A

Project Report

Submitted for the degree of B.Sc Honours in

Environmental Studies under the (Vidyasagar University )

TITLE OF THE PROJECT

POLLUTION AND HUMAN HEALTH

Submitted By:
Name Of The Student:

Year : B.SC.(H) SEM-I

College Roll No:

VU Roll. NO.

Registration No.

Session : 2023-2024

College : Mahishadal Raj College

MAHISHADAL RAJ COLLEGE
(Govt. Sponsored)

Estd. : 1946 DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

NAAC accredited ‘A’ Grade College
DST (FIST) Govt. of India Approved College
Mahishadal : Purba Medinipur

Certificate of Completion

This is to certify that .....................................................Roll………………..No……………. has

successfully completed the project titled “Pollution and Human Health” conducted by The
Department of Environmental Studies, Mahishadal Raj College to fulfill his/her bachelor degree
during September, 2023 – February, 2024. The project involves the study of pollution as a
critical endeavor with far-reaching implications for both environmental sustainability and
human health. The accumulation of scientific knowledge should serve as a catalyst for
concerted global action, fostering awareness, promoting innovative solutions, and ensuring the
well-being of current and future generations in the faceof this complex and evolving challenge.
The certificate is awarded on.

Dr. Anirban Pattanayak.

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my gratitude to Dr.Goutam Kr. Maity, Principal, Mahishadal Raj College
and Dr. Biswajit Singha ,Dept. Incharge for their permission and co-operation.
I would like to express my special thanks and gratitude to my teacher (DR.ANIRBAN
PATTANAYAK) who gave me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on
Environmental Studies, which also helped me in doing a lot of Research and I came to know
about so many new things I am really thankful to him.
I would like to express my gratitude towards my parents who helped me a lot in finalizing this
project within the limited time frame.
My thanks and appreciation also go to my classmates in developing the project and to the people
who have willingly helped me out with their abilities.

Thank You
 CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Environmental Pollution

………………………………………………………….
2. Meaning of Environmental Pollution
………………………………………………………….
3. Factors Affecting Environmental Pollution
…………………………………………………………
4. Types of Environmental Pollution
…………………………………………………………
5. Sources of Environmental Pollution
…………………………………………………………
6. Effect of Pollution on the Environment
…………………………………………………….
7. Pollution In Kolkata
…………………………………………
8. Environmental Protection and Control of Pollution
………………………………………………………….
9. Methods Used To Minimize Environmental Pollution
………………………………………………………….
10. Environmental Pollution Prevention
……………………………………………………….
11. Conclusion
………………………………………………….
12. Bibliography
……………………………………………….
 1. Introduction to Environmental Pollution:

The systematic pollution of our environment is one of the biggest hazards that humanity faces
today. People are becoming increasingly aware of the threat posed by pollution and governments
are enacting legislations aimed at protecting the environment. During the last few decades, the
global environment has gone through serious challenges and changes. Population pressure has
escaped rapidly consequently resources have dwindled. Pollution is an undesirable change in the
physical and biological operations of our air, soil and water. They may be or will be harmful to
human life, species our industries process; living condition and culture assets or deteriorate
our material resources. Human being can be exposed to pollutant in many ways through the air
they breathe, the water they drink, the food they eat and the cosmetics, drugs and other products
they use. The continuing discovery of previously unsuspected hazards from various chemicals and
other substances underscore the point. The environmental and human health effect of even those
substances identified for priority consideration. Scientific developments have been a growing
concern about the links between the health and environment and worldwide industrial, land and
resources management practices. Today there is a growing concern for global scale environmental
degradation brought by combinations of all people on earth. Manufacturing plants, agriculture
production and other sources release pollutants into the air, water and soil, pollutants
are intentionally moved away through the management of waste including residues removed from
the air and water by pollution control equipment.

Pollutants also move among the media by changing into more, or less hazardous substances as
they move through environment. They may accumulate in sinks for long period of time and people
often are exposed to the same pollutant through the one medium by breathing air, drinking water,
eating food or absorbing it through skin. Generally new industrial plants reduce less waste than
older ones. One report estimates that new factories cut the amount of hazardous waste to half.
Dilution which increases the volume of waste, is now more common than segregations. Firms
dilute waste to lower pollutant concentration for discharge into a sewage treatment plant or directly
into air or water, or to inject them more easily into deep wells. To save money, small electroplating
firms after mix their organic waste with those containing metals and cyanide before dumping
them in the sewer rather than treating them independently.

The sewage treatment plant can degrade the organic waste but the metal of cyanide accumulates
in the plants sludge. A cross media approach designed to avoid this problem might require the
discharger to segregate and treat separately the heavy metals and cyanide to prevent their release.
Once wastes are segregated, they are easy to recycle or treat. As a better understanding of nature
and extent of Cross media problem is gained, society will also find better ways to improve both
the effectiveness and efficiency of pollution control policies.
 2. Meaning of Environmental Pollution:

Ecosystem is a natural unit of living community (plants and animals) and non-living environment.
The biotic and abiotic community are constantly interacting and exchanging materials and energy
between themselves. The life in an ecosystem depends upon the environment which provides
energy in the form of sunlight and nutrients for the living components of the ecosystem. Waste
matter and energy produced by human beings through, their irresponsible and wanting activities
cause disturbance in the natural environment or is the ecosystem is called environment pollution.
Environmental pollution is the result of increased production of waste products by the industries,
rapid urbanization, wanting and irresponsible. Harnessing of the natural resources as well as
unplanned sewage and waste disposal from industries and cities etc. Thus presence of any
environment pollutant called environment pollution. Nature has provided the basic ingredients for
living in abundance and whatever is used up during normal course of living is recaptured through
natural cycle. Any effort to disturb this process is termed as Environment pollution. In a
homeostatic ecosystem there is a balance between the living organisms and the environment.
Disturbance in any component of the environment is likely to have a harmful effect on the
ecosystem. Any change in the environment which contributes to its deterioration is called pollution
of the environment and the agent which causes the pollution is called the pollutant.

This change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of our physical environment
(air, water and land) is undesirable and harms human life, other living organisms and cultural
assets. The resulting impact on the environment has been so massive with far-reaching
consequences that the very existence of life is threatened. Pollution is an undesirable change in the
physical and biological operations of our air, land and water. They may be or will be harmful to
human life, species our industries process; living condition and culture assets or deteriorate
our material resources.

The word environment connotes the whole gamut of physical surroundings i.e. land, air and water
along with the biotic components (all living forms/which are responsible for the plant and animal
kingdom to survive and proferaterate Environmental segments are atmosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere and biosphere. Man is the main agent for polluting the environment Nature can cope
with certain degree of pollution because it has its own cleaning agents
 3. Factors Affecting Environmental Pollution:

Some of the factors which are affecting environment and causes pollution
are described below:.

1. Consequences of Population Growth

Population growth is one of the prominent factors that affect the degradation of the environment.
Earlier, pestilence and famine kept the population under control, but with the development of
chemical compounds to restore and enhance the soil fertility, and with reduction in the death rate,
there has been an explosive growth in population within evitable consequences. This dramatic
growth coupled with the development of cheap sources of energy like coal, petroleum, natural gas
etc., and industrial revolution has posed a grave threat to the environment because earth is a finite
system in which any further increase will be restricted by environmental constraints. Pollution
increases not only because the people multiply and the space available to each person becomes
smaller but also because the demands per person are continuously increasing and each throws
away more and more every year. Pollutants are the residues of the things we make, use and throw
away. An intimate relationship is found between human number (population) and environment.
The impact of any human group in environment can be conceptually resolved into three factors;
Pollution, Affluence i.e. material aspects of per capita consumption of goods and resources and
technology of production.

Of the factors responsible for environmental crisis, the increasing population growth is considered
to be a key factor.
As shown in Table 2.1, the world population has grown dramatically over the last 350 years.
Control measures should be implemented successfully or else the biosphere will collapse under
the weight of the rapidly growing population.

2. Pollution of Indian Lakes

Among the surface water bodies, lakes and reservoirs are considered to be most valuable water
resources. These surface water bodies are currently under serious pollution threat not only in India
but also globally considered to be an important issue. Over past couple of decades national and
international programmes on lake water quality assessment and their management in
the perspective of conservation were attempted. Considerable studies were made in Himalayan
lakes of J & K (Dal & Nagin Lake), Kumaun (Naimtal and Bhimtal Lake), Madhya
Pradesh(Bhopal Lake), Odissa (Chilka Lake), Manipore (Loktak Lake) and soon. In almost all
cases lake water is highly polluted with silts, agro chemicals, fertilizer, organic wastes and
industrial discharges etc.

As a result, considerable biotic changes along with loss of productivity is noticed. In most of
limnological studies of the lake system thus revealed the fact that most of the lakes slowly
transformed into swampy marsh without any proper management for conservation. Since
1990sthere is a national lake conservation policy adopted by the Ministry of Environment and
Forest, Govt. of India.

3. Pollutants:

According to “The Indian Environment Protection Act 1980” a pollutant

has been defined as any solid, liquid or gaseous substance present in such concentration as may be
or tend to be injurious to environment. Any substance present in the environment in such
concentration which adversely effects the environment by damaging the growth rate of a species
and by interfering with the food chains, and affects the health, comfort and property etc. is
considered as a pollutant. Smoke from industries and automobiles, domestic and commercial
sewage, radioactive substances from nuclear plants and discarded household articles (tins, bottles,
broken crockery etc.) come under the category of pollutants.

Classification of Pollutants:

The classification of pollutants is done from different points of view

.
Depending upon their existence in nature pollutants are of two types, namely:

(i)Quantitative
And
(ii)Qualitative pollutants.
(i) Quantitative Pollutants:

These are those substances normally occurring in the environment, who acquire the status of a
pollutant when their concentration gets increased due to the un-mindful activities of man. For
example, carbon dioxide, if present in the atmosphere in concentration greater than normal due to
automobiles and industries, causes measurable effects on humans, animals, plants or property, then
it is classified as a quantitative pollutant.

(ii) Qualitative Pollutant:

These are those substances which do not normally occur in nature but are added by man, for
example, insecticides. Depending upon the form in which they persist after being released into the
environment, the pollutants are categorized into two types, namely (a) primary and (b) secondary
pollutants
.
(a) Primary Pollutants:

These are those which are emitted directly from the source and persist in the form in which they
were added to the environment. Typical examples of pollutants included under this category
are ash, smoke, fumes, dust, nitric oxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons etc.

(b) Secondary Pollutants:

These are those which are formed from the primary pollutants by chemical interaction with some
constituent present in the atmosphere. Examples are: Sulphur trioxide, nitrogen dioxide, aldehydes,
ketones, ozone etc. Nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons are two primary pollutants released from
automobiles but in the presence of sunlight, they react to form peroxyacyl nitrate (PAN) and ozone,
two secondary pollutants which are far more toxic than the primary pollutants from which they are
derived
 4. Types of Environmental Pollution:

Pollution is of five mains types:

(a) Atmospheric or Air pollution(b) Water pollution(c) Land and soil pollution(d) Noise
pollution(e) Radioactive pollution

(a) Atmospheric or Air Pollution:

It is an atmospheric condition in which certain substances (including the normal constituents in

excess) are present in concentrations which can cause undesirable effects on man and
his environment. These substances include gases, particulate matter, radioactive substances etc.
Gaseous pollutants include oxides of sulphur (mostly SO2, SO3) oxides of nitrogen (mostly NO
and NO2 or NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (mostly hydrocarbons)
etc. Particulate pollutants include smoke, dust, soot, fumes, aerosols, liquid droplets, pollen grains
etc. Radioactive pollutants include radon-222, iodine-131, strontium 90, plutonium-239 etc.
(b) Water Pollution:

Water is one of the most important biological components that sustain life. Its great solvent
power makes the creation of absolute pure water a theoretical rather than a practical goal. Human
population has the habit of dumping their wastes into water. This has the effect of diluting the
waste and getting it dispersed if it is a running water system.
The term “water quality” is infinitely related to water pollution. The water is said to be polluted
when it has more “negative” qualities than“ positive” ones. Water quality refers to the physical,
chemical and biological characteristics of water. Thus, in simple words, we can say that polluted
water is that water which has been abused, defiled in some way, so that it is no longer fit for use.
Water pollution can be defined as

“the presence of too much of undesirable substances in water which tend to degrade the
quality of water’s physical, chemical and biological characteristics, making it unsuitable
for beneficial use”.
(c) Land and Soil Pollution:
Soil is the loose mineral material and is the most important component of the earth’s surface
(lithosphere). It is the growth medium for many microbes, plants and animals. The formation of
soil is the result of chemical, physical and biological weathering.
Like air and water, soil is also subjected to pollution. Soil contains many microbes.

(d) Noise Pollution:

We hear various types of sounds every day. Sound is mechanical energy from a vibrating source.
A type of sound may be pleasant to someone and at the same time unpleasant to others. The
unpleasant and unwanted sound is called noise. Sound can propagate through a medium like air,
liquid or solid. Sound wave is a pressure perturbation in the medium through which sound travels.
Sound pressure alternately causes compression and rarefaction. The number of compressions and
rarefactions of the molecules of the medium (for example air) in a unit time is described as
frequency. It is expressed in Hertz (Hz) and is equal to the number of cycles per second.
(e) Radioactive Pollution:

The elements such as uranium, thorium etc. having unstable nuclei emit radiations such as alpha,
beta and gamma in nature to acquire stability. These elements are called radioactive elements.
Some ordinary elements like zinc, calcium, chlorine etc. can be converted into radioactive by
bombardment with neutron or other particles. This bombardment is called disintegration and the
disintegration rate is measured in curie (Ci) named on the discoverer, of radioactive elements.
 5. Sources of Environmental Pollution:

There are two main sources of environmental pollution:

i. Natural sources, and ii. Manmade or Anthropogenic sources.

1. Natural Sources of Environmental Pollution:

(a) Volcanic eruptions release gases and volcanic ash.

(b) Forest fires produce smoke and trace gases.
(c) Dust storms increase the wind-blown dust into the environment.
(d) Bacteria, spores, cysts and pollens are all natural pollutants.
(e) Decay of organic matter in marshy places releases marsh gas (methane— CH4) which is
a light, colourless, inflammable hydrocarbon.

2. Man-Made or Anthropogenic Sources of Environmental Pollution:

Anthropogenic source cover a wide spectrum of types as man has aggravated the problem of
pollution by his innumerable activities like,1. Domestic sources2. Industries3. Agriculture
activities4. Radioactive waste5. Thermal power stations(a) Industrialization (b) Invention of
automobiles(c) Over population(d) Deforestation: Destruction of natural habitat(e) Nuclear
explosions(f) Over-exploitation of natural resources(g) Construction of buildings, roads and
dams(h) Explosives used in wars(i) Use of fertilizers and pesticides(j) Quarrying and mining.
 6. Effect of Pollution on the Environment:

The term “environment” refers to the immediate surroundings in which man lives. It comprises of
living and non-living constituents that support life and sustain various human activities. Pollution
affects both the living as well as the non-living components of the environment. It brings about
drastic changes in the physical environment causing community wide problems by polluting the
air, water and land; adversely affecting the health of humans and animals, and damaging plants
and property. Besides there are effects of noise pollution and the hazards associated with radiation
pollution. As environmental stress on the human body increases, many medical scientists fear a
terminal increase in infectious disorders not only because of lower body resistance but because
viruses and other disease organisms will increasingly slip through water treatment and
food processing plants as the quality of water and food at the intake deteriorates. Effect on plants,
the adverse effects range from reduction in growth rate to death of the plant. The damage caused
to plants by pollution includes necrosis (dead areas on a leaf structure), chlorosis (loss or reduction
of chlorophyll leading to yellowing of leaf), epinasty (downward curvature of the leaf due to higher
rate of growth on the upper surface) andabscission of leaves (premature fall). Pollution also causes
deterioration of structural materials such as marble and lime stone. Pollution has been changed the
atmospheric conditions. An average temperature has been increased due to increase in pollution.
Effects of pollution at international level are depletion of ozone layer, global warming acid rain,
rising sea level etc.
 7. Pollution In Kolkata

The pollution level in Kolkata is increasing day by day. This is a threatto Kolkata and the citizens
of Kolkata and people should be aware of that. The major pollution taking place in Kolkata is the
air and water pollution. The river Ganga is getting contaminated day by day.

Air pollution
Kolkata is highly getting polluted day by day. The reasons for the air pollution in Kolkata is due
to the more number of vehicles on road screating a havoc in the city. The old buses some of which
are now banned by the government of West Bengal were a great cause of pollution. But still there
are old Buses in the city emitting a good amount of smoke and other harmful gases to the city's
air. Again the taxis and auto rickshaws cause a high amount of pollution specially due to using of
kerosene mixed oils in the Auto Rickshaws. Air pollution in Kolkata is also caused due to the
industries present in and around Kolkata. Kolkata is surrounded by industries and these industries
emit harmful gases in the atmosphere which causes acid rain and other problems in the city.
Water Pollution
Water pollution is also a problem for Kolkata. Specially in the river Ganga. The river Ganga is
getting contaminated day by day due to the discharge of industrial pollutants and other type of
wastes in the river. The Industries in and around Kolkata use Ganga as a discharge for their liquid
and solid wastes without treating the wastes properly thus causing water pollution in the city. Again
all the sewage and domestic wastes is also discharged into the River Ganga. The river is used as a
source of discharging the waste products of the city.

Effects of pollution

Pollution in Kolkata is effecting the citizens of Kolkata and the whole world in a wide rate. The
air pollution causes many harmful diseases like the Lung Cancer. It also causes breathing problems
and asthma. The water pollution contaminates the water as the water for Ganga is also used for
drinking purpose. This contaminated water causes the problem of Diarrhea, stomach pain,
Jaundice and other types of diseases.

How to fight with pollution in Kolkata

To fight this problem the pollution level of the city should be checked. Before discharging the
waste to the river Ganga it should be treated properly. Again the pollution can also be controlled
by using modern methods and technologies in the industries and its chimneys. Like the use of
Electronic precipitators and Scrubbers in the chimneys of the Industries. This will help in reducing
the harmful chemicals and SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter) from the industries thus reducing
the level of pollution from the industries .Solar or electric cars could be used for the purpose
of transportation as they does not emit anything in the environment and does not therefore cost the
environment. People should use public buses and metro facilities instead using their Private cars
every time. They can also use car pulls for getting to there office. This will not only save the fuel
and money but also it will help the environment.
 8. Environmental Protection and Control of Pollution:

Over population and pollution are potent ecological forces impinging upon man by affecting the
quality of the environment. All efforts aimed at bringing more and more people above the poverty
line actually increase the pressure on natural resources. Careless management of natural resources
is disrupting the ecological processes so much so that earth’s life supporting capacity is being
substantially threatened. Unmindful exploitation of the finite resources of the biosphere has a
severe ecological backlash because no development is sustainable unless it is environmentally
compatible. Pollution is the burning of the day at the global level. A combined effort to control
pollution has to be made by all government agencies, technologists, industrialists, agriculturists
and last but not the least the common man. Several measures were recommended by the scientists
participating in the conference, e.g.
.i. The first step should be to identify those causes of pollution that have global implications, and
to devise protective measures to be adopted.
ii. The second step should be to find out the carrying capacity of the environment and
reduce the emission of the major sources of pollution.
iii. The third step should be to find a neutralizer for each type of pollutant.
iv. The fourth step should be to ensure that anti-pollution measures are adopted by all
industries.
v. The fifth step should be the identification of areas where the cause of pollution is
poverty and lack of environmental education. Contamination of food and water are the
basic causes of pollution in such areas.
Environmental monitoring is urgently required for controlling pollution. This involves :i. Careful
scrutinisation of the environmental characteristics.
1. Laying down the standards of environmental quality .
2. Regular assessment of the above mentioned environmental characteristics .
3. Keeping track of the changes in the environmental characteristics and educating
people about the changes due to these changes.
4. Devising measures to combat the menace of pollution.
5. Enacting environmental laws and taking legal action against environmental
offenders.
Efforts are required to the made by each individual to control pollution. These efforts include:
1. Installation of proper sewage disposal methods.
2. Dumping of non-biodegradable wastes in low lying areas.
3. Installation of gobar gas plants in areas of high availability of cowdung.
4. Reduction of smoke emission and treatment of chimney smoke to remove solid carbon
particles.
9. Methods Used To Minimize Environmental Pollution:
 10. Environmental Pollution Prevention:

Pollution is the creation of imbalances between nature and environment life cycle by human
beings and other living inhabitants on the earth due to their day to day input output activities
carrying unhealthy surrounding, deforestation, ecological degradation. Soil erosion, depletion of
natural resources creation of industries slumps and ugly dwellings.
a. Maximum feasibility reduction of all wastes generated at production sites.
b. Source reduction, energy efficiency, reuse of input materials during production and
reduced water consumption.
c. Change products and production processes to reduce pollution at the source.
 11. Conclusion

On the basis of coordinating with other related planning and analyzing the current challenges in
the environment, the present Environmental Planning has proposed the planning vision and
objectives, together with a preliminary scheme for environmental functional districts and
environmental functional district management. Under the three principal themes of "Optimizing
the Environment Suitable for Living and Tourism", "Promoting a Conservation and Recycling-
oriented Society" and "Integrating into the Green and Quality Region", this planning has also
established 11 green indicators for the Environmental Planning, proposed 15 areas of concern and
their strategic direction, formulated various major actions, and established the implementation and
supervision mechanisms, in order to enhance the environmental management capability of the
Macao SAR Government and guarantee the execution of the planning. However, since the
environment is a complex, variable and extensive system, protecting the environment is a hard and
enduring task. It is impossible that all the existing pollution problems in the environmental can
completely be resolved in the next decade. A wonderful and quality environment must be achieved
by continuous planning, governmental policies, efforts of the enterprises and public participation.
It is the responsibility of everyone to protect our environment. Let us fulfill our responsibilities in
environmental protection, creating a quality ecological environment and sharing wonderful green
living together.
 12.Bibliography

To make this project I have taken help from

,[1.] Journal of Environmental Pollution
[2.] A Study of Environmental Studies on Pollution. www.scribd.com/.../a-study-of- pollution.
[3.] WWW.GOOGLE.COM
[4.] WWW.WIKIPEDIA.COM