Unit V
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Priti Tripathy
Research Scholar
Department of Environmental Sciences
Tezpur University
WHAT IS POLLUTION?
An undesirable change in physical, chemical,
or biological characteristics of air, water, or land
due to accumulation of pollutants- harming life,
resources, and human activities.
TYPES OF POLLUTION
CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
• Industrialisation: Factories release air, water, and soil pollutants;
hazardous waste increases.
• Urbanisation: More emissions, waste, deforestation, and resource
pressure.
• Forest Fires: Often human-induced; release massive smoke and
pollutants.
• Agriculture: Fertilisers/pesticides pollute soil & water; contributes
~23% GHG emissions.
• Deforestation: Loss of forests reduces natural pollutant absorption
and damages ecology.
• Other Causes: Fossil fuel use, vehicle emissions, poor waste
management.
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
• Human Health: Triggers respiratory and heart diseases;
causes water-borne infections and long-term toxic exposure.
• Ecosystems: Harms wildlife, pollutes water bodies, destroys
habitats, and reduces biodiversity.
• Climate Change: Increases greenhouse gases, driving global
warming and extreme weather.
• Economy: Lowers crop yields, harms fisheries and tourism,
and raises healthcare costs.
• Quality of Life: Causes poor air, noise, and light conditions,
reducing comfort and well-being.
AIR POLLUTION
•Contamination of the atmosphere by harmful gases and
particulate matter.
•Major sources: industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and fossil
fuel burning.
•Causes respiratory and heart diseases, and contributes to
acid rain and climate change
WATER POLLUTION
•Contamination of rivers, lakes, and oceans by sewage,
industrial effluents, agricultural runoff, and oil spills.
•Pollutants degrade water quality and make it unsafe for use.
•Major contributors: industries, agriculture, and domestic
waste.
•Harms aquatic life, disrupts ecosystems, and poses serious
health risks to humans.
SOIL POLLUTION
•Contamination of soil by harmful substances like heavy
metals, pesticides, and industrial waste.
•Caused by chemical deposition, industrial dumping,
excessive pesticides/fertilisers, and improper solid waste
disposal.
•Leads to reduced soil fertility, contaminated crops, and
threats to food security.
NOISE POLLUTION
•Excessive, harmful sound that affects human health and
wildlife.
•Major sources: traffic, industries, construction, and
urban activities.
•Long-term exposure can cause hearing loss, stress, sleep
disturbances, and other health issues.
THERMAL POLLUTION
•Sudden rise or fall in the temperature of natural
water bodies due to human activities.
•Common cause: power plants using water as
coolant and releasing it back at higher temperatures.
•Impacts: reduced dissolved oxygen, excessive algae
growth, and increased toxins harming aquatic life
NUCLEAR HAZARDS
•Nuclear Energy: Released from the nucleus through fission (splitting
atoms) or fusion (combining atoms). Both processes release enormous
energy.
•Power & Explosions: Nuclear reactions release nearly 100,000× more
energy per atom than chemical reactions. Nuclear bombs release this
energy instantly, causing massive destruction.
•Radioactivity:
•Atoms have protons + neutrons; variations in neutrons form isotopes.
•Unstable isotopes emit radiation (radioactive decay).
•The time for half of a radioactive substance to decay is its half-life.
•Radiation Measurement:
•Traditional units: rads and rems.
•SI units: grays (Gy) and sieverts (Sv).
•1 gray = 100 rads.
EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR
HAZARDS
•Radioactive elements accumulate in the food chain
(biomagnification).
•Cause DNA damage, cancer, mutations, and birth defects.
•Acute effects: hair loss, ulcers, bleeding, sudden death.
•Chronic effects: leukemia, anemia, organ cancers, reduced
lifespan.
•Major disasters: Hiroshima, Nagasaki (1945) and
Chernobyl (1986) with massive deaths and contamination.
PROTECTION & CONTROL
•Enforce strict radiation safety at workplaces.
•Proper storage, labeling, and handling of radioactive materials.
•Use protective gear: gloves, aprons, masks, goggles.
•Nuclear tests only underground, not in air.
•Reactors must use closed-cycle cooling.
•Dispose nuclear waste in secure, geologically stable sites.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
• Solid waste includes unwanted organic and inorganic materials
from homes, industries, institutions, agriculture, and hospitals.
• Rapid urbanisation and industry create large amounts of solid waste.
• Types: household, agricultural, industrial, biomedical, and construction
waste.
• Effects: soil and water contamination, toxic leachates, foul odor,
disease spread, and health risks from heavy metals and pathogens.
• Solid waste includes household, industrial, biomedical, and
agricultural waste.
• Govt. initiatives promote recycling, waste utilization, and eco-
friendly disposal.
• Management steps:
collection → segregation → processing → disposal
• Issues with open dumping: toxic gases, groundwater
contamination, disease spread.
• Sanitary landfills reduce hazards but require careful site
selection.
• Incineration reduces waste volume but emits toxic fumes.
MODERN TECHNIQUES &
SOLUTIONS
• Composting, Biogas & Vermiculture: convert organic waste into
manure/energy.
• Anaerobic digestion: produces biogas + organic fertilizer from
waste slurry.
• Recycling: saves energy and conserves materials (paper, metal,
plastic, glass).
• Wasteland reclamation: composting + afforestation restore
degraded land.
• Integrated Waste Management: combines reduction, reuse,
recycling, composting, landfilling, and incineration.
• Bioremediation: plants/microbes remove or break down
hazardous substances.
CASE STUDIES
BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY
•On Dec 3, 1984, a massive leak of MIC (methyl isocyanate)
occurred at Union Carbide, Bhopal.
•Water entered the MIC tank → pressure rose → safety valve
opened → 50,000+ pounds of toxic gas released.
•Gas spread across 40 sq. km, affecting people up to 5–8 km
away.
•14,775 deaths, 2.5 lakh exposed; 65,000 severely injured
with respiratory, eye, neurological, and reproductive disorders.
•~1000 people became blind; animals also died instantly.
•Long-term effects include genetic disorders in subsequent
generations.
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG IN LOS ANGELES
• In 1944, Los Angeles faced severe photochemical smog,
causing eye irritation, poor visibility, and plant damage.
• Smog formed when NOx and hydrocarbons from vehicles
reacted under strong sunlight, creating pollutants like
ozone and PAN.
• Worst during summer due to intense solar radiation.
• Climate + topography worsened the problem: coastal
location + mountains on three sides trapped pollutants near
the ground.
• Smog damaged materials—rubber cracked badly under
exposure.