UNIT –3

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Objectives:
In this topic we are going to deal about different types of pollution and due to
these types of pollution how our environment is facing disasters and calamities.

Introduction:
Environmental pollution can be defined as “the unfavorable alteration of our
surroundings”

Types of pollutants:
1. Bio degradable pollutants - decompose rapidly by natural processes.
2. Non-degradable pollutants- do not decompose or slowly decompose in the
environment.

Pollution is of different kinds

1. Air pollution
2. water pollution
3. soil pollution
4. marine pollution
5. noise pollution
6. thermal pollution and
7. Nuclear hazards etc.

Air pollution:
It may be defined as “the presence of one or more contaminants like dust, smoke,
mist and odor in the atmosphere which are injurious to human beings, plants and animals

Introduction
Most air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas) and solid waste, or
from gases released into the air by different processes. One of the worst is carbon
monoxide from vehicle exhausts. It is poisonous to humans because it prevents the
absorption of oxygen. Some gases and particles in the air may be dangerous to health if
breathed in. Another is nitrogen oxide, which reacts with sunlight to produce dense smog
(a combination of smoke and fog). Tobacco smoke also damages health-even breathing in
other people's smoke is harmful.

Definition
It may be defined as “the presence of one or more contaminants like dust, smoke, mist
and odor in the atmosphere which are injurious to human beings, plants and animals.

Sources of air pollution

Sources of air pollution refer to the various locations, activities or factors which are
responsible for the releasing of pollutants into the atmosphere. These sources can be
classified into two major categories which are:

1
 a) Natural pollution: volcanic eruptions, forest fires, biological decay, etc.

b) Man made activities: Industries, Thermal power plants, agricultural

activities etc.

Natural sources
 Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with few or no vegetation
 Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle
 Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust. Radon is a colorless,
odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay
of radium. It is considered to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural sources
can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as the basement
and it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking.
 Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires
 Vegetation, in some regions, emits environmentally significant amounts of VOCs
on warmer days. These VOCs react with primary anthropogenic pollutants—
specifically, NOx, SO2, and anthropogenic organic carbon compounds—to
produce a seasonal haze of secondary pollutants.
 Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates

Anthropogenic sources (man-made sources)

Mostly related to burning different kinds of fuels and others

 "Stationary Sources" include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing

facilities (factories) and waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of
fuel-burning heating devices. In developing and poor countries, traditional
biomass burning is the major source of air pollutants; traditional biomass includes
wood, crop waste and dung.
 "Mobile Sources" include motor vehicles, marine vessels, aircraft and the effect
of sound etc.
 Chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and forestry
management. Controlled or prescribed burning is a technique sometimes used in
forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire
is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a
tool for foresters. Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some
desirable forest trees, thus renewing the forest.
 Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents
 Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane. Methane is highly
flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is also an
asphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia or
suffocation may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by
displacement.
 Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry

2
Classification:
1. Primary pollutant – these are those emitted directly in the atmosphere in harmful
form like CO, NO etc
2. Secondary pollutant – these may react with one another or with the basic
components of air to form new pollutants.

Effects:
Air pollution is a significant risk factor for multiple health conditions including
respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung cancer, according to the WHO. The health
effects caused by air pollution may include difficulty in breathing, wheezing,
coughing, asthma and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions.
These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or emergency room
visits, more hospital admissions and premature death. The human health effects of poor
air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the body's respiratory system and the
cardiovascular system.
Individual reactions to air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed
to, the degree of exposure, the individual's health status and genetics.
Effects on Man and Animals:
Effects of Air Pollution • Reduced lung functioning • Irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and
throat • Asthma attacks • Respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing •
Increased respiratory disease such as bronchitis • Reduced energy levels • Headaches and
dizziness • Disruption of endocrine, reproductive and immune systems • Neurobehavioral
disorders • Cardiovascular problems • Cancer • Premature death • Acid rain (formed in
the air) destroys fish life in lakes and streams • Excessive ultraviolet radiation coming
from the sun through the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere which is eroded by some
air pollutants, may cause skin cancer in wildlife • Ozone in the lower atmosphere may
damage lung tissues of animals.
Effects on Plants:
Environmental Pollution Effects on Trees and Plants; Effects of Air Pollution Trees
Damaged by Acid Rain • Acid rain can kill trees, destroy the leaves of plants, can
infiltrate soil by making it unsuitable for purposes of nutrition and habitation • Ozone
holes in the upper atmosphere can allow excessive ultraviolet radiation from the sun to
enter the Earth causing damage to trees and plants • Ozone in the lower atmosphere can
prevent plant respiration by blocking stomata (openings in leaves) and negatively
affecting plants’ photosynthesis rates which will stunt plant growth; ozone can also decay
plant cells directly by entering stomata. Plants that are exposed to air pollution over an
extended period grow at a slower rate, produce fewer blossoms and are more susceptible
to disease and insect damage. When the air quality index dips, all plants are at risk.

Control Measures:
1. Source control:
a) Use only unleaded petrol

3
 b) Use petroleum products and other fuels that have low sulphur and ash
content
c) Plant trees along busy streets because they remove particulates and
carbon monoxide and absorb noise.
d) Industries and waste disposal sites should be situated outside the city
centre.
e) Use catalytic converters to help control the emissions of carbon
monoxide and hydrocarbons.
2. Control measures in Industrial centers :
a) Emission rates should be restricted to permissible levels
b) Incorporation of air pollution control equipments in the design of the
plant lay out.

Water pollution:
It may be defined as “the alteration in physical, chemical and biological
characteristics of water which may cause harmful effects on human and aquatic life.

Types, effects and sources of water pollution:

1. Infectious agents: - Bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms.
Sources: - Human and animal wastes.
Effects: Variety of diseases.
2. Oxygen demanding wastes: - Animal manure and plant debris that can be
decomposed by aerobic bacteria.
Sources: - Sewage, paper mills, and food processing facilities
Effects: Wastes can degrade quality by depleting water of dissolved
oxygen.
3. In organic Chemicals: - Water soluble inorganic chemicals.
1. Acids
2. Compounds of toxic metals such as lead , arsenic and selenium
3. Salts such as Na Cl in ocean water.
Effects: Genetic mutations, birth defects and certain cancers.

Causes
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum of
chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and
discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be
naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese, etc.) the concentration is often the
key in determining what is a natural component of water, and what is a contaminant.
High concentrations of naturally-occurring substances can have negative impacts on
aquatic flora and fauna.

Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter (e.g. leaves
and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances
may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light and disrupts plant growth, and clogs
the gills of some fish species.

4
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases
in either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes acidity
(change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication. Eutrophication
is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that
increases in the primary productivity of the ecosystem. Depending on the degree of
eutrophication, subsequent negative environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen
depletion) and severe reductions in water quality may occur, affecting fish and other
animal populations.

Effects:
1. Lowers dissolved oxygen levels and makes aquatic organisms more
vulnerable to disease and toxic chemicals
2. When a power plant first opens or shuts down for repair, fish and other
organisms adapted to a particular temperature range can be killed b the
abrupt change in water temperature known as thermal shock

Effects of Water Pollution a. Waterborne diseases caused by polluted drinking water: •

Typhoid • Amoebiasis • Giardiasis • Ascariasis • Hookworm b. Waterborne diseases
caused by polluted beach water: • Rashes, ear ache, pink eye • Respiratory infections •
Hepatitis, encephalitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach aches c.
Conditions related to water polluted by chemicals (such as pesticides, hydrocarbons,
persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals etc): • Cancer, incl. prostate cancer and non-
Hodgkin’s lymphoma • Hormonal problems that can disrupt reproductive and
developmental processes • Damage to the nervous system • Liver and kidney damage •
Damage to the DNA • Exposure to mercury (heavy metal): • In the womb: may cause
neurological problems including slower reflexes, learning deficits, delayed or incomplete
mental development, autism and brain damage • In adults: Parkinson’s disease, multiple
sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and even death d. Other effects: • Water
pollution may also result from interactions between water and contaminated soil, as well
as from deposition of air contaminants (such as acid rain) • Damage to people may be
caused by fish foods coming from polluted water (a well known example is high mercury
levels in fish) • Damage to people may be caused by vegetable crops grown / washed
with polluted water (author’s own conclusion). • Nutrient pollution (nitrogen, phosphates
etc) causes overgrowth of toxic algae eaten by other aquatic animals, and may cause
death; nutrient pollution can also cause outbreaks of fish diseases. Oil Coated Duck •
Chemical contamination can cause declines in frog biodiversity and tadpole mass • Oil
pollution (as part of chemical contamination) can negatively affect development of
marine organisms, increase susceptibility to disease and affect reproductive processes;
can also cause gastrointestinal irritation, liver and kidney damage, and damage to the
nervous system • Mercury in water can cause abnormal behavior, slower growth and
development, reduced reproduction, and death • Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may
cause declines, deformities and death of fish life • Too much sodium chloride (ordinary
salt) in water may kill animals • We also assume that some higher forms of non-aquatic
animals may have similar effects from water pollution as those experienced by humans,
as described above. • May disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants and thus affecting
ecosystems that depend on these plants • Terrestrial and aquatic plants may absorb

5
pollutants from water (as their main nutrient source) and pass them up the food chain to
consumer animals and humans • Plants may be killed by too much sodium chloride
(ordinary slat) in water • Plants may be killed by mud from construction sites as well as
bits of wood and leaves, clay and other similar materials • Plants may be killed by
herbicides in water; herbicides are chemicals which are most harmful to plants.

Control measures of water pollution:

1. The administration of water pollution should be in the hands of state or central
government.
2. Industrial plants should be based on recycling operations, because it will not
only stop the discharge of industrial wastes into natural water sources but by
products can be extracted from the wastes.
3. Plants, trees and forests control pollution and they acts as natural air
conditioners.
4. Highly qualified and experienced persons should be consulted from time to
time for effective control of water pollution.
5. Basic and applied research in pubic health engineering should be encouraged.

Marine pollution:
It may be defined as “the discharge of waste substances into the sea resulting in
harm to living resources hazards to human health, hindrance to fishery and impairment of
quality for use of sea water”.

Source of marine pollution

The coastal zones contain rich heritage, coral reefs, wetlands, and sea grass beds. Each
type of pollution adversely affects ocean life, including plants and sea creatures. Once
contaminated by these pollution sources, delicate ecosystems are forever disrupted:

Oil
Petroleum products used for fuel are mined from the earth deep below the ocean surfaces.
Occasionally, offshore drilling rigs experience accidental leaks. Ships carrying oil have
also been known to cause devastating oil spills, but these are large-scale disasters. Oil
seepage occurs on a smaller but continuous level, leaching from factories and other
plants. In fact, one of the greatest sources of oil pollution is people who pour various
cooking oils and grease down the sink drains in their homes.

Dumping
A portion of the billions if not trillions of tons of trash produced each year finds its way
into ocean waters. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has seen plastic bottles and
other waste floating onto the beaches. Trash is often dumped from ships and offshore
drilling rigs directly into the sea. Aside from trash, industrial waste is one of the major
issues when it comes to ocean dumping. These toxic chemicals, including radioactive
chemicals, are a death sentence for ocean life forms.

6
Sewage
Animal waste and human wastewater from toilets and other household activities such as
bathing and laundering as well as food preparation are often washed directly into the
ocean from coastal communities. Untreated sewage contains microbes or pathogens that
precipitate disease when infected seafood is consumed or skin contact occurs. In some
cases, solid sludge from treated sewage is also dumped into the oceans.

Air Pollution
Air pollution and ocean pollution are inextricably linked. Pollution from automobiles and
factories is translated into acid rain, which falls into the ocean and mingles with its
waters.

Agricultural Runoff
Rainwater washes pesticides and fertilizers into smaller water sources such as streams
and rivers, which ultimately carny those toxic chemicals into the ocean. Another source
of agricultural runoff is animal waste, which is not treated like human sewage. For
example, runoff from Midwestern farms into the Mississippi River is responsible for the
"Dead Zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, which features very little marine life.

Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a lesser known source of pollution, but can have grave effects. The
chemicals in sunscreen worn by swimmers and divers wash off into the ocean water and
coats plant life, on coral reefs and suffocates them. Vast swaths of reefs have been
destroyed, but there are eco-friendly sunscreen products on the market that help to
prevent this terrible side-effect, while still protecting skin from cancerous sunrays.

There isn't one source to blame for ocean pollution. In fact, pollution is caused by several
industries and practices. People also contribute this growing problem.

Oil Industry
The oil industry is responsible for occasional large scale oil spills, which prove
catastrophic, but they are also responsible for smaller leaks that occur on a regular basis.
Oil leaks from offshore drilling rigs and boats, and some people even intentionally dump
oil into the ocean. Natural oil seepage only counts for a very small percentage of oil
pollution in the ocean. You may not realize it, but when you pour oil down the sink in
your home, it can end up causing ocean pollution. When gasoline is burned, either by cars
or other vehicles or engines, chemicals are released into the air. What's in the air will
eventually become rain that, of course, returns to the ocean.

Manufacturing
You only need look at a factory billowing smoke to understand that most manufacturing
processes release harmful gases and liquids into the atmosphere. The manufacturing
industry can pollute the ocean in several ways. The most obvious is dumping toxic
liquids directly into the ocean or other water sources that flow into the ocean. In some
cases, these liquids are warm and can raise the temperature of the ocean water, known as

7
thermal pollution. Delicate ecosystems that cannot survive at higher temperatures may be
wiped out entirely. A more subtle result of manufacturing is acid rain. Chemicals are
released into the atmosphere and pollute the air, and when they are condensed and fall
with the rain, they contaminate the ocean indirectly.

Agriculture
Farming and agriculture may seem far removed from ocean problems. Farmland is
usually far inland and in landlocked places, such as the Midwestern United States.
However, when it rains, toxic pesticides are washed into the rivers and streams that
eventually flow into the ocean. Marine life then ingests these toxins and if they don't die,
they might be consumed by humans, causing illnesses and other unpleasant side effects.
Pesticides often contain heavy metals such as mercury, copper and lead, which have been
known to cause serious health issues.

Littering and Dumping

Few things can dampen the mood of your romantic sunset walk on the beach more than
seeing a plastic bottle wash up onto shore. It is hard to believe that some people litter
directly into the ocean, and even more preposterous that some ships dump their trash
while out at sea. Although it is generally banned in the US, many third world countries
dump their local trash directly into the ocean, either along the shore or by ship. Plastic is
especially dangerous to marine life because it disintegrates into tiny pieces and is often
ingested. Even when trash is contained in a landfill, chemicals may leak and contaminate
the ground water, which can eventually mix with ocean water.

Sewage
Although it's hard to imagine raw sewage being dumped into the ocean, it happens on a
regular basis. The oceans are vast and can break down this vile liquid, but it still causes
many adverse effects on marine life. Sewage includes "black water" from toilets and also
water from laundry, food preparation and sinks, referred to as "gray water". Imagine all
of the toxic cleaning products and other household substances that are flushed down the
sink finding their way into the ocean! Sometimes, sludge from sewage treatment is also
dumped into the ocean. Consider what happens when it rains and all of the grime from
the streets is washed into the sewer system, which could eventually wash out to sea.

It may not seem like pollution that exists in the middle of the ocean would have much of
an effect on your life, but it will all eventually wash up onto shore or fall as rain through
the process of evaporation and condensation. If you love animals, enjoy seafood or like to
take trips to the beach, you should understand ocean pollution causes, and even more
importantly, become part of the solution.

Effects of marine pollutants:

 The presence of heavy metals and organic pollutants cause more damage in birds
as thinning of eggshell and tissue damage of egg.
 Oil spilling causes abnormally low body temperature in birds resulting in
hypothermia.

8
  Oil films are able to retard significantly the rate of oxygen uptake by water.

Control measures of marine pollution

1. Plants for conserving marine biodiversity must be taken into account of
human needs.
2. People should be educated about marine ecosystems and the benefits offered
by them.
3. Local communities must be involved in protecting and managing their coastal
resources
4. Social and economic incentives must be offered for conserving and
sustainable use of marine resources.
5. Governments must manage their own water while extending cooperation to
the neighboring states.

Noise pollution:
It may be defined as “the unwanted, unpleasant or disagreeable sound that causes
discomfort for all living beings”

Types of noise:
1. Industrial noise
2. Transport noise
3. Neighborhood noise

Causes of Noise Pollution

1. Industrialization: Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of
producing large amount of noise. Apart from that, various equipments like compressors,
generators, exhaust fans, grinding mills also participate in producing big noise.
Therefore, you must have seen workers in these factories and industries wearing ear plugs
to minimize the effect of noise.
2. Poor Urban Planning: In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also
play a vital role. Congested houses, large families sharing small space, fight over parking,
frequent fights over basic amenities leads to noise pollution which may disrupt the
environment of society.
3. Social Events: Noise is at its peak in most of the social events. Whether it is marriage,
parties, pub, disc or place of worship, people normally flout rules set by the local
administration and create nuisance in the area. People play songs on full volume and
dance till midnight which makes the condition of people living nearby pretty worse. In
markets, you can see people selling clothes via making loud noise to attract the attention
of people.
4. Transportation: Large number of vehicles on roads, aero planes flying over houses,
underground trains produce heavy noise and people get it difficult to get accustomed to

9
that. The high noise leads to a situation where in a normal person lose the ability to hear
properly.
5. Construction Activities: Under construction activities like mining, construction of
bridges, dams, buildings, stations, roads, flyovers take place in almost every part of the
world. These construction activities take place every day as we need more buildings,
bridges to accommodate more people and to reduce traffic congestion. The down point is
that these construction equipments are too noisy.
6. Household Chores: We people are surrounded by gadgets and use them extensively in
our daily life. Gadgets like TV, mobile, mixer grinder, pressure cooker, vacuum cleaners,
washing machine and dryer, cooler, air conditioners are minor contributors to the amount
of noise that is produced but it affects the quality of life of your neighborhood in a bad
way.
While this form of pollution may seem harmless, it in fact has far reaching consequences.
The adverse effects on the health of the environment are quite severe. Not only is the
local wildlife affected by the pollution, humans also facing a number of problems due to
it.

Effects of Noise pollution

1. This affects human health, comfort and efficiency.
2. It causes muscles to contract leading to nervous breakdown, tension
3. It affects health efficiency and behavior.
4. In addition to serious loss of hearing due to excessive noise, impulsive noise also
causes psychological and pathological disorders.
5. Brain is also adversely affected by loud and sudden noise as that of jet and aero plane
noise etc.

Control and preventing measures

1. Source control – acoustic treatment to machine surface , design changes , limiting
the operational timings
2. Transmission path intervention- the source inside a sound insulating enclosure,
construction of a noise barrier or provision of sound absorbing materials
3. Oiling – Proper oiling will reduce the noise from the machines.

The following points are kept in view for controlling noise pollution.

 Setting industries away from the residential area.

Using proper and well designed engines which make less noise.
Proper lubrication and maintenance of machines.
Restricting the use of loudspeakers and amplifiers.
Enforcing laws to get rid of noise producing vehicles.
Planting trees along both sides of roads.

10
 Using acoustic materials and muffler which absorb the sound.
Using cotton plunge or ear muffs.

Nuclear Hazards:
The radiation hazard in the environment comes from ultraviolet, visible, cosmic
rays and micro wave radiation which produces genetic mutation in man.
Sources of Nuclear Hazards:

1. Natural Sources – which is in space which emit cosmic rays

2. Man made sources ( Anthropogenic sources) These are nuclear power plants, X-
rays , nuclear accidents, nuclear bombs, diagnostic kits etc

Effects of Nuclear Hazards:

1. Exposure of the brain and central nervous system to high doses of radiation causes
delirium, convulsions and death within hours or days.
2. The use of eye is vulnerable to radiation. As its cell die, they become opaque forming
cataracts that impair sight.
3. Acute radiation sickness is marked by vomiting; bleeding of gums and in severe
cases mouth ulcers.
4. Nausea and vomiting often begin a few hours after the gastrointestinal tract is
exposed. Infection of the intestinal wall can kill weeks afterwards.
5. Unborn children are vulnerable to brain damage or mental retardation, especially if
irradiation occurs during formation of the central nervous system in early
pregnancy.

Control measures:
1. Nuclear devices should never be exploded in air.
2. In nuclear reactors, closed cycle coolant system with gaseous coolant may be used to
prevent extraneous activation products.
3. Containments may also be employed to decrease the radio active emissions.
4. Extreme care should be exercis3ed in the disposal of industrial wastes contaminated
with radio nuclides.
5. Use of high chimneys and ventilations at the working place where radioactive
contamination is high. It seems to be an effective way for dispersing pollutants.

Solid Waste Management:

It may be defined as “the discharge of waste materials leads to
contamination of soil by human and natural activities which may cause harmful effects
on living beings”.

Types:
1. Industrial wastes
Sources and effects: - pulp and paper mills, chemical industries, oil refineries, sugar
factories etc., these pollutants affect and alter the chemical and biological properties of
soil. As a result, hazardous chemicals can enter into human food chain from the soil;
disturb the bio chemical process and finally lead to serious effects.
2. Urban wastes
11
Sources and effects: - Plastics, Glasses, metallic cans, fibers, papers, rubbers, street
sweepings, and other discarded manufactured products. These are also dangerous.
3. Agricultural practices
Sources and effects: - Huge quantities of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and weedicides
are added to increase the crop yield. Apart from these farm wastes, manure, slurry, are
reported to cause soil pollution.
4. Radioactive pollutants
Sources and effects: These are resulting from explosions of nuclear dust and radioactive
wastes penetrate the soil and accumulate there by creating land pollution.
5. Biological agents.
Sources and effects: Soil gets large quantities of human, animal and birds excreta which
constitute the major source of land pollution by biological agents.

The pressure on intensification of farm activities increases for two reasons

1. population growth
2. Decrease of the available farm land due to urbanization
3. forestry an d farm practices
4. Proper dumping of unwanted material
5. Production of natural fertilizers
6. Proper Hygienic condition
7. Public awareness
8. Recycling and Reuse of wastes
9. Ban on Toxic chemicals.

Management of solid waste is very important in order to minimize the adverse effects of
solid wastes.
Types of solid wastes:
1. Urban wastes
Sources – a) Domestic wastes – Food waste, Cloth, Waste paper etc
b) Commercial wastes – Packing material, cans, bottles, polythene etc.
c) Construction Wastes – Wood, concrete debris etc.

2. Bio medical wastes – Anatomical wastes , infectious wastes etc.,

Steps involved in solid waste management:

1. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle of materials – raw materials re usage should be
reduced, reuse of waste materials should be reduced and recycling of the
discarded materials into new useful products should also be reduced.
2. Discarding wastes
a) Land fill : Solid wastes are placed in sanitary landfill system in alternate
layers of 80 cm thick refuse, covered with selected earth fill of 20cm
thickness
b) Incineration: It is a hygienic way of disposing the solid waste. It is a thermal
process and is very effective for detoxification of all combustible pathogens

12
 c) Composting: It is another popular method practiced in many cities in our
country. In this method, bulk organic waste is converted into fertilizing
manure by biological action.

Role of an individual in prevention of pollution:

1. Plant more trees
2. Help more in pollution prevention than pollution control
3. Use water, energy and other resources efficiently
4. Purchase recyclable, recycled and environmentally safe products
5. reduce deforestation
6. Remove NO from motor vehicular exhaust
7. Use of eco friendly products.

Case studies:
1. Effluents treatment at MRL , Chennai
2. The Bhopal gas tragedy
3. Arsenic pollution in ground water
4. Soft drink bottling unit
5. Mercury wastes
6. Polar river pollution
7. The minamata epidemic ( marine pollution)

Disaster management
Hazard
It is a perceived natural event which threatens both life and property

Disaster
A disaster is the realization of this hazard
It is defined as the geological process and it is an event concentrated in time and space in
which a society or subdivision of a society undergoes severe danger and causes loss of its
members and physical property.

Types
1. Natural disasters – refers to those disasters that are generated by natural
phenomena
2. Man made disasters – refers to the disasters resulting from man made hazards.

Floods
Whenever the magnitude of water flow exceeds the carrying capacity of the
channel within its banks the excess of water overflows on the surroundings causes floods.
Causes of floods

1. Heavy rain, rainfall during cyclone causes floods

2. sudden snow melt also raises the quantity of water in streams and
causes flood
3. sudden and excess release of impounded water behind dams

13
 4. Clearing of forests for agriculture has also increased severity of
floods.

Flood management
1. Encroachment of flood ways should be banned
2. Building walls prevent spilling out the flood water over flood plains
3. Diverting excess water through channels or canals to areas like lake, rivers
etc., where water is not sufficient,
4. Optical and microwave data from IRS is also used for flood management
5. Flood forecasts and flood warning are also given by the central water
commission

Cyclones:
It is a meteorological process, intense depressions forming over the open oceans and
moving towards the land.

Effect:
1. The damage depends on the intensity of cyclone the damage to human life, crops,
roads, transport, could be heavy
2. Cyclone occurrence slow down the developmental activities of the area

Cyclone management:
1. Satellite images are used by meteorological departments for forecasting the weather
conditions which reveal the strength and intensity of the storm.
2. Radar system is used to detect the cyclone and is being used for cyclone warning

Case studies
Cyclone in Orissa – 1999

Land slides:
The movement of earthy materials like coherent rock, mud, soil and debris from higher
to lower region to gravitational pull is called land slides

Causes:
1. Movement of heavy vehicles on the unstable sloppy regions create landslides
2. Earthquake, shocks, vibrations and cyclone create landslide

Earth quakes:
An earthquake is a sudden vibration caused on earth surface with the sudden
release of tremendous energy stored in rocks under the earth’s crust.

Causes:
1. Disequilibrium in any part of the earth crust
2. Underground nuclear testing
3. Decrease of underground water level.

14
Effect:
Damage the settlements and transport systems
Collapses houses and their structures
Deformation of ground surface
Tsunami

Earthquake management:
Constructing earthquake resistant building
Wooden houses are preferred
Seismic hazard map should give the information about the magnitude of intensity
of anticipated earthquakes.

Tsunami:
A tsunami is a large wave that is generated in a water body when the seafloor is
deformed by seismic activity. This activity displaces the overlying water in the ocean.
Causes of tsunami
1. Seismic activities like earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions,
can generate tsunami.
2. Deformation of the sea floor due to the movement of plates.
Concept of Tsunami
A tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves like the ordinary waves
which we see on seas.
Effects on Tsunami
1. Tsunami attacks mostly the coastlines, causing devastating property, damage
and loss of life
2. Tsunami can kill lot of human beings, livestock’s, etc
3. Tsunami may also spread lot of water borne diseases.
Tsunami Management
Earthquakes under the water are monitored by sensors on the floor of the sea.
The sensors send the information of floating buoys on the surface, whenever they
detect any changes in pressure of the sea
The information is then relayed to satellites, which passes it on to the earth
stations.
Finally the country make the people alert through the media to take all necessary
precautions.

Case studies:
Tsunami in India

Field study of local polluted site

Tirupur in Tamilnadu
Pallavaram in chennai

$$$===$$$===$$$

15