Types and Impacts of Pollution

Tawheed Mohammad SayyidRoll Number 555

Berchmans Institute of Management Studies

Types of PollutionAir

Water

Soil

Noise

Marine

Thermal

Nuclear

Oil

Air Pollution

Air Pollution

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Air pollution and resulting deaths are increasing fastest in Asia.

65% of the deaths in Asia and 25% deaths in India are due to air pollution.

By 2050, 6 million people will die per year due to air pollution.

This photo shows two images of the view from CNN's Beijing Bureau, one of a blue sky day from a week before the military parade and one of a hazy sky the day after the parade.

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This photo shows two images of the view from CNN's Beijing Bureau, one of a blue sky day from a week before the military parade and one of a hazy sky the day after the parade.

Sources of Air Pollution

There are various locations, activities or factors which are responsible for releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. These sources can be classified into two major categories:-

Anthropogenic (man-made) sources. Natural sources.

Anthropogenic (man-made) Sources

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, and aircraft.

Fumes from paint, hair spray, 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 resources, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry.

Carbon Dioxide produced by burning of fossil fuels causes global warming.

Natural Sources Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with little 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 colourless, odourless, 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 Volatile organic compounds (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. Black gum, poplar, oak and willow are some examples of vegetation that can produce abundant VOCs. The VOC production from these species result in ozone levels up to eight times higher than the low-impact tree species.

Volcanic activity, which produces sulphur, chlorine, and ash particulates.

Other harmful effects Carbon monoxide having affinity with

haemoglobin, when enters blood replaces oxygen and thus increases concentration of Carbon Dioxide in blood which causes headache, eye irritation, breathing problem and death.

Increasing atmospheric Carbon Dioxide increases greenhouse effect which in turn produces significant climatic changes which could destroy many plants and animals.

Effects of Ozone increases with increased concentrations, exposure duration and activity level.

Water Pollution

Water Pollution Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies

(e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater).

Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.

Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these bodies of water. In almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological communities.

Causes of Water Pollution Increased sediment from soil erosion. Improper waste disposal and littering. Leaching of soil pollution into water supplies. Organic matter decay into water supplies. Petroleum hydrocarbons. Plastics. Pesticides. Heavy metals. Sewage. Radioactive waste. Thermal effluents.

Impacts of Water Pollution

Less water supplies for crop irrigation purpose.

This would affect the marine and wildlife populations which require water for a certain purity for survival.

Drinking water would be less. Degraded water quality.

Soil Pollution

Soil Pollution Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused

by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment.

It is typically caused by: Industrial activity. Agricultural chemicals. Improper disposal of chemicals.

Noise Pollution

Noise Pollution

Noise means disgust or discomfort hearing from environment.

Noise means disgust or discomfort hearing from environment.

Noise pollution is the most neglected type of pollution.

Sources of noise pollution

Machines. Transportation systems. Motor vehicles. Aircrafts. Trains. Poor urban planning.

Effects of noise pollution Noise pollution affects both health and

behavior. Unwanted sound (noise) can damage

psychological health. Annoyance Aggression . Hypertension . High stress levels . Hearing loss. Sleep disturbances, and other harmful

effects.

Marine Pollution

Marine Pollution Marine pollution refers to a range of

threats from land-based sources, and it generally involves contamination of bodies of water such as rivers, streams and oceans.

80% of marine pollution comes from land.

Air pollution is also a contributing factor by carrying off pesticides or dirt into the ocean.

Land and air pollution have proven to be harmful to marine life and its habitats.

Major Marine Pollutants - Metals Introduced dangerous metals include mercury,

lead, and copper. Heavy Metals are a great concern because they

enter the food chain. Fuel combustion, electric utilities, steel and iron

manufacturing, fuel oils, fuel additives and incineration of urban refuse are the major sources of oceanic and atmospheric contamination by heavy metals.

Copper is dangerous to marine organisms and has been used in marine anti-fouling paints.

Mercury and lead poisoning cause brain damage and behavioural disturbances in children.

Human activities release 5 times as much mercury and 17 times as much lead as is derived from natural sources.

Major Marine Pollutants – Solid Waste A large portion and great danger is non-biodegradable

plastic. 46,000 pieces of floating plastic/square mile of ocean

surface off the N.E U.S. coast. Sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and die

from internal blockages. Seals and sea lions starve after being entangled by

nets or muzzled by six-pack rings (decomposition time 400 years).

Plastic debris kills 100,000 marine mammals and 2 million sea birds die annually.

Major Marine Pollutants - Biological International Maritime Organization top ten:

Cholera, Cladoceran Water Flea, Mitten Crab, toxic algae (R,G,B tides), Round Goby, European Green Crab, Asian kelp, Zebra Mussel, North Pacific Seastar, North American Comb Jelly.

Spreading infestation of Jamaican waters by a Green mussel.

Impacts of Marine Pollution

Generally marine pollution affects ecosystem health, public health, recreational water quality and economic viability in the following ways:

Mechanical Eutrophication Saphrogenic Toxicity Mutagenic and Carcinogenic

Thermal Pollution

Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution is the excess heat that creates undesirable effects over long periods of time.

The earth has a natural thermal cycle, but excessive temperature increases can be considered a rare type of pollution with long term effects.

Causes of Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution of water bodies is almost always caused by humans, and is mostly the result of use of water as a coolant in power plants and different industrial facilities.

Air pollution particulates that trap heat. Deforestation. Loss of temperature moderating water

supplies.

Impacts of Thermal Pollution

As temperature increases, mild climatic changes may be observed, and wildlife populations may be unable to recover from swift changes.

Affects the marine animals very much.

Nuclear Pollution

Nuclear Pollution

Nuclear pollution is produced by nuclear explosion which are carried out for performing nuclear tests and which is used for making nuclear weapons.

Due to this explosion about 15 to 20% of the radioactive particles enter into the stratosphere. Once they entered into the air they continue to fall on the earth after about every 6 month up to several years.

Almost 5% of the radioactive material entered into the troposphere, which is the lowermost layer of the atmosphere. 

Impacts of Nuclear Pollution Studies have shown that the health effects due to radiation are dependent on

the level of dose, kind of radiation, duration of exposure and types of cells irradiated. Radiation effects can be somatic or genetic.

Genetic effects the future generations. Radiations can cause mutations, which are changes in genetic makeup of cells. These effects are mainly due to the damages to DNA molecules. People suffer from blood cancer and bone cancer if exposed to doses around 100 to 1000 roentgens. Instantaneous deaths on exposure in the event if disasters are many.

Somatic effects of radiation. Effects of radiation limited to the exposed individual, as distinguished from genetic effects, that may also affect subsequent unexposed generations.

Oil Pollution

Oil Pollution An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the

environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution.

The term is usually applied to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.

Oil spills may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-products, heavier fuels used by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil.

Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water. This suffocates marine animals and the sea birds which prevents them from moving their fins or wings.

Sea Based

Accidental oil spills from tankers; other commercial vessels; grounded and abandoned vessels; oil platforms (blowouts); pipelines.

Deliberate, operational discharges of oil from all kinds of commercial vessels (ship- or cargo-related discharges);oil platforms; pipelines.

Other ship-related activities (dry docking, scrapping). Other activities (dumping of oily waste, etc.)

 

Land Based

Discharges of untreated or insufficiently treated municipal sewage and storm water (urban runoff).

Discharges with rivers. Discharges of untreated or insufficiently treated

waste water from coastal industries. Accidental or operational discharges of oil from

coastal refineries, oil storage facilities, oil terminals, and reception facilities.

Emissions of gaseous hydrocarbons from oil-handling onshore facilities (terminals, refineries, filling stations) and from vehicles exhaust (traffic).

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Seabirds are severely affected by spills. The oil penetrates and opens up the structure of their plumage, reducing insulating ability, making the birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water

Seabirds are severely affected by spills. The oil penetrates and opens up the structure of their plumage, reducing insulating ability, making the birds more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less buoyant in the water

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