ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION

Lecture 6 7 and 8
Environment:
The term environment refers to all the components
of the earth such as land, water and air, all living
and nonliving organisms and interactions among
them.
Ecosystem:
An ecosystem is all the living and nonliving things in a
certain area. All the plants and animals, even the
microorganisms that live in the soil, are living parts of an
ecosystem. Air, water, and rocks are nonliving parts of an
ecosystem.
Ecosystems are smaller parts of all the living environments
on Earth. Earth’s entire living environment is called the
biosphere.
 Definition
• Pollution is the introduction of
contaminants into a natural environment
that causes instability, disorder, harm or
discomfort to the ecosystem.
• Pollution can take the form of chemical
substances or energy such as noise, heat
or light
 Definition (contd)
• An unwanted change in the environment
which involves the physical, biological and
chemical changes involving air, water and
land which affects the human life in one way
or the other”.
• Pollution has become a serious issue after
World War II in developing countries due to
unchecked rapid industrialization.
• Pollution is the root cause of many diseases
that kill and disable living organisms.
A Broader View of Pollution
Contamination by
Industries
Pollution is everywhere.....
 Causes of Pollution

• Rapid growth in population

• Rapid industrialization
• Rapid urbanization
• Misuse of natural resources
• Natural phenomena like volcanic
eruption
• Transportation mechanism use
fossil fuels
 Types
❖ Air Pollution.
❖ Water Pollution
❖ Land/soil Pollution
❖ Nuclear Pollution
❖ Thermal Pollution
❖ Noise Pollution
❖ Littering (spilling of oils in oceans)
❖ Radioactive contamination
❖ Visual Pollution
WATER POLLUTION
Water Pollution….
 Water Pollution…
• Water pollution is the contamination of
water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans,
aquifers and groundwater).
• Water pollution occurs when pollutants are
discharged directly or indirectly into water
bodies without adequate treatment to
remove harmful compounds.
 Water Pollution…
• Water pollution affects plants and
organisms living in these bodies of water
• In almost all cases the effect is damaging
not only to individual species and
populations, but also to the natural
biological communities
Polluted Water…
 Sources of Polluted
Water…
• Domestic sewage.
• Human excrete, kitchen waste, soaps, detergents

• Industrial wastewater.
• Acids, alkali, bases, pesticides, fungicides, metal salts, animal body waste,
heavy metals

• Agricultural wastewater.
• Fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, silt
Other polluting agents
• Oil from oil spills
• Washing of automobiles
• Radioactive pollutants
• Minerals
• Fine soil particles
• Clay
• Hazardous waste
• Infectious organisms
 Water Pollutants….
• Petroleum hydrocarbons
• Plastics
• Pesticides
• Heavy metals
• Sewage
• Radioactive waste
• Thermal effluents
 Water Pollutants…
• Detergents
• Chloroform
• Food processing waste, (fats and grease)
• Insecticides and herbicides.
• Petroleum hydrocarbons, (gasoline, diesel
fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil).
• Lubricants (motor oil).
• From stormwater runoff.
 Effect of Heavy Metals on
Water
Cadmium:
Source: Ni-Cd battery and Gold ornaments industries
Effects: Absorbed on suspended water when ingested, cause itai-itai
diseases ( increased salvation, acute gastritis, liver and kidney
damage)
Lead:
Source: Lead acid industry battery, galvanic iron pipe connection and
plastic industry
Effects: poison, constipation, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, anemia
Mercury:
Source: alkali, thermometer industries and pharma
Effects: highly toxic methyl mercury, ingested by fish and cause nerve
and brain damage
 Effect of Heavy Metals on
Water
Inorganic Species:
Cyanide:
Source: metallurgical operations, like gold and
silver refinery, heat treatment industry
Effects: small dosage of cyanide cause
cyanohaemoglobin in blood
Ammonia:
Source: fertilizers, chemical industry, biological
degradation of vegetable matter add ammonia
Effects: ammonia increases pH of water causing
stomach disorder,
 Effect of Heavy Metals on
Water
Hydrogen Sulphide
Source: Detergent industry, decay of vegetable
matter decomposition of sulphide containing materials
Effects: it is toxic and have harmful effects on
human, bad odor and highly corrosive

Effect of Inorganic Matters

Pesticides:
Source: pesticides industry and farm drain
Effects: lead to cancer
 Preventing Water
Pollution…
• Primary Treatment
• Primary treatment is used to remove suspended and
floating solids from waste water by physical and
chemical method.
• i. Screening using bar screens and mesh screens floating,
suspended and coarse particles are removed passing sewage
water through it.
• ii. Slit and grit removal: sand and powdered glass called grit
are removed passing water through chamber. Heavier sand
and broken glass settle down by gravity.
• iii. Removal of oil and grease: sewage water is kept in
skimming tank and compressed air is blown through it. Oil and
grease form froth and float on the surface.
 Secondary Treatment

Activated sludge method:

• Waste water after sedimentation is mixed with activated
sludge (containing microorganisms and aerobic
bacteria) in a aeration tank.
• The mixture is treated by blowing air through it for
several hours.
• Aerobic conditions in the sewage are fully oxidized.
• Purified water and sludge is sent to tank where sludge
settle down.
• A part of sludge is used for purification of fresh water
while rest is pumped to sludge disposal tank.
 Tertiary Method:

It involves further purifications. It involves following

steps of dissolved salts, colloidal particles and gases
• Removal of phosphate is done by adding lime.
Precipitate of calcium phosphate is formed at pH of
10. ammonium salts are converted to Ammonia.
• Coagulation and sedimentation: colloidally disposed
particles are coagulated in a sedimentation tank by
adding alum or FeSO4. highly charged Fe2+ and Al3+
neutralize the charge on the colloidal particles.
• Al (OH)3 and Fe(OH)2 formed as flocculant
precipitates bring down the coagulation colloidal.
 Tertiary Method:

Filtration: the water is passed through conventional filter

beds filled with gravels, coarse sand and fine sand to remove
.
last traces of suspended matter
Degasification: Dissolved gases are moved by tricking the
water through a tall tower filled with a number of perforated
hot plates. Large surface area and heat liberates the
dissolved gases like NH3, CO2 etc.
Treating Polluted water…
Land POLLUTION
 Land Pollution
Land pollution is the degradation of earth’s land through
human misuse of the soil.
• Poor agriculture

• Digging up of important resources

• Industrial waste dumping

• Careless disposal of trash

 Land Pollution Mechanism

• Deposition of solid waste

• Accumulation of non biodegradable
materials
• Toxification of chemicals into poison
• Alteration of soil chemicals
composition
 Sources and Method

• Agriculture
• Mining and Quarrying
• Sewage sludge
• Dredged spoils
• Household
• Demolitions and construction
• Industrial
Soil misuse:
Soil erosion is when top soil is stripped of essential
nutrients need for plant and vegetable growth. When
soil erodes rich top layer called humus removed.
Recycling:
Recycling is extended to industry and municipal
wastes
Process for ferrous and non ferrous, paper, glass and
plastics are developed
Incineration:
Method of disposing solid waste. Waste is burned at
high temp in incinerator machine. Incinerator ash
contains high ratio of heavy metals
 Waste Disposal

A disposal of normally solids or semi solids materials

resulting from human and animal activities that are useless
unwanted or hazardous. This includes
Garbage: decomposable waste from food
Rubbish: non decomposable waste either combustible or
non combustible
Ashes: residues of the combustion of solid fuels
Large waste: demolition and contraction debris and trees
Industrial waste: chemicals, paints and sand
Mining waste: slag heaps and coal refuse piles
Agriculture waste: farm animal manure and crop residues
 Waste Management and
recycling
Recycling means using valuable raw materials like glass,
paper, tin and Aluminium over and over again so that they
need not be produced again from scratch.
Benefits of recycling are:
• Cutting down the amount of materials
• Reducing transport movements and air pollution
• Waste landfilling is less
• Reducing energy consumption from making new material
• Creating new jobs from recycling initiatives
NUCLEAR POLLUTION
 Nuclear Pollution

• Nuclear energy is a form of energy that released

by splitting of atoms.
• Radioactivity is a form of radiation.
• Some elements are naturally radioactive some
are to be made.
• Radioactivity is emitted when radioactive
element become unstable and began to decay
• When element decay it emits energy and small
particles.
• The time that it take foe half way of decaying
process is called half life
 Types of radiation

• Alpha particles can be blocked by a piece of paper and

human skin
• Beta particles can penetrate through the skin and
blocked by some pieces of glass and metal.
• Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and
damage cells and can be blocked easily by very thick
strong and massive piece of concrete.
 Sources and Method

• Nuclear power plants

• Nuclear weapons
• Transportation
• Disposal of nuclear waste
• Uranium mining
THERMAL POLLUTION
 Thermal Pollution

Heat produced from the industry is a major contribution

to the pollution
Heavy industry produce high amount of heat energy
Pollution of environment may be from:
• Raw materials of productivity (organic and inorganic
products
• Undergo different chemical reactions
• Heat energy is produced as a waste product
• Heat is released through into atmosphere
• Increase in temp of environment system
 Sources and Method

• Power plants creating

electricity from fossils fuel
• Water as cooling agent in
industrial facilities
• Deforestation of shoreline
• Soil erosion
NOISE POLLUTION
Noise Pollution..
 Noise Pollution

• Noise pollution is displeasing or excessive

noise that may disrupt the activity or
balance of human or animal life.
• Noise means disgust or discomfort hearing
from environment.
 Sources of Noise
Pollution…
• Machines.
• Transportation systems.
• Motor vehicles.
• Aircrafts.
• Trains.
• Poor urban planning.
Effects of Noise Pollution
• Noise pollution affects both health and behavior.
• Unwanted sound (noise) can damage
psychological health.
• Noise pollution can cause
• Annoyance
• Aggression .
• Hypertension .
• High stress levels .
• Hearing loss.
• sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects.
 Effects of Noise Pollution

• Chronic exposure to noise may cause

noise-induced hearing loss.
• Older males exposed to significant
occupational noise demonstrate
significantly reduced hearing sensitivity
than their non-exposed peers.
Controlling noise..
 A Single Solution…..
• Go green.
• Reduce
THANK YOU !!!