Assignment 4

 Types of Pollution (A)

Air pollution occurs when harmful
or excessive quantities of substances
are introduced into Earth's atmosphere.
Sources of air pollution include gases
(such as ammonia, carbon monoxide,
sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxides,
methane, and chlorofluorocarbons),
particulates (both organic and
inorganic), and biological molecules. It
may cause diseases, allergies and even
death to humans; it may also cause
harm to other living organisms such as animals and food crops and may damage the natural
or built environment. Both human activity and natural processes can generate air pollution.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human
activities. Water bodies include for example lakes,
rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater. Water
pollution results when contaminants are introduced
into the natural environment.

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the

propagation of noise with ranging impacts on
the activity of human or animal life, most of
them harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor
noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines,
transport, and propagation systems. Some of the
main sources of noise in residential areas
include loud music, transportation (traffic, rail,
airplanes, etc.), lawn care maintenance,
construction, electrical generators, explosions,
and people.
 Soil pollution or Soil contamination as part of land degradation is caused by the presence
of xenobiotics (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It
is typically caused by industrial activity,
agricultural chemicals or improper
disposal of waste. The most common
chemicals involved are petroleum
hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons (such as naphthalene and
benzo(a)pyrene), solvents, pesticides, lead,
and other heavy metals. Electronic
pollution is the form of pollution caused
by the discarded electrical or electronic
devices. Used electronics which are
destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal are also considered e-waste.
Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health
effects and environmental pollution.
Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or
potentially infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of
biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g. packaging,
unused bandages, infusion kits etc.), as well research laboratory waste containing
biomolecules or organisms that are mainly restricted from environmental release.
Hazardous waste is waste that has substantial or potential threats to public health or the
environment. Hazardous wastes may be found in
different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or
solids. A hazardous waste is a special type of waste
because it cannot be disposed of by common means like
other by-products of our everyday lives. Depending on
the physical state of the waste, treatment and
solidification processes might be required.

Non-hazardous waste is any type of industrial

waste which, according to regulations, cannot be
added to a dumpster or sewage line. Examples of
non-hazardous wastes would be sugars, lactic acid,
bromides, or carbonates, just to name a few.
 Construction waste (a. k. a. construction and demolition materials, or C&D materials)
consists of unwanted material produced directly or incidentally by the construction or
industries. This includes building materials
such as insulation, nails, electrical wiring,
shingle, and roofing as well as waste
originating from site preparation such as
dredging materials, tree stumps, and rubble.
Construction waste may contain lead, asbestos,
or other hazardous substances.

Light pollution is excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial (usually outdoor) light.

Too much light pollution has consequences: it washes out starlight in the night sky, interferes
with astronomical research, disrupts ecosystems, has adverse health effects and wastes
energy. In disrupting ecosystems, light pollution poses a serious threat in particular to
nocturnal wildlife, having negative impacts on plant and animal physiology. It can confuse
the migratory patterns of animals, alter competitive interactions of animals, change predator-
prey relations, and cause physiological harm.
If humans are
exposed to light
while sleeping,
melatonin
production can be
suppressed. This
can lead to sleep
disorders and
other health
problems such as
increased
headaches,
worker fatigue,
medically defined
stress, some forms of obesity due to lack of sleep and increased anxiety.
With respect to energy wastage, lighting is responsible for at least one-fourth of all
electricity consumption worldwide. Over illumination can constitute energy wastage,
especially upward directed lighting at night.
Thermal pollution, sometimes called "thermal enrichment", is the degradation of water
quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. A common cause of thermal
pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. Other
causes of thermal pollution include soil erosion. This will elevate water and expose it to
sunlight. When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher
temperature, the sudden change in temperature decreases oxygen supply and affects
ecosystem composition. Fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range
can be killed by an abrupt
change in water temperature
(either a rapid increase or
decrease) known as “thermal
shock”.
Elevated temperature
typically decreases the level of
dissolved oxygen and of water,
as gases are less soluble in
hotter liquids. This can harm
aquatic animals such as fish,
amphibians and other aquatic
organisms.
High temperature limits oxygen dispersion into deeper waters, contributing to anaerobic
conditions. This can lead to increased bacteria levels when there is ample food supply. Many
aquatic species will fail to reproduce at elevated temperatures.
Nuclear pollution is any undesirable effect caused to the environment due to radioactive
substances or radiations. Major source is the Nuclear power plants. If traces of the
radioactive substances are present in the water that is released from the plant, it will cause
nuclear pollution. Emission of radiations can also cause this kind of pollution.
It affects almost all life forms in the surrounding environment. From planktons to Human
beings nothing is spared. To be more specific, the radiations can cause mutations that lead to
cancer, and the dose of radiation or the level of pollution determines lethality or how deadly
it is.
However, nuclear pollution is extremely
hazardous in nature. It occurs as a result of
nuclear explosions that are performed while
conducting nuclear tests. These nuclear tests are
carried out to invent better nuclear weapons.
The explosions cause release of 15 to 20%
radioactive material into the stratosphere. On
entering this layer, they start falling into the
earth’s atmosphere. This fall can take anywhere
from 6months to several years. 5% of these
radioactive particles enter troposphere, which is
the lowest layer of the atmosphere.
  Practical Solutions
Environmental pollution has negatively affected the life of both animals and humans. The
only way to control current environmental issue is to implement conservation methods and
create sustainable development strategies. We should make smart transportation choices. We
should take advantage of public transportation or walk whenever possible. We should
conserve energy. Turn off lights when we are not in the room. Small steps lead to huge
changes. We should use energy efficient devices.
Follow the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We must conserve water as much as
possible. We must not waste even a single drop of water because each water drop matters.
Use of pesticides and herbicides must be discouraged. The masses should be educated on the
danger of different types of pollution. People should know everything about consequences of
the environment pollution in order to prevent the worst from happening, Let’s protect the
water we drink, the air we breathe and the soil we use to grow our food. Let’s protect our
Mother Earth.
 What is Climatology ? (B)
Climatology or climate science is the scientific study of climate, scientifically defined as
weather conditions averaged over a period of time. This modern field of study is regarded as
a branch of the atmospheric sciences and a subfield of physical geography, which is one of
the Earth sciences. Climatology now includes aspects of oceanography and biogeochemistry.

The main methods employed by climatologists are the analysis of observations and
modelling the physical laws that determine the climate. The main topics of research are the
study of climate variability, mechanisms of climate changes and modern climate change.
  Types of Climatology
Further identified subfields are: -
1. Physical climatology: The physical climatology approach seeks to explain the
differences in climate in light of the physical processes influencing climate and the
processes producing the various kinds of physical climates, such as marine, desert, and
mountain.
2. Dynamic climatology: Dynamic climatology, practiced principally by the research
climatologist, is an attempt to study and explain atmospheric circulation over a large
part of the Earth in terms of the available sources and transformations of energy
3. Tornado climatology: Tornadoes have been recorded on all continents except
Antarctica and are most common in the middle latitudes where conditions are often
favourable for convective storm development.
4. Regional climatology: A regional climatology is a summary of the typical weather
and climate of a region, based on historical data observations made at climate stations
located within the region.
5. Bioclimatology: Bioclimatology is the interdisciplinary field of science that studies
the interactions between the biosphere and the Earth's atmosphere on time scales of
the order of seasons or longer (by opposition to biometeorology).
6. Synoptic climatology: Synoptic climatology is defined as the study of climates from
the viewpoint of their atmospheric circulation components and emphasizes the
connection between circulation, weather phenomena, and climatic differentiation.
The study of the hydrological cycle over long-time scales (hydro climatology) is further
subdivided into the subfields of snow climatology and hail climatology.
As an aspiring artist, I’ll always try to spread awareness about the environmental issues and
things people can do to try and control pollution and save our planet. I will first make
changes in my lifestyle and try to inspire others by showing them how I did things
differently.