MODULE - II

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION &

ISSUES

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 Air pollution
 Effects of air pollution
 Water pollution-sources, sustainable waste water
treatment
 Solid waste-sources, impact of solid waste, zero waste
concept, 3R concept
 Global environmental issues- resource degradation,
climate change, global warming, ozone layer depletion,
regional and local environmental issues
 Carbon credit and carbon trading
 Carbon foot print
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 Environmental Pollution

• EPA - “Presence of a substance in the environment that

because of its chemical composition or quantity prevents
the functioning of natural processes and produce
undesirable environmental and health problems”.

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 AIR POLLUTION
WHO – 2.4 million die due to ill effects of air pollution

Natural Point (factories,

power plants..
Source Stationary
Fugitive
Anthropogenic (burning of
farm wastes,
Mobile solid wastes
from urban &
farm lands..

Area (number
of industries)

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 Indoor (smoking,
cooking, painting…)

Location
Outdoor
(automobiles,
industries ..)

Primary (CO, CO2,

SO2, H2S..)
Emission into
atmosphere Secondary (Ozone,
formaldehyde, PAN,
photochemical
smog)
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 Particulate(solid
matter with varying
size)
State of pollutant
Gaseous(SO2, CO,
Nitrogen Oxides,
Ground level ozone)

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 Effects of air pollution

• Human health
• Vegetation
• Animals
• Material and property
• Environment
- Climate Change
- Green house effect
- Global Warming
- Ozone Layer Depletion
- Acid Rain

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 Climate Change
• “Change of climate attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that
alters composition of global atmosphere and which is no addition to
natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods” –
UNFCCC

• Effects
– Increase in global temperature
– Ocean acidification
– Melting of glaciers
– Change in rainfall pattern
– Drought, flood
– Rise in sea level
– Diseases
– Effect on biodiversity
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Green House Effect

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 Global Warming

• Apparent overall warming trend of earth’s atmosphere

when atmosphere becomes saturated with GHGs.

• Causes - Natural
Anthropogenic

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Ozone layer depletion

1 Dobson Unit(DU) = 0.001cm

Ozone Thickness = 3 DU

CFCL2
CFCl3 hv
+ Cl

ClO +
Cl O3
O2

Cl +
ClO O3
2O2

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 Acid Rain

• Rainfall with acidic level pH<5.6

CO2 + H2O = H2CO3 = H + HCO3
• Natural - volcanoes, lightning, forest fire,..
• Anthropogenic - industrial emissions
• Effects
Aquatic life(flora & fona)
Buildings, sculptures,..
Vegetation
Human & animal Health

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 Measures to reduce AIR POLLUTION
• Promote biofuels instead of fossil fuels
• Move to renewable sources than non renewable
• Afforestation & air quality monitoring
• Chimneys for industries
• Stop incineration of wastes
• Mechanical Methods Catalytic Convertors
Zoning
Cyclone Collector
Electrostatic Precipitators
Complete Combustion of fuels
Chemical Separation
Lime Water Wash
Extraction Ventilators
Fabric filters
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 WATER POLLUTION

Source

Diffused/Non
Point
point

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 Sources of waste water

Urban Waste Water

Sewer Rainwater
Domestic Industrial
infiltration runoff

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 Mode of pollution

Natural
(Rainwater,Atmosph
ere, Surrounding Anthropogenic
vegetation,
runoff,..)

Domestic(Househol Industrial(eutrophic
Agricultural
d waste,… ation)

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 Measures to reduce WATER POLLUTION

• Waste water treatment at source.

• Algal growth in water bodies
• Public Awareness programmes
• Rehabilitation of soft shell turtles

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 Solid Waste

• Wastes arrive from human & animal activities including

– Residential, Commercial, Institutional, Municipal,
Industrial, Agricultural, Open Area ….

• Major challenge faced by India – lack of resources &

adequate systems to treat solid waste

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• Type based
Garbage - vegetable & fruit peels, spoiled food, meat,
bones.
Rubbish - Paper, cardboard, wood, rubber, leather,
plastics(Combustible), (Non combustible) metals, Al can, glass
bottles…
Ashes & Residues - burning of wood, coal, charcoal, coke
Bulky - machines
Street - from walkways, parks,…
Construction &
demolition - demolished building wastes
EWastes - Electronic machines
Farm - poultries, dairies,…
Hazardous - chemical & radioactive materials
Biomedical - syringes, needles, glass bottles,…

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 Impacts of SOLID WASTE

• Land Fertility, productivity & low market value.

Metals & chemicals in root retards plant growth
Threatening of aircrafts by birds & irreversible
soil erosion, Cause breeding of pathogenic
organisms
• Water Aquatic vegetation, leach ate, depletion of
ground water
• Air Green house gas emission, odor, Reduced
quality of ambient air, vector borne diseases
• Health Respiratory diseases like bronchitis, pneumonia,
skin diseases…
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 Sustainable Waste Water Management
System

Waste Water
Management

Collection Treatment Disposal

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 Centralized

Combined onsite &

Centralized
Collection
Semi Centralized

Decentralized on Site

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 Trickling Filter

Oxidation Pond

Constructed
wetlands
Waste Water
Treatment
Waste stabilization
pond

Aerated lagoons

Soil Aquifer
Treatment
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 Trickling filter

Oxidation pond
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Constructed wetlands

Waste stabilization ponds

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Aerated Lagoons

SAT
• Partly treated waste water
percolate into soil layer,
get purified & finally mixed
with ground water.
• Effluent gets purified &
pathogens are removed.

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 Public
participation

Operation &
Capital cost management

Land Sustainable waste Community

required water treatment size

Pollutant
Energy use
removal

Aesthetics

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 Use of Treated Water

• Urban - Landscape irrigation of parks play

grounds, golf courses, green
belts, fire protection
• Agricultural - irrigation
• Recreational - Fishing, boating
• Environmental
enhancement - Artificial wetland
• Industrial Reuse - cooling system, flushing in toilets

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 Resource Degradation

• Natural resource extraction for production of good is

steadily increasing
• 60 billion tones per annum (50% more than 30years’)
• Depletion of natural resource - forest, water, mineral,
food, energy & land
I = PAT
I = Environmental Impact/Degradation
P = Population
A = Per capita affluence/Increased economic growth
T = Degrading Technology

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 3 R Concept

• REDUCE - Private vehicles, Plastic bags(non

biodegradable), Non renewable energy sources, Promote
car pooling, Switching off energy sources when not in use,
use natural energy sources for lighting ventilation, purchase
energy efficient products….
• REUSE - Plastic bags, soft drinking bottles,
clothes, utensils, tyres, leathers,….
• RECYCLE - kitchen wastes, plastics, glasses, tyres,
aggregates in building construction, paper & cardboard,
metals, wood, oil, ….

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 Zero Waste Concept
- design principle maximizes recycling with minimal waste
generation & reduced consumption which ensures that
products are made to be recycled back into nature or
market place.
- Benefits
Economic & environmental
Faster development
Support sustainability
Improved material flow

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 Carbon Credit

• Permit/license allow holders to emit 1 tone of carbon

dioxide gas.

• Aim in reducing emissions.

• Article 17 of “KYOTO PROTOCOL”

• One carbon credit = reduction of 1 tone of CO2 emission or

its equivalent Green House Gas from a project.

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Company A Company B

Allotted - 10 Allotted - 12

Emitted - 8 Emitted - 14

Credit
Debit balance
outstanding –
– 2 units
2 units

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 Carbon Trading

- emission trading system

- Countries with less carbon emission can sell excess credit to
countries whose emission have exceeded their assigned
amount.

Estimation
• One tone of dry tree weight = 1 ton carbon dioxide
• One tone carbon produce 3.67 ton CO2 when burned.
• GWP of other GHGs are equivalent to CO2 equivalence

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 GWP & lifespan of GHGs

GHGs GWP Life span (years)

Carbondioxide 1 5-200
Methane 23 12
Perfluro carbon 6500-9200 10,000-50,000
Nitrous Oxide 310 114
Oxides of Sulphur 23900 3200
Hydroflurocarbon 140-11700 1.4-260

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 Numerical Example

Gas Process 1 Process 2 GWP

CO2 22kg 18kg 1
CH4 3g 5kg 25
N2O 1.2kg 1.5kg 298

Which process has greater CO2equivalent value?

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Gas GWP Process 1 Equivalent Process 2 Equivalent
CO2 CO2

CO2 1 22kg 22 18kg 22

CH4 25 3g 75 5kg 125
N2O 298 1.2kg 357.6 1.5kg 447
Total 454.6kg 594kg

Process 2 have greater contribution to global warming

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 Carbon Footprint

- Measure of environmental impact of an

individual/organizations' operation in terms of carbon
dioxide (GHGs).
Primary - burning of fossil fuels
Secondary - manufacture & breakdown of products,
services and food an individual or an organization
consumes.
- reduced by using technological innovations, carbon
offsetting, carbon capture, better processes, product
management …

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Regional & local Environmental Issues

• BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

• COCACOLA FACTORY AT PLACHIMADA
• ENDOSULPHAN TRAGEDY

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 Students must do any one of the
projects
• Asses the pollution status of an area

• Programmes to enhance public awareness programmes

• Observe a pond nearby and think about different measures

that can e adopted for its conservation

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THANK YOU

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