POLLUTION

POLLUTION

Lagbunan, Gerlyn R. BIT-FPST II-2A

What is Environmental Pollution?

Environmental Pollution refers to any addition of

unwanted material in the environment due to
human activities that lead to undesirable changes
in the environment and ecology. For example,
sewage water being released in clean water
sources like tanks, rivers, etc. is an example of
water pollution.
What are Pollutants?

The different agents that cause environmental

pollution are called pollutants. Pollutants can be
chemicals, biological materials, or physical things
that get added into the environment by accident
that are directly or indirectly harmful to people
and other living things.
 Classification of the Pollution
On the Basis of Pollutants:
– Primary they persist in the form in which they are added to the environment e.g. DDT, plastic.
Persistence
Secondary Pollutants:
– Formed by interaction among the primary pollutants e.g. Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) is formed by
interaction of Nitrogen Oxides and Hydrocarbons.

On the Basis of Existence Quantitative Pollutants:

– Occur in nature and become pollutant when concentration reaches beyond a threshold level. E.g.
in Nature Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide.

Qualitative Pollutants:
– These are man-made and do not occur in nature. E.g. fungicides, herbicides, DDT etc .

The Basis of Biodegradable Pollutants:

– Waste products or the pollutants which are decomposed/ degraded by natural processes microbial
Biodegradability On action. E.g. sewage.

Non-Biodegradable Pollutants:
– The pollutants which don’t decompose naturally or decompose slowly e.g. DDT, Aluminium cans.

On the Basis of Origin Natural:

– These pollutants are released during natural processes, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires, grass
fires, etc.

Anthropogenic:
– These pollutants are released during anthropogenic activities, such as CO2 emission from the
burning of fossil fuels.
Effects of Environmental Pollution

• Pollution affects the very factors that support life on the ear, such as
the air we breathe, the water we drink, and, at large, the ecosystems
we depend upon. Thus, it poses a threat to life on the earth.
• Pollution poses one of the greatest challenges to the health of
humans and other living beings.
• Though it affects the overall well-being of the entire society,
vulnerable sections like the poor, the children, the women, etc are
affected disproportionately by it.
• Pollution has negative impacts on the economy as well. For example,
as per a study, water pollution would cause a loss of around 6% of
India’s GDP by 2050 due to loss in sectors like fishing, agriculture,
water-intensive industries etc.
• Other socio-economic impacts of pollution include food insecurity
due to decreased agricultural yield, forced migration due to water
crisis, etc.
Causes of Environmental Pollution

• Rapid increase in human population has increased anthropogenic activities by

manifold. Most of these activities, in some way or the other, add some unwanted
things to the environment.
• Rapid urbanization in recent times has led to increased construction activities. This, in
turn, is causing environmental pollution in different ways, such as the release of dust
in the air, the generation of waste materials, etc.
• Increased population and urbanization have meant increased transportation
activities. This, in itself, is a major source of pollution.
• An increased focus on industrialization of late is leading to rapid generation of
industrial wastes and emissions, and hence environmental pollution.
• Some agricultural activities also lead to environmental pollution. For example,
excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides not only pollutes the soil but also nearby
water bodies due to spillover.
• There are many other causes of environmental pollution, such as the Burning of fossil
fuels, increased use of chemicals, etc.
Types of Pollution
Depending on the source as well as destination of the pollutants, there are various types of
pollution. Some major of them can be seen as follows:

Air Pollution
• As per WHO, Air Pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by
any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the
atmosphere.
• According to WHO data, 99 percent of the world’s population breathes air that contains
high levels of pollutants and exceeds WHO guideline limits, with low and middle-income
countries experiencing the highest exposures.
Causes of Air Pollution
• Industrial emissions, household emissions , motor vehicles emissions, forest fires etc
are some common sources of air pollution.
• Pollutants of major public health concern include Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide,
Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Sulphur Dioxide.
Measures Taken to Control Air Pollution
• The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
• Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System
(CAAQMS)
• Green Crackers developed by CSIR-NEERI
• The Great Green Wall of Aravalli
• Some states like Delhi has built Smog Towers to tackle air
pollution.
Water Pollution
Water pollution refers to release of unwanted substances into subsurface groundwater or into water
bodies like lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to a level which negatively impacts the beneficial
use of the water or natural functioning of ecosystems.

When harmful chemicals or microorganisms contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other
body of water, the water’s quality deteriorates and it becomes toxic for both humans and the
environment.

• Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels drop, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) rises, aquatic species perish,
eutrophication occurs, etc. as a result of water pollution.
Causes of Water Pollution
• Agriculture is one of the primary sources of water pollution. Animal waste from farms and livestock
operations, pesticides, and fertilizers wash nutrients and pathogens like bacteria and viruses into our
waterways.
• More than 80 percent of the world’s wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or
reused, according to the United Nations.
• Nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil spills over into marine environments.
• Radioactive substances generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants and the hospitals that use
radioactive materials for research and medicine. These waste can persist in the environment for thousands
of years, making disposal a major challenge.
Measures Taken to Control Water Pollution
International Measures to Tackle Water Pollution
• International Conventions to Mitigate Marine Pollution
• Convention on Dumping Wastes at Sea or London Convention (1972)
• The 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by the Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, also
known as “LC ’72” or the “London Convention,”
• United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLoS).

Measures Taken in India to Tackle Water Pollution

• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974:
• Initiatives to rejuvenate rivers, like Ganga Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan etc.
• Initiatives taken by the Central Pollution Control Board to tackle contamination and over-exploitation of
groundwater.
Noise Pollution
• Noise Pollution is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as noise that is louder than 65 decibels
(dB).
• Precisely speaking, noise becomes harmful above 75 dB and painful above 120 dB Thus, it is advised to keep
noise level below 65 dB during the day.
• An ambient noise level advisable for the nighttime is 30 dBas restful sleep cannot be achieved with noise
levels above this.
• The current status of noise pollution all over the world can be seen through the United Nations Environment
Programme’s report titled ‘Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches’ which enlist the noisiest cities in
the world.
Suggested Measures to Control Noise Pollution Suggested Measures to Tackle Soil Pollution
• Suppression of noise at the source • Promote eco-friendly practices in business, agriculture,
• Acoustic zoning and stock breeding and other sectors of the economy.
• Sound insulation at construction sites • Ensure an efficient transportation and treatment of
• Planting trees wastewater through proper urban planning.
• Strict legislative measures. • Increase topsoil conservation, landscape restoration,
• Mining waste management.
Soil Pollution
• The contamination of soil with abnormally high
concentrations of toxic substances is referred to as soil
pollution.
• Given the numerous health risks it contains, it is a serious
environmental concern. For instance, exposure to soil
with high Benzene concentrations increases the risk of
developing Leukaemia.

Causes of Soil Pollution

• Phenomena such as loss of organic carbon, erosion,
increased salt content, acidification, compacting, and
chemical pollution are the major causes of current soil
degradation.
Radioactive Pollution Light Pollution
• When radioactive elements are accidentally present in the • Light pollution is the presence of inappropriate,
environment or atmosphere and pose a risk to the unwanted and excessive artificial lighting.
ecosystem owing to radioactive decay, this is known as • Too much light pollution has negative impacts on the
radioactive pollution. environment and human health, obstructs
• The radioactive materials create damage by releasing astronomical research, disturbs ecosystems, and
potentially harmful ionizing radiation into the environment, wastes energy.
such as Alpha or Beta particles, gamma rays, or neutrons. • Specific categories of light pollution include light
clutter, light trespass, over-illumination, glare and sky
glow.
Causes of Radioactive Pollution • To overcome these challenges, use of Led lights,
• Nuclear Accidents from Nuclear Energy Generation Plants reduce the use of decorative lighting, minimise the use
• Use of Nuclear Weapons as Weapons of Mass Destruction of light etc.
(WMD) Nitrogen Pollution
• Use of Radioisotopes in Health and other sectors. • Nitrogen pollution results from an overabundance of
• Mining nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrous
• Spillage of Radioactive Chemicals oxide. Sometimes, the usage of synthetic fertilizers
• Cosmic Rays and Other Natural Sources causes this pollution.
• Nuclear Waste Handling and Disposal • Another possible cause is the breakdown of large
quantities of animal manures and slurry, which are
frequently present in intensive livestock units.
• It may have detrimental effects on our climate, the
ecosystem, and health.
Suggested Measures to Tackle Nitrogen Pollution
• Use climate and nature-friendly growing methods and avoid
using synthetic fertilisers.
• Support organic and agro-ecological farmers in order to
promote farmers to transition to a future with less nitrogen.