offices and other public places can
infiltrate underneath the waves, as well. The presence of this artificial light during night-time can upset the natural
circadian rhythms of fish and other marine animals, which can disrupt their daily routines. Larger fish can prey
upon smaller species more easily, while reef dwelling fish can have their reproductive cycles thrown into disarray.
 Noise pollution: We may traditionally associate noise pollution with industrial sites or construction works, but
sounds can actually travel for further and longer underwater than they can in the air. For that reason, noise
pollution caused by anthropogenic activity is a much greater threat to marine animals than it is to those living on
the land or in the air. Not only can noise pollution confuse animals which depend upon sonar signals to feed, mate
and navigate their way around the ocean, but it can shorten their lifespans and threaten the very existence of entire
species.
 Chemical pollution : Pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides are commonly used by farmers to boost yields and
protect against pests and diseases. Unfortunately, heavy rainfall can sweep these chemicals into gutters, streams
and rivers, eventually diverting them into marine environments. Although we do possess sustainable solutions for
the removal of chemicals like phosphate and ammonia from such environments, they are not always as commonly
employed nor as effective as we might like. This leads to a nutritional imbalance in the water, promoting the
growth of algal blooms, depriving other animals of the space, sunlight and nutrients they need and destroying the
natural balance of ecosystems

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Causes of Ocean Pollution

There are many causes of ocean pollution. Of all the facts, there is one constant: most pollution in our oceans begins
on land and is caused by humans. Here are some of the major causes of marine pollution:
 Nonpoint source pollution (Runoff): Nonpoint source pollution comes from a variety of different locations and
sources. The result of this is runoff, which occurs when rain or snow moves pollutants from the ground into the
ocean. For instance, after a heavy rainstorm, water flows off roads into the ocean, taking oil left on streets from
cars with it.
 Intentional discharge: Manufacturing plants in some areas of the world release toxic waste into the ocean,
including mercury. While it’s intentionally being released into the sea, sewage also contributes to ocean pollution,
as well as plastic products. According to Ocean Conservancy, eight million metric tons of plastic goes into our
oceans every year.
 Oil spills : Ships are major contributors to ocean pollution, especially when crude oil spills occur. Crude oil lasts
for years in the ocean and is difficult to clean up.
 Littering: Atmospheric pollution, which refers to objects carried by the wind to the ocean, is a big problem. Items
such as plastic bags and Styrofoam containers become suspended in the water and don’t decompose.
 Ocean mining : Deep-sea ocean mining causes pollution and disruption at the lowest levels of the ocean. Drilling
for substances such as cobalt, zinc, silver, gold and copper creates harmful sulfide deposits deep in the ocean.
 Dumping Of Sewage : The dumping of sewage in the ocean is often regarded as the cheapest and easiest method
of sewage disposal. Most of the untreated sewage containing lethal substances find their way into the ocean waters
through the sewer systems and has detrimental effects on the health of marine flora and fauna.
 Land Runoff : Referred to as non-point pollution, runoff is caused when the soil is infiltrated with water to its
maximum extent and the excess water then flows from the land into the ocean via the drainage systems like rivers
and streams. This runoff water carries with it the harmful toxins: the litter dumped in towns and cities, fertilizers,
pesticides, and other soil contaminants. All these toxins are then dumped into the ocean along with the runoff.
 Industrial Chemical : The untreated effluents and garbage along with harmful chemicals are also released into
water bodies from several industries. The waste from industries like fossil fuel, plastic manufacturing,
agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals contains harmful toxins like mercury, DDT, phthalates, Biphenyl-A, and other
chemical substances. These pollute the oceans by altering the pH level of the water which contributes to the death
of most aquatic flora and fauna. Such toxins also enter the bodies of marine animals and accumulate in their
tissues. They are further transferred up the food chain from one level to another, resulting in bio magnification
when the concentration of toxins increases as it ascends the food chain. Large quantities of such biomagnified
toxins ultimately reach humans through the consumption of different kinds of seafood.
 Plastics : A large quantity of single-use plastics have been mercilessly dumped as litter into the marine
environment and have been found on beaches, in polar ice seas, and even on the shorelines of the world’s most
remote uninhabited islands. Plastic debris has been transforming some marine areas into a plastic soup, leading to
the choking of marine life and causing a potential large-scale impact on the marine environment.
Effect of Ocean Pollution:

Ocean pollution has many consequences that directly and indirectly affect marine life, as well as humans. Here are
some of the most common effects of ocean pollution:
 Harmful to marine animals : Sea animals are common victims of ocean pollution. Oil spills, for instance, will
ensnare and suffocate marine animals by permeating their gills. When the oil gets into seabird feathers, they may
not be able to fly or feed their young. Animals that aren’t killed by crude oil may suffer from cancer, behavioral
changes and become unable to reproduce. Marine animals also mistake small plastic debris for food or become
entangled in or strangled by plastic bags and discarded fishing nets. Animals most vulnerable to harm from plastic
debris in the ocean include dolphins, fish, sharks, turtles, seabirds and crabs.
 Depletion of oxygen in seawater: As excess debris in the ocean slowly degrades over many years it uses oxygen
to do so, resulting in less 02 in the ocean. Low levels of oxygen in the ocean lead to the death of ocean animals
such as penguins, dolphins, whales and sharks. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus in seawater also cause oxygen
depletion. When a great deal of oxygen depletion occurs in an area of the ocean, it can become a dead zone where
no marine life can survive.
 A threat to human health : Pollutants in the ocean make their way back to humans. Small organisms ingest
toxins and are eaten by larger predators, many of which are seafood that we eventually eat. When the toxins in
contaminated animals get deposited in human tissue, it can lead to long-term health conditions, cancer and birth
defects.
 Food chain contamination: Once the smallest organisms consume pollutants, their predators consume them.
Plastics, garbage, heavy metals, and chemicals make their way up the food chain, ultimately accumulating in

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seafood that people catch and eat. Coastal pollution contaminates mussels and other shellfish that the seafood
industries rely on.
The adverse effect off PCBs pollution:

PCB chemicals were banned in the U.S. in 1979 because these chemicals harm human and environmental health.
From the 1920s until their ban, an estimated 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were made for things such as microscope oils,
electrical insulators, capacitors, and electric appliances such as television sets or refrigerators. PCBs were also sprayed
on dirt roads to keep the dust down prior to knowing some of the unintended consequences from widespread use.
Prior to the ban in 1979, PCBs entered the air, water, and soil during manufacture and use. Wastes from the
manufacturing process that contained PCBs were often placed in dump sites or landfills. Occasionally, accidental
spills and leaks from these facilities or transformer fires could result in PCBs entering the environment.
PCBs can be found worldwide. In the 1960s, when initial research results were released, traces of PCBs could be
detected in people and animals around the world – not only in heavily populated areas such as New York City, but
also in remote areas as far as the Arctic. These findings of such widespread and persistent contamination contributed
to the banning of the chemical in 1979.
PCBs can degrade or breakdown in the environment, but the process greatly depends on the chemical makeup of the
PCBs. The degrading process also depends on where the PCBs are in the environment. Typically, PCBs are either
broken down in the environment by sunlight or by microorganisms. Sunlight plays an important role in the breakdown
of PCBs when they are in the air, shallow water, or surface soils. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae, or fungi,
biodegrade PCBs when found in soil or sediments.
Because PCBs exist in sediments, scientists need to determine if it is better to dredge and remove contaminated
sediments from waterways or if it is safer to leave the sediments in place and cover with clean sediments, allowing
them to naturally biodegrade. A cap or barrier can also be placed over contaminated sediments to prevent them from
entering the environment. There are environmental, human health, and financial concerns with all of these alternatives.
TOPIC - 04
Soil Pollution: Soil and agricultural pollution: top soil; pollutants; parameters of soil
pollution analysis, remedial measures.
What is soil Pollution?
 Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough
concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem. In the case of contaminants which occur
naturally in soil, even when their levels are not high enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the
levels of the contaminants in soil exceed the levels that should naturally be present.
 The contamination of soil with solid waste, acid rain, excess of fertilizers, insecticide and herbicides is called soil
pollution.
 Soil pollution is defined as the change in physical, chemical and biological conditions of the soil through man’s
intervention resulting in the degradation in quality and productivity of the soil.
 “The presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk
to human health and/or the ecosystem. In the case of contaminants which occur naturally in soil, even when their
levels are not high enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of the contaminants in soil
exceed the levels that should naturally be present.” -- Environment Pollution Centers.
Types of soil pollution:
Several types of soil pollutions are given below:
 Agricultural soil pollution
(i) Pollution of surface oil
(ii) Pollution of underground soil
 Soil pollution by industrial effluents and soil waste
(i) Pollution of surface soil
(ii) Disturbances in soil profile.
 Pollution due to urban activities
(i) Pollution of surface soil
(ii) Pollution of underground soil.

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Agricultural Soil Pollution:

 Plants on which we depend for food are under attack from insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses, rodents and other
animals, and must compete with weeds for nutrients.
 To kill unwanted populations living in or on their crops, farmers use pesticides.
 The remnants of such pesticides used on pests may get adsorbed by the soil particles and contaminate root crops
grown in that soil.
 The consumption of such crops causes the pesticides remnants to enter human biological systems, affecting them
adversely.
Industrial Soil Pollution:
 Large quantity of solid wastes like unused and rejected chemicals (like sludge, press mud, saw dust, bottles,
plastic materials etc.), unwanted industrial wastes generated during manufacturing processes are dumped over on
the surface of soil by almost all industries with difference in the degree.
 Larger the production base, larger is the generation of wastes.
 Traditionally, these materials have been dumped around the factory site or around the entire city. Rarely, they are
put to recycling or safe conversion.
Soil Pollution due to Urbanization:
 Urban activities generate large quantities of city wastes including several Biodegradable materials (like
vegetables, animal wastes, papers, wooden pieces, carcasses, plant twigs, leaves, cloth wastes as well as
sweepings) and many non-biodegradable materials (such as plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic wastes, glass
bottles, glass pieces, stone / cement pieces).
 On a rough estimate Indian cities are producing solid city wastes to the tune of 50,000 - 80,000 metric tons every
day.
 If left uncollected and decomposed, they are a cause of several problems.
What are the pollutants that contaminate soil?

Some of the most hazardous soil pollutants are xenobiotic – substances that
are not naturally found in nature and are synthesized by human beings. The
term ‘xenobiotic’ has Greek roots – ‘Xeons’ (foreigner), and ‘Bios’ (life).
Several xenobiotic are known to be carcinogens. An illustration detailing
major soil pollutants is provided below.
The different types of pollutants that are found in contaminated soil are
listed in this subsection.
Heavy Metals
The presence of heavy metals (such as lead and mercury, in abnormally high concentrations) in soils can cause it to
become highly toxic to human beings. Some metals that can be classified as soil pollutants are tabulated below.
Toxic Metals that Cause Soil

Pollution
Arsenic Mercury Lead
Antimony Zinc Nickel
Cadmium Selenium Beryllium
Thallium Chromium Copper

These metals can originate from several sources such as mining activities, agricultural activities, electronic waste (e-
waste), and medical waste.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (often abbreviated to PAHs) are organic compounds that:
1. Contain only carbon and hydrogen atoms.
2. Contain more than one aromatic ring in their chemical structures.
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Common examples of PAHs include naphthalene, anthracene, and phenalene. Exposure to polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons has been linked to several forms of cancer. These organic compounds can also cause cardiovascular
diseases in humans.
Soil pollution due to PAHs can be sourced to coke (coal) processing, vehicle emissions, cigarette smoke, and the
extraction of shale oil.
Industrial Waste
The discharge of industrial waste into soils can result in soil pollution. Some common soil pollutants that can be
sourced to industrial waste are listed below.
 Chlorinated industrial solvents
 Dioxins produced from the manufacture of pesticides and the incineration of waste.
 Plasticizers/dispersants
 Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
The petroleum industry creates many petroleum hydrocarbon waste products. Some of these wastes, such as benzene
and methylbenzene, are known to be carcinogenic in nature.
Pesticides
Pesticides are substances (or mixtures of substances) that are used to kill or inhibit the growth of pests. Common types
of pesticides used in agriculture include:
 Herbicides – used to kill/control weeds and other unwanted plants.
 Insecticides – used to kill insects.
 Fungicides – used to kill parasitic fungi or inhibit their growth.
However, the unintentional diffusion of pesticides into the environment (commonly known as ‘pesticide drift’) poses a
variety of environmental concerns such as water pollution and soil pollution. Some important soil contaminants found
in pesticides are listed below.
Herbicides
 Triazines
 Carbamates
 Amides
 Phenoxyalkyl acids
 Aliphatic acids
Insecticides
 Organophosphates
 Chlorinated hydrocarbons
 Arsenic-containing compounds
 Pyrethrum
Fungicides
 Mercury-containing compounds
 Thiocarbamates
 Copper Sulphet
These chemicals pose several health risks to humans. Examples of health hazards related to pesticides include diseases
of the central nervous system, immune system diseases, cancer, and birth defects.
What are the Processes that Cause Soil Pollution?

Soil pollution can be broadly classified into two categories –
 Naturally caused soil pollution
 Anthropogenic soil pollution (caused by human activity)
Natural Pollution of Soil
In some extremely rare processes, some pollutants are naturally accumulated in soils. This can occur due to the
differential deposition of soil by the atmosphere. Another manner in which this type of soil pollution can occur is via
the transportation of soil pollutants with precipitation water.
 Volcanic eruption
 Forest fire
 Radio active decay
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 Decomposition plants and animals

 Natural disaster
 Weathering of rocks
 Plant tectonics
 Acid rain
 Salinity intrusion
 Ground water disposal.
Anthropogenic Soil Pollution
Almost all cases of soil pollution are anthropogenic in nature. A variety of human activities can lead to the
contamination of soil. Some such processes are listed below.
 The demolition of old buildings can involve the contamination of nearby soil with asbestos.
 Usage of lead-based paint during construction activities can also pollute the soil with hazardous concentrations of
lead.
 Spillage of petrol and diesel during transportation can contaminate soils with the hydrocarbons found in
petroleum.
 Activities associated with metal casting factories (foundries) often cause the dispersion of metallic contaminants
into the nearby soils.
 Underground mining activities can cause the contamination of land with heavy metals.
 Improper disposal of highly toxic industrial/chemical waste can severely pollute the soil. For example, the storage
of toxic wastes in landfills can result in the seepage of the waste into the soil. This waste can go on to pollute
groundwater as well.
 Chemical pesticides contain several hazardous substances. Excessive and inefficient use of chemical pesticides
can result in severe soil pollution.
 Sewage produced in urbanized areas can also contaminate soil (if not disposed of correctly). These wastes may
also contain several carcinogenic substances.
Other forms of waste that can pollute soil include nuclear waste, e-waste, and coal ash.
Causes of Soil pollution:
There are numerous causes of soil pollution that occur every day or even every minute. Some causes off soil pollution
is written below:
1. Industrial activities 10. Landfill and illegal dumping
2. Agricultural activities 11. Genetically modified plants
3. Accidental spills 12. Intensive farming
4. Acid rain 13. Disposal of coals ash
5. Deforestation 14. Disposal of ammunitions and agents or war
6. Nuclear wastes 15. Mining and other industries
7. Buried wastes 16. Soil wastes
8. Electronic wastes 17. Soil erosion
9. Oil and fuel dumping 18. Drainage of contaminated surface.
What are the Negative Consequences of Soil Pollution?
Soil pollution harbours a broad spectrum of negative consequences that affect plants, animals, humans, and the
ecosystem as a whole. Since children are more susceptible to diseases, polluted soil poses a greater threat to
them. Some important effects of soil pollution are detailed in this subsection.
Effects on Human Beings
Soil contaminants can exist in all three phases (solid, liquid and gaseous). Therefore, these contaminants can find their
way into the human body via several channels such as direct contact with the skin or through the inhalation of
contaminated soil dust.
The short term effects of human exposure to polluted soil include:
 Headaches, nausea, and vomiting.
 Coughing, pain in the chest, and wheezing.
 Irritation of the skin and the eyes.
 Fatigue and weakness.
A variety of long-term ailments have been linked to soil pollution. Some such diseases are listed below.
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 Exposure to high levels of lead can result in permanent damage to the nervous system. Children are
particularly vulnerable to lead.
 Depression of the CNS (Central Nervous System).
 Damage to vital organs such as the kidney and the liver.
 Higher risk of developing cancer.
It can be noted that many soil pollutants such as petroleum hydrocarbons and industrial solvents have been linked to
congenital disorders in humans. Thus, soil pollution can have several negative effects on human health.
Effects on Plants and Animals
Since soil pollution is often accompanied by a decrease in the availability of nutrients, plant life ceases to thrive in
such soils. Soils contaminated with inorganic aluminium can prove toxic to plants. Also, this type of pollution often
increases the salinity of the soil, making it inhospitable for the growth of plant life.
Plants that are grown in polluted soil may accumulate high concentrations of soil pollutants through a process known
as bioaccumulation. When these plants are consumed by herbivores, all the accumulated pollutants are passed up the
food chain. This can result in the loss/extinction of many desirable animal species. Also, these pollutants can
eventually make their way to the top of the food chain and manifest as diseases in human beings.
Effects on the Ecosystem
 Since the volatile contaminants in the soil can be carried away into the atmosphere by winds or can seep into
underground water reserves, soil pollution can be a direct contributor to air and water pollution.
 It can also contribute towards acid rain (by releasing huge quantities of ammonia into the atmosphere).
 Acidic soils are inhospitable to several microorganisms that improve soil texture and help in the
decomposition of organic matter. Thus, the negative effects of soil pollution also impact soil quality and
texture.
 Crop yield is greatly affected by this form of pollution. In China, over 12 million tons of grain (worth
approximately 2.6 billion USD) is found to be unfit for human consumption due to contamination with heavy
metals (as per studies conducted by the China Dialogue).
What are the Effects of Soil Pollution? (According to mam Slide-Naznin Sultana.)
The effects of pollution on soil are quite alarming and can cause huge disturbances in the ecological balance and
health of living creatures on earth. Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are:
 Decrease in soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. How can one expect contaminated soil to
produce healthy crops?
 Loss of soil and natural nutrients present in it. Plants also would not thrive in such soil, which would further
result in soil erosion.
 Disturbance in the balance of flora and fauna residing in the soil.
 Increase in salinity of the soil, which therefore makes it unfit for vegetation, thus making it useless and barren.
 Generally crops cannot grow and flourish in polluted soil. Yet, if some crops manage to grow, they would be
poisonous enough to cause serious health problems in people consuming them.
 Creation of toxic dust is another potential effect of soil pollution.
 Foul smell due to industrial chemicals and gases might result in headaches, fatigue, nausea, etc., in many
people.
 Soil pollutants would bring in alteration in the soil structure, which would lead to death of many essential
organisms in it. This would also affect the larger predators and compel them to move to other places, once
they lose their food supply.
 I hope the above discussion was enough to make you understand the severity of the soil pollution causes and
effects. Soil pollution can be cured by transporting the contaminated soil layer to some remote place, thus
making it once again fit for use. Harmful chemicals from the soil can also be removed by aerating it. These
are just 'tentative solutions'. However, let us remember the proverb, 'prevention is better than cure', and follow
proper a soil management system, maintain sewage systems, and avoid the overuse of fertilizers and pesticides
in the soil. So let us begin the movement of soil pollution prevention from our own lands itself!!!
Case study in soil pollution.

Love Canal is perhaps the most famous case study of soil pollution. In the snowy winter of 1976, chemical waste
began to seep above ground in school playgrounds and communities in Niagara Falls, New York. The area suffered
high incidences of stillborn births, miscarriages and birth defects. Officials soon realized that there were over 400
toxic substances in the air, water and soil -- many of them cancerous. As it turns out, the area had been used as a
chemical dumping ground for more than 22,000 tons of toxic waste at the turn-of-the-century, when no one was aware
of the hazardous impact it could have decades later.
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Another one of the most infamous cases of soil pollution happened in Chernobyl, a small town in Russia. A nuclear
power plant exploded in April of 1986, which caused a sevenfold increase in birth defects, a marked increase in cancer
that was passed down to future generations, livestock death and mutation and tainted agriculture. It's estimated that 40
percent of Chernobyl is still uninhabitable due to radiation contamination that is ten times the normal level in some
places.
Ethiopia is filled with both air and soil pollution. The worst area is in Somalia's Ayaha valley near Hargeysa. To boost
their economy, many farmers began using chemical fertilizers and pesticides to increase productivity without
understanding the full ramifications. Over their war-torn years, metal drums holding 14,200 liters of chemicals like
fenitrothion, malathion, diazionon and durban were punctured. As a result, land pollution has caused widespread
famine and sickness.
China is a nation that is developing rapidly -- perhaps faster than safety permits. "It is estimated that nationwide 12
million tons of grain are polluted each year by heavy metals that have found their way into soil," Zhou Shengxian,
director of the State Environmental Protection Administration, announced in July 2006. "Direct economic losses
exceed 20 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars). Soil pollution has worsened. According to incomplete
statistics, about 150 million mu (10 million hectares) of arable land in China has been polluted."
How can Soil Pollution be Controlled? Method to control soil pollution?
 Reducing chemical fertilizer and pesticide use.
 Recycling is another way to reduce and control soil pollution. Recycling paper, plastics and other materials
reduces the volume of refuse in landfills, another common cause of soil pollution.
 Reusing of materials
 De-forestation, the cutting down of trees, causes erosion, pollution and the loss of fertility in the topsoil. Planting
trees--or re-forestation--helps prevent soil erosion and pollution.
 Weeds soak up minerals in the soil. Reducing weed growth helps reduce soil pollution. One of the more common
methods of reducing weed growth is covering the soil with numerous layers of wet newspapers or a plastic sheet
for several weeks before cultivation. This prevents light from reaching the weeds, which kills them.
 Designated pits should be used for the dumping of soil wastes. These wastes should be treated chemically and
biologically to make them less toxic and hazardous.
Discuss the major issue of soil degradation in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh faces a series of environmental problems including deforestation, land degradation, air pollution, water
shortage and contamination, as well as loss of biodiversity.
Remedial measures of soil pollutions:
Soil pollution is one of the major problems faced worldwide presently. However various preventive steps are being
taken to control and prevent it. Some remedial measures of soil pollution is given below:
 Make people aware about the concept of Reduce, Recycle and Reuse.
 Reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural activities.
 Avoid buying packages items as they will lead to garbage and end up in landfill site.
 Ensure that you do not little on the ground and do proper disposal of garbage.
 Buy biodegradable products.
 Do Organic gardening and eat organic food that will be grown without the use of pesticides.
 Creates dumping ground away from presidential areas.
 Proper disposal of industrial and agricultural wastes.
 Soil erosion can be Controlled by a variety of forestry an farm practices.
 Implementing stringent and pro-active population control programmers.
 Ban on use of plastic bags which are major causes of soil pollution.
 Don’t dump oil on the ground.
 Encouraging forest replantation programmers
 Production of Natural Fertilizers.
 Implementing deterrent measures against deforestation.
 Integration soil waste management.
 More and more land should be brought under farming.
 Rees should be planted everywhere.
 Avoid drilling the land for more underground water.
 Awareness about biological control methods and their implementation.
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TOPIC - 05
Solid waste: Generation, management, disposal and related environmental
problems, management of plastic wastes, ocean dumping.
What is Solid waste ?
 Solid waste is useless and sometimes hazardous material with low liquid content. Solid wastes include municipal
garbage, industrial and commercial waste, sewage sludge, wastes resulting from agricultural and animal
husbandry operations and other connected activities, demolition wastes and mining residues. – Glossary of
Environment Statistics.
 Solid waste are define as all the discarded solid materials from municipal, industrial and agricultural activities.
 Solid waste are the wastes that are not liquid or gaseous such as durable goods, non-durable goods, containers,
packaging, food scabs & miscellaneous inorganic wastes.
 Solid wastes are simply defined as any solid material which have reached its end of life or discharged by its
owner
What is a hazardous Waste?

 Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the
environment
 Ignitability - Ignitable wastes create fires under certain conditions or are spontaneously combustible, or have a
flash point less than 60 °C (140 °F).
 Corrosivity - Corrosive wastes are acids or bases (pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or equal to 12.5) that
are capable of corroding metal containers, such as storage tanks, drums, and barrels.
 Reactivity - Reactive wastes are unstable under "normal" conditions. They can cause explosions, toxic fumes,
gases, or vapors when mixed with water.
 Toxicity - Toxic wastes are harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed (e.g., containing mercury, lead, etc.).
When toxic wastes are disposed of on land, contaminated liquid may drain (leach) from the waste and pollute
ground water. Toxicity is defined through a laboratory procedure called the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP).
Major types: Organics and Heavy Metals, Radioactive wastes
Classification of solid waste
Depending on the sources, solid wastes can be broadly classified into three types-
1. Municipal solid waste
2. Bio-medical solid waste
3. Industrial solid waste
Depending on dangerous, solid wastes can be classified into types-
1. Hazard wastes ( medical waste, Industrial waste)

2. Non-hazardous waste ( household / offices / shop wastes, agricultural wastes)
What are the majors of sources of solid wastes in the urban areas?
Major source of solid waste in the urban areas:
1. Residential source: from households and residential areas. These are the major sources of solid wastes in
urban area.
2. Commercial sources: from businesses such as food and drink establishment, shops, banks, etc.
3. Institutional sources: from public and government institutions e.g. offices, religious institutions, prisons,
schools, universities, etc.
4. Open areas: waste from street sweepings, roadside dustbins, ditches and other public places.
5. Industrial areas: from various types of industrial processes.
6. Health facilities: from hospitals and other health facilities.
7. Construction and demolition: from various types of construction and demolition activities in urban areas such
as the construction of apartments, the demolition of urban slums, etc.
8. Agricultural sources: from farming – more common in peri-urban areas.
9. Electronic and electrical waste (e-wastes): waste electric devices (computers, phones, radios, etc.) and
household appliances (cookers, washing machines, etc.).

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Municipal Solid Waste (MSW):

 Municipal solid waste (MSW) is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public
 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)—more commonly known as trash or garbage—consists of everyday items we
use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps,
newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries.
 Municipal solid waste is primarily waste produced by domestic households, although it also includes some
commercial and industrial wastes that are similar in nature.
Source of MSW:
1. Residential 4. Institutional 7. Process (Manufacturing)
2. Industrial 5. Construction/ Demolition 8. Agriculture
3. Commercial 6. Municipal Services
Types of Municipal solid waste (MSW):
There are several types of municipal solid waste are given below:
1. Industrial waste 4. Construction waste 7. Sewage treatment
2. Rubbish 5. Garbage residue
3. Demolition waste 6. Dead animals
Elements of MSW management:
 Waste generation
 Waste handling, sorting, storage, and processing at the source
 Collection
 Separation, processing and transformation of solid wastes
 Transfer and transport
 Energy Generation
 Disposals
Characteristics of MSW:
Municipal solid waste (MSW) characteristic can be classified into two category:
 Physical characteristics:
 Moisture content : increase the weight of solid waste , so the cost of collection &
transportation will increasing
 Density : used to assess volume of transportation vehicle & size of the disposal facility
 Chemical Characteristics: is essential in understanding the behavior of waste all through the waste
management system and also in selecting and determining the efficiency of any treatment process
Factor influence Generation of MSW:
 Socio-economic background:
– The buying power
– Income level
 Cultural background
 Locality:
– Urban
– Rural setting
Effects of Solid wastes:
There are potential risks to environment and health from improper handling of solid wastes. Direct health risks
concern manly the workers in this field, who need to be protected, as far as possible, from contact with wastes. There
are also specific risks in handling wastes from hospitals and clinics. For the general public, the main risks to health are
indirect and arise from the breeding of disease vectors, primarily flies and rats47.
Effects of solid waste on health:
1. Chemical poisoning through chemical inhalation.
2. Uncollected waste can obstruct the storm water runoff resulting in flood.
3. Low birth weight.
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4. Cancer
5. Congenital malformations
6. Neurological disease
7. Nausea and vomiting
8. Increase in hospitalization of diabetic resident living near hazard waste sites.
9. Mercury toxicity from eating fish with high levels of mercury.
10. Direct handling of solid waste results in chronic diseases with the waste workers.
MSW Collection activities:
 Collection activities
 The most common collection services are curb/alley, set out/set back pickup, and backyard pickup.
 The collection services provided to large apartment buildings, residential complexes, commercial and
industrial activities typically in centered around the use of large movable and stationary containers and large
stationary compactors.
 Curb or Alley Pickup:
 The quickest and most economical point of collection
 Using standard container that has been design by city council.
 Set-out, Set-back pickup:
 Collectors have to enter property.
 Set out crew carries full containers from resident storage location to curb/alley before collection vehicle
arrives.
 Set back crew return the container to storage area.
 Backyard pickup:
 Usually accomplish by the use of tote barrels.
 The collector enter the resident’s property, dumps the container into a tote barrel, carries it to the trucks
and dumps it.
 Transfer and Transport: Transfer and transport refers to the facilities used to transfer of wastes from one
location to another.
- Small collection vehicles are transferred to larger vehicles that are used to transport the waste over extended
distances to disposal sites. MSW
Disposal methods:
Sanitary Land Filling:
 The controlled disposal of solid waste
on the upper layer of the earth mantle
in a manner the environmental hazards
is minimized.
 Important technical aspects in the
implementation of sanitary landfills
include:
 Site selection.
 Land filling methods and
operation.
 Occurrence of gasses and leachate.
 Movement and control of gases and leachate.
Incineration:
 The process of burning waste in large furnaces at high temperature is know as incineration.
 It is used to dispose of solid liquid and gaseous waste .Incineration facilities generally do not require as much
area as landfills.
 At the end of the process all that is left behind is ash.
Composting:
 Compost Is the product resulting from the controlled biological decomposition of organic material.
 The starting material for composting are commonly referred to a feed stocks
Effect of incineration sanitary landfill and composting to the environment.
 Release hundreds of toxic chemicals into the atmosphere;
 Disposal of the ash (The toxic substance are more concentrated in the ash);
 Highly related to the economic condition;
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 A classic short-term solution potentially useful (recyclable or compostable) (it destroys material by turning it
into toxic ash);
Describe waste reduction, re-use, recovery and recycling concepts:
• Method of waste reduction, waste reuse, and recycling are the preferred options when managing waste.
• 4R’s stand for:
 Reduction
 Reuse
 Recovery
 Recycling
Explain on conventional and innovative waste utilization / recycling technologies:

1. Conventional
Two types of composting process:
1. Aerobic composting
2. Anaerobic composting
Factor that influence Aerobic composting process :
i. Particle size 25 to 75mm for the optimum chemical reaction to occur
ii. The ratio of C:N (Carbon to nitrogen ratio)
iii. Moisture content should be in the range 50-60%
iv. Temperature the optimum temperature for the composting process is 50 to 70˚C
v. PH control the optimum for micro activity is 6.5-7.5 to prevent loss of nitrogen as ammonia (NH₃) gas , pH
should not exceed 8.5
vi. Mixing process to prevent dehydration on the surface of the compost
vii. Air requirements
2. Innovative
i. Will improve public health and safely achieve
ii. Non-toxic gases, which are created, are stored in special containers (gas cylinders) and used as fuel and
energy creators.
iii. Method takes place in a close system, without releasing ashes, waste remnants, dusts and toxic gases into
environment.
Illustrate the effects of solid wastes with reference to Chittagong city?

Bangladesh, a developing country, having a population over 170 million produces almost 2200-2400 ton waste per
day per city. In this rapid growth in population and demand, It is becoming a challenging task to manage wastes that
are being produced daily by the authorities. The task of waste management is handled by the City Corporation and
Municipalities. The waste quality of Bangladesh has more moisture content due to the habitual behavior of the people.
This incapability is managing the excess load of waste produced is creating a threat to the overall sanitation.
Chittagong is one of the fastest growing city of Bangladesh that contributes about 15% of the total waste. Due to
having more moisture in the wastes incineration process is used to burn the wastes in furnaces. But the studies now
show that even segregation method can be applied for these waste management.
 Identification of the area.
 Location: The City Corporation consists of 11 thanas namely BaKalia,
BaijidBostami, Halishahar, Khulshi, Chittagong port, Pahartoli, Double
Mooring, Kotwali, Panchlaish, Chadgaon, and the Hathazari and 207
mahallas containing 41 wards. There are 389 educational institute, 110
clinics/hospitals, 38 playgrounds, 55 public toilet, 12 cinema halls, 76
community centers, 6 dakbunglows, and 52 post offices in this city
corporation. Figure 1shows the map of Chittagong City Corporation..
 Chronology of Population Growth in Chittagong City Corporation:
Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Chittagong,
Bangladesh metro area from 1950 to 2021. United Nations population
projections are also included through the year 2035.
 The current metro area population of Chittagong in 2021 is
5,133,000, a 2.25% increase from 2020.
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 The metro area population of Chittagong in 2020 was 5,020,000, a 2.14% increase from 2019.
 Quantity of Waste in Chittagong city:
At present total waste in Chattagram City
Corporation is about 2289 ton per day but
only negligible amount is properly
recycled and a large amount of waste is
not under recycling process.
A continuing rise in the rate of waste
production is no longer acceptable –
hazardous waste affects the health of millions
of people and poisons large areas of our
planet. In many places people live surrounded by garbage and landfills. It is essential that governments and
corporations face up to waste, using what we know about reduction, recycling and reuse, but also developing new
technologies that eliminate waste. this method is applicable for any counties all over the world specially for the
developing country like Bangladesh. This method should be applied as soon as possible and every city government
should encourage this method.
What do you mean by solid waste management?

 Solid waste management may be define as the discipline associated with the control of generation, storage,
collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of wastes in a manner that is in accord with the best
principals of public health, economics, engineering and conservation.
 Solid waste management of refers to the supervised handling of wastes material from generation at the source
through the recovery process to disposal.
Discuss the major tools and principles of solid waste management in BD with particular reference with
Chittagong City.
Principles: population and household growth in Hertfordshire put increasing pressure on waste management in the
county. Consequently, the need to actively manage waste streams in Hertfordshire has never been more significant.
Sustainable waste management can be actively addressed through the planning process in the following ways:
 Reducing the quantity of materials required for the building.
 Reducing the amount of waste generated.
 Management of construction and demolition wastes.
 Materials specifications (e.g. use of reclaimed and recycled materials).
 Provision of recycling space/facilities.
The nationally accepted framework or approach for achieving reductions in waste arisings and sustainable waste
management is the Waste Hierarchy.
Tools for Waste management: There are some wasted management tools used in solid waste management in
Chittagong city are given below:
 Refuse Compactor Vehicle (RCV)
 Portable Compactor
 Stationary Compactor
 Hook Loader
 Solid Waste transfer station
 Underground Bin Container System.
 Fixed Compactor Transfer system. (FCTS)
 Skip Loader/ Dumper Placer.
 Garbage Bins
 Ace Tipper

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Waste hierarchy or the principles of solid waste

management.
The waste hierarchy provides a framework where waste management options are
set out in priority order to enable to correct choice to be made when assessing
how to deal with waste. In the hierarchy, waste prevention is the ost
environmentally friendly and disposal the least. The hierarchy applies to all waste
streams, not only those directly influenced by this guide.
Waste reduction
By preventing waste before it occurs, money can be saved on the collection, treatment or disposals costs of waste. It
also reduced the environmental impact and costs of extracting more raw materials, production and use. This becomes
more important when the true costs of waste are considered.
The true cost of waste is not only the Disposal cost it also includes
 Cost of purchasing materials/ resources
 Handling / processing / maintenance costs
 Management time
 Lost revenue
 Any potential liabilities
A study in 2009 showed that a typical construction skip costs around £1343 when you add the cost of the skip to the
cost of labour and materials that fill it. The breakdown of this was:
 Skip hire £85 (quite low compared to current prices) – 6.4% of cost
 Labour to fill it £163 – 12.1% of cost
 Cost of materials in skip £1095 – 81.5% of cost
It was estimated that a typical 80m2 house development would produce 5 skips of waste material, therefore, the
financial cost of waste for a generic house construction was £6715, over 80% of which could be avoided through
better resource use and selection of materials
Materials reuse : Reusing products and materials for the same (or alternative) purpose is the next preference. Before a
material can be reused it should be assessed for its quality as it may be necessary to make minor repairs or additions
before the product can reach the required standard.
This may include for example, retaining unused materials for one construction project to use on the next project.
Recycling and composting : Recycling involves the collection, separation and processing of wastes to make new
products, e.g. newspapers are regularly recycled either to make new newspapers or eco-friendly home
insulation. Composting is the same process but with organic wastes, e.g. food waste composted to make new fertiliser
products.
Recycling and composting processes usually require some energy to work well; however, the energy and cost to
alternatively make new products from scratch are usually much greater. The economic viability of
recycling/composting depends on factors such as the quality of the waste stream, the transport distances involved and
the market price for the recycled materials which can fluctuate significantly. The aim should be to recycle construction
wastes as close to their source as possible as they are typically heavy and bulky to transport.
Energy recovery : Energy from waste incineration recovers a proportion of energy from the waste stream; however,
usually much less than by recycling/composting, reusing or reducing the waste generated in the first instance.
Landfill disposal : Disposal is the last option in the waste hierarchy and therefore the aim is to divert waste from this
end destination. The only landfill in Hertfordshire currently accepting waste (Westmill in Ware) only has permission
to continue recieving waste until 2017.
Proximity principle : The transportation of waste can incur significant environmental and nuisance impacts plus
unwanted additional cost. Therefore, the proximity principle encourages processing, recycling, reuse or disposal of
waste as near to the point of its production as possible.
Benefits of sustainable waste management
Sustainable waste management delivers lots of benefits:
 Reduced waste disposal costs (notably Landfill and Aggregates taxes).
 Reduced pressures on finite resources, such as virgin aggregates.
 Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from landfill and incineration.
 Reduced energy consumption from the manufacturing process.
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 Increased economic productivity.

 Reduced requirement for additional landfill capacity.
 Reduced nuisance created by odour and visual intrusion from landfill sites.
 Improved corporate reporting and green credentials for business.
Process of Solid Waste Management or Municipal solid waste (MSW)?
 Waste Generation: Those activities in which materials are
identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown away
or gathered for disposal.
 Onside handling, storage and processing: Those activides
associated with the handling storage and processing of solid
wastes at or near the point of generation.
 Collection: Elements of collection, includes not only the
gathering of solid waste and recyclable material, but also the
transport of these materials after collection, to the location where
the collection vehicle is emptied.
 Transfer & Transport: Those activates associated with the
transfer of waste from the smaller collection vehicles to the lager
transport equipment, an the subsequent transport of the wastes,
usually over long distance to the disposal site.
 Processing and recovery: This techniques, equipment and facilities used bot to improve the efficiency of the
other functional elements and to recover usable materials, conversion products or energy from solid wastes.
 Disposal: Those activities associated with ultimate disposal of solid wastes including those waste collected
and transported directly to the landfill site, semi-solid waste from waste water treatment plants, incinerator
residue, compost or other substance from various solid waste processing plants that are of no further use.
Effects of Poor solid Waste Management?

1. Litter Surroundings: Due to improper waste disposal systems, particularly by municipal waste management
teams, wastes heap up and become a menace. While people clean their homes and places of work, they litter their
surroundings, which affect the environment and the community.
2. Impact on Human Health: Improper waste disposal can affect the health of the population living nearby the
polluted area or landfills. The health of waste disposal workers and other employees involved with these landfill
facilities are also at a greater risk. Exposure to wastes that handled improperly can cause skin irritations, respiratory
problems, blood infections, growth problems, and even reproductive issues.
3. Disease-causing Pests: This type of dumping of waste materials forces biodegradable materials to rot and
decompose under improper, unhygienic and uncontrolled conditions. After a few days of decomposition, a foul smell
is produced, and it becomes a breeding ground for different types of disease-causing insects as well as infectious
organisms. On top of that, it also spoils the aesthetic value of the area
4. Environmental Problems: Solid wastes from industries are a source of toxic metals, hazardous wastes, and
chemicals. When released to the environment, the solid wastes can cause biological and physicochemical problems to
the environment that may affect or alter the productivity of the soils in that particular area.
5. Soil and Groundwater Pollution: Toxic materials and chemicals may seep into the soil and pollute the
groundwater. During the process of collecting solid waste, hazardous wastes usually mix with ordinary garbage and
other flammable wastes making the disposal process even harder and risky.
6. Emission of Toxic Gases: When hazardous wastes like pesticides, batteries containing lead, mercury or zinc,
cleaning solvents, radioactive materials, e-waste and plastics mixed up with paper and other non-toxic scraps are
burned they produce dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other gases. These toxic gases have the potential
of causing various diseases, including cancer.
7. Impact on Land and Aquatic Animals : Our carelessness with our waste and garbage also affects animals, and
they suffer the effects of pollution caused by improperly disposed of wastes and rubbish.
Consuming Styrofoam and cigarette butts have been known to cause deaths in marine animals. Animals are also at risk
of poisoning while consuming grasses near contaminated areas or landfills as the toxins seep into the soil.

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What is recycling?
Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and
turning them into new products. Recycling can benefit your community and the environment.
Recycling in USA:
Auto batteries: 99.2%
Office Type Papers: 70.9%
Yard Trimmings: 64.7%
Steel Cans: 62.8%
Aluminum Beer and Soft Drink Cans: 48.2%
Tires: 35.4%
HDPE Natural (White Translucent) Bottles: 29.3%
Glass Containers: 28.0%
PET Bottles and Jars: 27.2%
Benefits of Recycling
 Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators
 USA recycled 83 million tons of MSW.
 This provides an annual benefit of 182 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions reduced,
 comparable to removing the emissions from 33 million passenger cars.
 But the ultimate benefits from recycling are cleaner land, air, and water, overall better health, and a more
sustainable economy.
 Conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals
 Increases economic security by tapping a domestic source of materials
 Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials
 Saves energy
 Supports American manufacturing and conserves valuable resources
 Helps create jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries in the United States
Identify some hazardous wastes those are around your municipalities and Mention their sources.
A hazardous waste is a solid waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. Som
Hazardous wastes are:
 Acid descales  Gas cylinders
 Adhesives  Inks
 Aerosols  Oil filters
 Batteries  Paints Photo Chemicals
 Caustic soda  Resins
 Cleaning chemicals  Solvents
 Drummed and tinned oils  Thinners
 Sodium bulbs  Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
 Fridges and freezers
Sources of Hazardous Waste:

 By Products of industrial activities
 By Products of domestics activities
 Mining sites and minerals processing sites.
 Solid waste disposal sites
 Agricultural facilities and research laboratories.
 Agricultural land and agroindustry
 Contaminated sites and building materials.
 Medical waste sides such as chemicals, infectious agents and radioactive materials.

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Q-08: Difference Between hazardous and non-hazardous wastes:

The difference between hazardous and non-hazardous waste is given below:
Hazardous waste Non-hazardous waste
1. A hazardous waste is a solid waste that poses 1. A non-hazardous waste is a solid waste which is
substantial or potential threats to public health or neither solid nor classed to as special and it does not
environment fall within the hazardous waste classification.
2. Hazardous wastes such type of waste which highly 2. Non-hazardous waste are that types of waste which
toxic, carcinogenic. comparatively non-toxic and plants.
3. It is not possible treatment & re-use 3. It is possible re-use by the treatment.
4. It is origin various types chemical things. 4. It origin agriculture weds & pests of plants.
5. It is most responsible to create and spread diseases 5. It is less responsible to create and spread diseases
6. It is the major agent of polluted our environment 6. It is not responsible to polluted environment.
7. There are two types of hazardous waste E.g. 7. There are two categories of non-hazardous waste
I. Industries waste E.g.
II. Medical wates I. Domestic waste
II. Municipal and agricultural solid waste.
8. Some hazardous waste are aerosols, batteries, gas 8. Some non-hazardous waste are gunny bags, plastic,
cylinders, inks, paints, thinners. etc. wooden scrap, metal scrap, biological sludge etc.
Methods of Solid Waste Disposal and

Management
Methods of solid waste disposal and management are as
below:
 Open burning
 Dumping into the sea
 Sanitary Landfills
 Incineration
 Composting
 Ploughing in fields
 Hog feeding
 Grinding and discharging into sewers
 Salvaging
 Fermentation and biological digestion
Sanitary Landfilling of Solid Wastes
 Simple, cheap, and effective
 A deep trench (3 to 5 m) is excavated
 Refuse is laid in layers
 Layers are compacted with some mechanical equipment and covered with earth, leveled, and compacted
 With time, the fill would settle
 Microorganisms act on the organic matter and degrade them
 Decomposition is similar to that in composting
 Facultative bacteria hydrolyze complex organic matter into simpler water soluble organics
 These diffuse through the soil where fungi and other bacteria convert them to carbon dioxide and water under
aerobic conditions
 Aerobic methanogenic bacteria utilize the methane generated and the rest diffuses into the atmosphere
 Too much refuse shall not be buried – fire hazard
 Moisture content – not less than 60% for good biodegradation
 Refuse depth more than 3m – danger of combustion due to compression of bottom layers – hence should be
avoided
 Refuse depth is generally limited to 2m
 Temperature in the initial stages of decomposition – as high as 70 degree C – then drops
 Reclaimed areas may be used for other uses

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Engineered Landfills of Solid Wastes

 Bottom of the trench is lined with impervious material to prevent the leachate from contaminating
groundwater
 A well designed and laid out leachate collection mechanism is to be provided
 Leachate so collected is treated and then disposed off
Radioactive Waste Disposal
 Isotopes with short half-lives are gone quickly, those with long half-lives will decay too little
 Low level wastes: 90% of all radioactive wastes
 20 temporary and 6 commercial disposal sites
 States to take care of their low level waste
 High level wastes e.g., spent nuclear fuel rods
 Should be so disposed as to cause less than 1000 death in 10,000 years
High Level Waste Depository
• Rocketing to sun
• Under Antarctica Ice sheet
• Subduction Zone
• Sea bed disposal
• Bedrock caverns
– Granites, basalt, tuff, shale, salt caverns
– Salt: High melting point, impermeable in dry condition, self-sealing, cheap resource
• No permanent high level waste repository yet
What is Ocean Dumping?
Ocean dumping is the deliberate disposal of hazardous wastes at sea from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other
human—made structures. It includes ocean incineration and disposal into the seabed and sub-seabed.
Causes of Ocean Dumping
1. Cargo Activity at the Ports: The various cargo activities at the port persistently contribute to the problem of ocean
dumping. Dumping often takes place from the cargo that sweeps from the ships as they leave the port. In most cases, it
occurs during the removal of wastes such as slag, coal and limestone from the deck. This is one of the unstoppable
activities at the port that incessantly contributes to ocean dumping.
2. Carelessness in Terms of Sewer and Industrial Waste Dumping: The intensity of careless dumping of sewer and
industrial wastes into the ocean has increased the magnitude and scale of ocean dumping, especially considering the
volume of sewage coming from ships, homes, industries, and factories. Due to carelessness, the wastes from sewers
and industries are not treated before they are discharged into the ocean. In some cases, the sewer drainage systems run
directly into the ocean with all the dangerous materials such as viruses, bacteria, cryolite, mercury, lead and DDT.
What’s more, some of the industrial wastes even contain radioactive materials.
3. Ignorance and Lack of Adequate Knowledge: For a long time, human populations have considered ocean
dumping as a necessity or a rather safe method of disposing of waste. People have, for a long time, held on the belief
that dumping trash in the ocean dilutes and reduces the toxicity of the materials.
The point is, ocean dumping is partly caused by ignorance and lack of adequate knowledge on the impacts of releasing
trash and other toxic substances into the ocean. As long as people hold on the belief that it’s safe to dispose of trash in
the ocean, ocean dumping will not cease.
4. Spillage From Offshore Rigs and Oil Tankers: Spillages from offshore rigs and oil tankers are prime examples of
the contributors to ocean dumping. It usually occurs either on a large scale due to accidents that spill massive volumes
of oil on the ocean surface or without knowledge, where small amounts of oil are leaked into the ocean from oil
tankers or by tanker ships.
Large scale oil spills are among the worst recorded cases of ocean dumping in history. One such notable scenario is
the Gulf of Mexico oil spill that resulted in the death of thousands of ocean creatures.
5. Direct Dumping of Waste Materials
Non-degradable and one-time-use materials such as plastics often find a way into the oceans because of direct
dumping. It qualifies as one of the major contributing factors to ocean dumping on the account that once the materials
are introduced in the oceans, they last there for hundreds to thousands of years. A very good example of the
destructive impacts of direct dumping of plastic into the ocean is the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
6. Mining of Metal Ores: Metal ores released from regions where drill mining is done, especially near water systems
such as streams and rivers, eventually result in ocean dumping. The reason for this is that the metal ores are

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continuously deposited in the streams and rivers to high toxic levels, after which they are carried by the water systems
and discharged into the ocean.
Alternatively, deep-sea mining and the activity of mining metal ores adjacent to oceans also has a direct impact on
ocean dumping. For instance, deposits of iron, arsenic, mercury and sulfur are associated with deep-sea gold mining.
7. Lack of Strict Regulations and Observation Acts: The absence of strict regulatory and observation acts to control
the problem of ocean dumping is another huge contributor to the menace. The regulatory authorities and individuals
assigned the task of monitoring and observing the regions that are highly likely to be affected habitually take a back
seat instead of being at the forefront at executing the laws put in place to guard against ocean dumping.
This is the reason some people and factories or industries take advantage, thereby engaging in direct dumping and the
discharge of industrial waste into the ocean.
8. Runoffs From the Land: One of the major causes of ocean dumping is the runoff from the land—runoffs,
especially from the agricultural fields. Many farmers use chemical fertilizers in their fields. The excess of the same,
mix with the irrigation water and flow to the nearest water body which then, finally empties into the ocean and
pollutes it.
9. Cargo Related Accidents: Sometimes it so happens that the cargo carrying toxic materials meets an accident. It
might result in some accidental oil spillage, or some other toxic material could get released in the ocean. These
materials could be detrimental to the health of marine life.
Effect of Ocean Dumping:
1. Marine Life Extinction
The highly registered direct impact of ocean dumping is the death and extinction of marine life. All manners of ocean
dumping threaten the existence and survival of marine creatures. Oil spills, for instance, are life-threatening for marine
life and can destroy coral reefs, which provide suitable breeding grounds and shelter for numerous marine species.
Oil is particularly known to clog the gills of fish, which is used for respiration. Oil can also trap marine creatures like
the sea birds, mammals and turtles, thereby making them vulnerable to attack or suffocation.
When oil floats on the surface of the ocean, it blocks sunlight from penetration, which is vital for photosynthesis. The
presence of viruses, bacteria and toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic in the dumped materials, on the other hand,
can spread serious diseases or destroy some of the marine creature’s vital organs, causing them to die.
Plastics are also usually confused for food by the sea creatures that, at times, result in death if swallowed. In fact,
several sea birds and turtles have been found dead with plastics in their stomachs.
2. Adverse Effects on Human Health
According to environmentalists, the oceans are living and interconnected. What they mean can otherwise be defined as
– whatever is fed into the ocean is what is got out of the ocean. This thus means that if dumping is done in areas close
to where fishing is done, the toxic substances will be consumed by fish and gradually accumulates in their bodies.
Upon consumption of the fish by humans, the toxic substances are introduced in the body, thereby making the victims
experience undesired health complications.
Cases of food poisoning due to the consumption of fish affected with toxic waste substances have been reported. For
instance, the WHO reported more than 50, 0000 people have been affected by seafood poisoning.
Besides, consumption of poisoned seafood such as crabs, shrimp and cuttlefish has widely been associated with
paralysis, delirium, brain damage, birth defects and cancer.
3. Poor Oceanic Scenery
The problem with contaminated oceans and the ones experiencing high rates of dumping is that they look disgusting
and dirty. As a result, they affect the scenery as the color of the water might turn to black or green. This kills tourism
and recreational activities such as boating, surfing, fishing and swimming. In the long-run, it impacts the country’s
image and economy.
4. Other Adverse Effects of Ocean Dumping Include:
Destruction of the coral reefs
Marine ecological imbalance
Loss of livelihood of the small fisheries and fishermen
Destruction of natural habitats of marine life
Loss of the marine biodiversity
Solutions to Ocean Dumping:
1. Management and Minimization of Waste Dumping at the Port: Ocean dumping challenges compound day after
day. Regardless, the waste substances that are disposed of in the oceans can be controlled through effective
management and minimization efforts. Primarily, efforts should focus on controlling and monitoring cargo activity at
the port while limiting the amount of waste substances dumped into the ocean from the ships.

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2. Education and Awareness Creation: The initiation of campaigns aimed at stopping ocean dumping can go a long
way in educating people and creating awareness on the hard facts regarding the problem. Most people are unaware of
the dangers of ocean dumping simply because they are not enlightened about its repercussions.
3. Regulations and Laws: Regulations and laws account for the most effective tool for addressing the issues
surrounding ocean dumping. As much as laws are put in place, further implementation of the laws is important. It’s
not just enough to enact laws and regulations to mitigate the ocean dumping problems.
4. Organizing a Cleanup: In order to prevent or reduce ocean dumping, it is essential that we all do our part in
cleaning up the mess. And, in order to make that happen, a cleanup drive could be organized to clear the shoreline.
5. Securing Items on the Boats: Often, it has been seen that the small boats on which the fishermen sail in the oceans
can be a cause of the ocean dumping problem. It happens because the materials that they carry on the boat are often
not properly secured.
6. Raise Your Voice Against the Wrong: Everyone needs to do their bit in saving the ocean. So if anyone is seen
throwing things into the ocean or even if they are seen littering the shoreline, it is essential that they are stopped from
doing the same. It is important to openly raise our voices against such an act. This could help in reducing ocean
dumping.
Topic – 06
Pesticides and Allied Chemicals: Use of synthetic pesticide, Persistence of
pesticides in the environment, Ecological effect of pesticide pollution,
Detoxification of pesticides and allied chemicals, towards safer pesticides.
What is pest?
 A pest is any unwanted animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or living conditions.
 Pest include insects, mites, plant pathogens, weeds, fish, birds, and mammals
What is pesticide?
 A pesticide is any material ( natural, organic or synthetic) used to control, prevent, kill, suppress, or repel
pests.
 A pesticides is any chemical substance or mixture produced with the intent of eliminating, preventing or
decreasing the population of one or more pests.
 Pesticides are chemical substances that are meant to kill pests. In general, a pesticide is a chemical or a
biological agent such as a virus, bacterium, antimicrobial, or disinfectant that deters, incapacitates, kills, pests.
 any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying or controlling any pest, including
vectors of human or animal disease, unwanted species of plants or animals, causing harm during or otherwise
interfering with the production, processing, storage, transport, or marketing of food, agricultural commodities,
wood and wood products or animal feedstuffs, or substances that may be administered to animals for the
control of insects, arachnids, or other pests in or on their bodies. --- WHO
Types of pesticides:
 Ideal pesticides:
 Narrow-Spectrum = kill only target organism.
 Breaks down easily into safe materials
 Does not move around in the environment.
 Non-Ideal Pesticides:
 Broad-Spectrum = kill more than just the target.
 Persistent or Can degrade into other cmpds that can be more dangerous
 Move around in the environment.
Based on their origin, Pesticides are two types:
1. Chemical Pesticides
 Organophosphate: Most organophosphates are insecticides, they affect the nervous system by disrupting
the enzyme that regulates a neurotransmitter.
 Carbamate: Similar to the organophosphorus pesticides, the carbamate pesticides also affect the nervous
system by disrupting an enzyme that regulates the neurotransmitter. However, the enzyme effects are
usually reversible.
 Organochlorine insecticides: They were commonly used earlier, but now many countries have been
removed Organochlorine insecticides from their market due to their health and environmental effects and
their persistence (e.g., DDT, chlordane, and toxaphene).

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 Pyrethroid: These are a synthetic version of pyrethrin, a naturally occurring pesticide, found in
chrysanthemums(Flower). They were developed in such a way as to maximise their stability in the
environment.
 Sulfonylurea herbicides: The sulfonylureas herbicides have been commercialized for weed control such
as pyrithiobac-sodium, cyclosulfamuron, bispyribac-sodium, terbacil, sulfometuron-methyl Sulfosulfuron,
rimsulfuron, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl, imazosulfuron, nicosulfuron, oxasulfuron, nicosulfuron, flazasulfuron,
primisulfuron-methyl, halosulfuron-methyl, flupyrsulfuron-methyl-sodium, ethoxysulfuron, chlorimuron-
ethyl, bensulfuron-methyl, azimsulfuron, and amidosulfuron.
 Biopesticides:
 The biopesticides are certain types of pesticides derived from such natural materials as animals, plants,
bacteria, and certain minerals.
2. Bio Pesticides:
 Microbial pesticides
 Biochemical pesticides
 Plant incorporated protectants (PIPs)
These are grouped according to the types of pests which they kill:Insecticides – insects
1. Insecticides – Insects
2. Herbicides – plants
3. Rodenticides – rodents (rats & mice)
4. Bactericides – bacteria
5. Fungicides – fungi
6. Larvicides – larvae
Examples of pesticides
Examples of pesticides are fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. Examples of specific synthetic chemical pesticides
are glyphosate, Acephate, Deet, Propoxur, Metaldehyde, Boric Acid, Diazinon, Dursban, DDT, Malathion, etc.
How pests effects on agricultural sector?
 1/3 of world’s crops are eaten/destroyed by pests
 Pesticides decrease crop loss due to weed competition, insect consumption, and plant diseases caused by
pathogens = microorganisms that cause disease.
 Many insects are considered pests, and ~200 species have the potential to cause large economic losses in
agriculture.
 Pesticide use is justified economically:
 For every $1 spent by farmers on pesticides, $3-5 is saved from crop loss.
 Monoculture = one variety of crop species is grown on large tracts of land.
 Causes more pest destruction because it reduces the dangers and accidents that might befall a
pest as it searches for food.
Effects of Pesticides:
Short term Effects:
 Eye pain, may lead to blindness or cataracts
 Abdominal pain leading to shock collapse
 Chemical burns on skin
 Vomiting and breathing problems
 Decrease lung function
 Reproductive problems such as pelvic inflammatory diseases.
 Bhopal (India) Disaster – methyl isocyanate gas explosion. Converted to hydrogen cyanide (deadly) in the
air.
 2500 died, survivors had serious respiratory, ophthalmic, intestinal, reproductive, and neurological problems.
Survivors were paid $500 each. Cleanup still needs to be addressed.
Long term effects:
 Can cause cancer (lymphoma, leukemia, brain/lung/testicle/breast)
 Sterility possible.
 Higher rates of miscarriage
 Greater risk: children of ag.workers (birth defects/stunted limbs)
 Immune system suppression

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 Potential link to Parkinson’s.

Discuss the ecological effect of pesticide. Give your suggestion about safer
pesticides.
Pesticide released into the environment into the environment may have several adverse ecological effect ranging from
long-term effects to short-lived changes in the normal functioning to an ecosystem. The ecological effects of
pesticides is describe below:
 Loss of species diversity among the food chains and food webs: The effects of pesticides on the
biodiversity of plants and animals in agricultural landscapes, whether caused directly or indirectly by
pesticides, constitute a major adverse environmental impact of pesticides.
 Effect on nutrient cycling in ecosystem: Pesticides can affect the solid organism directly or indirectly hence
interfering with the natural nutrient cycling in the ecosystem.
 Effects on soil erosion, structure and fertility: Many of the chemical used in pesticides are persistent soil
contaminants whose impact soil conservation. Soil erosion deforms the soil structure and therefore creates an
imbalance in soil fertility.

 Effect on water quality: Pesticides applied in the environment can find their way into water bodies etiher
form the air or by runoff or by percolation to groundwater.
 Effect on birds: Pesticides have had some of their most striking effect on birds, particularly those in the
higher trophic levels of food chains, such as bald eagles, hawks, and owls.
 Effects on fish and other aquatic organisms: A major environment impact has been the widespread morality
of fish and marine invertebrates due to the contamination of aquatic systems by pesticides.
 Effects on frogs and other aquatic amphibians : Atrazine being one of the world’s most used pesticides has
recently reported by laboratory studies to have a effect on changing male frogs.
 Pesticides disrupt the natural balance between pest and predator insects: Board spectrum pesticides such
as organ chorine , organ phosphorus destroy both pest and beneficial organisms indiscriminately, thus
upsetting the natural balance between pests and predator insects.
 Effects on human beings: Pesticides can enter the human body through inhalation or aerosols, dust and vapor
that contain pesticides. The effects of pesticides on human health and more harmful based on the toxicity of
the chemical and the length and magnitude of exposure.
Toward Safer Pesticides:

Using pesticides safely depends on many thins. Some of the most important factors include.
Selecting the appropriate product, and using that product according to the label directions. The label directions are
written to minimize the risk of problems and to define the legal user for the product.
 In addition to following the label directions, consider these tips when using pesticides.
 Make sure kids, pets, and anymore non-essential to the application is out of the area before mixing and
applying pesticides.
 Be sure to wear clothing that will protect you when using pesticides. Consider wearing a long sleeve shirt,
long pants, and close-toe shoes in addition to any other protective clothing or equipment required by the label.
 Mix pesticides outdoor or in well-ventilated areas.
 Mix only what you need to use in the short term to avoid storing or disposing of excess pesticide.
 Be prepare for a pesticide spill. Have paper towels, sawdust or kitty litter, garbage bags, and non-absorbent
gloves on hand to contain the spill. Void using excessive amount of water, as this may only spread the
pesticide and could be harmful to the environment.
 Read the first aid instructions on the label before using the product.
 Remove personal items, such as toys, clothing or tools from the spray area to avoid contamination.
 When spraying pesticides indoor, make sure the area is well ventilated.
 When applying pesticides as a spray or dust outside, avoid windy condition and close the doors and windows
to to your home.
 After using pesticides, wash your hands before smoking or eating

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Difference between pesticides and insecticide is given below:

Difference between pesticides and insecticide is given below:
Pesticides Insecticides
1. A pesticides is any chemical substance or mixture produced with the 1. A insecticide is a chemical substance
intent of eliminating, preventing, repelling or decreasing the pollution of used to kill insects and other
one or more pests. arthropods.
2. Pesticides used to kill fungus, bacteria, insects, plants disease etc. 2. Insecticides is used to specifically
target and kill insects.
3. Pesticides are classified based on three different methods, 3. Insecticides are classified under
several categories.
4. Pesticides over wide area in meaning. 4. Insecticides cover lesser area in
meaning.
5. Pesticides are more powerful. 5. Insecticide are lesser powerful.
6. Example of pesticides are Glyphosate, Deet, Meth aldehyde, Boric 6. Example of insecticides are DDT,
acid, pyre thin etc. BHC, XMC, Malathion, Pyrethrum etc.
Discuss the importance of integrated Pest management

The heavy use of pesticides as a means of dealing with weed or insect pests
began to be questioned soon after the 1977 Clean Water Act when agricultural
sciences began to investigate the environmental fate of the substances that were
being used in agriculture. As soon as people began to understand where these
chemicals were ending up (that is, in the world’s water supply) they began to
implement changes that would fundamentally alter the way that agriculture was
managed. Thus, the concept of IPM was born and has been developing ever
since.
IPM, in short, is defined as using every form of pest control that is available
rather than relying on just one form of pest control. Generally, there are four
components of pest control that make up IPM, and they are as follows.
 Biological pest management: the use of biological organisms to manage pests, whether that is an owl to keep
rodents out of a field or a lady bug to eat herbivorous insects.
 Cultural pest management: the use of cultural practices to help decrease pest and disease pressure of a crop; this
includes crop rotations, pruning/training, field sanitation, or genetic resistance.
 Physical pest management: the use of trap crops or bug traps to exclude pests (and in some cases disease) from
accessing your crop.
 Chemical pest management: the use of pesticide sprays to disrupt the pest or disease cycle.
Pests and diseases are capable of forming resistances to chemical applications which is why it is important to not rely
solely on chemical methods of control. The concept of IPM is to familiarize yourself with each form of pest
management and to use all four of them equally in order to create a comprehensive plan that can effectively manage
your pest or disease problems.
Garrett Ford is an agriculture educator for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service in Cherokee County.
TOPIC – 07
Plastic and polymer pollution: Problems associated with the plastic and polymer,
Management of plastic wastes, recycling.
What is plasticity?
The word plastic is derived from the Greek (plastikos) meaning capable of being shaped or molded.
 Plastics are a range of synthetic or semi-synthetic polymerization products that can be molded into a
permanent object having the property of plasticity.
Properties of Plastics:
Following are the general properties of plastics.
 Strength  Fire Resistance
 Weather Resistance  Durability
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 Dimensional Stability  Moisture Resistance

 Chemical Resistance.  Ductility
 Thermal Resistance.  Miscellaneous properties
 Working condition.
Composition of Plastic:
Synthesis reaction:
Oxygen,200 °C
Ethane Polythene (LDPE)
(CH2=CH2) 2000 atm ([-CH2-CH2-]n)
Most plastics contain organic polymers. The vast majority of these polymers are based on chains of carbon atoms
alone or with oxygen, sulfur, or nitrogen as well.
 Most plastics contain Additives (0 to 50%). The average content of
additives is 20% by weight of the polymer.
 Fillers are used to improve performance and to reduce costs.
 Stabilizers like fire retardants are used to lower the flammability of
the material. Polypropylene
 Plastics that are made up of polymers having only aliphatic
(linear) C atoms in
their backbone chains. Ex -polypropylene
 Plastics that are made up of heterochain polymers contain O, N, S in their
backbone chains, in addition to C. Ex – polycarbonate. Polycarbonate
Classification of Plastics:
Plastics are of Two Types:
1. Thermoplastics
2. Thermosetting Plastic
Thermoplastics: The term ‘thermoplastic’ refers to plastics that do not undergo any chemical changes when subjected
to high temperatures. These plastics do not undergo any changes in their chemical structures and chemical
compositions when subjected to heat and can be changed into a soft state and remolded multiple times. Examples:
Polystyrene, Teflon, Acrylic, Nylon, etc.
Thermosetting Plastics: They are also known as thermosets, and are plastics that can be molded only once and do not
change shape on applying heat. These plastics can only be molded once and they cannot be softened on further
heating. These plastics undergo degradation and become damaged when exposed to a large amount of heat. Examples:
Vulcanized rubber, Bakelite, Polyurethane, Epoxy resin, Vinyl ester resin, etc.
Polyethylene
It is one of the most commonly used thermoplastics in the world. The primary application of polyethylene (polythene)
is in packaging. It is often used to make plastic bags, bottles, plastic films, containers, etc.
Polyethylene Properties
 They exhibit strong creep when placed under a persistent force.
 The mechanical strength of polyethylene is comparatively lower than other plastics.
 They are very good insulators of electric current.
 The rigidity and the hardness of the polymer are relatively low.
 They exhibit strong creep when placed under continuous force.
Structure of Polyethylene
Polyethylene is made by the reaction of multiple ethylene molecules in the presence of a catalyst to break the double
bond and connect the carbon atoms into a chain.
Types of Polyethylene
Polyethylene can be classified into different types based on the plastic density and the degree of branching in its
structure. Different types of polyethylene exhibit different mechanical properties and melting point of plastic.
 High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
 High-density cross-linked polyethylene (HDXLPE)
 Medium-density polyethylene (MDPE)
 Cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE)

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 Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

Categories of Plastics
Type Uses
Poly Ethylene Pterephthalat (PEPT) Fizzy Drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays.
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) Bottle for milk and washing-up liquids.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Food trays, bottles for squash, mineral water and
shampoo.
Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) Carrier bags and bin liners.
Polypropylene-P (PP) Microwaveable meal trays, margarine tubs.
Polystyrene Pots, trays, boxes, cartons, cups, plastic cutlery,
packaging, toys.
Types of plastic products:
 Plastic Bags  Fittings  Sanitary ware
 Coatings  Tanks  Stationery
 Furniture  Toys
 Sheets  Buckets
Pollutants from plastics:
 Plastics Release Pollutants:

• Poly brominated di-phenyl ethers (PBDE)
• Nonylphenolls
• Bisphenol A
• Phthalates
 Plastics Absorb Hydrophobic Pollutants:
• Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
• Dichloro Diphenyl Trichloro ethane (DDT)
• Dichloro Diphenyl Dichloro ethylene (DDE)
Effect of plastic Pollution:

Plastic pollution is everywhere. The species that is most affected is the marine, aquatic population.
 To a sea turtle, a floating plastic bag looks like a jellyfish.
 When they eat these plastics, it clogs their intestines, and they miss out on vital nutrients, and ultimately
starve to death.
 Other types of loose plastics entangle birds, fish and mammals, making it difficult, if not impossible to move
or eat, which too leads to their ultimate demise.
 0.05% of plastic pieces from surface waters are pellets
 They comprise about 70% of the plastic eaten by seabirds.
 These plastic particles have been found in the stomachs of 63 of the world's approximately 250 species of
seabirds.
 Birds and other marine animals gets trapped in plastic shopping bags, which suffocate them to death.
Some important statistics of Plastics:

 Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That's over 1 million
plastic bags used per minute.
 Scientists estimate that every square mile of ocean contains about 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.
 Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down.
 At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of plastic marine
debris.
 Only 14% of plastic water bottles are recycled
 Packaging now accounts for 1/3 of all household waste.

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 By 2012, India is also projected to be the third largest consumer market for plastic goods with a consumption
of 12.5 million tonnes per annum, behind US and China.
 The per capita consumption of plastic in the country is 10.2 kg in 2012.
 It is expected to go up to 12 kg by 2014.
Percentage of Plastic used in different fields.
Plastic Bag Statistics:

Total number of plastic bags used worldwide annually 1 trillion
Total number of plastic bags China consumes everyday 3 billion
Total number of plastic bags used every minute 1 million
Total number of years it takes for a plastic bag to degrade 1,000 years
Total amount of plastic bags that were discarded in 2008 3.5 million tons
Total amount of plastic floating in every square mile of ocean 46,000 pieces
Average plastic bags consumed per family in 4 trips to the grocery store 60
Percent of plastic made every year that will end up in the ocean 10%
Percent of household waste that is plastic 11%
Is Plastic Really harmful?

Yes, it is…
 When we eat or drink things stored in plastic, plastic is incorporated into us.
 Plastic is one of the few chemical materials which pose environmental problem.
 Plastic is biologically quite inert, hence regarded to be more an aesthetic nuisance than a hazard.
 Plastic is cheap, it gets discarded easily, and, its persistence in the environment can do great harm.
 It causes immune and enzyme disorders, hormonal disruption leading to endocrinal disorders and even
infertility and is also considered as carcinogenic (cancer).
 Not only human health, it dangerously effects other animal life and alters the environmental (air, water and
soil) sustainability causing hazardous pollution.
How Does plastic Waste impact Ocean?
Plastic is accumulating at an alarming rate in our oceans - wreaking havoc on wildlife, polluting our beaches and
entering our food chain. Our addiction to use-and-toss items is causing this growing problem.
Plastic bags pose a serious danger to birds and marine animals that often mistake them for food. Thousands of
marine animals and more than 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution.
What plastic contribute to waste?
 Bottles  Microbeads
 Synthetic Fabrics  Straws
 Plastic Bags.  Fishing Gear
 Cigarette butts  Plastic Packaging
Solution to Ocean Plastic Pollution?

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Now that you're familiar with which plastics contribute to ocean waste, you can explore options for shrinking your
consumption and protecting the planet. Take notes from what other people are doing to remove sources of plastic in
their everyday routines, and see how you can implement those changes.
 Reusable bottles: Reusable bottles are a popular alternative to plastic containers and offer much greater variety
than plastic bottles. Many of them feature sleek designs and come in durable materials that stand the test of daily
use.
 Organic fabrics: Opt for naturally occurring materials instead of the usual nylon or polyester garments. Organic
cotton is a great place to start, as it's a material most people already know and like. It's also grown without
pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or other harmful chemicals that affect waterways.
 Reusable bags: Grocery stores often encourage customers to buy reusable bags by selling them at low prices.
Take advantage of the opportunity, and grab a few to bring on your next shopping trip. Alternatively, you can
bring totes and containers from home.
 Redesigned cigarettes: Cigarette bans can be hard for governments to enact and enforce, which is why many
legislators are taking different measures to combat cigarette butt pollution. Some cities are installing cigarette
waste receptacles near high-traffic beach areas,
 Bead-free cosmetics: Many cosmetics and skincare businesses are removing microbeads from their formulas and
using other materials to get the same exfoliating effects. Standard substitutions include salt, sugar, and oats.
 Non-plastic straws: Metal, bamboo, and paper straws have cropped up as solutions to the ever-recognizable
plastic straw. Some companies have begun offering other options alongside plastic, while others have eliminated
the material and use non-plastics only. More
 Sustainable fishing practices: Fishers can decrease the prevalence of ghost gear by experimenting with more
sustainable fishing practices. Banning or redesigning specific types of equipment, as well as restricting fishing
near vulnerable marine ecosystems, are a few ways for individuals and government officials to help.
 Alternative packaging: You've heard of cardboard, paper, and plastic packaging — now what about mycelium
foam, bagasse, and seaweed? Although many alternative packaging options aren't yet mainstream, they're
promising solutions to the plastic waste issue. Mycelium foam, which consists of mushrooms and agricultural
waste, could be a suitable alternative to polystyrene Styrofoam.
Plastic Impact on Environment:

 Plastic is ubiquitous in our lives because it is convenient and relatively inexpensive.
 Its convenience comes from being lightweight and its ability to absorb impact shock without breaking.
 Plastics are so versatile in use that their impacts on environment are extremely wide ranging, posing serious
challenge for disposal.
 Soil fertility is also affected due to plastic material as it forms part of manure remaining in the soil for years
without natural degradation.
 Death of animals due to suffocation stomach and intestine related diseases sue to improper disposal of plastic.
 Pollution is environment by disposing of the plastic waste and chemical used in the process of manufacturing
plastic material into nearby water channels and open spaces.
 Plastic bags look like jellyfish and kill turtles and other marine life that eat it, mistake them for jellyfish.
Disadvantage of plastic bottles.
Plastic bags, once ingested, cannot be digested or passed by an animal so it stays in the gut. Plastic in an animal’s gut
can prevent food digestion and can lead to a very slow and painful death.
 Threat to animals
 Glass bottles can be melted and easily reused, as can tin cans. Recycling plastic is not so simple
 Hard to decompose
 Non-renewable
 Plastic is manufactured using oil by-products and natural gas, materials that could be used in numerous other
applications.
 Hard to Reuse
 Difficult to recycle.
 Toxic

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Alternative of Plastics:
Designing eco-friendly, biodegradable plastics is the need of the hour. Though partially biodegradable plastics have
been developed and used, completely biodegradable plastics based on renewable starch rather than petrochemicals
have only recently been developed and are in the early stages of commercialization.
 Plastic bags take between 15 to 1000 years to degrade.
 The detoxins and other chemical pollutants released from them are a Serious threat to be tackled.
 Paper , Cloth, Jute, Cane, etc., are the most preferable but still controversial.
 Recently Bangladesh scientist Mubarak Ahmad Khan create the best alternative for polythene called “Sonali
Bag” consist of jute. It is completely environment friendly and can be alternate with food grade plastic.
The 5R Concept of waste management system.
Step 01: Refuse: the first element of the 5 R's hierarchy. Learning to refuse
waste can take some practice, but incorporating this step into your business'
strategy is the most effective way to minimize waste. Talk to your procurement
team about refusing to buy wasteful or non-recyclable products. When working
with vendors, refuse unnecessary product packaging and request reusable or
returnable containers. Making smarter purchasing decisions and setting standards
and expectations early in the process makes it easier for organizations to “refuse”
waste in the first place.
Example- We should say no to single use plastic bags
Step two: Reduce: Reduce the use of harmful, wasteful, and non-recyclable
products. Reducing dependency on these kinds of products results in less waste
materials ending up in landfill and the associated negative environmental
impacts. We recommend always using the minimum amount required to avoid
unnecessary waste. For example, when printing a document, print double-sided to cut your waste output in half. Other
commonly used items businesses can focus on reducing include single-use plastics, plastic packaging, organic waste
For Example:
 Save Electricity by switching off un-necessary lights and fans, Save water by repairing leaky taps, Do not
waste food
Step three: Reuse: Single-use plastics have created a "throw-away" culture by normalizing consumer behavior of
using materials once and then throwing them away. The rate at which we consume plastics has become unimaginable,
and the plastic crisis has become one of the world's greatest environmental challenges. In an effort to reduce waste,
reuse items throughout the workplace instead of buying new ones. Begin by focusing on one area of your business at a
time, like the break room. Replace all of the single-use eating utensils, Styrofoam cups, water bottles, and paper plates
with compostable or reusable alternatives. Once you master one area, prioritize reuse for other products in your
facility like packaging peanuts, printer cartridges, cardboard boxes, food containers, and rechargeable batteries.
Example:
 Instead of throwing papers, we can reverse it and use it again
 Plastic bottles can be used again to store items
 We can take polythene bags with us while going to market and ask shopkeeper to put goods in that polythene
bag instead of using new one.
Step four: Repurpose/Recover: For every item that can't be refused, reduced, or reused, try repurposing it. Many
people in the green community refer to this method as up cycling. You may be surprised to learn how many common
office products serve more than one purpose. Sometimes it requires using some creativity, but the possibilities are
endless. Try using wasted printer paper for scrap paper, cardboard boxes for storing supplies, binder clips to hold
power cords and chargers in place, and even mason jars, coffee mugs, and tin cans for holding pens and pencils.
Designate an area of your office as an Upcycle Station for collecting and storing supplies. Encourage your colleagues
to add items to the station they no longer need and to check there before purchasing new supplies. We'd love to hear
what products your business repurposes!
Example- Waste plastic bottles can be used to make boat
Step Five: Recycle: Last but definitely not least: recycle. Once you've gone through all of the other R's, recycling is
the most environmentally friendly waste disposal method. If your business doesn't already, start collecting cardboard,
mixed paper products, commingled materials (plastics, aluminum, glass) and organics. Most companies we speak with
are surprised by the amount of waste they reduce by establishing an effective recycling program. Click here for a
round-up of the best resources we've created for launching a successful recycling program.
Example: We should use the kind of plastics which can be recycled to make new products, like Thermoplastics
The 3R concepts of Waste management system.

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The three R's – reduce, reuse and recycle – all help to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away. They
conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy. Plus, the three R's save land and money communities must use
to dispose of waste in landfills. Siting a new landfill has become difficult and more expensive due to environmental
regulations and public opposition.
REDUCE: The best way to manage waste is to not produce it. This can be done by shopping carefully and
being aware of a few guidelines:
 Buy products in bulk. Larger, economy-size products or ones in concentrated form use less packaging and
usually cost less per ounce.
 Avoid over-packaged goods, especially ones packed with several materials such as foil, paper, and plastic. They
are difficult to recycle, plus you pay more for the package.
 Avoid disposable goods, such as paper plates, cups, napkins, razors, and lighters. Throwaways contribute to the
problem, and cost more because they must be replaced again and again.
 Buy durable goods – ones that are well-built or that carry good warranties. They will last longer, save money in
the long run and save landfill space.
 At work, make two-sided copies when ever possible.
 Maintain central files rather than using several files for individuals.
 Use electronic mail or main bulletin board.
 Remove your name from the mailing lists of materials you no longer want to receive: write to Mail Preference
Service, c/o Direct Marketing Assoc., P.O. Box 90008, Farmingdale, NY 11735.
 Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
 Use a dish cloth instead of paper towels.
REUSE: It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products. Sometimes it takes creativity:
 Reuse products for the same purpose. Save paper and plastic bags, and repair broken appliances, furniture and
toys.
 Reuse products in different ways. Use a coffee can to pack a lunch; use plastic microwave dinner trays as picnic
dishes.
 Sell old clothes, appliances, toys, and furniture in garage sales or ads, or donate them to charities.
 Use reseal able containers rather than plastic wrap.
 Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of paper cups.
 Reuse grocery bags or bring your own cloth bags to the store. Do not take a bag from the store unless you need
one.
RECYCLE: Recycling is a series of steps that takes a used material and processes, remanufactures, and sells it
as a new product. Begin recycling at home and at work:
 Buy products made from recycled material. Look for the recycling symbol or ask store managers or salesmen.
The recycling symbol means one of two things – either the product is made of recycled material, or the item can
be recycled. For instance, many plastic containers have a recycling symbol with a numbered code the identifies
what type of plastic resin it is made from. However, just because the container has this code does not mean it
can be easily recycled locally.
 Check collection centers and curbside pickup services to see what they accept, and begin collecting those
materials. These can include metal cans, newspapers, paper products, glass, plastics and oil.
 Consider purchasing recycled materials at work when purchasing material for office supply, office equipment or
manufacturing.
 Speak to store managers and ask for products and packaging that help cut down on waste, such as recycled
products and products that are not over packaged.
 Buy products made from material that is collected for recycling in your community.
 Use recycled paper for letterhead, copier paper and newsletters.

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Plastic Waste Management:

 Disposing of plastic waste is trickier than
dealing with traditional landfill material.
 Not only plastic take thousands of years
to break down, it can leach dangerous
poison into the environment.
 Plastic is not going away, but how plastic
waste is managed is becoming more
sophisticated.
 Managing plastic waste starts at home
with the consumer, but ultimately
depends on governments around the
world as well.
Future of Plastic:
 Biodegradable plastic seems to show some light, however, they too come with certain disadvantages. When
degraded, these emit harmful 𝐶𝑜2 and methane.
 However, there is a recycled plastic curbstone, which acts as a substitute to building materials.
 “oxo-biodegradable” plastics are eco- friendly as when degraded they emit no methane.
 Many developing countries like India are banning plastic bags. Instead of banning them, the plastic bags
should be utilized elsewhere.
TOPIC – 08
Pollution monitoring and analysis: Sampling, method of sample prevention, methods of
analysis (volumetric and gravimetric analysis, color, comparison method), instruments and
their functions for pollution monitoring and analysis.
What is pollutant sampling?
Experiment and measurement of pollutants generally known as pollutant sampling.
Method of sample collection:
Objective of sampling is to collect a portion of material small enough in volume to be transported comfortably and yet
large enough for analytical purposes while still representing the material being sampled.
Environmental Testing:
Step by Step Guide:
• Order the appropriate sampling supplies from ABC Research Laboratories
• Clearly identify and label the swabs / sponges and sample submission form
• Learn aseptic sampling techniques before you begin to collect samples to prevent cross contamination
• Return samples via overnight shipping with frozen ice packs
Ordering the proper supplies:
• When starting environmental sampling, assess the area carefully and determine where the optimal sampling
points will be – you want to “Seek and Destroy”
• Choose sponges for flat surfaces and swabs (giant q-tips) for small spaces and crevices
• Call or email ABC’s client service team and let them know how many swabs and sponges you will need
Sponge: SPONGES are best for smooth and flat surfaces, Example: floors, walls, doors.
Swabs: SWABS are best for small crevices or uneven surface. Example : drains and grates.
How to Identify & label samples: Before you begin to take the samples:
 Using a Sharpie or permanent marker, clearly label the sample bags / containers
 Use brief descriptions that clearly identify the sampling area or site
 Record the same descriptions on the sample submission form
Aseptic Sampling techniques:
 Wash hands to mid-arms with antibacterial soap before sampling
 Use clean laboratory gloves or the aseptic gloves provided
 Put the gloves on aseptically and avoid touching the finger portions of the gloves when putting them on
 GOAL: Avoid cross-contamination

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 With bag still sealed, push the sponge towards the opening of the bag
 Open the bag without touching the sponge or inside of the bag
 With the sterile gloves on, remove the sponge from the bag careful to only touch the sides of the sponge
“Gently wipe the sponge in a 10”x10” target area – wipe 10 times vertically and 10 times horizontally”
 Place the sponge back in the bag, expel excess air, and fold the top 3-4 times to seal
 Use clean laboratory gloves or the aseptic gloves provided
 With the sterile gloves on, unscrew the cap of the swab container careful to only touch the lid and not the
swab
“Gently wipe the swab over a 2”x2” target area – wipe vertically and horizontally”
 Place the swab back into the tube and screw closed
Preparing the shipment:
 Securely seal the sponge bag and swab container
 Place the swabs and sponges in ziploc bags for added protection
 Individual bags are best. If one leaks it will not cross contaminate the other samples
 GOAL: Avoid cross-contamination
Pack and ship via overnight:
 Place completed sample submission form in a Ziploc bag to protect from spills
 Include plenty of frozen ice packs to maintain the proper temperature
 Package sponges, swabs, and frozen ice packs in an insulated cooler
 Ship via overnight delivery
Environmental Monitoring
What is environment?
 Environment (from the French Environner: to encircle or surround.) can be defined as the circumstances and
conditions that surround an organism or group of organism or the social and cultural conditions that affect an
individual or community. Since Human inhabit the natural world as well as the built or technological, social or
technological world, all constitute important parts of our environment. CONNINGHAM (2004:3)
 The Canadian environmental protection act (1988:3) defines Environment in terms of the earth?s components
which include: air, land and water, all layers of atmosphere, all organic matter and living organisms and the
interacting natural systems that include components referred to above.
 According to MININTERE:(2003:7), environment is a set of physical, chemical, biological element and
socio-economic, cultural, aesthetic, intellectual factors likely to have a direct or indirect, immediate or long-
term impact on the development of environment, human beings and human activities.
 According to the environment bill, in its 4th article, environment is divided in both natural and human
environment. Natural environment comprises of soil and the subsoil, water resources, air, biological diversity
and landscape, Sites and monuments while human environment concerns land use management and living
environment.
Major environmental Problems:
Air pollution:  Infectious agents.  Overgrazing
 Global climate change  Oxygen depletion  Farmland loss and
 Stratospheric ozone  Pesticides degradation
depletion  Oil spills  Wetlands loos and
 Urban air pollution  Excess heat degradation
 Acid deposition Waste Production:  Overfishing
 Outdoor pollutants  Solid waste  Coastal pollution
 Indoor pollutants  Hazardous waste.  Soil erosion
 Noise.  Soil salinization
Biodiversity Depletion:
Water Pollution:  Soil waterlogging
 Habitat destruction  Water shortages
 Sediment  Habitat Degradation
 Nutrient overload  Groundwater depletion
 Extinction  Loss of biodiversity
 Toxic chemicals Food Supply problems  Poor nutrition

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What is environmental monitoring?

 Environmental monitoring can be defined as
the systematic sampling of air, water, soil and
biota in order to observe and study the
environment, as well as to derive knowledge
from this process.
 Environmental monitoring refers to the tools
and techniques designed to observe an
environment, characterize its quality, and
establish environmental parameters, for the
purpose of accurately quantifying the impact
an activity has on an environment. Results are
gathered, analyzed statistically, and then
published in a risk assessment and
environmental monitoring and impact assessment report.
Objective or Monitoring:
 Monitoring of the environment may be undertake for a number of reasons. In general monitoring is done in
order to gain information about the present levels of harmful or potentially harmful pollutants in discharges to
the environment, within the environment itself or in living creatures that may be affected by these pollutants.
this definition can be expanded as follows:-
 Monitoring may be carried out to assess pollution effects on man and his environment in order to identify and
possible cause and effect relationship between pollutant concentration and health effects, climatic changes etc.
 -To evaluate pollution interactions and patterns.
 -To assess the need for legislative controls and emissions of pollutants and to ensure compliance with
emission standards.
Environment Monitoring Methods:
 Ground-based sampling and measurements
 Model-based monitoring
 Satellite based Monitoring
Satellite Based Environment Monitoring Areas:
 Atmosphere Monitoring  Flood and Drought  Aviation
 Air Quality Monitoring Management  Agriculture
 Climate Change Studies  Land use / Land cover  Marine & Phytoplankton
 Resource Management  Weather Prediction Studies
 Glaciers and snow  Hazards Monitoring  Dust Storm
Types of Monitoring:
There are two types of monitoring
1. Source monitoring
2. Ambient Environment Monitoring
Source Monitoring
This may be carried out for a number of reasons
– Identification and characteristics of main source in urban areas.
– Determination of the mass emission rates of pollutants from a particular sources and assessment of how these
are affected by process variations.
– Evaluation of the effectiveness of control devise for pollution abatement.
– Evaluation of compliance with statutory limitation on emissions from individual sources.
Importance of satellite imaginary in monitoring air quality
 Satellite remote sensing provides complete and synoptic view off large area in one image on a systemati basis
due ot the good temporal resolution or various satellite sensors.
 Satellite remote sensing can monitor man pollutants simultaneously.
 It has the capability to monitor in near real- time, and provides continuously rapid monitoring.
 The different satellite used in mapping air pollution are:
 Earth resource satellite (Landsat, SPOT, ZY-3)
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 Meteorological satellites (NOAA satellite, GOES satellites)

 Radar satellites (Seasat, ERS-1,2 JERS-1, Radarasat)
 It was the potential of images form space platform to track hurricanes and other weather systems that led to
the first operational use of what we now call Earth Observation by remote sensing. In 1960s, U.S. NOAA
(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) launched the first civilian satellite specifically to
photograph the earth on a regular basic, in order to provide data for weather forecasting.
 This satellite called TIROS (Television Infrared Observation Satellite) was the first of the TIROS/NOAA
weather satellite that provide daily image of the globe, those that are seen on our daily T.V. weather forecast.
 Both polar-orbiting satellite such as NOAA and Geostationary satellites such as GOES and METEOSAT are
used routinely nowadays for weather forecasting.
 The first application of satellite remote sensing of aerosols used the AVHRR. Landsat, and GOES instruments
to observe desert particles over ocan
 All three of them were used to obtain the information about aerosols primarily over water.
 Satellite remote sensing of tropospheric trace gases began in 1978 with the launch of the TOMS instrument
onbard the Minus 7 satellite.
 TOMS instrument were aimed to determine stratospheric 𝑂3 , volcanic 𝑆𝑂2 , tropospheric 𝑂3 , and ultraviolet
absorbing aerosols.
Some international Weather Satellites (Geostationary)
Name Operation
METEOSAT. ERS, ENVISAT European Space Agency
GMS Japan
INSAT India
Feng Yun China
GOMS. METEOR USSR
RADASAT Canada
Water pollution monitoring:

Water pollution:
Water quality is affected by materials delivered to a water body from either point or nonpoint sources.
1. Point sources can be traced to a single sources, such as a piper or a ditch.
2. Nonpoint sources are diffuse and associated with the landscape and its response to water movement, land use
and management, and / or other human
and natural actives on the water shed.
Agricultural, industrial, and urban areas are
anthropogenic sources or point and nonpoint
substances.
Major factor affecting water quality in water
bodies across the landscape are suspended
sediment (turbidity), algae (i.e, chlorophylls,
carotenoids), chemicals (i.e., nutrients, pesticides,
metals,) dissolved organic matter (DOM),
thermal releases aquatic vascular plants,
pathogens, and oils.
Source of monitoring:
Apart from the monitoring of pollutants in liquid effluents, sampling may be carried out.
a) In rivers, lakes, estuaries and the sea in order to obtain an overall indicator or water quality.
b) For rain water, groundwater and run-off water particularly in the urban environment to access the influence of
pollutant sources.
c) At points where water is taken for supply, to check its suitability for a particular use.
d) Using sediments and biological samples in order to assess the accumulation of pollutants and as indicator of
pollution.
Apart from the measurement of chemical and physical parameter the quantitative or qualitative assessment of aquatic
flora and fauna is often use to give a holistic view of the presence or absence of pollution, and well recognized
relationship exit between the abundance an diversity of species and the degree of pollution. this is often used to assess
the cleanliness of natural fresh waters (biological monitoring).
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Water Quality Parameters

 From the user’s point of view, the terms “water quality” is defined as “those physical, chemical or biological
characteristics of water by which the user evaluates the acceptability of water.
 Physical Parameters: (solid, color, temperature, turbidity, conductivity, density, odor and taste etc.
 Chemical Parameters (BOD, DO, COD, pH, alkalinity, acidity total organic carbon, phenols, pesticides,
hardness, chloride etc.)
 Biological Parameters (microorganism: NPN count)
Water quality standard:
 Water quality standards sever as the foundation for the water quality based approach to pollution control and
area a fundamental component of water management.
 Water quality is a general descriptor of water properties in terms of physical, chemical, thermal, and or
biological characteristic. It is difficult to define a single water quality standard to meet all uses and user
needs.
 There are three categories or standards:
a) Streams Standards
b) Effluent Standards
c) Drinking water standards.
Designed best use classification of surface water
Designated Best use Quality of Primary Water Quality Criteria.
class
Drinking water sources without conventional treatment A  Total colifor organisms (MPN*/100 ml) shall
but with chlorination be 50 or less.
 pH between 6.5 and 8.5
 Dissolved Oxygen 6 mg/l more, and
 Biochemical oxygen Demand 2 mg/ l or less.
Outdoor bathing (Organized) B  Total Coliform organisms (MPN/100 ml)
shall be 50 or less
 pH between 6.5 and 8.5
 Dissolve Oxygen 5mg/l or more, and
 Biochemical Oxygen Demand 3 mg/l or less
Drinking water source with conventional (organized) C  Total coliform organisms (MPN/100 ml) shall
be 5000 or less
 pH between 6 and 9
 Dissolve Oxygen 4 mg/l or more, and
 Biochemical Oxygen Demand 3 mg/l or less.
Propagation of wildlife and fisheries D  pH between 6.5 and 8.5
 Dissolve Oxygen 4 mg/l or more and
 Free ammonia (as N) 1.2 mg/l or less
Irrigation, industrial cooling, and controlled disposal E  pH between 6.0 and 8.5
 Electrical conductivity less than 2250 micro
mhos/cm.
 Sodium Absorption Ratio Less than 26, and Boron
less than 2 mg/l.
Remote Sensing form water resource:
The overall application of RS & GIS is water resources sector can be broadly categorized as below
 Snow and Glacier mapping monitoring
 Irrigation water management
 Flood disaster monitoring, forecasting and management
 Water quality monitoring
 Groundwater prospecting
 Environment Impact assessment
Water Quality:
Substance (suspended sediments, algae, dissolved organic matter (DOM), oils, aquatic vascular plants, and thermal
releases ) in surface water can significantly change the backscattering characteristics of surface water. Remote sensing
techniques depend on the ability to measure these changes in the spectral signature backscattered from water and
related these measured changes by empirical or analytical models to a water quality parameter.
Suspended Sediment:

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Significant relationships between sediments and radiance or reflectance from spectral wave bands or combination of
wave bands on satellite and aircraft sensors have been shown. Ritchie et al. (1976), using in situ studies, concluded
that wavelengths between 700 and 800 nm were most useful for determining suspended sediments in surface water.
Snow & Glacier studies:
 The snow cover (build up and depletion) can be detected and monitored form a variety of remote sensing
platforms.
 Glacier lakes are easily identifiable on multi-spectral satellite data of medium resolution (24-30m) to find
resolution (6m).
 Cloud and snow bound areas appear similar in standard FCC images, which is resolved through SWIR band
response in which snow cover areas have low reflectance.
 Major sensor used for snow cover mapping are:
 NOAA- AVHRR
 MODIS-Aqua/Terra
 Resourcesat 1 – AwiFS, LISSIII
 Landsat –ETM
 SPOT
Flood Management
Information required for flood management
Phase Required Information
Flood Preparedness (Before Flood)  Chronically flood prone areas.
 Prior information on probable flood affected areas with considerable lead time.
 Optimum evacuation plans.
Relief and Rescue (During Flood)  Flood affected areas
 Flood damage statistics.
 Updation of the flood condition in terms of flood recedence and persistence.
Flood Mitigation (After Flood)  Changes in the river course
 River bank erosion
 Drainage congestion
 Flood risk zones
During flood
 A flood map showing the spatial extend of the flood affected area.
 Flood damage statistics like district wise flood affected area, submerged crop, marooned villages and length of
submerged road/ rail can be provided.
 Satellite data can used at regular intervals for updating of the flood condition (continuous flood monitoring)
During mitigate Phase:
 Using high resolution historic and present satellite data, mapping or river configuration and flood control
works, and studies of bank erosion can be carried out.
 Using multi-data satellite data it is possible to determine the drainage congestion areas in the chronic flood
prone areas.
 Flood hazard and risk zone maps can be generated using multi- year satellite data acquiring during floods.
Soil Monitoring
Source of soil pollution
Soil may become polluted in a number of ways:
 Disposal of urban solid wastes.  Nuclear fallout and disposl of nuclear wastes
 Modern agriculture practices  Water logging and soil salinity
 Disposal of industrial waste over land  Soil acidification
 Subsurface disposal of toxic wastes.  Biological agents
 Deforestation leading to soil erosion  Other anthropogenic activities such as mining.
Some potentially harmful substance such as mercury or lead are naturally present in soil but at concentration which
are not normally deleterious. Some activities however can cause elevated levels of these compounds e.g. mining may
cause soils to be contaminated by metals and the duping of solid waste in land will invariably introduce and wide
variety of pollutants of the soil.
On the other hand there are compounds which do not occur naturally, and their presence in soils and sediments due
entirely to man’s activities. These substance include pesticides (particularly the organo-chlorine compounds such as
DDT, aldrin, dieldrin)

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Remote sensing of Soil pollution:

 Remote sensing technique has reduced fieldwork to a considerable extent and soil boundaries are more
precisely delineated than in conventional methods.
 While mapping the soil using RS, The stereo highly useful in identification of different landforms, which
have got close relationship with soils associated with them.
 The stereo data from PAN cameras aboard SPOT/ IRS – 1C/ Carosat- 1 enable the delineation of
physiographic unit and soil maps derive there from in a better way.
Salinity and water logged area Mapping and monitoring
 Due to improper management of soil and
water resources in the command area the
problem of salinity and water logging area
reported to be one the increase.
 Information on the nature, extent, spatial
distribution and temporal behavior of areas
under water logging and salinity is essential
for proper management of irrigated lands.
 Sensor used are: Landsat – MSS, TM, IRS-
LISS-I/II/III, Resourcesat – 1 SPOT.
Soil erosion modelling:
 Quantification of soil loss is an important
application that several researcher attempted
using GIS.
 The general approaches include a rule based
approach where several parameters that
influence the soil loss are weighted and
summed to assess the final index to rate
whether
Fig: Soil Mapping
or not a particular area is eroded.
 In another approach, the absolute values of the model are derived from maps and the soil loss is calculated
using a physical or an empirical model. This method give the physical quantity of soil loss.
 Some important parameters which influence the soil loss are:
1) Slope
2) Vegetation cover.
3) Soil erodibility
4) Rainfall quantity and intensity
5) Soil conservation and management factor.
Role of remote sensing in landscape mapping:
 Comprehensive landslide inventory is a prerequisite for landslide hazard and risk analysis,.
 A landslide inventory map not only show the time and data of occurrence but also the types of landslide.
 Landslide inventory involves:
1) Landslide distribution analysis.
2) Landslide activity analysis.
 Very high resolution imagery (QuickBird, IKNOS, CARTOSAT-1 and 2) has become the best option now for
landslide modelling.
 Other remote sensing approaches of land slide inventory mapping include shaded relief images produced from
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) DEM and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry.
 LiDAR is an active sensor and the signal from the sensor has the capability of penetrating through the tree
crown and thus provide data about the subtle elevation variation of the bare ground.
 SAR images are useful in identifying critical terrain elements such as faults and slope characteristics.
 Another advantage of SAR over optical sensor data is its all-weather monitoring ability.

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Noise pollution monitoring

Control of noise pollution:
 Source control: It may be achieved by designing silencing devices.
 Transmission Control (Sound Proofing): Covering the room walls with sound absorbers as acoustic tiles.
 Protection to expose person: Ear plugs and Ear Muffs.
 Creating of vegetation buffer zone: Plant absorb and dissipate sound energy and thus act and buffer
zone.
 Though Law: Silence zones could be created near important area like school, hospital zones and to prevent
indiscrimination use of loud speakers at public places.
Ambient air quality standards in respect of Noise
Area code Category of Area/zone Limits in dB(A) leq*
Day time Night time
(A) Industrial area 75 70
(B) Commercial area 65 55
(C) Residential area 55 45
(D) Silence Zone 50 40
Note:
1. Day time shall mean from 6.00 am to 10.00 pm
2. Night time shall mean from 10.00 pm to 6.00 pm.
3. Silence zone is an area comprising bot less than 100 meter around hospitals, educational institutions. courts religious
places or any other area which is declared as such by the competent authority.
4. Mixed categories of areas may be declared as one of the four above mentioned categories by the competent authority.
Ambient Environment Monitoring:
Monitoring the environment bay be carried out for number of reasons:
 Mapping the concentration of pollutants in the environment
 Identification of pollution sensitive zones.
 Identification of possible sites for the environmental monitoring stations.
 Tracking progress towards National Quality Standards attainment and emission reductions.
 Sever as the basis for modeling of predicted pollutant concentration in ambient air.
 Proved input for human health risk assessment studies.
Ambient environment monitoring includes
 Air pollution monitoring
 Water pollution monitoring
 Sediment, soil and Biological monitoring
 Noise level Monitoring

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National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Program.
National Ambient Air Quality Standard Site & Parameter Selection

Parameters Background & other areas [Rural, Semi-urban,
Urban, industrial, sensitive etc.]
Manual Monitoring Automatic Analyzers Site selection:

𝑆𝑂2 , 𝑁𝑂2 , 𝑃𝑀10 , 𝑃𝑀2.5 , 𝑂3 , 𝑁𝐻3 , 𝑆𝑂2 , 𝑁𝑂2 , 𝑃𝑀10 , 𝑃𝑀2.5 , 𝑂3 , 𝐶𝑂, 𝑁𝐻3 1. Away from sources and other
Benzene, B(a)P, Ni, As, Pb , Benzene interferences
[ Inlet 15m away from sources]
2. Height of inlet 3m [preferably 3-10m]
Double the height of nearby wall
Wet- 3. Free flowing, well mixed
Gravimetric
chemical 4. Elevation angle <30 (from inlet to top of
𝑃𝑀10 & 𝑃𝑀2.5
Method building ]
5. Collocated samples should be 2m apart.
𝑆𝑂2 , 𝑁𝑂2 , 𝑂3 , 𝑁𝐻3
Benzene
Sample Processing & Parameters Selection:
1. Sensitive location (𝑆𝑂2 & 𝑁𝑂2 )
Chemical Analyses 2. Health impact stations (all pollutants)
𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑧𝑒𝑛𝑒, 𝐵(𝑎)𝑃, 𝑁𝑖, 𝐴𝑠, 𝑃𝑏, 3. Population and exposure (all criteria
(𝑖𝑛 𝑃𝑀10
Pollutants )
4. Kerb side (traffic intersect on] (criteria
well established monitoring Sophisticated Analyzers, QA/ QC, instant pollutants + CO)
Clamlaboratory, infrastructure, data generation, On line data dissemination. 5. Downtown [Accumulative, 50m away
Trained man power. well Air quality index. Earth wearing system, traffic intersection] (Criteria Pollutants + 𝑂3
established guidelines, manual Forecasting, Modeling etc.
data generation and
dissemination etc.
Gravimetric Analysis.
Design features:
This analytical technique includes:
 Empirical formula and Molecular formula
 Gas equations Eg. Pv=nrt
 Percentage of water/ measuring water content
 Limiting and Excess reactant equations
 Precipitation reactions
How it Works/ Procedure:
 Accurately weigh the mixture to be analysed.
 Dissolve the mixture in a suitable solvent; filter off and discard any insoluble material.
 Add an excess amount of solution, that will form a precipitate with the substance being analysed.
 Filter off the precipitate and wash it with a small quantity of substance.
 Dry the precipitate and, cool and accurately weigh. Repeat until a constant mass is achieved.
Analysis
 Gravimetric analysis is a technique through which the amount of an analyte ( the ion being analyzed ) can be
determined through the measurement of mass. Gravimetric analysis depend on comparing the masses of two
compounds containing the analyte.
Advantage and disadvantage
Advantage Disadvantage
• Precise measurement/ high degree of accuracy (6-figure) • Limited group of elemental analysis
• Helps in determination of atomic mass, of elements • Convoluted methods
• Doesn’t require a series of standards to calibrate the unknown • Only suitable for high concentrations
solution concentration
• Helps in calibration of other instruments
Data interpretation

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 Gravimetric analytical data is interpreted from the weighing of the precipitate at the end of the experiment.
 To do this, you must weigh the instrument in which the precipitate will be weighed in, note the weight, and
then weigh the precipitate. The solid weight is determined by the difference between the two.
Calibration – Pipette
 Calibration is predominantly undertaken by gravimetric analysis and is the method most commonly used by
laboratories accredited to ISO17025. There are colorimetric methods in use and these are often used for
checking pipettes and for non-accredited calibration. Gravimetric analysis is preferred due to the simplicity
and the traceability to an absolute standard. Gravimetric methods are also often recognized as a more
economical way of calibration.
 Gravimetric analysis for pipette calibration entails dispensing samples of distilled water into a receiving vessel
in a precision analytical balance. The density of water is a known constant, the temperature, barometric
pressure and humidity are recorded (the Z-factor used in the final mass calculation) and kept within certain
limits and thus the mass of the dispensed sample provides an accurate indication of the volume dispensed.
Usefulness and Suitability
Real World Examples

 Geomarine survey systems
 A chunk of ore is treated with concentrated nitric acid and potassium chlorate to convert all of the sulfur to
sulfate. The nitrate and chlorate are removed by treating the solution with concentrated HCl. The sulfate is
precipitated with Barium and weighed as BaSo4.
 Monitoring the air
Comparison
 Gravimetric analysis obtains more accurate data about the composition of a sample than volumetric analysis
does, however it takes longer to perform in the laboratory.
 Gravimetric analysis is analysis by weight, where as volumetric analysis is by volume.
 Gravimetric analysis is less sensitive to temperature than volumetric analysis is.
Volumetric Analysis.
Design Features
 Looks like a titration/ same as
 Measure from bottom of meniscus
 Wherever there is a concentration of a known solution, to be found, then volumetric analysis is the method to
use.
 Quantative analytical technique
How It Works/ Procedure
Steps:
 Clean the pipette and rinse it with a bit of the solution to be used.
 Clean a conical flask using distilled water.
 Pipette the specified volume of one reactant into the flask.
 Rinse down the edges of the flask with distilled water.
 Add the indicator if required.
 Clean the burette and rinse with bit of the second reactant solution. Fill with the solution. Does not need to be
exactly on zero. Note the reading on the bottom of the meniscus.
 Perform a preliminary (rough) titration by running the burette solution into the flask, making sure to swirl the
mix, until the end point is reached.
 Read the meniscus again. Subtract the first reading to find the volume added.
 Repeat the first 5 steps.

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 Read the burette and perform an accurate titration by repeating step 7.

 Stop as soon as the end point is reached.
 Subtract the initial reading from the end point reading to give an accurate titer.
 Repeat the accurate titration (steps 9-12) at least twice more. The titers should be within 0.1cm of each other.
 Take an average of your three accurate titers. Use this as the ‘volume added’ in the calculations.
Advantages and Disadvantage of Volumetric Analysis.
Advantage Disadvantage
 Fast and easy to perform  Relatively large sample size needed
 Only basic laboratory equipment needed
 Only suitable for relatively high concentrations
 Very cheap
 Accurate results
 Different methods available for different substances
Data Interpretation:
 Data is interpreted by using three concordant titres. These help to give accurate results and
need to be within 0.1 of each other.Calibration:
 To ensure proper measurement of large volumes in the laboratory, volumetric apparatus
should be calibrated regularly. Two of the most common apparatus calibrated are
volumetric flasks and serological pipettes.
 If the error is more than 0.03% then the apparatus should be discarded or changed into a
volumetric apparatus
 Manual procedure via volumetric flask
- Weigh the volumetric flask.
- Fill the volumetric flask with distilled water, up to the mark
- Weigh the volume of distilled water contained in the flask.
- Calculate the true volume of glassware via the formula
- Record the data
- Do the same procedure with the serological pipette.
Record again your data
Suitability/ Use and real world Examples:
 Used in bio diesel manufacture to ensure that the mix has a neutral pH.
 To determine the amount of acetic acid in manufactured vinegar.
 To determine fatty-acid content and unsaturated-fatty acid content.
 Brain imaging and MR imaging, as well as routine clinical use.
 Suitable for direct titrations
 Suitable in Determination of iron.
Comparison:
 Compared to other analyses; for example gravimetric analysis, volumetric analysis is less accurate and less
reliable.
 In volumetric analysis, you are more likely to encounter limits of sensitivity in volume measurements,
compared to other analytical techniques.
 A mass is generally easier to determine and standardize than a concentration.
 Errors associated with volume measurements are minimized in other analytical techniques, such as
gravimetric analysis.

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Short notes
S.N-01. Acid rain:
Definition: Acid rain, or acid
deposition, is a broad term that includes
any form of precipitation with acidic
components, such as sulfuric or nitric
acid that fall to the ground from the
atmosphere in wet or dry forms. This
can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even
dust that is acidic.
What causes Acid rain?
Acid rain results when sulfur dioxide
(SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) are emitted into the atmosphere and transported by wind and air currents. The
SO2 and NOX react with water, oxygen and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. These then mix with
water and other materials before falling to the ground.
While a small portion of the SO2 and NOX that cause acid rain is from natural sources such as volcanoes, most of it
comes from the burning of fossil fuels. The major sources of SO2 and NOX in the atmosphere are:
 Burning of fossil fuels to generate electricity. Two thirds of SO2 and one fourth of NOX in the atmosphere
come from electric power generators.
 Vehicles and heavy equipment.
 Manufacturing, oil refineries and other industries.
Winds can blow SO2 and NOX over long distances and across borders making acid rain a problem for everyone and
not just those who live close to these sources.
Forms of acid deposition:
 Wet Deposition: Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and nitric
acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail.
 Dry Deposition: Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of moisture
as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces (water bodies, vegetation, buildings)
quickly or may react during atmospheric transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human
health. When the accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows over and
through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and fish.
The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry deposition depends on the amount of
rainfall an area receives. For example, in desert areas the ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that
receives several inches of rain each year.
SN-02. Carbon Trading:

 Carbon trading is the process of buying and selling permits and credits that allow the permit holder to emit
carbon dioxide. It has been a central pillar of the EU’s efforts to slow climate change.
 Carbon trading is a market-based system aimed at reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to global
warming, particularly carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels.
The world’s biggest carbon trading system is the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). It is beset
with problems and corruption and yet countries such as Brazil and China continue to pursue carbon trading as a way to
tackle rising emissions.
There have been attempts to allow richer countries to cut their emissions by paying for the development of carbon
lowering schemes in poorer nations. However, the effectiveness of these schemes has been questioned, with research
indicating that some have created more emissions than they have actually curtailed.
Of greater significance have been the so called cap and trade schemes, at regional, national and international levels.
They work by setting an overall limit or cap on the amount of emissions that are allowed from significant sources of
carbon, including the power industry, automotive and air travel.
Governments then issue permits up to the agreed limit, and these are either given free or auctioned to companies in the
sector. If a company curbs its own carbon significantly it can trade the excess permits on the carbon market for cash. If
it's not able to limit its emissions it may have to buy extra permits.
Schemes are up and running in the European Union and in several regions of the United States, but attempts at a
national scheme in the US foundered in the Senate in 2010.

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SN-03. Clean Development Mechanism: (CDM)

The Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM), defined in Article 12 of the
Protocol, allows a country with an
emission-reduction or emission-limitation
commitment under the Kyoto Protocol
(Annex B Party) to implement an
emission-reduction project in developing
countries. Such projects can earn saleable
certified emission reduction (CER) credits,
each equivalent to one tonne of CO2,
which can be counted towards meeting
Kyoto targets.
The mechanism is seen by many as a
trailblazer. It is the first global,
environmental investment and credit
scheme of its kind, providing a
standardized emissions offset instrument,
CERs.
A CDM project activity might involve, for example, a rural electrification project using solar panels or the installation
of more energy-efficient boilers.
The mechanism stimulates sustainable development and emission reductions, while giving industrialized countries
some flexibility in how they meet their emission reduction or limitation targets.
The CDM is the main source of income for the UNFCCC Adaptation Fund, which was established to finance
adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol that are particularly
vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The Adaptation Fund is financed by a 2% levy on CERs issued by
the CDM.
SN-04. Plastic Recycling:

Plastic recycling refers to the process of recovering waste or scrap plastic and
reprocessing the materials into functional and useful products. This activity is
known as the plastic recycling process. The goal of recycling plastic is to
reduce high rates of plastic pollution while putting less pressure on virgin
materials to produce brand new plastic products. This approach helps to
conserve resources and diverts plastics from landfills or unintended
destinations such as oceans.
The Need for Recycling Plastic
Plastics are durable, lightweight and inexpensive materials. They can readily be
molded into various products which find uses in a plethora of applications.
Every year, more than 420 million tons of plastics are manufactured across the
globe.1 Consequently, the reuse, recovery and the recycling of plastics are
extremely important.
What Plastics Are Recyclable?
There are six common types of plastics. Following are some typical products
you will find for each of plastic:
PS (Polystyrene) – Example: foam hot drink cups, plastic cutlery, containers, and yogurt.
PP (Polypropylene) – Example: lunch boxes, take-out food containers, ice cream containers.
LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) – Example: garbage bins and bags.
PVC (Plasticised Polyvinyl chloride or polyvinyl chloride)—Example: cordial, juice or squeeze bottles.
HDPE (High-density polyethylene) – Example: shampoo containers or milk bottles.
PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) – Example: fruit juice and soft drink bottles.
Currently, only PET, HDPE, and PVC plastic products are recycled under curbside recycling programs. PS, PP, and LDPE
typically are not recycled because these plastic materials are more difficult and expensive to process.2 Lids and bottle tops cannot
be recycled as well. “To recycle or Not to Recycle” is a big question when it comes to plastic recycling. Some plastic types are not
recycled because they are not economically feasible to do so.

P a g e | 68
SN-05. Environment policy and their implementation in BD:

Environment policy of a state refers to the well-planned actions taken by a state to manage the activities of the
population within that state in order to prevent, reduce or alleviate any harmful effects on nature and its natural
resources.
Background of Environment Policy:
The environement Policy, 1992 recoginzes a set of issues:
 Coordinates look out and Necessary Action program (in addressing the Golbal and Regional envrionmental
pollutoin)
 Adapting integrated Evironment Policy (by settin priorities)
 Sustainable use of Natural Resoures (through mass awareness)
More Previous Policy
 The Forest Policy (1994),
 The Fisheries Policy (1998),
 The water Policy ( 1998),
 The New Agricultural Extension Policy (1995),
 The Energy Plicy (1995)
 The National Conservation Strategy (NCS)
 The National Environment Mangement Action Plan, 1995 (NEMPA)
The Objective of Envrionement Policy:
 To maintain ecological b aolance and overall development torogh protection and improvement of the
environement.
 To protect the country against natural disasters.
 To identify and regulate ativites which pollute and degrade the environment.
 To ensure environmentally sound development in all sectors.
 To ensure sustainable, long-term and environmentally sound use of national resources.
 To actively remain associated with all the internatinal environment initiative to the maximum possible extent.
Challenge of Implementation:
 Environment to be the priority of the government with political blessing irrespective of the changes of the
regime
 Role of the judiciary is important in taking suomotu rules
 Role of civil society and media as “watch- dog” helps effective implementation of the policy.
 The formation Envrionment plicy although farily rich in content is not supported by necessary actions of
implementation.
 Various research studes have been bogged down due to some institutional and functional limitations.
 Various operational ruls for effective implementation of the policy would require complementary and detailed
operation rules, many of which have not yet been formulated.
SN-06. Eutrophication of lakes:
 Eutrophication is the process in which lakes receive nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and sediment from the
surrounding watershed and become more fertile and shallow. The additional nutrients are food for algae and fish,
so the more eutrophic a lake is, the more living organisms it sustains. When a lake becomes shallower from added
sediment, even more plants can grow because the littoral area (the area of the lake
that is shallow enough for light to reach the bottom) increases in overall
percentage. Eutrophication is a natural process that a lake goes through over
hundreds to thousands of years. Natural eutrophication is also sometimes referred
to as lake aging.
 Humans can speed up the process of eutrophication by adding excess nutrients
and sediment quickly, where the lake will change trophic states in a matter of
decades. This type of eutrophication is called cultural eutrophication because
humans cause it. Land practices such as agriculture, animal feedlots, factories
and urban areas contain very concentrated amounts of nutrients. These nutrients
wash into lakes during heavy rains or through direct storm sewers. The additional
nutrients cause algal blooms, additional plant growth and overall poor water
quality, making the lake less suitable for recreation. In addition, soil eroded by the
removal of trees and vegetation washes into lakes, filling them in and making the

P a g e | 69
bottom mucky. When the lake becomes shallower, the percent littoral area (area of the lake shallow enough for
light to reach the bottom) increases resulting in even more plant growth.
SN-07. Environmental Protection act and environmental policy of Bangladesh:

Environment pollution protection acts:
The environment protection of 1995 was enacted for full filling three major objects:
1. Conservation of Environment
2. Improvement of environment standards and
3. The control and mitigation of environmental pollution.
The act was formulation on the basis of the Environment policy of 1992 and the national environment management
action plan of 1995.
The environmental Policy in Bangladesh:
 The Environment Conservation Act 1995: This Act is the basis upon which the Department of Environment is
formed, the Director General (DG) is appointed, Environment Impact Assessment is carried out and
Ecologically Critical Areas are determined. The Environment Conservation Rules are laid out under the Act,
outlining the standards of the air, water and other components of the environment. The Act has faced criticisms
for allotting extremely wide powers to the DG, leaving, not laying out the necessary technical qualifications of
concerned officials, inadequate sentencing and for leaving the loopholes of “national interest” and “good faith”.
 The Environment Court Act 2010: The Act aims to create a speedy disposal of cases relating to environmental
harm. However, the effectiveness of the courts are hindered as people cannot directly approach the court;
instead the investigator appointed by the DG of the Department of Environment must file a report upon which
cognizance can be taken. The aim of the Act to establish an environment court in each district has remained
largely unfulfilled. That, and the failure to ensure that the officials of the environment court are sufficiently
edified on the requisite knowledge have been roadblocks in the path to environmental justice.
 The Forest Act 1927: The Act was originally promulgated with the objective of regulating the transit of forest
produce and the taxes on such. Yet, it does contain protective measures which can be implemented for the
conservation of forest resources. It lays down activities which are prohibited in reserved forests and penalises
violations of the provisions. The Act also envisions the creation of village forests, which would be an effective
way to ensure people’s participation and community rights. Unfortunately, this provision has not really been
practiced.
 The Wildlife (Conservation and Security) Act 2012: This more recent law was passed with a view to
conserving the biodiversity, wildlife and forests of the country. The Act allows for the declaration of
sanctuaries, national parks and community conservation areas and lays down the permissible activities within
such premises. An impressive aspect of the Act is that it recognizes national heritage, memorial trees or sacred
trees while respecting the traditional or cultural values and norms of the communities. This is a big step towards
the recognition of the rights of indigenous communities.
 The Brick Manufacturing and Brick Kilns Establishment (Control) Act 2013: With a view to the regulating
the brick manufacturing process this Act was passed in 2013. The Act places multiple restrictions regarding the
areas near which brick kilns can be established- these have been criticized as being too ambitious and to an
extent, unfeasible. The Act also outlines the prohibitions regarding the use of raw materials from sources such
as agricultural land, hill or hillock and the use of wood as fuel. Sadly, the reality reflects almost no compliance
with these provisions.
 The Bangladesh Biodiversity Act 2017: The Act was passed in line with Bangladesh’s constitutional mandate
under Article 18A and international mandates under Convention on Biodiversity. The Act regulates who may
have access to biological resources and traditional knowledge and how such resources and knowledge may be
lawfully transferred. It delegates the duties for granting permission to such access on the National Biodiversity
Committee, who shall also determine the equitable sharing of benefits accrued from biodiversity, biological
resources and traditional knowledge.
Apart from these Acts, there are many other laws which indirectly address environmental concerns. For example, the
Consumer Rights Protection Act of 2009, The Animal Welfare Bill- all of these contain provisions which have
environmental impacts. Urban planning has been addressed in the Playgrounds, Open Spaces, Parks and Natural
Reservoirs and Preservation Act 2000 and air pollution is specifically targeted in the Clean Air Bill. For the protection
and conservation of water resources, The Bangladesh Water Act 2013 was also enacted.
SN-08. Environment control & management Control of Environment:
Some way are given below to control environment.
1. Use reusable water bottles, not disposal.
2. Don’t waste your car in the driveway, wash it on the lawn.
3. Disposal of hazardous chemicals properly. Don’t dump down the drain, indoors or out.
P a g e | 70
4. Recycle used motors oil.

5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,
6. Reduce auto emissions.
7. Use insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers as well as other lawn and garden chemical, sparingly.
8. Start a compost pile.
9. Soil test before you fertilize
10. Don’t sweep dirt and fertilizer from sidewalks into drains.
Environment Management:
Environmental management system refers to the management or an organizations environmental programs in a
comprehensive, systematic, planned and document manner. It includes the organizational structures, planning and
resources for developing. Implementing and maintaining policy for environmental protection.
Component of Environment Management:
1. Environmental protection and people awareness.
2. Control of environmental degradation and pollution.
3. Environmental impact assessment to review the existing technology.
4. Environmental education and training.
5. To control over population and over consumption
Objective of Environment Management:
1. Maintenance of environmental quality.
2. Balancing the ecosystem.
3. To restrict and regulate the exploitation of natural resources.
4. To protect natural resource and natural disasters.
5. To formulate laws and reactions to control pollution.
6. To formulate laws and reactions to control pollution.
SN-10. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
An environment impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that proposed project
may have on the environment, considering natural, social and economic aspects. On the other word, Environmental
impact assessment can be defined as the study to predict the effect of a proposed project on the environment.
Environment impact assessment is a very beneficial step to check, if the project is environment friendly or not.
Major Steps in EIA Process are:
1. Screening: Regulatory authority to identify the need of EIA.
2. Scoping: Identified key issues from a board range of potential concerns.
3. Assessing: Direct, Indirect, secondary, cumulative, Short and long term, permanent, temporary, positive and
negative.
4. Mitigation: Reduce the undesirable impact of a proposed action.
5. Monitoring: Environmental compliance with local regulations/effectiveness of the mitigation measures.
6. Reporting: Preparation of reporting.
7. Reviewing: Reviewing before approval.
Benefits of EIA:
 Lower project costs in the long-term
 Increase project acceptance
 Improve project design
 Inform decision making
 Environmentally sensitive decisions.
 Increase accountability and transparency
 Reduce environmental damage.
 Improve integration of projects into their environmental and social settings:
SN-11 : Ship breaking industries in Bangladesh:
Shipbreaking is the process of dismantling and obsolete vessel’s structure for scrapping or disposal. In other word,
Ship breaking is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for recycling. It involves a wide range of
activities.
Chittagong ship breaking industry located in Bangladesh is the world’s second largest ship breaking area. The ship
breaking takes place to Faujdarhat areas along 18 km long Sitakunda coastal strip 20 km north west of Chittagong. It
has great importance to the macro & micro economics in Bangladesh. Today t has become large of profitable
industries in Bangladesh.
P a g e | 71
Until the 1960s, shipbreaking was considered a highly mechanized operation, concentrated in industrialized countries
– mainly in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. From early 1980s to maximize profits ship owners
sent their vessels to the scrap yards of India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vietnam where pay,
health and safety standards are minimal and workers are desperate for work. It is estimated that over 100,000 workers
are employed at ship breaking yards worldwide. Of the approximate 45,000 ocean-going ships in the world about 700
are taken out of service every year. At the end of their sailing life, ships are sold so that the valuable steel – about 95%
of a ships mass can be reused.
Benefits from Ship breaking
Shipbreaking plays an important role in the national economy for a number of reasons:
 Scrapping of ships provides the country’s significant source of steel and in doing so saves substantial amount
of money in foreign exchange by reducing the need to import steel materials.
At present Bangladesh has a demand metal / steels, but Bangladesh has no iron ore sources or mines, which
make ship scrapping is the inevitable and important source of raw materials.
 More than 350 re-rolling mills have been using ship scraps as their raw materials. The industry is currently
supplying more than 60 per cent of the raw materials for local steel industry. Besides, local shipbuilding
industry also largely depends on this as raw materials mostly are being used from scrap steel.
 A good number of local industries including heavy and light engineering already been developed depending
on ship breaking industry
 In some ways it can be considered a “green industry”. Almost everything on the ship and the ship itself is
recycled, reused and resold. The scrapping of ships supplies raw materials to steel mills, steel plate re-
manufacturing, asbestos re-manufacturing as well as providing furniture, paint, electrical equipment and
lubricants, oil to the number of businesses that have spouted up specifically as a result.
 It generates large amounts of revenue for various Government authorities through the payment of taxes. Every
year the Government collects revenue from the ship breaking industry through import duty, yards tax and
other taxes.
 Employment. Despite the conditions that the workers are employed under, this is an industry that employs
thousands of people directly while another 0.1 million people are involved indirectly. It provides employment
for some of the poorest people from the north of Bangladesh who would otherwise have no employment.
 These mainly economic benefits have made ship breaking a powerful industry. But these economic benefits
should be considered together with the social and environmental costs. Together, with better regulation ship
breaking can also bring social and environmental benefits.
 Every year the government of Bangladesh collects $120 million dollar taxes in revenue from the shipbreaking
industry through import duty, yards taxes and other taxes.
Challenge of shipbreaking industries:

 Impact of Biodiversity
 Oil pollution
 Threat to the terrestrial and marine environment
 Persistent organic pollutants
 Heavy metals exposure
 Affect physiochemical properties of seawater
 No job security & Employment relationship
 Less than minimum wages
 Lack of political support
 Shortage & improper usage of govt.’s resources.
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Index of the sheet

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

 Increased risk of respiratory illness and cardiovascular problems

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

 Household noises (such as mixers, TV, washing machines, etc.)

Cause of Environmental Pollution:

Consequence of Environmental Pollution:

Importance of Pollution study in geography:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Different between pollution and contamination.

According to chemical compositions

Causes of Air Pollution

Effect of Air Pollution

Major source of Air Pollution

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

2. Anthropogenic Sources: The anthropogenic sources of air pollution include-

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Difference between indoor and outdoor pollution

What is Indoor Air Pollution?

What are the major sources Indoor air pollution?

Discuss the health impact of indoor air pollution:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range.

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Discuss the role of green house gases in global warming ?

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Effects Of Ozone Layer Depletion

Types of water pollution:

Gournd water Contamination:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

List the difference source/causes of water Pollution

8. Blood cancer, Typhoid, Jaundice

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

 Irritation of the stomach and intestines

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

What is Ocean/ Marine Pollution?

Types of marine pollution:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Causes of Ocean Pollution

Effect of Ocean Pollution:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

The adverse effect off PCBs pollution:

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Agricultural Soil Pollution:

What are the pollutants that contaminate soil?

Toxic Metals that Cause Soil

Arsenic Mercury Lead

Antimony Zinc Nickel

Cadmium Selenium Beryllium

Thallium Chromium Copper

What are the Processes that Cause Soil Pollution?

 Decomposition plants and animals

Case study in soil pollution.

Discuss the major issue of soil degradation in Bangladesh.

What is a hazardous Waste?

1. Hazard wastes ( medical waste, Industrial waste)

GES : 2018-2019 A sheet from LIONS CAVE

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW):