Course Code GEC 258

Course Description This course introduces the basics of environmental

science, exploring how living things interact with their
environment and the importance of sustainability. It
covers natural resources in the Philippines, different
types of pollution, and their effects on health and
ecosystems. You are expected to learn about global issues
such as global warming and climate change. The course
includes an overview of important Philippine
environmental laws and international principles aimed
at protecting the environment. Overall, you are expected
to gain the knowledge and skills to understand and
address key environmental challenges.
Module No 3. Humankind and the Environment

This module dives deep into the pervasive issue of environmental pollution, examining its
various forms, the fundamental causes rooted in human societal structures and activities, and how
these societal aspects actively worsen pollution challenges. Understanding the drivers behind
pollution is crucial for developing effective and sustainable solutions.
LEARNING EPISODE 1: Understanding Pollution: Types, Sources, and Pollutants

If you have a glass of water in front of you, what signs would make you think it’s safe to
drink? Clean drinking water is generally expected to be colourless, odourless, and
transparent—not cloudy or filled with suspended particles. When water does not meet these
criteria, it may be polluted. But what exactly is pollution? Pollution occurs when harmful
substances enter the environment, contaminating air, soil, or water, and making them unsafe for
humans, animals, and plants. In this learning episode, we will look more closely at pollution:
identify and learn about the different types and sources of pollution and the various human
activities that can cause it. We will also describe the ways pollution can affect different parts of
the environment, including water, air, and soil.

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Moving forwards, imagine a farmer finishes spraying
chemicals on his crops. To clean up, he washes an
empty pesticide sack directly in a nearby river. Later,
a heavy rain washes fertilisers and pesticides from
the field into the same river.
The example introduces two important concepts in
pollution:

●​ Source of Pollution: This is the origin of

harmful substances entering the environment.
In this case, the source includes the farmer’s
use of fertilisers and pesticides on crops, as
well as the washing of the pesticide sack directly into the river. These activities release
pollutants into the natural ecosystem.
●​ Recipient of Pollution: This refers to where the pollutants end up and cause harm. Here,
the recipients are the river water itself, the aquatic plants and animals living in the
ecosystem, and the people relying on the river’s water for drinking, farming, and daily
needs.

SOURCES AND PHYSICAL NATURE OF POLLUTANT

So far, we've explored what pollution is and identified its sources and recipients. Now,
let's dive deeper into understanding the different forms pollution can take. Pollutants aren't just
one type of "bad stuff"; they can come in various physical forms, each with unique impacts.
Pollutants may be in the form of gas, liquid, solid, or even energy.

A.​ LIQUID POLLUTANTS

Liquid pollutants are harmful substances that are in a liquid state, released into our water bodies
or land, and cause contamination. Unlike solid waste you can pick up, or gases you can't see,
liquid pollutants often mix directly with water, spreading their contamination far and wide.

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These pollutants originate from a wide range of activities where water is used and then
discarded, often carrying dissolved or suspended harmful materials. Key sources include:

●​ Domestic Wastewater (Sewage): This is perhaps the most common liquid pollutant. It's
the water that goes down the drains from our homes.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Kitchens: From washing dishes, food preparation (containing food
particles, oils, grease, detergents).
■​ Bathrooms: From showers, baths, sinks (containing soap, shampoo, body
oils, hair) and, most significantly, toilets (containing human excreta – both
feces and urine).
■​ Laundry Facilities: From washing clothes (containing detergents, fabric
softeners, dyes, lint).
○​ Why it's harmful: Untreated domestic wastewater contains high levels of organic
matter (which consumes oxygen in water bodies), nutrients (like phosphates and
nitrates, leading to excessive algae growth), and harmful bacteria, viruses, and
parasites that can cause waterborne diseases (e.g., cholera, typhoid).
●​ Industrial Wastewater: This refers to liquid waste generated by factories, manufacturing
plants, and other industrial operations. The type of pollutants depends heavily on the
industry.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Manufacturing Processes: Water used for washing raw materials,
cleaning equipment, cooling machinery, or as a solvent in chemical
reactions.
■​ Chemical Mixing/Production: Byproducts from chemical synthesis or
processes where chemicals are dissolved or reacted in water.
■​ Food Processing: Water used for washing, blanching, and packaging food
items (containing organic matter, fats, and cleaning agents).
○​ Why it's harmful: Industrial wastewater can contain a vast array of dangerous
pollutants, including:
■​ Heavy Metals: (e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium) from mining, electronics
manufacturing, or metal plating. These are highly toxic and accumulate in
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 the food chain.
■​ Organic Chemicals: (e.g., solvents, pesticides, dyes) from chemical
industries, pharmaceuticals, or textile factories. Many are toxic, persistent,
and can disrupt ecosystems.
■​ Acids and Alkalis: From various chemical processes, altering the pH of
water bodies, which is lethal to aquatic life.
■​ Oil and Grease: From petroleum refining, food processing, or machinery
washing, suffocating aquatic life and physically fouling water bodies.
●​ Agricultural Runoff: Liquid pollutants from farming activities.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Rainfall/Irrigation Runoff: Water flowing over agricultural fields that carries
dissolved substances.
■​ Livestock Operations: Water contaminated by animal waste from farms
and feedlots.
○​ Why it's harmful: Contains fertilizers (nitrates and phosphates, causing
eutrophication), pesticides and herbicides (toxic to non-target organisms), and
animal waste (carrying bacteria and excess nutrients).
●​ Landfill Leachate: Liquid that forms when rainwater filters through solid waste in landfills.
○​ Where it comes from: Rainwater percolating through decomposing trash.
○​ Why it's harmful: Highly concentrated with various dissolved pollutants from the
breakdown of solid waste, including heavy metals, organic compounds, and
pathogens. It can contaminate groundwater and surface water if not properly
collected and treated.
●​ Stormwater Runoff: Rainwater that flows over paved surfaces in urban and suburban
areas.
○​ Where it comes from: Rain falling on roads, parking lots, rooftops, and other
impervious surfaces.
○​ Why it's harmful: Picks up pollutants like oil, grease, brake dust, litter, chemicals,
and pet waste from these surfaces, carrying them directly into storm drains and
then into local waterways without treatment.

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B. SOLID POLLUTANTS
Pollutants also come in solid form. Think about plastic bags—they're one of the most common
types of solid waste we encounter. Solid pollutants are generated by almost every aspect of
human activity, including:

●​ Households (Domestic Waste): This is the everyday trash we produce at home.

○​ Examples: Food waste (vegetable peels, leftovers), paper (newspapers,
packaging, cardboard), plastics (bottles, bags, containers, toys), glass (jars, broken
bottles), metals (cans, foils), textiles (old clothes, fabric scraps), and general
household rubbish. Sometimes, even human or animal waste (faecal matter) is
improperly mixed with solid waste, creating serious health hazards.
●​ Businesses (Commercial Waste): Shops, restaurants, offices, hotels, and markets
generate a wide variety of solid waste. Data from Five Philippine Cities Reveal
Multinational Brands are the Country’s Top Plastic Polluters (2018 data).

○​ Examples: Similar to household waste but often in larger quantities, including food
waste from eateries, packaging materials, paper, cardboard, plastics, and general
office refuse.
●​ Industries (Industrial Waste): Factories, manufacturing plants, and processing facilities
produce a diverse range of solid waste, often specific to their operations.

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 ○​ Examples: Scrap metals, chemicals in solid form (e.g., spent catalysts, sludges),
construction and demolition debris (concrete, wood, bricks), ash from burning
fuels, and various by-products from production processes. Some industrial waste
can be hazardous waste, meaning it's toxic, corrosive, flammable, or reactive,
requiring special handling.
●​ Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste:
○​ Examples: Concrete, wood, metals, bricks, drywall, roofing materials, and other
debris generated from building, renovating, or demolishing structures.
●​ Agricultural Waste:
○​ Examples: Crop residues (stalks, leaves), animal manure, used pesticide
containers, and old farm machinery parts.
●​ Electronic Waste (E-waste):
○​ Examples: Discarded electronic devices like computers, televisions, smartphones,
and appliances. These are a growing concern because they often contain
hazardous materials (like lead, mercury) that can leach into the environment.
●​ Healthcare Waste (Medical Waste):
○​ Examples: Waste from hospitals, clinics, and laboratories, including needles,
syringes, contaminated bandages, and discarded medicines. This type of waste is
often hazardous and requires very specific disposal methods.

When solid waste isn't managed properly (collected, recycled, or disposed of safely), it can lead
to:

●​ Land Pollution: Accumulation of waste on land, reducing soil fertility and degrading land
quality.
●​ Water Pollution: Rainwater can wash chemicals and other harmful substances from solid
waste into rivers, lakes, and groundwater. Plastics can end up in oceans, harming marine
life.
●​ Air Pollution: Burning solid waste in the open (illegal dumping) releases toxic gases and
particulate matter into the atmosphere.
●​ Habitat Destruction: Large piles of waste can destroy natural habitats and attract pests,
leading to the spread of diseases.

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C. GASEOUS POLLUTANTS
Gaseous pollutants are harmful substances that are released into the air as gases, often from
human activities. They spread easily and can affect our health and the environment. Here's a
closer look at some common examples and their origins:
●​ Carbon Monoxide (CO):
○​ Where it comes from: This colorless, odorless gas is produced by the incomplete
burning of fuels.
○​ Examples: Vehicle exhausts (cars, trucks), gas appliances (stoves, furnaces, water
heaters) that are poorly vented or malfunctioning, fireplaces, grills, and portable
generators.
●​ Sulfur Dioxide (SO2):
○​ Where it comes from: Primarily formed when fuels containing sulfur are burned.
○​ Examples: Power plants and industrial facilities that burn fossil fuels (especially
coal and oil), metal smelting operations, and large ships and locomotives. Natural
sources include volcanic eruptions.
●​ Nitrogen Oxides (NOx):
○​ Where it comes from: A group of highly reactive gases formed when nitrogen and
oxygen react, especially at high temperatures during combustion.
○​ Examples: Vehicle engines (cars, trucks, buses), power plants, industrial boilers,
and other processes involving high-temperature burning. Natural sources include
lightning strikes and microbial activity in soils.
●​ Methane (CH4):
○​ Where it comes from: A powerful greenhouse gas released during the
decomposition of organic matter in oxygen-poor environments, and from certain
industrial and agricultural activities.
○​ Examples: Landfills (as waste breaks down), livestock (from their digestive
process), natural gas and petroleum systems (leaks during production, processing,
and transport), and rice cultivation. Natural sources include wetlands.
D. ENERGY POLLUTION
Beyond physical substances, pollution can also take the form of unwanted or excessive energy
released into the environment. While energy is essential for life and modern society, too much of

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it, or the wrong kind, in the wrong place, can have significant negative impacts. Think of it as
disruptive energy that alters natural conditions.

Here are the main types of energy pollution:

1. Thermal Pollution (Heat Pollution):

○​ What it is: The discharge of heated water or materials into natural water bodies
(like rivers, lakes, or oceans), causing a significant increase in their temperature.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Power Plants: Especially thermal power plants (coal, natural gas, nuclear)
use vast amounts of water for cooling their systems, and then discharge this
heated water back into the source.
■​ Industrial Facilities: Factories, refineries, and manufacturing plants that
use water for cooling processes often release warm wastewater.
■​ Urban Runoff: Paved surfaces in cities absorb solar radiation and heat up,
and when it rains, this warmer runoff flows into waterways.
○​ Why it's harmful:
■​ Reduced Oxygen Levels: Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen,
which is vital for aquatic life.
■​ Disruption of Aquatic Ecosystems: Many fish and other aquatic
organisms are very sensitive to temperature changes. Sudden increases
can stress or kill them, alter breeding cycles, change migration patterns, and
lead to harmful algal blooms.
■​ Increased Toxicity: Higher temperatures can make certain chemicals in the
water more toxic.
●​ 2. Light Pollution:

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 ○​ What it is: The excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial light, particularly at
night.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Urban Areas: Streetlights, advertising billboards, building lights (both
exterior and interior), sports stadiums, and residential outdoor lighting.
■​ Industrial Facilities: Intense lighting used in warehouses, factories, and oil
and gas production sites.
○​ Why it's harmful:
■​ Disruption of Ecosystems: Interferes with the natural cycles of nocturnal
animals (e.g., disrupting migration patterns of birds, foraging behavior of
bats, and insect reproduction). It can affect plant growth cycles too.
■​ Human Health Impacts: Disrupts our natural sleep patterns (circadian
rhythms), potentially leading to sleep disorders, hormonal imbalances, and
increased risk of certain health issues.
■​ Energy Waste: Often, light pollution means energy is being wasted by
illuminating areas where light isn't needed or by inefficient lighting fixtures.
■​ Astronomical Interference: Obscures the night sky, making it difficult to
observe stars and conduct astronomical research.
●​ 3. Noise Pollution:

○​ What it is: Excessive or unwanted sound that can have harmful effects on human
health, wildlife, and environmental quality. Its intensity is measured in decibels
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 (dB), a unique scale where a small increase (like 10 dB) means the sound is
perceived as twice as loud.
○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Transportation: Traffic (cars, trucks, motorcycles), aircraft (airplanes),
trains, and marine vessels.
■​ Construction Sites: Heavy machinery, drilling, demolition work.
■​ Industrial Facilities: Factories, machinery, and port operations.
■​ Urban Activities: Loud music, public events, constant vehicle horns, and
human conversations in crowded areas.
○​ Why it's harmful:

■​ Human Health Impacts: Can lead to hearing loss, sleep disturbances,

increased stress levels, high blood pressure, headaches, and psychological
effects like anxiety and irritability.

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 ■​ Wildlife Disruption: Interferes with animal communication, breeding cycles,
navigation, and ability to find food or avoid predators, potentially leading to
displacement or population decline. Marine animals like whales and
dolphins are especially vulnerable to underwater noise from shipping and
sonar.
●​ 5. Electromagnetic Pollution (EMF
Pollution):
○​ What it is: Excessive levels of
electromagnetic radiation (EMR) in
the environment from
human-made sources. This
includes radio waves, microwaves,
and other non-ionizing radiation.

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 ○​ Where it comes from:
■​ Wireless Communication: Cell towers, mobile phones, Wi-Fi routers,
Bluetooth devices.
■​ Power Lines and Electrical Devices: High-voltage transmission lines,
transformers, household appliances (microwaves, TVs, refrigerators).
■​ Medical Equipment: MRI machines, X-ray machines (though X-rays are
ionizing, general EMF concern often includes a broad range).
○​ Why it's harmful: The exact long-term health effects of low-level, long-term
exposure are still a subject of ongoing scientific research and debate. However,
concerns include:
■​ Potential Health Issues: Reported symptoms include headaches, fatigue,
sleep disturbances, dizziness, and anxiety, though a direct causal link is not
definitively established for typical environmental levels.
■​ Interference with Sensitive Equipment: Can disrupt the functioning of
electronic devices and medical implants.

Unlike typical pollutants that are substances, energy pollution highlights how the sheer presence
or intensity of certain energy forms can directly impact humans and disturb the natural balance
of our planet.

References:

Break Free from Plastic. (2018, June 1). New data from five Philippine cities reveal multinational
brands are the country’s top plastic polluters.
[Link]
-brands-are-the-countrys-top-plastic-polluters/
Building Inspection - Bâtiments Vivants. (2023, June 15). What is electromagnetic pollution?
Bâtiments Vivants.
[Link]

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Driving ECO. (2025, February 4). Vegas Sphere consumes same [energy as] 21,000
households — is it sustainable?
[Link]
ainable/#google_vignette
National Geographic Society. (2022). Noise pollution.
[Link]
National Geographic Society. (2023, October 19). Point source and nonpoint sources of
pollution.
[Link]
ution/
National Geographic Society. (2024, November 7). Pollution.
[Link]
Open University. (2016). 7.3 Sources of pollution [Study session]. In ContextEnvt_1.0 Study
Session 7 Pollution: Types, Sources and Characteristics.
[Link]
ScienceDirect Topics. (2010). Source of pollution - an overview. Elsevier.
[Link]

Prepared by: Reviewed by: Recommending Approval: Approved:

Mr. Cecilio O. Dr. Marlyn R. Quiming Ariel Y. Leonin Virgo C. Lopez

Molina, Jr. Dean, RPSEA Director for Curriculum & VP for Academics
Faculty Instruction

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