RECAP OF PREVIOUS LECTURE

PHYSICAL COMPONENTS

Lithosphere rocks and

soils
Hydrosphere water
Atmosphere - air

Exponential growth of human

population began in the 1800s

Human population growth rate in percent

Human population growth issue

China & Mexico and India face more environment stress with
the highest population
Population growth rates are high in poor areas, whereas
resources consumption and well-being are low
Factors human population growth:
a.
Migration : the relocation of humans
b.
Developments
c.
Innovation in agriculture increased food supply
Managing population growth
a.
Family planning
b.
Development and population economic development,
education

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Environmental Problem:

POLLUTION

What is pollution?
Where does it come from?
Any addition to air, water, soil, or food that threatens the
health, survival, or activities of humans or other living
organisms
The particular chemical or form of energy that causes such
harm is called pollutant

Most pollutants are solid, liquid, or gaseous by-products or

wastes produced when resource is extracted, processed,
made into products, or used
Pollution can also take the form of unwanted energy
emissions, such as excessive heat, noise or radiation

Environmental Problem:

SOIL POLLUTION

Defined as the build-up in soils of persistent toxic

compounds, chemical, salts, radioactive materials, or
disease causing agents, which have adverse effects on
human, plant growth, and animal health
The wars the hit the Earth are one of the immediate
causes of soil pollution
Many countries found the necessity to improve their
living standards

After the WWII (1945), may countries suffered from food

shortage and this facilitated the introduction of fertilizers
and other agricultural chemicals

Environmental Problem:

SOIL POLLUTION

Sources / Types of soil contamination

Rupture of underground storage tanks (i.e. septic tanks,
etc.)
Application of pesticides
Percolation of contaminated surface water to subsurface
strata
Oil and fuel dumping
Leaching of wastes from landfills
Direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil

Environmental Problem:

SOIL POLLUTION

Examples
Pesticides such as DDT
(dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a potent nerve poison
in insect was widely used to combat fever and malaria
It was later used to control and/or eradicate disease
carrying and crop eating insects
Effects: DDT prevents the shelling of bird eggs and in
human causes health threats

Environmental Problem:

SOIL POLLUTION

Examples
Arsenic, used by the glass industries is also a pollutant
(very poisonous)
Arsenic are used to eliminate the green color caused
by impurities of iron compounds
Other examples: heavy metals such as lead, iron,
chromium, copper, zinc although small traces are
necessary for plant growth, high concentrations of
these compounds renders the land unsuitable for plant
growth

Environmental Problem:

SOIL POLLUTION

Impacts of Soil Pollution

Radical chemistry changes, manifested in the alteration
of metabolism of endemic microorganisms and
arthropods resident in a given soil environment
Disruption of the food chain
Alter plant metabolism, reducing crop yields
More economic losses

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans,

and ground water by human activities

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Categories of Water Pollution

Point source pollution contaminants that enter a waterway
through a discrete conveyance, such as ditch or pipe (sewerage
treatment plant, factory, etc.)
Non-point source pollution diffuse contamination that does not
originate from a single discrete source. It is often accumulative
effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area
Ground water pollution groundwater contamination;
contamination of aquifers

Example: spill of chemical contamination of soil, located away from

a surface water body, may not necessarily create point source or
non-point source pollution, but nonetheless, may contaminate the
aquifer below

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Causes of Water Pollution

Pathogens

Coliform bacteria
Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Salmonella
Novovirus and other viruses
Parasitic worms (helminths)

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Causes of Water Pollution

Chemicals and other contaminants

Detergents
Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected
drinking water, such as chloroform
Food processing waste (i.e. fats and greases)
Insecticides and herbicides
Petroleum hydrocarbons (i.e. gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels,
fuel oil)
Lubricants (motor oil)
Chemical waste industrial by-products

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Causes of Water Pollution

Chemicals and other contaminants

Fuel combustion by-products
Tree and bush debris from logging operations
Volatile organic compounds (industrial solvents, chlorinated
solvents
Acidity caused by industrial discharges (sulfur dioxide from
power plants)
Ammonia from food processing waste
Chemical waste industrial by-products
Fertilizers containing nitrates and phosphates
Heavy metals
Silt (sediment) in runoff from construction sites, logging,
slash and burn practices or land clearing sites

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Causes of Water Pollution

Macroscopic pollution

Large visible items polluting waters (marine debris)

Trash (i.e. paper, plastic, food waste)
Nurdles (small ubiquitous waterborne pellets)
shipwrecks

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Causes of Water Pollution

Thermal pollution
Rise or fall in the temperature of a natural body of water
caused by human influence
Common cause: use of water as a coolant by power plants
and industrial manufacturers
Also caused by the release of very cold water from the
base of reservoirs into warm rivers

Environmental Problem:

WATER POLLUTION

Impacts of Water Pollution

Unsuitable for human consumption

Can cause diseases (i.e. cholera, typhoid, gastroenteritis,
diarrhea, parasitic infection)
Corrosion potential of water
Problematic for certain irrigated crops, reduced crop
yields
Affects biodiversity (i.e. aquatic organisms, birds feeding
on aquatic animals)
Blockage of drains, overflowing sewerage systems

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological

materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living
organisms, or damages natural atmosphere, into the atmosphere

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Most common air pollutants in the air

Sulfur oxides (SOx) e.g. sulfur dioxide (SO2-; SO2)
Anthropogenic sources: industrial processes,
combustion of coal and petroleum
Natural sources: volcanic eruption
Effects: combined with NO2 will cause acid rain
(H2SO4)
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) e.g. nitrogen dioxide (NO2);
the most prominent air pollutant; reddish-brown toxic
gas that has a sharp, biting odor
Anthropogenic sources: high temperature
combustion

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Most common air pollutants in the air

Carbon dioxide (CO2) (vital to living organisms)

Anthropogenic sources: combustion
Natural sources: plants and animals (natural gas in
the atmosphere)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very
poisonous gas
Anthropogenic sources: combustion
Natural sources: by-products of plants chemical
processes

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Most common air pollutants in the air

Volatile organic compounds e.g. methane (CH4),
benzene, tuolene, xylene
Anthropogenic sources: combustion, industrial
processes
Natural sources: plants and animals

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
harmfil to the ozone layer
Anthropogenic sources: industries (aerosol
propellants, cleaning solvents; refrigerants; plastic
blowing agents, etc.)

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Most common air pollutants in the air

Ammonia NH3-; gas with a pungent odor

Anthropogenic sources: pharmaceutical industries
Natural sources: agricultural processes (use of
fertilizers)

Environmental Problem:

AIR POLLUTION

Impacts of Air Pollution

Human health - breathing/respiratory diseases
(emphysema, bronchitis), inflammation of epithelial
linings, long-term exposure causes cancer, asthma,
respiratory infections, pulmonary disease, cardiovascular
disease
Environmental global warming and climate change

EXAMPLE OF WORLDS WORST CASE INCIDENT/DISASTER

THE GREAT SMOG OF 1952 - December 1952, London

To cope up with the very cold winter, Londoners burned more coal than usual
The resulting air pollution was trapped by the inversion layer formed by the dense
mass of cold air, thereby increasing the concentrations of pollutants dramatically
Fog was so thick, driving became almost impossible
Decreased visibility resulted to more crimes
During the 4-day period of fog, at least 4,000 died as a direct result of the weather

EXAMPLE OF WORLDS WORST CASE INCIDENT/DISASTER

MALAYSIAS HAZE PROBLEM 1997-98

Cause: Forest fire in Sumatra, Indonesia, (manmade, to clear forest for oil palm
plantation?)
The haze formed when sulphides, nitrous oxides, and ash released by burning are
combined with the industrial pollution and exhaust from cities
Pollution index = 500 (first time in Malaysia); 200,000 people were hospitalized
Affected other countries in the region = $9.3 B economic losses