RESOURCE MANAGEMENT & ECOLOGY K. VINEETHA M.ARCH 1ST SEM 19171B003
THE CONTAMINATION OF THE PHYSICAL AND BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS OF THE EARTH/ATMOSPHERE SYSTEM TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT NORMAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES ARE ADVERSELY AFFECTED.
POLLUTION
DEPENDING ON THE NATURE OF POLLUTANTS AND ALSO SUBSEQUENT POLLUTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS, THE POLLUTION MAY BE CATEGORIZED AS FOLLOWS: Air Pollution Water Pollution Soil/Land Pollution Noise Pollution Radioactive Pollution Thermal Pollution Light Pollution
POLLUTION IS EVERYWHERE — FROM THE HIGHEST REACHES OF OUR ATMOSPHERE TO THE DARKEST DEPTHS OF OUR OCEANS.
ANY USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES AT A RATE HIGHER THAN NATURE’S CAPACITY TO RESTORE ITSELF CAN RESULT IN POLLUTION OF AIR, WATER, AND LAND.
HISTORY OF POLLUTION
Pollution has accompanied humankind ever since groups of people first congregated and remained for a long time in any one place. Indeed, ancient human settlements are frequently recognized by their wastes—shell mounds and rubble heaps, for instance. However, with the establishment of permanent settlements by great numbers of people, pollution became a problem, and it has remained one ever since.
PERCENTAGE OF ALL DEATHS THAT UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS CAUSE IN EACH COUNTRY.
PERCENTAGE OF ALL DEATHS THAT UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS CAUSE IN EACH COUNTRY.
FOSSIL FUELS, AN IMPORTANT SOURCE OF POLLUTION THAT CONSTITUTES ABOUT HALF OF ALL TRADE VOLUME WORLDWIDE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN OF EXPLOITING THOSE RESOURCES IS IN THE COUNTRIES THAT EXTRACT THEM. THAT MEANS THAT THE HUMAN COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT POLLUTION REMAINS OUT OF SIGHT OF THOSE WHOSE CONSUMPTION HABITS DROVE THE EXTRACTION IN THE FIRST PLACE. OUR INDUSTRIES, TRANSPORT SYSTEMS AND POWER FACILITIES CHURN OUT BLACK CARBON, METHANE, AND OTHER POLLUTANTS THAT PENETRATE DEEP INTO OUR LUNGS.
WE DUMP OUR WASTEWATER UNTREATED INTO LAKES AND RIVERS, KILLING WILDLIFE AND CONTAMINATING OUR OWN DRINKING SUPPLIES. WE PRACTICE UNSUSTAINABLE FARMING, FUNDAMENTALLY ALTERING ENTIRE ECOSYSTEMS. AND WE DUMP MILLIONS OF TONS OF PLASTIC INTO OUR OCEANS EVERY YEAR, THREATENING WILDLIFE AND FRAGILE MARINE HABITATS.
WHY IS OUR ENVIRONMENT SO UNHEALTHY?
USE OF CERTAIN INDICATORS TO MEASURE OUR IMPACT. We can use specific measurements — from levels of pollutants to access to sanitation, to consumption or environmental policies already in place — to assess the impact of pollution and reveal the trends and geographic differences that can guide our plans to combat it.
Use of four metrics: exposure levels to fine particles as an indicator for the state of air pollution; availability of renewable water; fertilizer consumption as a measure of our impact on soil and land; and lastly, the rate of reporting of chemicals and waste, as mandated by international conventions, to gauge how often countries meet their obligations on the matter.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE WE’RE DOING?
Air quality is still a problem in most regions, and it’s the most severe of our environmental health concerns. Fine particles are the most concerning of air pollutants, and are mostly the product of burning fossil fuels, but also waste disposal, and wildfires and the burning of peatlands.
The levels of fine particles (PM2.5), unlike coarse dust particles (PM10) have remained resistant to the efforts to tackle the problem. And the changing weather patterns caused by climate change are exposing people to them for longer periods of time.
THE LEVELS OF FINE PARTICLES (PM2.5)
NOISE AIR WATER SOIL LIGHT
POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION
TYPES OF
NOISE POLLUTION Noise pollution typically refers to humanmade noises that are either very loud or disruptive in manner.
POLLUTANTS
AIR POLLUTION
WATER POLLUTION
A major source of air pollution results from the burning of fossil fuels.The burning of fossil fuels contributes to the formation of smog, a dense layer of particulate matter that hangs like a cloud over many major cities and industrial zones.
A major source of water pollution is runoff from agricultural fields, industrial sites, or urban areas. Runoff disrupts the water body's natural balance. For example, agricultural runoff typically includes fertilizer or toxic chemicals.
SOIL POLLUTION Soil can become polluted by industrial sources or the improper disposal of toxic chemical substances. Common sources of soil pollution include asbestos, lead, PCBs, and overuse of pesticides/herbicides.
LIGHT POLLUTION Light pollution refers to the large amount of light produced by most urban and other heavily-populated areas.
NOISE AIR WATER SOIL LIGHT
POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION POLLUTION
EFFECTS OF Pollutants are chemicals or materials that pollute the air, the water or the soil in some form and are caused by human activities. Pollutants are the cause of many different kinds of crises that harm humans as well as wildlife and the environment. The three main types of pollution are the most conventional forms that are the best known; however, there are several other types that are pollution in a different sense of the word.
POLLUTANTS
AIR POLLUTION Air pollution is a contributing factor of asthma, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, as well as many other lung-based ailments. The burning of a large amount of fossil fuels can also result in the mixture of sulfuric acid and nitrogen, which can combine to form acid ra
SOIL POLLUTION Sites that become polluted often become barren wastelands with toxic soil. These sites are often abandoned and cannot be used, resulting in a large stretch of land going to waste.
WATER POLLUTION Any of the pollutants entering a water source can cause multiple health issues, the spreading of dangerous diseases and potentially premature death of humans and other animals.
LIGHT POLLUTION This is the result of urban or highly-populated areas requiring an excess of unnatural lights. This kind of pollution can cause problems in the migration patterns of birds as well as disrupting the cycles of nocturnal animals. It also makes the stars and other celestial phenomena hard to see.
SECONDARY POLLUTANTS Secondary pollutant form when primary pollutants emitted directly from a combustion process react in the atmosphere. Primary pollutants include ammonia, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Secondary pollutants include ground-level ozone, acid rain and nutrient enrichment compounds.
SECONDARY POLLUTANTS Ground-level ozone, Acid rain Nutrient Enrichment Compounds.
GROUNDLEVEL OZONE
ACID RAIN
NUTRIENT ENRICHMENT COMPOUNDS
Ozone forms when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides combine in the presence of sunlight and stagnant air.
Acid rain, which is made up of several acidic compounds, forms when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide react in the air with water, oxygen and other chemicals.
Nutrient enrichment compounds contain nitrogen and phosphorus. While these nutrients often come from natural sources, human activities such as agriculture, urbanization and industry create excessive nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment.
Burning coal, gasoline and oil in homes, motor vehicles, power plants and industries creates nitrogen oxides.
They also come from natural sources such as coniferous forests. Ozone exposure may cause premature mortality and major health issues. It also affects vegetation, hinders crop productivity and damages synthetic materials and textiles such as cotton and polyester.
On the ground, acid rain damages plants and trees and increases the acidity levels of soils and bodies of water, causing damage to ecosystems. Acid rain also causes decay to buildings and can irritate the eyes and airways.
Nutrient enrichment compounds cause air and water pollution, which leads to the rapid growth of algae. The algae growth affects water quality, food supplies and habitats and decreases oxygen supply to fish and other aquatic life. High levels of nitrogen in the atmosphere also produce pollutants such as ammonia and ozone, which affect your ability to breathe.
CAN THE EFFECTS OF POLLUTION BE REVERSED? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ENTERS AIR, SOIL AND WATER AND IS SPREAD ACROSS THE LAND AND OCEANS BY NATURAL FORCES INCLUDING WIND AND WATER FLOW.
As pollution spreads and accumulates in the environment, the cost and difficulty of cleanup increases. Over time, the effects of pollution on the environment can be slowed and potentially reversed through a combination of removing the sources of pollution and cleanup.
SOURCES OF POLLUTION Cities contribute pollution from many sources, including factory smokestacks and wastewater; car exhaust; liquid leaking out of landfills; sewage treatment plant leakages and released gases; and residences. Pollution from rural and forest lands includes crop fertilizers in stormwater runoff; smoke from field burning and forest fires; blowing dust; soil erosion from logging; and acid and chemicals in stormwater runoff from mining areas.
PERSISTENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION Soluble or volatile pollutants may degrade when exposed to air or microbes in soil or groundwater. Other pollutants move with groundwater in the subsurface as particles or in a solution. "Hydrophobic" pollutants repel water and are held in the ground because they are attracted to soil or sediment particles, making them difficult and costly to clean up.
CLEANING UP POLLUTION Many technologies can be used to remove pollutants from soil and water. For example, charcoal filters can remove contaminants; certain chemicals can neutralize or bond with pollutants; microorganisms can be used to break down chemicals; and certain plants can be used to extract or break down pollutants. These technologies can be combined to make cleanup more effective.
CURBING SOURCES OF POLLUTION Part of reversing the effects of pollution requires the government and individuals to embrace efforts to reduce waste and ensure resource sustainability & Recycling. Alternative chemicals can be used by industries as well as homeowners to reduce the toxicity of chemicals that wind up in wastewater. Using alternative energy sources can reduce the amount of fossil fuels that are burned and the toxicity of air emissions.
POLICIES BY THE GOVERNMENT As of 2015, over 100 countries guaranteed their citizens a right to a healthy environment, with the majority building this into their national constitutions.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment 2. https://sciencing.com/humans-disrupt-ecosystem-5968.html 3. https://www.alphaenvironmental.com.au/7-different-types-pollution-explained/ 4. https://www.unenvironment.org/interactive/how-to-beat-pollution/ 5. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmentalpollution