MODULE 4

Environmental Pollution
 Syllabus
Environmental Pollution: Definition
➢ Cause, effects and control measures of
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
- Soil pollution
- Marine pollution
- Noise pollution
- Thermal pollution
- Nuclear hazards
➢ Solid waste Management
➢ Disaster management
➢ Role of an individual in prevention of pollution
➢ Pollution case studies
 DEFINITION
➢ Pollution is derived from Latin word ‘polluere’ which means
‘to contaminate’ any feature of environment.
➢ Pollution is the effect of undesirable changes in our
surroundings that have harmful effects on plants, animals
and human beings.
➢ This occurs only when short term economic gains are made
at the cost of long term ecological benefits of humanity.
➢ Environmental pollution is defined as an undesirable
change in the physical, chemical and biological
characteristics of any component of the environment
(water, soil, air) that can cause harmful effect on various
forms of life and property.
Contd…
➢ Pollution can be primary (effects immediately on release to the
environment) or secondary (product of interaction after release
with moisture, sunlight, other pollutants etc.)
➢ Pollution may be local, regional, trans boundary or global. The
agent which causes pollution is called pollutant.
➢ Pollutants can be classified as:
a) Degradable or non-persistent pollutants: These can be rapidly
broken by natural Processes. Eg. Domestic sewage, discarded
vegetables etc.
b) Slowly degradable or persistent pollutants: These remain in
the environment for many years in an unchanged condition
and take decades or longer to degrade. Eg: DDT.
c) Non degradable pollutants: These cannot be degraded by
natural processes.
Eg: Toxic elements like lead or mercury and nuclear wastes.
Contd…
 I. AIR POLLUTION
➢ Air pollution can be defined as presence of foreign matter either
gaseous or particulate or combination of both in the air which is
detrimental to the health and welfare of human beings.
➢ Primary pollutants: They are pollutants which are passed into
environment in the form they are produced. Ex: Dust storms and
volcanic eruptions and through human activities like emission from
vehicles, industries etc.
➢ There are five primary pollutants that contribute to 90% of global
air pollution. These are carbon oxides (CO & CO2), Nitrogen oxides,
sulphur oxides, volatile organic compounds and suspended
particulate matter.
➢ The pollutants that are produced in the atmosphere, when certain
chemical reactions take place among the primary pollutants and
with others in the atmosphere are called secondary air pollutants.
Eg: Sulphuric acid nitric acid, carbonic acid and acid rain.
 Causes of Air pollution
• Air pollution may originate from one or more variety of
sources. The natural pollution includes sources such as
volcanic emissions, biogenic sources, windblown
terrestrial dust and lightening.
• The artificial pollution generates from human activities
and includes sources such as fuel burning, refuge
burning, transportation, construction of buildings,
chemical factories, metallurgical factories and vehicles.
• The third category includes solvent usage and sources
include spray painting and solvent extraction.
Automobiles are the first rate of polluters. Industries
occupy second position.
 Effects of Air Pollution:
1. Effects on human health:
➢ Particulates cause carcinogenic effects, accumulate in lungs
and interfere with ability of lungs to exchange gases.
Prolonged exposure causes lung cancer and asthma.
➢ Exposure to air containing even 0.001% of CO for several
hours can cause collapse, coma and even death. As CO
remains attached to haemoglobin in the blood for a long
time, it accumulates and reduces the oxygen carrying
capacity of blood. This impairs thinking, causes headaches,
drowsiness and nausea.
➢ SO2 irritates the respiratory tissues.
➢ NO2 can irritate lungs, aggravate asthma and susceptibility
to influenza and common colds.
➢ Many volatile organic compounds (benzene and
formaldehyde) and toxic particulates can cause mutations
and cancer.
Contd…
2. Effects on plants: Gaseous pollutants enter the leaf
pores and damage the leaves of crop plants, interfere with
photosynthesis and plants growth and reduces nutrient
uptake and causes the leaves to turn yellow, brown or drop
off altogether.
3. On materials: Air pollutants break down the exterior
paint on cars and houses.
4. Effect on stratosphere: The upper stratosphere
consists of considerable amounts of ozone, which works
as an effective screen for UV light. Ozone is a form of
oxygen with 3 atoms instead of 2. It is produced naturally
in the atmosphere.
Contd…
Presence of certain pollutants can accelerate the breakdown of
ozone. Depletion of ozone effects human health, food
productivity and climate as given below.
i. Effects on human health: - Sun burn, cataract, aging of skin and
skin
cancer are caused by increased UV radiation. It weakens the
immune system by suppressing the body’s resistance to certain
infections like measles, chickenpox & other viral diseases.
ii. Effect on Food Production: UV radiation affects the ability of
plants to capture light energy during the process of
photosynthesis.
iii. Effects on climate: Contribute to global warming, a
phenomenon which is caused due to the increase in
concentration of certain gases like CO2, NO2, methane and
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
 Control measures of Air pollution :
There are two approaches
1. Preventive technique
2. Effective control
Some of the effective methods to Control Air
Pollution are as follows:
(a) Source Correction Methods
(b) Pollution Control equipment
(c) Diffusion of pollutant in air
(d) Vegetation
(e) Zoning.
Contd…
(a) Source Correction Methods:
➢ Industries make a major contribution towards causing air pollution.
Formation of pollutants can be prevented and their emission can be
minimized at the source itself. By carefully investigating the early
stages of design and development in industrial processes
• E.g., those methods which have minimum air pollution potential
can be selected to accomplish air-pollution control at source itself.
➢ Source correction methods are:
(i) Substitution of raw materials:
(ii) Process Modification:
(iii) Modification of Existing Equipment:
(iv) Maintenance of Equipment
Contd…
(i) Substitution of raw materials:
If the use of a particular raw material results in air pollution, then
it should be substituted by another purer grade raw material
which reduces the formation of pollutants. For example,
(a) Low sulphur fuel which has less pollution potential can be used
as an alternative to high Sulphur fuels,
(b) Comparatively more refined liquid petroleum gas (LPG) or
liquefied natural gas (LNG) can be used instead of traditional high
contaminant fuels such as coal.
(ii) Process Modification:
The existing process may be changed by using modified techniques
to control emission at source. For example,
(a) If coal is washed before pulverization, then fly-ash emissions
are considerably reduced.
(b) If air intake of boiler furnace is adjusted, then excess Fly-ash
emissions at power plants can be reduced.
Contd…
(iii) Modification of Existing Equipment:
Air pollution can be considerably minimised by making
suitable modifications in the existing equipment: For example,
(a) Smoke, carbon-monoxide and fumes can be reduced if
open hearth furnaces are replaced with controlled basic
oxygen furnaces or electric furnaces.
(b) In petroleum refineries, loss of hydrocarbon vapours from
storage tanks due to evaporation, temperature changes or
displacement during filling etc. can be reduced by designing
the storage tanks with floating roof covers.
(iv) Maintenance of Equipment:
An appreciable amount of pollution is caused due to poor
maintenance of the equipment which includes the leakage
around ducts, pipes, valves and pumps etc. Emission of
pollutants due to negligence can be minimised by a routine
checkup of the seals and gaskets.
Contd…
(b) Pollution Control Equipment:
When pollution control at source is not possible, it becomes necessary to
install pollution control equipment to remove the gaseous pollutants from the
main gas stream.
(c) Diffusion of Pollutants in Air:
• Dilution of the contaminants in the atmosphere is another approach to
the control of air pollution.
• If the pollution source releases only a small quantity of the contaminants
then pollution is not noticeable as these pollutants easily diffuse into the
atmosphere but if the quantity of air contaminants is beyond the limited
capacity of the environment to absorb the contaminants then pollution is
caused.
• Dilution of the contaminants in the atmosphere can be accomplished
through the use of tall stacks which penetrate the upper atmospheric layers
and disperse the contaminants so that the ground level pollution is greatly re-
duced.
Contd…
(d) Vegetation:
Plants contribute towards controlling air-pollution by
utilizing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in the
process of photosynthesis. This purifies the air for the
respiration of men and animals. Plenty of trees should be
planted especially around those areas which are declared
as high-risk areas of pollution.
(e) Zoning:
This method of controlling air pollution can be adopted at
the planning stages of the city. Zoning advocates setting
aside of separate areas for industries so that they are far
removed from the residential areas. The heavy industries
should not be located too close to each other.
 II. WATER POLLUTION
When the quality or composition of water changes
directly or indirectly as a result of man’s activities such
that it becomes unfit for any useful purpose is said to be
polluted.
Two types of pollutions:
• Point source of pollution: This source of pollution can
be readily identified because it has a definite source
and place, where it enters the water. Eg: Municipal
industrial discharges pipes.
• Non-point source of pollution: when a source of
pollution cannot be readily identified such as
agricultural runoff, acid rain etc, it is called as non point
source of pollution.
 Causes of water pollution:
(i) Surface water
➢ Disease causing agents parasitic worms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa that enter
water from domestic sewage and untreated human and animal wastes.
➢ Oxygen depleting wastes: These are organic wastes that can be decomposed by
aerobic bacteria. The amount of oxygen required to break down a certain amount
of organic matter is called BOD. It is an indicator of level of pollution.
➢ Inorganic plant nutrients: There are water soluble nitrates and phosphate
➢ Excess pesticides: For control of pest pesticides are used in discriminately. These
fall on ground and leach with rain water to canals and rivers.
➢ Water soluble organic chemicals: These are acids, salts and compounds of toxic
metals such as mercury & lead.
➢ Variety of organic chemicals: includes oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, detergents
& many other chemicals.
➢ The sediments of suspended matter: Occur when soil is eroded.
➢ Water soluble radioactive isotopes: Enter the water courses along with rain water.
➢ Hot water released by power plants & industries that use large volume of water to
cool the plant results in a rise in temp of local water bodies.
➢ Acid drainage into rivers.
Contd…
(ii) Ground water
➢ Urban runoff of untreated or poorly treated waste water
storage and garbage.
➢ Industrial waste storage located above or near aquifer.
➢ Agricultural practices such as application of large amounts
of fertilizers and pesticides, animal feeding operations etc
in rural sector.
➢ Leaks from underground storage tanks containing gasoline
and other hazardous substances.
➢ Poorly designed and inadequately maintained septic tanks.
➢ Mining waters.
 Effects of Water pollution
➢ Large amount of human waste in water increase the number
of bacteria which cause gastro intestinal diseases, Water
borne diseases diarrhea, typhoid etc.
➢ If more organic matter is added to water the O2 is used up,
this affects fish and other forms of O2 dependent aquatic life.
➢ High levels of organic chemicals (acids, salts& toxic metals)
can make the water unfit to drink, harm fish and other aquatic
life, reduce crop yields.
➢ Variety of organic chemicals / oil gasoline, plastics &
detergents are harmful to aquatic and human life.
➢ Hot water because of thermal pollution not only decreases
the solubility of O2 but also changes the breeding cycles of
various aquatic organisms.
➢ NO3 contamination causes Blue baby disease and PO4
contamination causes bone marrow disease.
➢ Radioisotopes cause birth defects, cancer and genetic
damage.
 Control measures of water pollution
➢ Setting up of effluent treatment plants to treat waste water
can reduce the pollution load in the recipient water. The
treated effluent can be reused either for gardening or
cooling purposes or wherever possible.
➢ Root zone process has been developed by Thermax by
running contaminated water through the root zone of
specially designed reed beds. These have the capacity to
absorb from the surrounding air through their stomata
openings. It creates O2 rich conditions where bacteria and
fungi oxidize the wastes.
➢ Providing sanitation and waste water treatment facility.
➢ Integrated nutrient management (INM) and integrated pest
management (IPM) practices will reduce the effects caused
due to excess pesticides.
 III. SOIL POLLUTION
➢ Soil is a thin covering over the land consisting of a mixture of
minerals, organic material, living organisms, air and water that
together support the growth of plant life.
➢ Soil is a natural resource for which there is no substitute. Soil is
formed from the parent material by physical and chemical
weathering of rocks.
➢ The organic portion, which is derived from the decayed remains of
plants and animals, is concentrated in the dark uppermost “top
soil”.
➢ The inorganic portion, which is made up of rock fragments, is
formed over thousands of years by physical and chemical
weathering of bedrock.
➢ Soil pollution is the introduction of substances, biological
organisms, or energy into the soil, resulting in a change of the soil
quality, which is likely to affect the normal use of the soil or
endangering public health and the living environment.
 Causes of Soil Pollution
i) Erosion: Soil erosion can be defined as the movement of surface
litter and topsoil from one place to another. It is a natural process
often caused by wind and flowing water, accelerated by human
activities such as farming, construction, overgrazing by livestock,
burning of grass cover and deforestation.
ii) Soil contaminants are spilled onto the surface though many
different activities. Most of these are the result of accidents involving
the vehicles that are transporting waste material from the site at
which it originated to the site at which it is to be deposited. Others
involve accidents involving vehicles transporting materials like fuel,
that when spilled contaminate the soil.
iii) Excess use of fertilizers and pesticides: Agricultural practices
including the use of agriculture chemicals are primary sources of
pollution on or near the ground surface. Most agricultural chemicals
are water soluble, nitrates and phosphates that are applied to fields,
lawn and gardens to stimulate the growth of crops.
iv) Excess use of irrigation water
 Effects of Soil Pollution
a) Food shortage: The foremost effect of loosing top soil is
causing water pollution and reduced food production leading to
food shortage. With population growth, it becomes more critical.
b) Desertification: Continuous exposure of eroded soil to sun for
longer periods may transform the land into sandy and rocky in
nature. These are symptoms of desertification rendering the soil
unsuitable for cultivation.
c) Decrease in the extent of agricultural land
d) Top soil which is washed away also contributes water
pollution by clogging of lakes, and increasing turbidity of water,
ultimately leading to loss of aquatic life.
e) Excess use of irrigation water leads to waterlogging and soil
salinization.
f) Fertilizer run off leads to the eutrophication of waterways.
 Control measures
a) Proper soil conservation measures to minimize the loss
of top soil.
b) Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) and Integrated
Pest Management (IPM) using bio pesticides and
integrated environment friendly agriculture to reduce
pesticides or fertilizers.
c) Appropriate water management practices in
agriculture.
d) Keeping the soil surface covered with crop residues or
crop cover.
e) Planting trees as a part of afforestation/ shelter
belts/wind breakers.
f) Cleaning up of polluted soil.
 IV. MARINE POLLUTION
Marine pollution is defined as the introduction of substances to the
marine environment directly or indirectly by man resulting in adverse effects
such as hazards to human health, obstruction of marine activities and
lowering the quality of sea water
Sources of marine pollution
i) Municipal waste & sewage from residences and hotels in coastal towns are
directly discharged in to the sea
ii) Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture which are washed off by rain
enter water courses & finally to sea. India is estimated to use 55,000 tons of
pesticides annually and about 25 percent of it is carried to ocean.
iii) Petroleum & oil washed of from roads normally enter sewage system &
finally into seas
iv) Ship accidents & accidental spillage at sea can therefore be very damaging
to the marine environment.
v) Off shore oil exploration also pollute the sea water to a large extent.
vi) Dry docking: All ships periodic dry docking servicing; cleaning the hulls etc.
during this period when cargo compartments are emptied, residual oil goes
into sea.
Contd…
vii) Pollution due to organic wastes: When O2 concentration falls
1.5 mg/l, the rate of aerobic oxidants reduced and replaced by
the anaerobic bacteria that can oxidize the organic molecules
without the use of oxygen.
viii) Pollution due to oil: Crude oil is transported by sea after a
tanker has unloaded its cargo of oil; it has to take on sea water
ballast for return journey. This ballast water is stored in cargo
compartments that previously contained oil. During unloading of
cargo certain amount of oil remains clinging to the walls of
container. When fresh oil is to be loaded these compartments
are cleaned with water which discharges the dirty ballast along
with oil into sea.
ix) Tanker accidents: In the natural process, a large no of oil
tanker accidents happen every year. Sometimes this can results
in major disasters.
x) Volcanic eruptions in the sea.
 Effects of marine pollution:

• Apart from causing Eutrophication, a large amount of

organic wastes can also result in the development of
‘red tides’. These are phytoplankton blooms because of
which the whole area is discolored.
• Commercially important marine species are also killed.
• When oil is spilled on the sea, it spreads over the
surface of the water to form a thin film called as oil
slick. This damages marine life to a large extent.
Commercial damage to fish by tainting which gives
unpleasant flavor to fish and sea food reduces market
values of sea food and causes death of birds.
• For salt marshy plants oil slick can affect the flowering,
fruiting and germination.
Contd…
• Organic waste addition results in end products such as
hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and methane which are toxic
to many organisms. This process results in the formation of
an anoxic zone which is low in its oxygen content; from
which most life disappears except for anaerobic
microorganisms and renders the water foul smelling.
• The coral reefs are the productive ecosystems offer many
benefits to people. These coral reefs are threatened by
(a) the sediments from deforestation carried by the runoffs
(b) the agricultural and industrial chemicals reaching through
river discharges.
To mention an example, River Ganga is estimated to carry 1.5
billion tons of sediments due to deforestation and intensive
farming in India, Bangladesh and Nepal through which it flows
to Bay of Bengal.
 Control measures of marine pollution:

i) Introduction of sewage treatment plants to reduce

biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of final product
before discharging into sea.
ii) Cleaning oil from surface waters and contaminated
beaches can be accelerated through the use of chemical
dispersants which can be sprayed on the oil.
iii) Load on top system reduce oil pollution cleaned with
high pressures jets of water.
iv) Crude oil washing: The clingage is removed by jets of
crude oil while the cargo is being unloaded.
 V. NOISE POLLUTION

• Noise may not seem as harmful as the contamination of air

or water, but it is a pollution problem that affects human health
and can contribute to a general deterioration of environmental
quality.
• Noise is undesirable and unwanted sound. All sound is not
noise. It may be considered as music to one person and may be
noise to another.
• Noise is defined as ‘unwanted or offensive sound that
unreasonably intrude into our daily activities’.
• Sound is measured in a unit called the decibel (dB). The
permitted noise level is 125 decibels as per the Environment
Protection Rules 1999.
 Sources:
There are numerous sources but may be broadly classified into two
classes such as indoor and outdoor.
1) Outdoor –
• Industries/factories
• Vehicular movements such as car, motor, truck, train, tempo, motor
cycle, aircrafts, trains, Construction work, defence equipments,
explosions.
• Pof loudspeakers during various festivals etc.
• The higher the speed of an air crafts the greater the noise pollution.
The invention of supersonic air crafts has added more noise for the
persons who live near aerodromes.
• Satellites are projected into space with the help of high explosive
rockets also contributes to noise pollution.
2) Indoor –
• Loudly played radio or music systems and other electronic gadgets
etc.
 Effects of noise pollution:
➢ Emotional or psychological effects - irritability, anxiety and
stress. Lack of concentration and mental fatigue are
significant health effects of noise.
➢ It has been observed that the performance of school children
is poor in comprehension tasks when schools are situated in
busy areas of a city and suffer from noise pollution -
disturbance.
➢ Interferes with normal auditory communication, it may
mask auditory warning signals and hence increases the rate
of accidents especially in industries.
➢ The effects can range in severity from being extremely
annoying to being extremely painful and hazardous Lowers
workers efficiency and productivity and higher accident
rates on the job.
Contd…
• Effects of Noise Pollution on Physical Health: Physical
damage to the ear and the temporary hearing loss
often called a temporary threshold shift (TTS). People
suffering from this condition will be unable to detect
weak sounds. Permanent loss, usually called Noise
Induced Permanent Threshold Shift (NIPTS)
represents a loss of hearing ability from which there
is no recovery.
• In additions to hearing losses, excessive sound levels
can cause harmful effect on the circulatory system by
raising blood pressure and altering pulse rates.
 Noise control techniques:
There are 4 fundamental ways in which noise can be
controlled. 1) Reduce noise at the source 2) block the path of
noise 3) increase the path length and 4) protect the recipient.
i) Reduce noise at the source
• In industries, different types of absorptive material can be
used to control interior noise. Noise reduction can be done
by using rigid sealed enclosures around machinery lined
with acoustic absorbing material. Isolating machines and
their enclosures from the floor using mounts or absorbent
mounts and pads.
• Regular and thorough maintenance of operating machinery.
We should reduce mechanical run out of shafts. By
reducing this source of vibration excitation many
components like bearing gears and cans may generate less
noise and have greater life.
Contd…
• Traffic volume and speed also have significant effects on
the overall sound.
• Ex: Doubling the speed increases the sound levels by about
9 dB and doubling the traffic volume (number of vehicles
per hour) increases sound levels by about 3 dB. A smooth
flow of traffic causes less noise than a stop-and-go traffic
pattern. Thus proper highway planning and design are
essential for controlling traffic noise.
• Establishing lower speed limits for highways that pass
through residential areas, limiting traffic volume and
providing alternative routes for truck traffic are effective
noise control measures.
Contd…
ii) Block the path of noise:
• Through construction of temporary/permanent barriers
• Planting of trees around houses can also act as effective noise barriers.
• Highly absorptive interior finish material for walls, ceilings and floors can
decrease indoor noise levels significantly.
iii) Increasing the path length:
• Increasing distance from the noise source and the recipient offers a
passive means of control.
• Municipal land- use ordinances pertaining to the location of airports make
use of the attenuating effect of distance on sound levels.
iv) Protect the recipient
• Use of earplugs and earmuffs. Specially designed earmuffs can reduce the
sound level reaching the eardrum by as much as 40 dB.
• Making Legislation, Educating and bringing awareness in the people is
common for control of any pollution Ex: Ban on loud speakers from 10pm
to 6pm.
 VI. THERMAL POLLUTION
Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that
increases the ambient water temperature. The increase in temperature
(a) Decreases the dissolved oxygen/oxygen supply, and
(b) Affects ecosystem composition.

Sources:
➢ Industries: A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a
coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers.
i) Hydro-electric power plants
ii) Coal fired power plants
iii) Nuclear power plants
iv) Industrial effluents from power, textiles, paper and pulp industries.
➢ Urban runoff: storm water discharged to surface waters from roads and
parking lots can also be a source of elevated water temperatures.
➢ Domestic sewage: municipal sewage normally has a higher temperature.
 Effects of Thermal pollution:
➢ Elevated temperature typically decreases the level of dissolved
oxygen (DO) in water. The decrease in levels of DO can harm
aquatic animals such as fish and amphibians.
➢ Thermal pollution may also increase the metabolic rate of aquatic
animals, as enzyme activity, resulting in these organisms consuming
more food in a shorter time than if their environment were not
changed.
➢ An increased metabolic rate may result to fewer resources; the more
adapted organisms moving in, may have an advantage over
organisms that are not used to the warmer temperature. As a result
one has the problem of compromising food chains of the old and
new environments. As a result Biodiversity can be decreased.
➢ Releases of unnaturally cold water from reservoirs can dramatically
change the fish and macro invertebrate fauna of rivers, and reduce
river productivity.
Contd…
➢ Increase in toxicity: The rising temperature changes the physical
and chemical properties of water. A 100C rise in temperature doubles
the toxic effect of potassium cyanide.
➢ Interference with reproduction: In fishes, several activities like
nest building, spawning, hatching, migration and reproduction etc.
depend on some optimum temperature.
➢ Increased vulnerability to disease: Activities of several pathogenic
microorganisms are accelerated by higher temperature. Hot water
causes bacterial disease in salmon fish.
➢ Invasion of destructive organisms: Thermal pollutants may permit
the invasion of organisms that are tolerant to warm water and highly
destructive. Invasion of shipworms into New jersey’s Oyster Creek
constitute the best example.
➢ Increased vulnerability to disease: Activities of several pathogenic
microorganisms are accelerated by higher temperature. Hot water
causes bacterial disease in salmon fish.
 Control measures:
➢ Thermal pollution can be controlled by passing the heated
water through a cooling pond or a cooling tower after it
leaves the condenser.
➢ One method is to construct a large shallow pond. Hot water
is pumped into one end of pond and cooler water is
removed from the other end. Another method is using a
cooling tower.
➢ During warm weather, urban runoff can have significant
thermal impacts on small streams, as storm water passes
over hot parking lots, roads and sidewalks.
➢ Storm water management facilities that absorb runoff or
direct it into groundwater, such as bio retention systems and
infiltration basins, can reduce these thermal effects.
 NUCLEAR ENERGY
➢ Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus of an atom. Heavy atoms are
unstable and undergo nuclear reactions.
➢ Nuclear reactions are of two types
1. Nuclear fission…the splitting of heavy nucleus
2. Nuclear fusion…the joining of lighter nuclei
 VII. NUCLEAR HAZARDS

• Radionuclides are elements (uranium 235, uranium 283,

thorium 232, potassium 40, radium 226, carbon 14 etc.,) with
unstable atomic nuclei and on decomposition release ionizing
radiations in the form of alpha, beta and gamma rays.
• Out of the known 450 radioisotopes only some are of
environmental concern like strontium 90, tritium, plutonium
239, argon 41, cobalt 60, cesium 137, iodine 131, krypton 85
etc.
• These can be both beneficial and harmful, depending on
the way in which they are used. We routinely use X-rays to
examine bones for fractures, treat cancer with radiation and
diagnose diseases with the help of radioactive isotopes.
Contd…
• Nuclear radiation consists of intense gamma rays and neutrons
produced during the first minute after the explosion. This radiation
causes extensive damage to cells throughout the body.
• Radiation damage may cause headaches, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhea, and even death, depending on the radiation dose received.
• Nuclear hazard effects can be either initial or residual.
• Initial effects occur in the immediate area of explosion and are
hazardous immediately after the explosion where as the residual effects
can last for days or years and cause death.
• The principal initial effects are blast and radiation. Blast causes
damage to lungs, ruptures eardrums, collapses structures and causes
immediate death or injury.
 Sources:
The sources of radioactivity include both natural and manmade.
Natural sources
➢ Cosmic rays from outer space
➢ Emissions from radioactive materials in the earth’s crust (rocks, marine
sediments etc.,)
Man-made sources
Include the nuclear wastes produced during
➢ Mining and processing of radioactive ores
➢ Use of radioactive materials in power plants
➢ Use of radioactive isotopes in medical technology (x-ray machines,
radio isotopes used in medicine)
➢ Industrial applications include wastes from nuclear reactors
➢ Research applications: radioactive fallouts during nuclear weapons testing.
➢ In a nuclear power plant, any leak or accident taking place emit nuclear
radiation.
➢ Nuclear tests Conducted under the ground or under oceans which also
release radiation.
➢ Uranium mining and milling, Nuclear reactors and reprocessing of nuclear
fuel cause nuclear pollution.
 Effects
▪ Studies have shown that the health effects due to radiation
are dependent on the level of dose, kind of radiation,
duration of exposure and types of cells irradiated.
• Radiation effects can be somatic or genetic.
➢ Somatic affects the function of cells and organs. It causes
damages to cell membranes and cell nuclei resulting in
abnormal cell functions, cell division, growth and death.
➢ Genetic affects the future generations. Radiations can cause
mutations, which are changes in genetic makeup of cells.
These effects are mainly due to the damages to DNA
molecules. People suffer from blood cancer and bone cancer
if exposed to doses around 100 to 1000 roentgens
 Control measures
➢ Laboratory generated nuclear wastes should be disposed off safely
and scientifically.
➢ Nuclear power plants should be located in areas after careful study
of the geology of the area, tectonic activity and meeting other
established conditions.
➢ Appropriate protection against occupational exposure
➢ Leakage of radioactive elements from nuclear reactors, careless
use of radioactive elements as fuel and careless handling of radioactive
isotopes must be prevented.
➢ Safety measure against accidental release of radioactive elements
must be ensured in nuclear plants.
➢ Unless absolutely necessary, one should not frequently go for
diagnosis by x rays.
➢ Regular monitoring of the presence of radioactive substance in
high risk area should be ensured.
 SOLID WASTE

▪ The combined effects of population explosion and

changing modern living standards have a cumulative
effect in the generation of a large amount of various
types of wastes.
▪ Solid waste can be classified into different types
depending on their source.
➢ Municipal solid waste (MSW)
➢ Industrial waste
➢ Hazardous waste
➢ Biomedical or hospital waste: as infectious waste.
➢ Agricultural waste
 Solid waste management
• Defn:-Solid or semisolid, non soluble (including gases
and liquids in containers) such as agricultural refuse,
demolition waste, industrial waste, mining residues,
municipal garbage, and sewage sludge.
• Management of solid waste is very important in
order to minimize the adverse effects of solid wastes.
• Any material that is thrown away or discarded as
unwanted is considered as solid waste.
Causes
• Over population
• Affluence
• Technology
Effects
• Health hazard
• Environmental impact
Control measures
Solid waste management include waste generation, Collection of solid waste,
Disposal of solid waste
• Land fill- Disposal of municipal waste in the upper layers of the earth’s
mantle.
• Incineration- Burn highly combustible wastes at very high temperature
• Composting or Bio degradation- Decompose the organic components of
the municipal solid wastes.
• Waste utilization
a) Reuse
b) Recycling
c) Reclamation
 Significance of solid waste management
• In communities where appropriate sites are available,
sanitary landfills usually provide the most economical
option for disposal of non recyclable refuse. However, it is
becoming increasingly difficult to find sites that offer
adequate capacity, accessibility and environmental
conditions.
• Landfills will always play a key role in solid-waste
management. It is not possible to recycle all components of
solid waste and there will always be residues from
incineration and other treatment processes that will
eventually require disposal underground.
• Landfills can actually improve poor-quality land. In some
communities properly completed landfills are converted
into recreational parks, playgrounds, or golf courses.
 DISASTER MANAGEMENT
➢ Disaster Management can be defined as the organization
and management of resources and responsibilities for
dealing with all humanitarian aspects of emergencies, in
particular preparedness, response and recovery in order to
lessen the impact of disasters.
➢ Natural calamities, of different types and intensities affect
nations all over the world.
➢ The Indian subcontinent is very vulnerable to droughts,
floods, cyclones, landslides, and forest fires.
➢ Not all natural calamities can be predicted and prevented, a
state of preparedness and ability to respond quickly to
natural calamity can considerably mitigate loss of life and
property and human suffering and restore normalcy at the
earliest.
 Post Disaster Management
• The post disaster approach towards dealing
with natural disasters, involving problems
such as evacuation, fire- fighting, warnings,
communications, search and rescue, medical
and psychiatric assistance, provision of relief,
shelter etc., is generally referred to as ‘Post
Disaster Management’ .
• It is a primarily a ‘Reactive Mechanism’ to the
natural disasters.
 Disaster Mitigation
• Mitigation means lessening the negative impact
of the natural hazards.
• It is defined as sustained action taken to reduce
long term vulnerability of human life and the
recovery property to natural hazards.
• While the preparatory, response and the recovery
phases of emergency management relate to
specific events.
• Mitigation activities have the potential to
produce repetitive benefits over time. It is a
‘Proactive approach’ to natural disasters.
 Guidelines for effective management of
mitigation program
1. Pre- disaster mitigation can help in ensuring
faster recovery from the impacts of disasters.
2. Mitigation measures must ensure protection of
the natural and cultural assets of the community
3. Hazard reduction methods must take into
account the various hazards faced by the affected
community & their desires and priorities
4. Any mitigation Programme must also ensure an
effective partnership between the Govt, Scientific,
private sector, NGOs and the community
 Main elements of a mitigation strategy
1. Risk assessment and Vulnerability analysis: This involves the
identification of hotspot areas of prime concern, collection of
information on past natural hazards, information on the
population and infrastructure.
2. Applied research and technology transfer: There is a need
to establish or upgrade observation equipment and networks,
monitor the hazardous properly, improve the quality of
forecasting and warning.
3. Public awareness and training: Training to be given to
officials & staff of various Departments involved in state &
district level.
4. Incentives and resources for mitigation: Provide stable
source of funding for all mitigation programs.
5. Land use planning and regulation .
6. Hazard resistant design and construction.
 ROLE OF AN INDIVIDUAL IN PREVENTION OF
POLLUTION
• Individuals should minimize wastage of resources such as electricity. Every
unit of electricity saved is equivalent unit of electricity produced as it not
only saves the fuel that would be used to produce that electricity, but also
help to prevent pollution that is accompanied by burning of that fuel.
Therefore, person should always switch off appliances when not in use.
• Individuals should prefer walking or use cycles instead of using motor
vehicles, especially when distances to be travelled are small.
• Individuals can make considerable contribution by using mass transport
(buses, trains, etc) instead of using personal vehicles.
• When going to workplace, colleagues from nearby localities should pool
vehicles instead of going in individual personal vehicles.
• Taking personal vehicles for periodic pollution checks at centres approved
by authorities.
• Individuals should reuse items whenever possible.
• Products that are made of recycled material should be given preference.
• Use gunny bags made of jute instead of plastic bags.
• Take part in environment conservation drives such as tree planting drives.
• Use water resources efficiently.
• Use renewable resources by installing equipment such as solar heaters and
using solar cookers.
• Dispose potentially harmful products such as cells, batteries, pesticide
containers, etc properly.
• Use of refrigerators should be minimised wherever possible as they are
main source of CFC, which is responsible for Ozone layer depletion.
• Follow and promote family planning, as more population means more
resources utilized and more resources utilized imply more pollution.
• Avoid making noise producing activities such as listening to loud music.
• Use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues.
• Organize drives to clean streets and clean drains with help of other people
of locality.
• Spread awareness and inspire other people to prevent pollution. Individuals
should be encouraged to acquire information and innovations from world
over and implement them locally.