MANGALORE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING
(A unit of Rajalaxmi Education Trust ®, Mangalore)
Autonomous Institute Affiliated to V.T.U., Belagavi, Approved by AICTE, New Delhi
Accredited by NAAC with A+ Grade & ISO 9001:2015 Certified Institution
Environmental Studies & Sustainability
Course Code: 23AUCC229
(2023 Scheme)
Module – 3
Environmental Pollution and Sustainable Waste Management
Environmental Pollution: Surface and Ground Water Pollution, Noise pollution, Air Pollution
and Carbon Trading
Sustainable Waste Management & Public Health Aspects: Bio-medical Waste, Solid Waste,
Hazardous Waste, E-waste, Industrial and Municipal Sludge
Surface and Ground Water Pollution
Drinking water of good quality is essential for life. Human activities interfere in many ways with
natural water cycle and affect the society-water relationship. Constantly increasing human population
and its expectations regarding the standard of living increase demands on exploitation of existing
resources including water. Contamination of ground water can result in poor drinking water quality,
loss of water supply, degraded surface water systems, high cleanup costs, high costs for alternative
water supplies, and/or potential health problems.
There are many man-made pollutants that can contaminate water sources. With regard to their origin
we recognize two categories of their sources, point and diffuse. Examples of important point sources
are industrial premises, towns, agricultural installations, manure storage, and landfills. They can be
more easily identified and controlled that diffuse (non-point) sources, such as leaching of nitrates and
pesticides into surface and ground water as a result of rainfall, soil infiltration, and surface run off
from agricultural land. Such sources cause considerable variations in the contaminant load of water
over time.
Noise Pollution
What is noise pollution?
Noise pollution is unwanted human-created sound that disrupts the environment. The dominant form
of noise pollution is from transportation sources, principally motor vehicles, referred to as
environmental noise.
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Not all sound is considered noise pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines noise
above 65 decibels (dB) as noise pollution. To be precise, noise becomes harmful when it exceeds 75
decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB.
Sources of noise pollution
Street traffic
Rail roads
Airplanes
Constructions
Consumer products
Effects of noise pollution
Irreversible hearing loss.
Blood pressure rise of 5 to 10 mmHg on 8 hrs of exposure to even 70 db of sound level.
Hearing loss begins at 80- 90 dbA. 140 dbA is painful and 180 dbA can even kill a person.
Lack of sleep, irritability, heartburn, indigestion, ulcers, high blood pressure, & possibly heart
disease
Non-auditory physiological effects of Annoyance and Communication interference
Noise pollution can damage physiological and psychological health.
High blood pressure, stress related illness, sleep disruption, hearing loss, and productivity loss
are the problems related to noise pollution.
It can also cause memory loss, severe depression, and panic attacks.
Effective strategies for mitigating adverse sound levels
Use of noise barriers.
Lmitation of vehicle speeds
Llteration of roadway surface texture.
Limitation of heavy duty vehicles
Use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, innovative
tire design and other.
Legislation/Law
Noise Regulation Rules under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986.
Features
Industrial- 75dB(A)-Day 65dB(A)-Night
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Commercial- 65 dB(A)- Day 55dB(A)-Night
Residential zones- 55 dB(A)- Day 45dB(A)-Night
Zones of silence (Sensitive areas upto 100m, around hospitals, educational institutions, courts etc.)
50 dB(A )- Day 40dB(A)-Night
No public address system after 10:00 pm and before 06:00 am.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulate matter, or
biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damage
the environment.
Sources of pollutants
Methane
Nitrogen compounds
CO2
SO2
CFC
O3, PAN, H2O2
Radioactive substances
Suspended particles/particulate matter
Air pollutant impacts
Greenhouse Effect
Ozone Depletion
Acidification
Smog Formation
Eutrophication
Human Health
Ecosystem Health
Control of air pollution
Industries
Legislation
Guidelines for siting of industries
Emission standards for industries
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Development of pollution prevention technologies
Vehicular pollution
Stringent Emission Norms
Cleaner Fuel Quality
Various laws has been established to curb the menace of air pollution
- Policy statement for Abatement of Pollution, 1992.
- National Conservation Strategy & Policy statement on environment & development,1992.
-Air (Prevention & control of pollution) Act, 1981
-Air (Prevention & control of pollution ) Act,1981
Strategies
Air Quality Management Plan
Development of new technology- electric cars, cleaner fuels, low nitrogen oxide boilers and
water healers, zero polluting paints, less polluting BBQ (Bird Brand Barbecue) lighter fluids
Use of natural gas
Carpooling
Follow the laws enacted
Solid Waste Management
The term solid waste management mainly refers to the complete process of collecting, treating and
disposing of solid wastes.
Sources of Solid Wastes
Solid domestic garbage.
Solid waste material from various industries.
Solid agricultural waste.
Plastics, glass, metals, e-waste, etc.
Medical waste.
Construction waste, sewage sludge
Types of Solid Waste Management
Landfills. A landfill is a specially designed pit or mound of earth where solid waste (trash,
garbage, and other refuse) is buried.
Recycling.
Incineration.
Composting.
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Five ways of solid waste management
As citizens of a society we have a responsibility to manage our waste sustainably. We can do this
following the five R's of waste management: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover and Residual
Management.
10 Ways to Reduce Waste at Home
Buy less. If you buy less then you'll naturally have less to throw out.
Seek out package-free or low-packaging options.
Buy in bulk.
Avoid single use or disposable items.
Buy quality items that will last.
Don't buy bottled water.
Take reusable bags.
Make package-free lunch boxes.
Biomedical Waste
“Bio Medical waste” is any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or
immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining to or in the production
or testing of biological and categories.
Bio Medical Waste Management
Programme Planning
Willingness
Self-Motivation
Investments – Person, Place, Financial
Identifying Nodal Person –BMWM Committee.
Waste Survey
Evaluation of Existing Practice
Training
Implementing Segregation
Reporting and Feed Back
Review after one year.
E-Waste Disposal
Electronic Waste (e-waste) comprises of wastes generated from used electronic devices and house
hold appliances which are not fit for their original intended use.
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E-wastes contain over 1000 different substances many of which are toxic and potentially hazardous
to environment and human health.
Dangers & Challenges
Rapidly increasing volume of e-waste.
Low level of awareness of the hazards of incorrect disposal.
Widespread e-waste recycling in informal sector using rudimentary techniques leads to severe
environmental damage and health hazards.
Recyclers recover precious metals and improperly dispose off the rest.
Absence of proper mechanism for Collection of e-waste material and its Disposal.
Inefficient recycling processes result in substantial loss of material value
Effective recycling processes through technologically sound systems involve initial
investment
Huge gap between generation & recycling of E-Waste
Lack of producer responsibility for take back of products, at the end of its useful life.
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