> Natural processes can take more than 500 years to form one inch soil. LAND AND NOISE POLLUTION ee ee ee ee ee ee mrt Of top LAND POLLUTION Land pollution Lithosphere Land uses Land Degradation Control of land pollution Noise and sound Characteristics of sound Noise pollution and sources Measurement of sound Effects of Noise pollution Control of Noise pollution Thermal Pollution Multiple choice questions Review Questionsand Noise Pollution 7 LAND POLLUTION : a 283 soil is a natural layer on the surface of the earth, consisting of clay, silt nd ane gravel. It is the environment for plant root system and soil organisms. 4 provides water and mineral salts to plants, Soil or land supports the life on the earth as it provides us with water, food and shelter. It is an esSential medium for development of agriculture, restry, vegetation, etc. Land is a major constituent of lithosphere, forming about Za of the th’s surface. This natural gift of land is under threat from various activities like iculture, industry and transportation, which produce a large amount of waste d various types of pollutants. Land pollution or Soil pollution may be defined as the addition of bstances to the soil which adversely affect, physical, chemical and biological perties of soil, reducing its fertility and productivity. ,2. LITHOSPHERE : The upper layer of the earth’s crust is called lithosphere. It is made up soil, minerals, rocks and organic as well as inorganic matter. The internal structure of the earth is conceived to be composed of three ncentric shells or layers called geospheres, namely * Crust "Mantle (40) ) * Core | Crust : * Crust is also known as lithosphere. * It is the thinnest outer solid shell. * The thickness of crust is about 5 to 40 km. The crust consists of light materials c.g., basalts and granites.284 Environmental-stugi, les ¢ The density of m The temperature of the crust is about 25°C and the pressure with; in it aterials is about 1500 kg/m is 1 atmosphere. Fig. 9.1 Inside the earth Mantle : * Mantle is also known as asthenosphere. * The thickness of mantle is about 2900 km. * It is composed of hot, dense ultrabasic igneous rocks in a plastic state. It has the ability to flow. * The density of materials is 5000 - 6000 kg/m3. 1290 km Inner core Fig. 9, '9- 9.2 Interior of the earth| od and Noise Pollution i a 285 + Core is also known as baryspher. | y e. + It is the densest central Part of the earth | arth. is composed e i . I is m one me mnner core and outer core. The inner core, 1290 km in radius, is solid and consist , : ion. Its density i= 16,000 hones S of heavy metals like nickel and + The Ce pcore Surrounding the inner core is 2200 km thick. It exists 8a liquid of density 12000 p/m? : + The temperature at the core is about 2500°C and the pressure is 4 x 106 atmosphere. 93 LAND USES : Ys (June 2009, Jan. 2013, Dec. 2013) All human and natural activities require space for their location and velopment, which is provided by land surface. Various uses of land are : 1. Residential purposes - to build different types of domestic buildings. 2. Commercial purposes - to build commercial centres. 3. Food production - by carrying out different agricultural activities. 4. Providing shelter for living beings to install different types of industries. 5. Industrial purposes which provide shelter and food for animals, birds and other living beings. 6. Forestation purposes construction of roads, railway lines, 7. Transportation purposes airports, etc. 8 Construction of irrigation structures - dams and canals 9. Thermal power stations. 10. Disposal of solid and liquid wastes.286 Though the pattern of land use varies from country to country; nMental sty, eg broadly the patten of land use on earth is as under = Y, Pattern of land use % land use Agricultural land 11% Pastures and meadows 22% Forest land 30 % Urban and non-agricultural land 37 % Total = 100 % e Land abuses : He 3. 6. ib (Dee. 2013) The fertile lands are used either for industries or for residential purposes, which may be called as abuse of land from environment perspectives. . Production of bricks in fertile land is also the abuse of land. Excavation of soil from fertile land for the construction of highway or railway embankment is also the abuse of land. Deforestation Overgrazing Mining and quarrying Overuse of irrigation water 9.4 LAND DEGRADATION : Q (June 2011, Jan. 2013, June 2014) The deterioration in the quality of land and. reduction in its fertility and productivity is called land degradation. The factors causing land degradation are : le 2. 3. Soil pollution. Soil erosion Salination and water loggingand And Neise Pollution 4, Shifting cultivation 5, Desertification 6. Urbanisation Soil pollution : Land pollution or Soil pollution may be defined as the addition of stances to the soil which adversely affect, physical, chemical and biological perties of soil, reducing its fertility and productivity. uses or sources of soil pollution : Disposal of domestic wastes Disposal of agricultural wastes Disposal of industrial wastes Use of pesticides for protecting crops Use of chemical and biological fertilizers Disposal of radioactive and nuclear wastes Disposal of biomedical wastes Intrusion of sea water Oil leakage from storage tanks, pipe lines ects of soil pollution : Change in physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Decrease in fertility and productivity. Pesticides, fungicides and some metallic elements like Cu, Hg, Pb, As, ete. are very harmful to the beneficial microorganisms in the soil, teducjng fertility of soil. Soil pollutants can clog the pores in the soil, which prevent air Circulation in the soil and hamper growth of beneficial microorganisms in the soil, reducing soil productivity.Exct e usi ri © soil either ~ ssive use of chemical fei tilizers make th ‘ither t ie . e: ° oo alkaline making it unfit for crop growth. . or t cid 2. Soil erosion = Loss or removal of the top layer of the soil by the action of Water, wing oss : y by the activities of man is termed as soil erosion. or Factors affecting soil erosion are : e Amout, intensity and distribution of rainfall : Very high rainfall in short duration and intensive rainfall causes more soil erosion. e Slope of the ground : The ground with steep slope causes more soil erosion, © Nature of soil : Soil erosion will be more in case of loose soil than dense and heavier soils. > , a © Vegetation cover : Vegetation cover reduce the run off and Prevent soil erosion. ° Soil mismanagement : Wrong methods of cultivation * Faulty methods. of surface irrigation * Over grazing * Forest fires, deforestation, ete. © = Salination and waterlogging ; Increase in the Concentration of soluble salts:in the soil is called salination. It adversely effects soi Productivity and degrades the quality of land. Salination is caused by a number of process, (1) Due to poor drainage, ill Salts from irrigation and flood water W' accumulate on the soil surface.\d Noise Pollution The salts from the lower layers move y 2) b : — and deposited on the surface, P by capillary action in summer g) In coastal regions, winds bring lot of salt fro . a m thus causing salination of the soil, raw water to land, Baste) "ios 8astric ulcers 2014 \ 35Envi 298 ronmenta Stig h rate of heart beat * Fluctuations in blood pressure and sugar 3. Psychological effects : These includes, * Annoyence, sleep interference (insomnia) * Depression, fatigue ° Mental stress ¢ Speech interference ¢ Effects on performance ¢ Decrease in efficiency 9.11 CONTROL OF NOISE POLLUTION Qe (Sept. 2009, Jan. 2010, May 2012, Dec, 2013) Noise is a serious Environmental problem and a health hazard, Noise po! can be effectively controlled by taking the following measures ;- (1) Control at Receiver’s End : luton People working in a noisy installations, ear-protection aid like ear-plugs, ear-muffs, noise helmets, headphones etc. must be provided to reduce occupational exposure. (2) Supression of Noise at source : If working methods are improved by : (a) (b) © (4) Using silencers to control noise from automobiles, ducts, exhausts ¢ (e) designing, @) Installing noisy meachines in sound proof chambers. Proper maintenance and lubrications of machine. Use of sound absorbing materials for covering noise-producing machines. sas, jisy ones: fabricating and using quieter machines to replace the noisy * - . ing. ie reducing noise from vibrating machine by vibration damplne + - “ th the damping materials e.g. rubber, neoprene, cork and plastic bene" machine.and Noise Pollution 3 299 cous . Silence zones near the educational, hospitals and res Increasing distance between so areas, bus terminals and railwa: the residential areas would go q 3) idential area should require, urce and rec planting Trees : ] planting green trees along the roadside, near hos; 7 . Pitals, schools, educational tions etc. help in noise reduction, itu P ra Sound Insulation at construction Stages ; 5) So ® (@) Gap between the door and wall should be packed with sound absorbing material. (b) In sound proof recording rooms, acoust tical tiles, perforated plywood etc can be fixed on walls and ceilings ete. (6) Legislative Measures : Strict legislative measures need to be enforced to reduce noise pollution. (a) Framing a separate Noise Pollution Act, (bt) Minimum use of loud speakers and amplifiers especially near silence zones. 312, THERMAL POLLUTION : An increase in the optimum temperature of water or air by human activities is called thermal pollution. © Causes ; The main causes of thermal pollution are : ") Thermal power plants : H juantity Some thermal power plants use coal as fuel. They require large q i i sed into nearly of Water for cooling their generator. This hot water is releas Steam or river. ) Industrial effluents : Industries g for generatin e large amount of cooling water ig electricity requir g f th ‘i id soc Ii gar, textile, paper an © Temoval of heat. Some other industries like sugar, "IP ete, also release hot water. SS300 Environments (3) Hydroelectric power plants Ss (4 (5) (6) The operation in hydro-electric power generation also Tesults ; thermal loading of water bodies. sin Meng Nuclear power plants : Nuclear power plants emit a large amount of heat and traces radio active substances into nearby water bodies, of toxig Domestic sewage : The municipal water sewage normally has a higher temperat receiving water. With the increase in temperature of the Teceivi the dissolved oxygen (DO) content decreases and the demand oO increases and anaerobic conditions occur. Ure thay MB Water f Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide (CO) : Carbon dioxide produced during the combustion of fuel in houses automobiles, factories, power plants, etc. It is also released by animals and plants in the process of respiration. The CO, released, increases the temperature of atmosphere and cause global warming. Effects : 1. Many organisms are killed instantly by the hot water and disturb the river ecosystem. 2. Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water and affect the river's flora and fauna. 3. With the increase in temperature of the receiving water the dissolved oxygen (DO) content decreases and the demand of oxygen increases and anaerobic conditions occur. 4. The egg of fish may hetch early or fail to hatch at all. 5. It may change the diurnal and seasonal behavior and metabolic respons? of organisms. 6. It may lead to unplanned migration of aquatic animals. 7. Rise in temperature of atmosphere may lead to global warming and melting of polar ice caps.and Noise Pollution nd Control of thermal pollution 301 some viable methods of Controlling ther, mal poltuti cooling, ponds : Pollution are as follows : ; Heated water is discharged into Cooling pong : nd e jl is dissipated into the atmosphere, OF teservoir from where heat oling towers : p, © . " e cet cooling towers are used to dissipate the heat of war discharged into stream or river, ™ water before it is 4 Artificial lake = Artificial lakes are man-made bodies of water. The heated eff] pe discharged into the artificial lake at one ¢ ee purposes may be withdrawn from other a ates for seoling The heat is eventually dissipated through evaporation. The thermal heat (rejected heat) of power plants can be used for : * industrial and space heating * fish culture, live stock shelters * for green house heating * for soil warming as biological applications, MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS !. Which one is the intensity level of noise ? @) Newton (b) Decibel (c) Pascal (d) Watt 1 ‘ * Sound becomes hazardous noise pollution at ® above 30 dBA (b) above 80 dBA , © above 100 dBA (d) above 120 dBA Our . nd wave is an example of (a) (b) Electromagnetic wave Transverse wave f these (d) None 0 G . ) Longitudinal waveEnviron; 302 ret 4, Which of the follow is an abuse of land tUdieg (a) Fertile land used for industries (b) Fertile land used for bricks is production (c) Excavation of soil from fertile land for making highways (@) All of these 5. Loss or removal of the superfical layer of soil by the action of wind or by the activities of man is termed as (Dee, ei (a) Soil pollution (b) Desertification (c) Salination (4) Soit ie 6. Among the given options, which one is not correct for the use of Ia amount of fertilizers and pesticides ? Wes, 2019) (a) They are eco friendly (b) They turn the fields barren after some time (c) They adversely affect the useful component from the soil (d) They destroy the soil fertility 7. Noise is (Dee. 2014) (a) Loud sound (b) Sound of high frequency (c) unwanted sound (d) Constant sound a ANSWERS ny REVIEW QUESTIONS 1. Explain different uses of land. (June 2009, Jan. 2013) degradation ? 2, What is land degradation and what are the causes of land ay (June 2011, Jan. 2013, June 20 3. Describe the unit of sound measurement, Discuss the ways to control noise pollution: (June 2010, June 2011, May 2012) 4. What are the effects of noise pollution 2(June 2009, Dec. 2010, Dee. 2013)4 Noise Pollution a AN e 303 nat do you underst | & and by aceopr p wh DY acceptable noise level ? Briefly describe the Tources and effects of noise pollu tio, " (Dec. 2010) How land pollution can be controlled 2 pescribe uses and overuses of land. (Dec. 2013) piscuss about effects of noise pollution and its control (Dec. 2013, June 2014) “GTU EXAM PAPER SOLUTION Dee. 2013 (b) 7. Loss or removal of the superficial layer of soil by the action of water wind or by the activities of man is termed as (a) Soil pollution (b) Desertification (c) Salination (d) Soil erosion @ (b) Describe uses and overuses of land and forest. s: Refer article 9.3 | (b) Discuss about effects of noise pollution and its control. ns.: Refer article 9.10, 9.1] KNOW THE FACTS An average soil sample consists of 45% minerals, 25% water, 25% air and 5% Mineral particles of different sizes, such as sand, silt and clay give soil its lexture, Ip break down organic matter in the soil. 000 years or more to decompose. Bacteria and fungi hel F | | organic matter. ' A modern glass bottle takes 4 Me fy ate oh he de oe |