What is Environmental Pollution?
• Environment Pollution is the addition of contaminants into the natural environment that causes detrimental effects to nature, natural resources, and humanity.
• Any unnatural and harmful changes in all the dimensions like chemical, physical and biological characteristics of any component of the ecosystem, i.e., air, water, or soil, which can cause harmful effects on various forms of life and property is called environmental pollution.
What is a Pollutant?
• Any substance which causes harmful effects or uneasiness in the organisms, then that particular substance may be called the pollutant.
The materials that cause pollution are of two types:
1. Persistent pollutants: Those pollutants which remain consistent in the environment for an extended period without any change in their original form are called persistent pollutants. For example, pesticides, nuclear wastes, and plastics, etc.
2. Non-persistent pollutants: These pollutants are the opposite of persistent pollutants and break down in a simple form. If living organisms do this process of breaking down, such pollutants are referred to as biodegradable pollutants.
From another perspective, pollutants can be classified as follows:
1. Primary Pollutants: Primary pollutants remain in the form in which they were added to the environment, forex. DDT, Plastic
2. Secondary Pollutants: Secondary pollutants are formed due to the interaction of primary pollutants amongst themselves, viz. PAN by the interaction of NOx & Hydrocarbons.
According to their existence in nature:
1. Quantitative Pollutants: These substances are already present in the atmosphere, but they become pollutants when their concentration level reaches a particular level above a threshold limit.
2. Qualitative Pollutants: These are artificial pollutants, e.g., Fungicides, herbicides, etc.
According to origin:
1. Manmade Pollutants
2. Natural Pollutants
According to the nature of disposal:
1. Biodegradable Pollutants
2. Non-biodegradable Pollutants
Types of pollution:
AIR POLLUTION:
• Air pollution is the presence of one or more disadvantageous content in such quantity and duration, as it is catastrophic, or tends to be catastrophic, to human health and welfare, animal or plant life.
• It is the contaminants of air by the discharge of detrimental substances.
Some of the air pollutants, their sources, and effects:
Name of the pollutants
Sources
Health effects
Nitrogen oxides
Industries, vehicles and power plants
Problems in the lungs, respiratory systems and cause asthma and bronchitis.
Carbon monoxide
Emission and burning of fossil fuels
Severe headache, irritation to mucous membrane, unconsciousness and death.
Carbon dioxide
Burning of fossil fuels
Vision problem, severe headache and heart strain.
Control measures
Control measures
• Policy measures.
• Modification of industrial process and selection of suitable fuels and their utilization.
• Collection of pollutants and convert them into less toxic forms by different methods.
Government initiatives
• National air quality monitoring program (NAMP).
• National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
WATER POLLUTION:
• Addition of certain substances such as organic, inorganic, biological, and radiological to the water, which degrades the water quality and makes it unhealthy for use.
• Water pollution is confined to surface water and spread to groundwater, sea, and ocean.
Sources
Point sources: These are directly pointed towards the water bodies from the source of origin of pollution and are thus easy to regulate.
Non-point sources: These sources are related to many diffuse sources and are thus challenging to regulate.
Some of the sources are:
• Industrial and community wastewater: Industries like mining, iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, food processing, soap and detergent, and paper and pulp.
• Agricultural sources, thermal pollution (discharge of hot water by thermal power plants cause deficiency of dissolved oxygen in water), and underground water pollution.
• Marine pollution: river discharge, artificial pollution, and oil spills, etc.
Effects
• An excessive amount of mercury in water can cause Minamata disease in humans and dropsy in fishes; Lead in large amounts can cause dyslexia, Cadmium poisoning causes Itai — Itai disease, etc.
• Polluted water has less Dissolved Oxygen (DO) content, which is essential for sensitive organisms, thereby eliminating sensitive organisms.
• Excess nitrate in drinking water is dangerous for infants and human health; excess fluoride cause neuromuscular disorder and teeth deformity, hardening of bones, and painful joints.
• Biological magnification and eutrophication.
Control measures
• Usage of water should be minimized by changing the techniques involved.
• Recycling and treatment of water should be used to the maximum extent possible.
• The quantity of discharge of wastewater can be minimized.
• Excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers should be avoided.
• Organic farming and efficient use of animal residues as fertilizers.
SOIL POLLUTION
• Addition of unwanted substances to the soil, which negatively affects soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties and reduces its productivity, is called soil pollution.
• The factors that disturb the soil’s biological balance and deteriorate the quality, texture, and mineral content are called soil pollutants.
• Use of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, dumping of solid waste, deforestation, and pollution due to urbanization and other anthropogenic substances causes soil pollution.
Sources
• Industrial waste: lead, cadmium, mercury, alkalies, organic substances, and chemicals.
• Agricultural waste: fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and manures.
• Discarded materials and radioactive elements, and plastic bags.
Effects
• Agriculture: It reduces soil fertility and thus crop yields; increases soil erosion and salinity. • Ecological imbalance and imbalance in flora and fauna further increases.
• Problems in urban areas like clogging in drains, the release of gases, foul smells, and problems in wastewater management.
• Release of radioactive rays, biomagnification, and pollutant gases cause health problems.
Control measures
• Afforestation, reforestation, and use of organic farming.
• Solid waste management and reduction of waste from the construction area.
• Stop the use of plastic bags and use bags of degradable materials like paper and cloth.
• Biomedical waste should be collected and incinerated in incinerators.
