INTRODUCTION

Environmental pollution is one of the greatest hazards humanities faces today. Rapid
population growth has strained resources, while pollution harms air, land, and water, threat-
ening human health and ecosystems. Exposure to pollutants occurs through the air we
breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, with chemicals in products adding to the
problem. Governments are increasingly enacting legislation to tackle these threats, but indus-
trial activities, agriculture, and waste management continue to release pollutants into the en-
vironment.
Pollutants can move between air, water, and soil, sometimes becoming more hazard-
ous and accumulating in sinks over time. New industrial plants tend to produce less waste
than older ones, but many still rely on dilution methods to manage pollutants, which can lead
to accumulation in sewage sludge or other areas. Small firms often mix hazardous wastes,
making treatment difficult.
A cross-media approach that separates and treats different pollutants, such as heavy
metals and cyanides, is essential to improving pollution control. By better understanding how
pollutants move and interact across different media, society can develop more effective and
efficient environmental policies. Waste segregation and recycling are key to reducing the
long-term impact of pollution on human health and the planet.
 Chapter 1

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.

Fig 1.1. Environmental 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 dis-
turb 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 en-
vironment (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 gamat 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.
 Chapter 2

FACTORS AFFECTING ON ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION
Some of the factors which are affecting environment and causes pollution are describe
below:

1. Consequences of Population Growth:

Population growth is one of the prominent factors that affect the degradation of the envi-
ronment. Earlier, pestilence and famine kept the population under control, but with the devel-
opment 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 with inevitable consequenc-
es.
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 environ-
ment because earth is a finite system in which any further increase will be restricted by envi-
ronmental 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 throw 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 fac-
tors; Pollution, Affluence i.e. material aspects of per capita consumption of goods and re-
sources and technology of production.

World Population
Year
(in millions)
1900 1700
1930 2000
1960 3000
1990 5300
2000 (Projected) 6300
2025 (Projected) 8200

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 col-
lapse 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 so on. In almost all cases lake water is highly polluted with silts,
agrochemicals, 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
1990s there 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 crock-
ery 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 pollutants.
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 unmindful 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 hydro-
carbons are two primary pollutants released from automobiles but in the presence of sunlight,
they react to form phenoxyacid nitrate (PAN) and ozone, two secondary pollutants which are
far more toxic than the primary pollutants from which they are derived.
 Chapter 3

TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Pollution is of five mains types:

i. Atmospheric or Air Pollution
ii. Water Pollution
iii. Land and Soil Pollution
iv. Noise Pollution
v. Radioactive Pollution

1. Atmospheric or Air Pollution:

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

ents 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.

Fig 3.1. Air Pollution

2. Water Pollution:

Water is one of the most important biological components that sustain life. Its great sol-
vent 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 charac-
teristics, making it unsuitable for beneficial use”.

Fig 3.2. Water Pollution

3. Land and Soil Pollution:

Soil is the loose mineral material and is the most important component of the earth’s sur-
face (lithosphere). It is the growth medium for many microbes, plants and animals. The for-
mation of soil is the result of chemical, physical and biological weathering. Like air and wa-
ter, soil is also subjected to pollution. Soil contains many microbes.

Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in

soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk to human health and/or the ecosystem. In
the case of contaminants which occur naturally in soil, even when their levels are not high
enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of the contaminants in
soil exceed the levels that should naturally be present.

Fig 3.3. Land Pollution

4. 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 oth-
ers. 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.

Noise pollution is generally defined as regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may
lead to adverse effects in humans or other living organisms. According to the World Health
Organization, sound levels less than 70 dB are not damaging to living organisms, regardless
of how long or consistent the exposure is. Exposure for more than 8 hours to constant noise
beyond 85 dB may be hazardous. If you work for 8 hours daily in close proximity to a busy
road or highway, you are very likely exposed to traffic noise pollution around 85dB.

Fig 3.4. Noise Pollution

5. 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.
The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of living organisms and their
environment as a result of release of radioactive substances into the environment during nu-
clear explosions and testing of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon production and decommis-
sioning, mining of radioactive ores, handling and disposal of radioactive waste, and accidents
at nuclear power plants.

Fig 3.5. Radioactive Pollution

 Chapter 4

SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

There are two main sources of environmental pollution:

i. Natural sources
ii. Man-made or Anthropogenic sources

i. 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.
ii. Man-Made or Anthropogenic sources of Environmental Pollution:

Anthropogenic source covers a wide spectrum of types as man has aggravated the

problem of pollution by his innumerable activities like,

1. Domestic sources
2. Industries

3. Agriculture activities

4. Radioactive waste

5. Thermal power stations

(a) Industrialisation
(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.

 Chapter 5

EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON 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 envi-
ronment.

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 be-
cause 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) and ab-
scission 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 de-
pletion of ozone layer, global warming acid rain, rising sea level etc.
 Chapter 6
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION

Over population and pollution are potent ecological forces impinging upon man by af-
fecting 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 ex-
ploitation 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, agricultur-
ists 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 indus-
tries.

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 scrutinization of the environmental characteristics.

ii. Laying down the standards of environmental quality.

iii. Regular assessment of the above-mentioned environmental characteristics.

iv. Keeping track of the changes in the environmental characteristics and educating
people about the changes due to these changes.

v. Devising measures to combat the menace of pollution.

vi. Enacting environmental laws and taking legal action against environmental of-
fenders.
Efforts are required to the made by each individual to control pollution. These efforts include:

i. Installation of proper sewage disposal methods.

ii. Dumping of non-biodegradable wastes in low lying areas.

iii. Installation of goober gas plants in areas of high availability of cow dung.

iv. Reduction of smoke emission and treatment of chimney smoke to remove solid
carbon particles.
 Chapter 7

METHODS USED TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Methods Under
Conducted Planned
Consideration

Staff training 98 2 --

Recycling and reduce 75 9 5

Improved mfg. process 75 2 5

Raw material substitution 45 2 18

Process equipment redesign 36 2 21

 Chapter 7

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 re-
duced water consumption.

c. Change products and production processes to reduce pollution at the source.

 CONCLUSION

On the basis of coordinating with other related planning and analysing 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 dis-
tricts 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 estab-
lished the implementation and supervision mechanisms, in order to enhance the environmen-
tal management capability of the Macao SAR Government and guarantee the execution of the
planning.
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5. Environmental Studies – TechNeo Publication.