PD DAS SIR
PULSE GROUP
Environmental Issues
Introduction
• Human population size has grown enormously over
the last hundred years. This means increase in demand
for food, water, home, electricity, roads, automobiles
and numerous other commodities.
• These demands are exerting tremendous pressure on
our natural resources, and are also contributing to
pollution of air, water and soil.
• The need of the hour is to check the degradation and
depletion of our precious natural resources and
pollution without halting the process of development.
Air Pollution
• "Air pollution" is defined by (WHO) World
Health Organization as follow :
• "Air pollution occurs when one or several air
pollutants are present in such amounts for
such a long period in the outside air that they
are harmful to humans, animals, plants or
properties, contribute to damage or may
impair the wellbeing or use of property to a
measurable degree“.
Pollution
• Pollution is any undesirable change in physical,
chemical or biological characteristics of air, land,
water or soil.
• Agents that bring about such an undesirable
change are called as pollutants.
• In order to control environmental pollution, the
Government of India has passed the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 to protect and improve
the quality of our environment (air, water and
soil).
• We are dependent on air for our respiratory
needs. Air pollutants cause injury to all living
organisms. They reduce growth and yield of
crops and cause premature death of plants.
• Air pollutants also deleteriously affect the
respiratory system of humans and of animals.
• Harmful effects depend on the concentration
of pollutants, duration of exposure and the
organism.
• In India, the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act came into force in 1981, but
was amended in 1987 to include noise as an
air pollutant.
• Noise is undesired high level of sound.
• The Government of India through a new auto
fuel policy has laid out a roadmap to cut down
vehicular pollution in Indian cities.
• Euro III norms
• Automobiles are a major cause for atmospheric pollution.
Proper maintenance of automobiles along with use of lead-
free petrol or diesel can reduce the pollutants they emit.
• Catalytic converters, having expensive metals namely
platinum-palladium and rhodium as the catalysts, are fitted
into automobiles for reducing emission of poisonous gases.
• As the exhaust passes through the catalytic converter,
unburnt hydrocarbons are converted into carbon dioxide
and water, and carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are
changed to carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas, respectively.
• Motor vehicles equipped with catalytic converter should
use unleaded petrol because lead in the petrol inactivates
the catalyst.
Mass Emission Standards in India
Type of Vehicles Norms Cities of Implementation
4 Wheelers Bharat Stage III Throughout the country
since October 2010
4 Wheelers Bharat Stage IV 13 Mega cities (Delhi and
NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata,
Chennai, Bangalore, Surat,
Kanpur, Agra, Lucknow and
Sholapur) since April, 2010
3 Wheelers Bharat Stage III Throughout the country
since October 2010
2 Wheelers Bharat Stage III Throughout the country
since October 2010
• The air pollution problem can be simply depicted
as a system consisting of three basic components:
• 1. Emission Sources –pollutant
• 2. Atmosphere
• 3. Receptors
-mixing & chemical transformation
The major emission sources are:
(1) transportation (2) electric power generation
(3) refuse burning (4) industrial and domestic fuel
burning (5) industrial processes.
A schematic picture about life cycle of
air pollutants
Effect of Air Pollution
• There are four main types of damages caused
to the environment by air pollutants.
1. Damage to human health
2. Damage to vegetation
3. Damage to the materials
4. Weather and climatic changes (Atmospheric
effects)
Classification of Air Pollution Sources and Emissions
Type Category Example Important Pollutants
Dust producing Crushing, grinding Road Mix plants Urban renewal
processes Screening Demolition Grain elevator
Milling
Combust ion Fuel burning Motor Home heating units power plants,
vehicles, Refuse burning Auto, buses and trucks
Community and house
incinerators, open burning dumps
Manufacturing Metallurgical plants, Smelters, steel mills, alluminium
Processes Chemical plants, waste refiniries, Petroleum refineries,
recovery pulp mills, fertilisers plants,
cement mills, Metal scrap yards
Agricultural Crop spraying, Field Pest and weed control, Burning of
Activities burning, Forest damage refuse, firewood and dry cattle
dung
Solvent Spray painting, Inks Automobile assembly , furniture
Solvent cleaning and appliances finishing
Photogravure & printing Dry
cleaning , degreasing
Nuclear Energy Ore-preparation Fuel Crushing, grinding, screening
Activities fabrication Nuclear fission Gaseous diffusion Nuclear
reactors Chemicals Separat ion
Atmospheric explosions
Classification of air pollutants :
• The air pollutants are classified according to chemical
composition.
• They are further classified according to physical state,
that is, gaseous, liquids or solids.
• Air pollutants are classed according to the manner in
which they reach the atmosphere.
• 1. Primary Pollutant: Those emitted directly from the
sources
• 2. Secondary pollutants : Those formed in the
atmosphere by chemical interactions among primary
pollutants and normal atmospheric constituents
Gaseous Pollution
• Sulphur Dioxide
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Carbon Monoxide
• Hydrocarbons
• Ozone
• Fumes
• Mists
• Particlates
WATER POLLUTION
• Human beings have been abusing the water-bodies around the
world by disposing into them all kinds of waste. We tend to believe
that water can wash away everything not taking cognizance of the
fact that the water bodies are our lifeline as well as that of all other
living organisms.
• Can you list what all we tend to try and wash away through our
rivers and drains?
• Due to such activities of human kind, the ponds, lakes, stream,
rivers, estuaries and oceans are becoming polluted in several parts
of the world.
• Realising the importance of maintaining the cleanliness of the
water bodies, the Government of India has passed the Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to safeguard our
water resources.
• Water pollution may be defined as the
contamination of streams, lakes, seas,
underground water or oceans by substances,
which are harmful for living beings.
Industrialization and population explosion are
two important factors for water pollution.
• Water is essential for the existence of all life
forms. In addition to household uses, water is
vital for agriculture, industry, fishery and tourism
etc.
• Increasing population, urbanisation and
industrialisation has led to the decreased
availability of water.
• The quality of water used is also being
deteriorated as it is getting more and more
polluted.
Water Resources on Earth
• About three fourths of our planet earth’s surface is
covered by water. However, very little of it is available
for consumption.
• Most (about 97%) of the water on earth is present in
the seas and oceans. It is too salty to be of any use for
drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes.
• The remaining 3% is fresh water; 75% of which is
locked up in the polar ice caps and in glaciers and quite
deep under the earth’s surface as underground water.
• The fresh water, which we can use, comes to us from
two sources: i) Surface water ii) Ground water
• (i) Surface Water: Rain and snow are good natural
resources of fresh water. It is estimated that of all the
precipitation (rain water and snow) that falls on the earth,
about one-third is absorbed by the plants and another one-
third seeps down into the soil and the remaining one third
runs off the surface into streams and rivers.
• This part of precipitation, which runs off to form streams,
rivers and lakes, is called the surface water.
• (ii) Ground Water: The part of precipitation that seeps into
the ground as a result of gravity and fills the pores between
soil particles and rocks under it is called ground water.
• The water bearing layers of soil and rocks are called
aquifers
Parameters
• Water may be called polluted when the following parameters stated
below reach beyond a specified concentration in water.
• i) Physical parameters. Colour, odour, turbidity, taste, temperature
and electrical conductivity constitute the physical parameters and
are good indicators of contamination. For instance, colour and
turbidity are visible evidences of polluted water while an offensive
odour or a bitter and difference than normal taste also makes water
unfit for drinking.
• ii) Chemical parameters: These include the amount of carbonates,
sulphates, chlorides, fluorides, nitrates, and metal ions. These
chemicals form the total dissolved solids, present in water.
• iii) Biological parameters: The biological parameters include matter
like algae, fungi, viruses, protozoa and bacteria. The life forms
present in water are affected to a good extent by the presence of
pollutants. The pollutants in water may cause a reduction in the
population of both lower and higher plant and animal lives. Thus,
the biological parameters give an indirect indication of the amount
of pollution in water.
Legislative Measures for Preventing Water Pollution
• It is important to utilise a good quality and unpolluted water. The
quality criteria may vary depending on the use. Individual efforts
do pay in this regard, however, a common policy in the form of
legislation is always more effective.
• The enactment of ‘Prevention and Control of Water Pollution Act’
in 1974 has helped in the prevention of water pollution.
• The standards have been prescribed for water pollution under
Environment (Protection) Act 1986. These are given as follows.
– General standards for water pollutants for discharge of effluents in water
bodies on land (inland surface water, public sewers, irrigated land and
coastal areas)
– Standards specific for each type of industry
– Standards defined for the amount of waste water to be discharged for
different industries
– Standards limiting the amount of a particular pollutant on the basis of
production capacity of an industrial unit
• The state pollution control boards have also been
empowered to grant/renew consent to new/existing water
polluting industries under water ‘Prevention and Control of
Pollution Act-1974.’
• They have been empowered to shut down any industrial
unit which fails to meet the prescribed standards under this
Act.
• The state governments have also been authorized to take
punitive measures against defaulting industries.
• It becomes imperative to act upon the above mentioned
rules and regulations and also follow measures at individual
end to improve the quality of water used for various
purposes.
SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION
• (i) Sewage leakages • (x) Heavy metal
• (ii) High population density • (xi) Combustion
• (iii) oil spillage • (xii) Toxic waste disposal at sea
• (iv) Menace of Nipa palm and water • (xiii) Mineral processing plant (e.g.
hyacinth coal production)
• (v) Industrial waste dumped into our • (xiv) Eroded sediments
waters • (xv) Deforestation
• (vi) Pollution of ground water • (xvi) Mining
through drilling activities • (xvii) Littering
• (vii) Flooding during rainy season • (xviii) Pesticides
which carries waste deposits into our
waters. • (xix) herbicides and fertilizers
• (viii) Building lavatories and • (xx) Failing septic system
visionaries over running water or • (xxi) House hold chemicals
even the sea as it the practice in • (xxii) Animal wastes.
some riverine areas.
• (ix) Radioisotopes