ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Human p= Man-made sources Air pollution is caused by
opulation size has grown enormously. This means the burning of combustion material in
increase in demand for food, water, home, factories, vehicles and power plants. Air
electricity, roads, automobiles and numerous other pollution is caused by 50% of vehicle
commodities. These demands are exerting exhaust smoke Vehicles produce high levels
tremendous pressure on our natural resources, and of pollutants like carbon monoxide, carbon
are also contributing to pollution of air, water and dioxide, nitrogen oxides and smoke.
soil. Carbon monoxide is produced from
incomplete burning of fuels such as petrol
POLLUTION and diesel. It is a poisonous gas. It reduces
Pollution is any undesirable change in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
physical, chemical or biological Smog is made up of smoke and fog. Smoke
characteristics of air, land, water or soil. may contain oxides of nitrogen which
Agents that bring about such an undesirable combine with other air pollutants and fog to
change are called as pollutants. Example: form smog. The smog causes breathing
Carbon dioxide, Carbon monoxide, Sulphur difficulties such as asthma, cough and
dioxide, Lead, etc. wheezing in children
In order to control environmental pollution,
the Government of India has passed the Petroleum refineries are a major source of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to gaseous pollutants like sulphur dioxide and
protect and improve the quality of our nitrogen dioxide.
environment (air, water and soil).
Types of pollution Sulphur dioxide is produced by combustion
Air pollution of fuels like coal in power plants. It can cause
Water pollution respiratory problems, including permanent
Soil and land pollution lung damage
Sound or noise pollution
Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCS) are used in
AIR POLLUTION refrigerator, CFCs damage the ozone layer of
Air is a mixture of gases.78% of this mixture the atmosphere
is nitrogen and about 21% is oxygen. Carbon
dioxide, argon, methane, ozone and water Acid rain corrodes the marble of the
vapour are also present in very small monument. The phenomenon is also called
quantities. Marble cancer
Air is contaminated by unwanted substances
which have a harmful effect on both the The outer surface of the Taj mahal has been
living and the nonliving; it is referred to as turning the yellowish due to atmospheric
air pollution. The substances which pollution and also due to excessive presence
contaminate the air are called air pollutants. of Sulphur Dioxide
In India, the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act came into force in 1981. Ammonia gas released from synthetic
Sources of Pollution can be divided into two fertilizer factories affect the human
types respiratory tract.
Natural Sources
Man-made sources Hydrocarbons are released when burning
Natural Sources coal and petroleum product
Some of the natural sources of air pollution Acid Rain
are volcanic eruptions, forest fires, fog, When the pH value of the rainwater drops
organic compounds from plants, sea salt. below 5.6, it is called acid rain
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Burning of fossil fuels like Coal, Oil, petrol Industrial wastes
produces harmful gases like SO2 and The surface run off
NO2.This pollutes air in the atmosphere. It Thermal and nuclear power stations
causes rain to be acidic. Oil spills
Acid Rain is caused by emissions of Sulphur Domestic sewage
dioxide and Nitrogen oxide Domestic sewage
Acid rain causes respiratory issues in Sewage from our homes as well as from
animals and humans. hospitals are likely to contain many
Acid rain causes the corrosion of water undesirable pathogenic microorganisms, and
pipes. Which further results in leaching of its disposal into a water without proper
heavy metals such as iron, lead and copper treatment may cause outbreak of serious
into drinking water. diseases, such as, dysentery, typhoid,
Acid rain damage buildings and other jaundice, cholera, etc.
structures made of stone or metal. The Taj Eutrophication
Mahal in India has been affected by acid rain. Body of water becomes enriched in
Acid rain removes basic nutrients such as dissolved nutrients (such as phosphates and
Calcium from the soil nitrates) that stimulate the growth of aquatic
plant life usually resulting in the depletion of
NOISE POLLUTION dissolved oxygen.
In India, the Air (Prevention and Control of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Pollution) Act came into force in 1981, but Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the
was amended in 1987 to include noise as an amount of dissolved oxygen needed by
air pollutant. aerobic biological organisms to break down
Noise pollution is emission of loud sound organic material present in a given water
which can harmfully impact the humans as sample at certain temperature over a
well as animal activities for health specific time period.
Unit of sound is Decibel (db.)
The loudness of a sound that a person can SOIL AND LAND POLLUTION
withstand without discomfort is about 80 db Soil pollution is defined as the change in
Causes of Noise pollution physical, chemical and biological conditions
Transport system the main source of noise of the soil through human activities,
pollution in urban areas resulting in the degradation in quality and
Aircraft noise productivity
Noises from construction works All waste that we generate can be
Noises from industries categorized into three types –
Firecrackers o Bio-degradable
Effects of noise pollution o Recyclable
Permanent hearing loss o The non-biodegradable.
Insomnia Example of biodegradable waste:
Depression-related diseases Human and animal waste, food waste, paper
waste, Remains from the death of living
WATER POLLUTION creatures, Organic wastages.
Human beings have been abusing the water- Example of Non-biodegradable waste:
bodies around the world by disposing into Polyethylene bags, Glass, Metals like
them all kinds of waste. aluminium, copper, zinc, iron, Electronic
Government of India has passed the Water devices, computer parts, batteries, Medical
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, waste, Plastic bags, plastic bottles.
1974 to safeguard our water resources. Causes of soil pollution
Sources of water pollution Acid rain
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Deforestation The amount of methane in the atmosphere
Industrial activities has doubled since the after the 18th century.
Mining activities Scientists believe that this rise in
Accidental oil spills temperature is leading to deleterious
Modern agriculture practices changes in the environment and resulting in
Electronic wastages odd climatic changes (example- El Nino
Disposal of coal Ash effect) , thus leading to increased melting of
Effect of soil pollution polar ice caps as well as of other places like
Reduce Soil fertility the Himalayan snow caps. Over many years,
Reduce nitrogen fixation this will result in a rise in sea level that can
Public health problems submerge many coastal areas.
Poisonous Chemicals entering groundwater We can control global warming
Control of land pollution The measures include cutting down use of
Irreparable computers and other electronic fossil fuel, improving efficiency of energy
goods are known as electronic wastes (e- usage, reducing deforestation, planting trees
wastes). Recycling is the only solution for and slowing down the growth of human
the treatment of e-waste. population. International initiatives are also
Production and use of natural fertilizers being taken to reduce the emission of
Afforestation greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Follow 3R(Reduce reuse recycle)
Solid waste management is important to OZONE Layer Depletion
prevent land pollution Ozone (O3) is an allotropic form of oxygen.
Unlike the normal diatomic molecule of
GREENHOUSE EFFECT AND GLOBAL WARMING oxygen, ozone is poisonous
The greenhouse effect is a naturally Three molecules of oxygen combine to form
occurring phenomenon that is responsible ozone which forms a layer in stratosphere.
for heating of Earth’s surface and And it acts as a shield absorbing ultraviolet
atmosphere. In case without greenhouse radiation from the sun.
effect the average temperature at surface of Ozone gas is continuously formed by the
Earth would have been a chilly –18°C rather action of UV rays on molecular oxygen, and
than the present average of 15°C. also degraded into molecular oxygen in the
The present average temperature of earth is stratosphere. There should be a balance
15 °C (59F) between production and degradation of
Important Greenhouse gases and effects are ozone in the stratosphere.
Water vapor (30-70%) The balance has been disrupted due to
Carbon dioxide (9-26%) enhancement of ozone degradation by
Methane chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).CFCs find widely
Nitrous oxide (N2O) used as refrigerants. This has resulted in
Chlorofluorocarbons(CFC) formation of a large area of thinned ozone
Increase the level of greenhouse gases has layer, commonly called as the ozone hole
led to considerable heating of Earth leading The thickness of the ozone in a column of air
to global warming. During the past century, from the ground to the top of the
the temperature of Earth has increased by atmosphere is measured in terms of Dobson
0.6oC, most of it during the last three decades units (DU).
The largest contributing source of Some of the Ozone depleting substances are
greenhouse gas is the burning of fossil fuels Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
leading to the emission of carbon dioxide Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
from industries, automobiles and domestic. hydrobromoflurocarbons (HBFCs)
Halons.
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Methyl bromide. The earth is surrounded by huge blanket of
Carbon tetrachloride. air is called atmosphere
Methyl chloroform. Part of earth having water resources like
Effects of Ozone layer Depletion ocean, river, pond and lakes are called
It causes aging of skin, damage to skin cells Hydrosphere
and various types of skin cancers – The part of the earth where all life is found is
Immune deficiency disorders called the biosphere
In human eye, cornea absorbs UV-B Lichens used as air pollution indicator
radiation, and a high dose of UV-B causes Pollution of river water is measured by
inflammation of cornea, called snow- dissolved amount of Oxygen
blindness, cataract, etc. E-wastes are generated from Discarded
UV rays also affect plant growth and electronic equipment
reducing agricultural productivity. Ecosystem consists of producers, consumers,
Decomposers and Abiotic factors
MONTREAL PROTOCOL Energy flows in an Ecosystem is always
Recognizing the deleterious affects of ozone unidirectional
depletion, an international treaty, known as Largest share in global mangrove areas are
the Montreal Protocol, was signed at found in Indonesia
Montreal (Canada) in 1987 (effective in The Montreal Protocol is a global agreement
1989) to control the emission of ozone to protect the stratospheric ozone layer
depleting substances. The ‘thickness’ of Ozone layer is measured in
Dobson unit
KYOTO PROTOCOL The ozone layer is a region of Earth's
The Kyoto Protocol is an international stratosphere that absorbs the Sun's
agreement setting targets for industrialized ultraviolet radiation
countries to cut their greenhouse gas Ozone Layer is made up of three oxygen
emissions. Certain gases like Carbon dioxide, atoms
Methane, Hydro-flour carbons etc. are Food chain Start with producers
considered at least partly responsible for In food chain humans are Primary and
global warming - the rise in global secondary consumer
temperature which may have catastrophic Bacteria and fungi are called Decomposers
consequences for life on Earth. Food web is Interlinked arrangement of food
The protocol was agreed to in 1997 in Kyoto chain
in Japan, based on principles set out in The major pollutant from automobile
UNFCCC. exhaust is carbon monoxide
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Acid rain is formed due to the contribution
Japan on 11 December 1997 and entered from oxides of Sulphur and nitrogen
into force on 16 February 2005. Source of geothermal Energy is Earth
Problem of solid waste disposal can be
IMPORTANT ONE LINER reduced through Recycling
World environment day is celebrated on Sewage treatment is the process of
June 5 treatment of wastewater
World Wetland Day is celebrated on Gas that traps heat in the atmosphere is
February 2 called Greenhouse gases. These greenhouse
International Day for biodiversity is gases include water vapor, CO2, methane,
observed On May 22 nitrous oxide (N2O), Chlorofluorocarbons
Two components of ecosystem are Abiotic Greenhouse gas chlorofluorocarbon is
and biotic. produced from Refrigerator
\The term Ecology was coined by Haeckel Lichen is the best indicator of SO2 pollution
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