CO3

Environmental pollution

Pollution sources, effects and mitigation, conservation. Water

footprint and virtual water. Sustainable solutions. Environmental
Protection Act – Air, water, forest and wild life. Interactional
protocols and agreements. Resource recycling and sustainability.

Dr. Subrata Nath, VIT Bhopal University

 Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of any substance (Solid, Liquid or Gas) or
any form of energy (Heat, Noise or radioactivity) to the natural
environment at faster rate than it can disperse, dilute, decomposed,
recycled or stored in some harmless form.
Pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment
that has undesired effects or adversely affect the usefulness of a
resource.
Pollution is classified as
1) Point Source 2) Non-point source
Types of pollution:
1) Air pollution 2) Water pollution 3) Soil pollution
4) Noise pollution 5) Light pollution 6) Thermal pollution
7) Radioactive pollution
Air Pollution: Our Atmosphere
Components are
N2= 78.1%, O2 =
20.9%
CO2= 0.03%;
Everything Else =
0.07%
(Kr, Xe, Ar, He,
CH4, SO2)
 Air Pollution: What is Air?
Air is present in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a clear gas in which
living things live and breath. It has indefinite shape and volume
occurs, no colour and smell. It is a matter as it has mass and weight.
Air creates atmospheric pressure.

Air pollution occurs when harmful substance including particulates

and biological molecules are introduced into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Air pollutant is a substance in the air that can

have adverse effects on humans and the
ecosystem. The substance can be solid, liquid
or gas.

Air pollutant can be natural or man made. It

can be classified as primary or secondary
pollutant. New Delhi 2019
 Air Pollution
Chemicals added to the atmosphere by natural events or human activities
in high enough concentrations to be harmful

– Primary Air Pollutant

• Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the atmosphere

COX, NOx, SOx, HC

– Secondary Air Pollutant

• Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant
reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air
pollutants

O3, H2SO4
Sources of Air Pollution
 Sources of Air Pollution
Natural sources : Man Made :
Volcanic eruption, Vehicular emission,
Forest Fire, thermal power plant – fly
ash and SO2
Sea Salt sprays
Fossil fuel burning,
Biological decay
refineries,
Photochemical oxidation
chemical industries etc
pollen grains of flowers,
spores
Radioactive minerals in the Note: automobiles releases ~77% CO,
earth crust ~8%NOx, ~14%HC

Sea Salt can contribute up to 80 % of particle levels in the air in coastal areas. This is mostly
salt, whipped into the air by strong winds.

How does pollen from flowers cause air pollution?

 Reactions of SOX
2SO2 (g) +O2 (g) → 2SO3 (g)

Moreover, gaseous pollutants such as hydrogen peroxide and ozone can also
promote the reaction.
SO2 (g) +O3 (g) → SO3 (g) + O2 (g)
SO3(g) + H2O = H2SO4(aq)
SO2 (g) + H2O2 → H2SO4 (aq)
SO2 (g) +H2O → H2SO3

 SOX interfere in the chlorophyll synthesis process and damage plant cells.
slow the photosynthesis process.

 Higher concentration of SO2 stiffens flower buds. Thus, the flower buds
will eventually fall off.

 Two primary component of Industrial smog or London smog is sulphur

dioxide and particulate pollutants such as soot, dust, smoke, etc from
burning of coal.
Major Air pollutant
 Particulate Material Materials
Particulate

• Thousands of different
solid or liquid particles
suspended in air
• Includes: soil particles, soot,
lead, asbestos, sea salt, and
sulfuric acid droplets
• Dangerous for 2 reasons
• May contain materials with
toxic or carcinogenic effects
• Extremely small particles
can become lodged in lungs
 Particulate Matter
• Aerosol : General term for particles suspended in air
• Mist: Aerosol containing liquid droplets e.g., H2SO4 mist
• Dust: Aerasol containing solid particles
• Smoke: Aerosol containing mixture of solid and liquid particles
produced by chemical reaction such as fire
• Fume: Same as smoke by produced by condensation of hot vapors of
metals e.g. Zinc and Lead fumes
• Plume: Smoke coming out of chimney
• Fly ash: Finely divided non-combustible particles present in the gases
arising from fuel combustion. It contains inorganic metallic or mineral
substances released when the organic part of the coal is burnt.
• Natural particulates: Natural particulates are pollen grains spores
bacterial, viruses, protozoal, fungal spores and volcanic dusts.
 Nitrogen & Sulphur Oxides
• Nitrogen Oxides
– Gases produced by the chemical interactions between atmospheric nitrogen
and oxygen at high temperature
– NO2 reacts with water vapor in the air to form nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrate
salts (NO3−)
– Both NO and NO2 play a role in the formation of photochemical smog
– Problems
• Greenhouse gases
• Cause difficulty breathing

• Sulfur Oxides
• SO2 in the atmosphere comes from natural sources such as volcanoes
• Causes acid precipitation
• In the atmosphere, SO2 can be converted to , which consist of microscopic
suspended droplets of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) and suspended particles of
sulfate (SO42−) salts that return to the earth as a component of acid
deposition.
 Carbon Oxides & Hydrocarbons
• Carbon Oxides
• Gases carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2)

• Greenhouse gases

• CO can combine with hemoglobin in red blood cells, which reduces

the ability of blood to transport oxygen to body cells and tissues

• At high levels, CO can cause headache, nausea, drowsiness,

confusion, collapse, coma, and death

• increase in CO2 levels is a major cause of atmospheric warming,

• Hydrocarbons
• Diverse group of organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and
carbon (ex: CH4- methane)

• Some are related to photochemical smog and greenhouse gases

 Photochemical Smog
• Brownish-orange haze formed
by chemical reactions
involving sunlight, nitrogen
oxide, and hydrocarbons
• Sunlight Plus Cars Equals
Photochemical Smog
• A photochemical reaction is any
chemical reaction activated by
light.
• Photochemical smog is a
mixture of primary and
secondary pollutants formed
under the influence of UV
radiation from the sun.
 Photochemical Smog
Burning of HCs and NOx
fossil fuels in atm.

Hydrocarbons + Nitrogen Oxides

O3 is toxic in nature, both NO2 and O3 are

oxidizing agents. They react with the unburnt
Photochemical smog hydrocarbons in air to produce formaldehyde,
PAN, and acrolein.
components
common

O3, NO, acrolein,

formaldehyde, &
peroxyacetyl nitrate
(PAN) .
Acid Deposition
Indoor Pollution
Primary Sources of Indoor Air Pollution
 Effects of Air Pollution
• Low level exposure
• Irritates eyes
• Causes inflammation of respiratory tract
• Can develop into chronic respiratory diseases
 Human Health Effects
• Exposure to air pollution is associated with
numerous effects on human health, including
pulmonary, cardiac, vascular, and neurological
impairments.

• The health effects vary greatly from person to

person. High-risk groups such as the elderly,
infants, pregnant women, and sufferers from
chronic heart and lung diseases are more
susceptible to air pollution.

• Children are at greater risk because they are

generally more active outdoors and their lungs
are still developing.
 Effects on Human respiratory system

• Both gaseous and particulate air pollutants

can have negative effects on the lungs.

• Solid particles can settle on the walls of the

trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles.

• Continuous breathing of polluted air can

slow the normal cleansing action of the
lungs and result in more particles reaching
the lower portions of the lung.

• Damage to the lungs from air pollution can

inhibit this process and contribute to the
occurrence of respiratory diseases such as
bronchitis, emphysema, and cancer.
E.g.- Car Exhaust, Smoke stake- CO, SO2, NO.
Particulate matter- Soot, Ash
Toxic Metal- Pb, Hg
Volatile Organic Compound- CH4, C3H8, CFCs
 Water Pollution
Water pollution is any change in water quality that can harm
living organisms or make the water unfit for human uses such as
drinking, irrigation, and recreation.

From

From
single (point) sources

larger and dispersed

(nonpoint) sources.
 Water Pollution
Point sources:- discharge pollutants Nonpoint sources are broad and diffuse
into bodies of surface water at areas where rainfall or snowmelt washes
specific locations through drain pipes, pollutants off the land into bodies of
ditches, or sewer lines. surface water.
factories, underground mines, oil runoff of eroded soil and chemicals such
wells, and oil tankers. as fertilizers and pesticides from
cropland, feedlots, logged forests, urban
streets, parking lots, lawns, and golf
courses.
Major Water Pollutants and their sources
Pollution in Streams
Point source
 Pollution in Lakes
• Dilution less effective than with streams
• Relatively little flow hinder rapid
dilution of pollutants.
• Lakes more vulnerable to pollutants than
streams.
• Eutrophication is the name given to the
natural nutrient enrichment of a shallow lake,
a coastal area at the mouth of a river, or a
slow-moving stream.
• It is caused mostly by runoff of plant
nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates
from land bordering such bodies of water.
• Over time, some lakes become more
eutrophic as nutrients are added from natural
and human sources in the surrounding
watersheds.
 Ground water Pollution
• Slower chemical reactions in groundwater due to
• Slow flow: contaminants not diluted
• Less dissolved oxygen
• Fewer decomposing bacteria
• Cooler temperatures: slow down chemical reactions
• “Degradable” and nondegradable wastes in
groundwater .

Common pollutants

Gasoline
Organic Solvents
Fertilizers and pesticides
 Ground water Pollution
Polluted air

Hazardous waste
Pesticides injection well
and
Deicing fertilizers
Coal strip Buried gasoline
road salt
mine runoff and solvent tanks
Gasoline Cesspool,
Pumping station septic tank
well Water
Waste lagoon pumping
Sewer
well
Landfill

Accidental Leakage
spills from faulty
casing
Discharge

Confined aquifer

Groundwater flow
Leaking
tank

Water
table
Groundwater
flow
Gasoline Free gasoline
leakage plume dissolves in Migrating
(liquid phase) groundwater vapor phase
(dissolved phase)
Water well
Contaminant plume moves
with the groundwater
Solution to ground Water Pollution
Prevention Cleanup
Find substitutes for toxic chemicals Pump to surface, clean, and
return to aquifer (very
expensive)
Keep toxic chemicals out of the
environment

Install monitoring wells near landfills

and underground tanks
Inject microorganisms to clean
up contamination (less
Require leak detectors on underground expensive but still costly)
tanks

Ban hazardous waste disposal in

landfills and injection wells

Pump nanoparticles of
Store harmful liquids in aboveground
inorganic compounds to
tanks with leak detection and collection
systems remove pollutants (still being
developed)
 Water Born Diseases from Water Pollution
[Link]. Pathogen Diseases
1 Salmonellatyphosa Typhoid Fever
2 S. Typhimurium Enteric Fever
3 S. Schottumueri Gastroentesistis
4 Lice Typhus
5 Hook-worm Skin Disease
6 Mosquitoes Malaria, Yellow Fever
7 Vibrio cholerae Cholera
8 Shigella dysenteriae Bacterial Dysentry

Physiological Pollution: Caused by several climatic agents Chlorine,

SO2, Phenol, Hydroxy Benzene etc. Chlorinated water converts
phenol to ortho or parachloro phenol which has offensive odour.
 Types of Water Pollutant & Adverse Effect
 Organic Pollutants
 Inorganic Pollutants
Water pollutants may
 Suspended Solid & Sediments
be of 05 types
 Radioactive pollutants
 Thermal Pollutants

Food stuff (Fats, proteins, and carbohydrates), cotton, petroleum,

rubber, antibiotic, dead plants and animals etc. are organic
compounds.
Enter into water system through domestic sewage, industrial waste
from paper mills, waste from slaughter house, food processing
plants, run-off from crop lands, Oil, Vegetables and Dead animals.
 Vegetables impart acidity, colour and taste to water.
 Dead animals & insects are responsible for growth of bacteria.
 Sewage causes depletion of dissolved oxygen
 Accumulation of waste in water bodies retards the self regulatory
capabilities of aquatic organisms.
 Sewage makes water bodies rich in nutrients like phosphates and
nitrates.
 Industrial effluent poison the biological purification mechanism of
sewage treatment and pose many pollution problems
 Pathogens are dangerous for human health

Inorganic water pollution consist of inorganic salts, metal compounds,

mineral acids, metallic complexes, finely divided metals,
organometallic compounds and poly phosphatic detergents.
 Water Pollutant - Inorganic
 Acid and alkalies- HCl, HNO3, H2SO4,
H3PO4, Cl2, NH3, SO2, oxides of
nitrogen
 Toxic Inorganic compounds- Free
Inorganic pollutant
Chlorine, NH3, Anion of carbonate,
can be categorised
nitrate, nitrite, fluoride, chloride,
as
sulphate, phosphate, and CuS.
 Toxic metals- Pb, Cd, Ar, Co, Mn, Cr
and Hg

Acid and alkalies destroy the bacteria and other micro-organism in water and
affects self purification capability.
Toxic metals are carcinogenic and have adverse affect on aquatic ecosystem
and human health.
 Water Pollutant – Suspended Solid and sediments
Soil erosion by natural anthropogenic process (Mining, Construction
and agriculture) increases sediments in water.
Industrial effluent contains Inorganic, organic particles or liquids
which remain suspended in water and affects its turbidity.

Suspended solids and sediments reduce direct penetration of Sunlight.

Reduces photosynthetic activity in aquatic plants and reduces D.O.

Radioactive pollutants enter into the water from nuclear power plants,
nuclear reactors, fission and fusion by-product.

Radioactive pollutants are carcinogenic and stops enzyme inhibition

and cell division.
 Water Footprint
The water footprint of an individual, community or
business is defined as the total volume of freshwater
used to produce the goods and services consumed by
the individual or community or produced by the
business.
 Water Footprint
Water use is measured in water volume consumed (evaporated)
and/or polluted per unit of time.

A water footprint can be calculated for any well-defined group of

consumers (e.g., an individual, family, village, city, province, state or
nation) or producers (e.g., a public organization, private enterprise or
economic sector).

Three different types Blue Green Grey

Blue water footprint is water that
has been sourced from surface or
groundwater resources and is
either evaporated, incorporated
into a product or taken from one
body of water and returned to
another, or returned at a different
time. Irrigated agriculture, industry
and domestic water use can each
have a blue water footprint.
Green water footprint is water
from precipitation that is stored in
the root zone of the soil and
evaporated, transpired or
incorporated by plants. It is
particularly relevant for
agricultural, horticultural and
forestry products.
 Grey water footprint is the amount
of fresh water required to
assimilate pollutants to meet
specific water quality standards.
The grey water footprint considers
point-source pollution discharged
to a freshwater resource directly
through a pipe or indirectly
through runoff or leaching from the
soil, impervious surfaces, or other
diffuse sources.

Green water footprint : Volume of rainwater evaporated.

Blue water footprint : Volume of surface or groundwater evaporated.
Grey water footprint : Volume of polluted water.
Water footprint of an animal : Sum of water for feed, drinking and servicing.
Water footprint of a crop or livestock product : Distribute the water footprint
of the root product over its derived products.
 Global average Water Footprint

1259 litre per pizza

76% green, 14% blue, 10% grey

 The Virtual Water
The virtual water chain is the chain of production and consumption of water-
intensive goods. A typical virtual water chain consists of a farmer at the
primary production end, a consumer at the consumption end and depending
on the commodity at stake, some intermediaries such as a food processor
and a retailer. Each stage depends on some real water input and a virtual
water inflow.
 Recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new
materials and objects. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste
disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas
emission. Recycling can prevent the waste of potentially useful
materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, thereby
reducing: energy usage, air pollution (from incineration), and water
pollution (from landfilling).
 Soil Pollution
Soil pollution refers to the contamination of soil with anomalous
concentrations of toxic substances. It is a serious environmental
concern since it harbours many health hazards. For example,
exposure to soil containing high concentrations of benzene
increases the risk of contracting leukaemia.
Soil Pollution
Sound Pollution
Side effect of Sound Pollution
Light Pollution
 Thermal Pollution
Thermal pollution is any deviation from the natural temperature in a
habitat and can range from elevated temperatures associated with
industrial cooling activities to discharges of cold water into streams
below large impoundments.
Nuclear hazards
Nuclear hazards
Nuclear hazards:- Source
 Radioactive Health hazards
• Radioactive rays are highly energetic and can deposit large amount of energy in
human tissues
• The biological effects of nuclear radiation can be divided into:
• Short term recoverable effects
• Long term irrecoverable effects
• Genetic effect

• Cancer is considered to be the most primary health effect from radiation exposure

• Radiation can cause changes in DNA, which is known as mutation.

• Acute exposure appears quickly as burns and radiation sickness. Symptoms of

radiation sickness includes- nausea, hair loss, eye cataract , weakness etc.

• Through food chain also, radioactivity effects are experienced by humans.

Nuclear hazards: Preventive Measures
Kyoto Protocol
 Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty which extends the 1992 United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) that commits
State Parties to reduce six greenhouse gas emissions [Carbon
dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Perfluorocarbons
(PFCs), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)].
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11, 1997 and
entered into force on February 16, 2005. There are currently 192 parties
(Canada withdrew effective December 2012) to the Protocol.

As of 2012, 37 countries have signed and ratified the treaty and 191
states are participating and there are 28 articles in the Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto protocol didn't meet targeted emission reductions but increased
awareness and international cooperation toward resolving the global
climate crisis.
 Major Articles of Kyoto Protocol
Article Description
Article 6 1) Empower and educate stakeholders on policies related to climate
& change (Awareness)
Article 10 e 2) Fosters international cooperation and provides mechanisms for
countries to meet their emission reduction targets in cost-effective
ways
Article 10 Participating parties to cooperate in the promotion, development,
transfer of and access to environmentally sound technologies,
particularly to developing countries
Article 11 Recognizes the need for funding mechanisms to assist developing
countries in technology transfer.
Article 3 Allows developed countries to meet their targets by providing
carbon sinks or removals of carbon through various forest and land
management practices that are measured as changes in carbon
stocks.
Article 2 Addresses emissions from fuel used for international aviation and
maritime transport and encourages developed countries to pursue
limited or reduced emissions from these sources.
 Montréal Protocol

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a

protocol to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer is an
international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the
production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone
depletion. It was agreed on 16 September 1987, and entered into force on 1
January 1989.
 Montréal Protocol
An international agreement, signed by most of the industrialized
nations, to substantially reduce the use of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC).
Montreal protocol on the substances that deplete ozone layer was
designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone
depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in
atmosphere and thereby protect earth’s fragile ozone layer.

The protocol sets limits on the production of Chlorofluorocarbons

(CFC), halogens and related substance that releases chlorine or
bromine to ozone layer of the atmosphere.

If the parties of Montreal protocol were to eliminate all the emission

of ozone depleting substances soon after 2006, then its effects
would have been advanced by 15 years & visible in 2035 instead of
2050, which equal to the global ozone layer level of pre 1980.
 Acts by Govt. of India
The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 (No. 19 of 2010) (NGT Act) has been
enacted with the objectives to provide for establishment of a National Green
Tribunal (NGT) for the effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to
environment protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources
including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and
compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected
therewith or incidental thereto.

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

The Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1974 (the "Water Act") has been
enacted to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and to maintain
or restore wholesomeness of water in the country. It further provides for the
establishment of Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution with a view
to carry out the aforesaid purposes. The Water Act prohibits the discharge of
pollutants into water bodies beyond a given standard, and lays down penalties for
non-compliance.
 Acts by Govt. of India
The Environment Protection Act, 1986
The Environment Protection Act, 1986 (the "Environment Act") provides for the
protection and improvement of environment. The Environment Protection Act
establishes the framework for studying, planning and implementing long-term
requirements of environmental safety and laying down a system of speedy and
adequate response to situations threatening the environment. It is an umbrella
legislation designed to provide a framework for the coordination of central and state
authorities established under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act. The term
"environment" is understood in a very wide term under s 2(a) of the Environment Act. It
includes water, air and land as well as the interrelationship which exists between water,
air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-organisms and
property.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (the "Air Act") is an act to
provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution and for the
establishment of Boards at the Central and State levels with a view to carrying out the
aforesaid purposes.

The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 The Forest Conservation Act, 1980
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002