COURSE : BSC NURSING II YEAR

SUBJECT : COMMUNITY HEALTH

NURSING-I
UNIT : 2

TITLE : DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH

TOPIC : ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

BY
MRS.B.SHOBANA M.SC (N),
LECTURER.
 OBJECTIVES

 TO DEFINE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

 TO DISCUSS THE TYPES OF
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
 TO DISCUSS THE SOURCES AND CAUSES
OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
 TO EXPLAIN THE PREVENTION AND
CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
 INTRODUCTION

One of the greatest problems that the world is

facing today is that of environmental pollution,
increasing with every passing year and causing
grave and irreparable damage to the earth.
Developmental activities such as construction,
transportation and manufacturing not only
deplete the natural resources but also produce
large amount of wastes that leads to pollution of
air, water, soil, and oceans; global warming and
acid rains.
 DEFINITION
Environmental pollution is “the contamination of
the physical and biological components of the
earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that
normal environmental processes are
adversely affected.
•Environmental pollution consists of seven basic
types of pollution, namely,

Air pollution

Water pollution

Soil pollution

Marine pollution

Noise pollution

Thermal pollution

Nuclear pollution.
 AIR POLLUTION

DEFINITION
Air pollution may be defined as the presence of
any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise
and radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such
concentration that may be directly and indirectly
injurious to humans or other living organisms, plants,
property or interferes with the normal environmental
processes.
 TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION

Indoor air pollution

 tobacco smokes
 cooking and heating appliances
 vapours from building materials
Outdoor air pollution
 smog
 hole in the ozone layer
 acid rain
 greenhouse gases
 SOURCES

 Anthropogenic (man-made) sources: These are

mostly related to the burning of multiple types of
fuel.
 Stationary sources include smoke stacks
of power plants, manufacturing facilities
(factories) and waste incinerators.
 Mobile sources include motor vehicles, marine
vessels, and aircraft.
 Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol
sprays and other solvents
 .Waste deposition in landfills, which
generate methane
 Military resources, such as nuclear weapons
toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry.
 Natural sources:
 Dust from natural sources, usually large areas
of land with little or no vegetation
 Methane, emitted by the digestion of food
by animals, for example cattle
 Radon gas from radioactive decay within
the Earth's crust.
 Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires
 EFFECTS
The World Health Organization said that 2.4 million
people died because of the direct problems of air pollution.
Some of the problems include:
•Dizziness
•Headaches
•Burning, scratchy eyes
•Runny nose
•Coughing and hard breathing
•Sore throat
•Chest pains
•Allergies
•Pneumoconiosis
•Asthma
•Cancer
•Lung diseases
•Cardiovascular disease
•COPD
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC),  released from refrigerators,
air-conditioners, deodorants and insect repellents cause
severe damage to the Earth’s environment.  This gas has
slowly damaged the atmosphere and depleted the ozone
layer leading to global warming.
PREVETION AND CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION

 Prevention and control of indoor air pollution

 Prevention and control of industrial pollution

 Control of vehicular pollution

 WATER POLLUTION

DEFINITION
Addition or presence of undesirable substances
in water is called water pollution. Water pollution
is one of the most serious environmental
problems.
 SOURCES


Water pollution is the major source of water born
diseases and other health problems

Water pollution is caused by a variety of human
activities such as industrial, agricultural and
domestic.

Natural sources of pollution of water are soil
erosion, leaching of minerals from rocks and
decaying of organic matter.
 Humans pollute water with large scale disposal
of garbage, flowers, ashes and other household
waste. In many rural areas one can still find
people bathing and cooking in the same water,
making it incredibly filthy. 
 Acid rain further adds to water pollution in the
water.
 Rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, estuaries and
ground water sources may be polluted by point
or non-point sources
 CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION

•(a) The water requirement should be minimized by

altering the techniques involved.

• (b) Water should be reused with or without treatment.

•(c) Recycling of water after treatment should be practiced

to the maximum extent possible.

• (d) The quantity of waste water discharge should be

minimized.
• (e) Waste water from domestic or industrial
sources or from garbage dumps is generally
known as sewage.
• The sewage water can be treated to make it safe
for disposal into water bodies like rivers, lakes
etc. The treatment involves three stages:

1. Primary
2.Secondary and
3.Tertiary
 The four steps are of primary treatment. This
includes
1. sedimentation,
2. coagulation/flocculation,
3.filtration,
4.disinfection,
5.softening and
6.aeration.

Secondary treatment removes organic solids.
Effluents after secondary treatment may be clean but
contain large amounts of nitrogen, in form of ammonia,
nitrates and phosphorous .

The tertiary treatment is meant to remove nutrients,
disinfect for removing pathogenic bacteria, and aeration
removes hydrogen sulphide and reduce the amount of
carbon dioxide and make water healthy and fit for
aquatic organisms.
• This treatment of waste water or sewage is carried out
in effluent treatment plants especially built for this
purpose. The residue obtained from primary treatment
one known as sludge.
 SOIL POLLUTION

DEFINITION
Addition of substances which adversely
affect the quality of soil or its fertility is known as
soil pollution.
 SOURCES OF SOIL POLLUTION

 Plastic bags (cloth, glass, metal and organic

matter)
 Industrial sources (sewage, sewage sludge,
building debris, generated from households,
commercial and industries establishments)
 Agricultural sources(fertilizers and pesticides )
 CONTROL OF SOIL POLLUTION

Effluents should be properly treated before

discharging them on to soil.
Solid wastes should be properly collected and
disposed of by appropriate method.
From the wastes, recovery of useful products should
be done.
Microbial degradation of biodegradable substances
reduces soil pollution
 MARINE POLLUTION

DEFINITION
Oceans are the largest water bodies on
the planet Earth. Marine pollution,  also known
as Ocean pollutions, is the spreading of harmful
substances such as oil, plastic, industrial and
agricultural waste and chemical particles into the
ocean.
 CAUSES OF OCEAN POLLUTION

1. Sewage
2. Toxic Chemicals From Industries
(mercury,lead,nickle,arsenic)
3. Land Runoff and
4. Large Scale Oil Spills
5. Radioactive waste
6. Plastic waste
7.Pesticdes
8.Sediment plumes (by deep sea mining)
9.Heat
 TYPES OF POLLUTION

1.Acidification

2.Eutrophication

3.Plastic debris

4.TOXINS


Acidification
The oceans are normally a natural carbon sink
absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Because the
levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide are increasing, the
oceans are becoming more acidic.

Eutrophication
Eutrophication is an increase in
chemical nutrients, typically compounds
containing nitrogen or phosphorus, in an ecosystem.
It can result in an increase in the
ecosystem's primary productivity (excessive plant
growth and decay), and further effects including lack
of oxygen and severe reductions in water quality,
fish, and other animal populations.

Plastic debris
S
Discarded plastic bags, six pack rings and other
forms of plastic waste which finish up in the ocean
present dangers to wildlife and fisheries.


Toxins
Apart from plastics, there are particular problems
with other toxins that do not disintegrate rapidly in the
marine environment. Examples of toxins are PCBs,
DDT, TBT, pesticides, dioxins, phenols and radioactive
waste.
 EFFECTS OF MARINE POLLUTION

EFFECTS OF MARINE ANIMALS
•Cancer
•Skin irritation
•Lung and liver problems
•Behavioural changes
•Failure in reproductive system
•Disturbing the food chain

EFFECTS OF HUMAN
Animals from impacted food chain are than eaten by
humans which affects their health such as cancer, birth defects
and long term health problems
 PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF
MARINE POLLUTION
1. Stabilization of the ecosystem
2. Reutilization ,recycling of the waste
3. Removal of the pollutants
4. To control the oil pollution, following methods
• skimming
• by spreading a high density powder over the oil
patch, it can be sunk to the bottom
• biodegradation
• burning
• using a suitable absorbing material
5.Heat can be removed from condenser cooling
waters prior to their disposal into the marine
water.
6.Adopting appropriate methods to remove heavy
metals from the marine water.
7.Radioactive wastes can be removed or reduced
by the ion-exchange technique, precipitation of
radio nuclides.
8.The impact of deep sea mining can be minimize
or reduced by using proper mining techniques.
9.Industrial units should be equipped with pollution
control instruments.
10.Local communities near sea must protect sea.
 NOISE POLLUTION
DEFINITION
Noise by definition is “sound without value”
or “any noise that is unwanted by the recipient”.
Noise level is measured in terms of decibels
(dB). W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has
prescribed optimum noise level as 45 dB by day
and 35 dB by night. Anything above 80 dB is
hazardous.
 SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION

 INDOOR SOURCES
 OUTDOOR SOURCES

INDOOR SOURCES:
 Its include noise produced by radio, television,
generators, electric fans, air coolers, air conditioners,
different home appliances, and family conflict.
 Noise like other pollutants is a by product of
industrialization, urbanization and modern civilization.
OUT DOOR SOURCES:

 Its include indiscriminate use of

loudspeakers, industrial activities, automobiles,
rail traffic, aeroplanes and activities such as
those at market place, religious, social, and
cultural functions, sports and political rallies.
 In rural areas farm machines, pump sets are
main sources of noise pollution. During festivals,
marriage and many other occasions, use of fire
crackers contribute to noise pollution.
 EFFECTS OF NOISE
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that noise
can affect human health and well-being in a number of ways,
including

Annoyance reaction

Sleep disturbance

Interference with communication


Performance effects


Effects on social behaviour and


Hearing loss.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF NOISE
POLLUTION
•Road traffic noise can be reduced by better
designing and proper maintenance of vehicles.
•Noise abatement measures include creating noise
mounds, noise attenuation walls and well
maintained roads and smooth surfacing of roads.
•Retrofitting of locomotives, continuously welded rail
track, use of electric locomotives or deployment of
quieter rolling stock will reduce noises emanating
from trains.
•A green belt of trees is an efficient noise absorber 
•Air traffic noise can be reduced by appropriate
insulation and introduction of noise regulations for take
off and landing of aircrafts at the airport.
•Industrial noises can be reduced by sound proofing
equipment like generators and areas producing lot of
noise.
•Power tools, very loud music and land movers, public
functions using loudspeakers,etc should not be
permitted at night. Use of horns, alarms, refrigeration
units, etc. is to be restricted. Use of fire crackers which
are noisy and cause air pollution should be restricted.
 THERMAL POLLUTION
DEFINITION
Thermal pollution is defined as sudden
increase or decrease in temperature of a natural
body of water which may be ocean, lake, river or
pond by human influence.
 CAUSES OF THERMAL POLLUTION

• 1. Water as Cooling Agent in Power,

Manufacturing and Industrial plants
• 2. Soil Erosion
• 3. Deforestation
• 4. Natural Causes
EFFECTS OF THERMAL POLLUTION

Decrease in DO (Dissolved Oxygen) Levels

 Increase in Toxins
Loss of Biodiversity
Ecological Impact
Affects Reproductive Systems
Increases Metabolic Rate
Migration
COTROL MEASURES FOR THERMAL POLLUTION

1.Cooling towers:
Its transfer waste heat to the atmosphere
through evaporation and heat transfer. It consist
of two types (wet cooling tower, dry cooling
tower)
2.Cooling ponds:
Its manmade bodies designed for cooling by
evaporation,convection and radiation.
3.Cogeneration
It’s a process where waste heat is recycled
from domestic and industrial heating
purposes.
•Spray ponds:
The water coming out from condensers is allowed to
pass into the ponds through sprayers. Here water is
sprayed through nozzles as fine droplets. Heat from the
fine droplets gets dissipated to the atmosphere.
•Artificial lakes: 
Artificial lakes are man made water bodies that
offer once-through cooling. The heated effluents can be
discharged into the lake at one end and water for cooling
purposes may be withdrawn from the other end. The heat
is eventually dissipated through evaporation.
4.Spray ponds:
The water coming out from condensers is allowed
to pass into the ponds through sprayers. Here water is
sprayed through nozzles as fine droplets. Heat from the
fine droplets gets dissipated to the atmosphere.
5.Artificial lakes: 
Artificial lakes are man made water bodies that
offer once-through cooling. The heated effluents can be
discharged into the lake at one end and water for cooling
purposes may be withdrawn from the other end. The heat
is eventually dissipated through evaporation.
 NUCLEAR POLLUTION

DEFINITION
Nuclear pollution is pollution that contains
radioactive elements. Nuclear pollution may be
in the air, water or on land.
 CAUSES OF NUCLEAR P0LLUTION

 Nuclear power plants

 Nuclear experiments
 Transportation 0f Nuclear matters
 Use of Nuclear weapons
 Nuclear accidents
 Disposal of Nuclear waste in the environment
 EFFECTS 0F NUCLEAR POLLUTION

Effects on living organisms,

 skin diseases
 damages of reproductive organs
 abnormality in bone marrow
 destroys the retina of eyes
 shortening of life span
 CONTROL MEASURES

 Proper maintenance of nuclear plants

 Preventive nuclear experiments
 Safe transportation
 Ban usage of nuclear weapons
 Proper storage
 Minimize use of nuclear elements
 Extraction of radio active elements from nuclear
waste
 SUMMARY

Environmental pollution is a problem both

in developed and developing countries. Factors
such as population
growth and urbanization invariably place greater
demands on the planet and stretch the use of
natural resources to the maximum.
 REFERENCES
BOOK REFERENCES:
1.PARK’S “A TEXTBOOK OF PREVENTIVE AND
SOCIAL MEDICINE” 23 rd EDISION,
PUBLISHED BY BHANOT PUBLICATION.
2.S KAMALAM “ESSENTIALS OF COMMUNITY
HEALTH NURSING PRACTICE” 2 nd EDISION,
PUBLISHED BY JAYPEE PUBLICATION.
NET REFERENCES:
1. www.environmental pollution.com
THANK
YOU