Environmental Pollution and Health PDF

# Environmental Pollution and Health ## Understanding Pollution - Production processes and generation of wastes - Assimilative capacity of the environment - Definition of pollution - Point sources and non-point sources of pollution ## Air Pollution - Sources of air pollution - Primary and second...

# Environmental Pollution and Health ## Understanding Pollution - Production processes and generation of wastes - Assimilative capacity of the environment - Definition of pollution - Point sources and non-point sources of pollution ## Air Pollution - Sources of air pollution - Primary and secondary pollutants - Criteria pollutants (carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, and Sulphur dioxide - Other important air pollutants: - Volatile Organic compounds (VOCs) - Peroxyacetyl Nitrate (PAN) - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) - Indoor air pollution - Adverse health impacts of air pollutants - National Ambient Air Quality Standards ## Water Pollution - Sources of water pollution - River, lake, and marine pollution - Groundwater pollution - Water quality parameters and standards - Adverse health impacts of water pollution on human and aquatic life ## Soil Pollution and Solid Waste - Soil pollutants and their sources - Solid and hazardous waste - Impact on human health ## Noise Pollution - Definition of noise - Unit of measurement of noise pollution - Sources of noise pollution - Noise standards - Adverse impacts of noise on human health ## Thermal and Radioactive Pollution - Sources and impact on human health and ecosystems ## What is a Pollutant? A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effects, adversely affecting the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (minerals or extracted compounds like oil) or anthropogenic in origin (manufactured materials or byproducts). Pollutants result in environmental pollution or become of public health concern when they reach a high enough **concentration** to have **significant negative impacts**. - **Long-term** damage: By changing the growth rate of plant or animal species, or by interfering with resources used by humans, human health or wellbeing, or property values - **Short-term** damage: Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the long term. However, the degradation products of some pollutants are themselves pollutants such as DDE and DDD produced from the degradation of DDT. ## Environmental Pollution - The contamination of the physical and biological components of the environment to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected. ## Types of Environmental Pollution - Air Pollution - Soil Pollution - Water Pollution ## What is Air Pollution? - Contamination of the atmosphere with harmful substances that can adversely affect human health, ecosystems, and climate - The contaminating substances are called air pollutants - Air pollutants can be gases, particles, or a combination of both - Air pollution is one of the prominent types of environmental pollution ## Sources of Air Pollution - **Industrial Emissions:** Burning of fossil fuels for energy production, manufacturing processes, and transportation releases air pollution (particulate matter, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and greenhouse gases). - **Vehicle Emissions:** Exhaust from cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other vehicles contribute to air pollution, particularly in urban areas. - **Domestic Combustion:** Burning of wood, coal, and other fuels for cooking and heating in homes releases air pollutants, causing air pollution. - **Agricultural Activities:** Using chemical fertilisers and pesticides and burning agricultural waste can release harmful substances into the atmosphere. - **Natural Sources:** Volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and dust storms pollute the air pollution. ## Types of Air Pollutants - **Primary Pollutants:** Enter the air due to a natural event or human activity. They have effects both directly and as precursors of secondary air pollution. There are five primary pollutants that contribute about 90 per cent of the global air pollution: - Carbon oxides (CO and CO2), - Nitrogen oxides, - Sulphur oxides, - Volatile organic compounds (mostly hydrocarbons), and - Suspended particulate matter. - **Secondary Pollutants:** Formed by reacting one primary pollutant with another in the atmosphere. Examples: Ground-Level Ozone, Smog, acid Rain, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and carbonic acid. ## Impacts of Air Pollution - **Health:** Respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, premature mortality, cognitive development issues. - **Environmental:** Ecosystem damage, acid rain, global warming. - **Economic:** Increased healthcare expenditures, reduced productivity, property damage. ## Suggested Measures to Control Air Pollution: - **Preventive Measures:** Cleaner fuels, hydrogen fuel and e-vehicles, environment-friendly industrial processes, increasing the height of chimneys, closing hazardous industries, shifting polluting industries away from cities, developing green belts of adequate width, setting up emission standards for automobiles, using alternate fuels like CNG. - **Measures to improve air quality:** Improving public transport, limiting the number of polluting vehicles on the road, introducing less polluting fuel, strict emission regulations, improved efficiency for thermal power plants and industries, moving from diesel generators to rooftop solar, increased use of clean renewable energy, electric vehicles, removing dust from roads, regulating construction activities, stopping biomass burning. ## Assimilative Capacity - The ability for pollutants to be absorbed by an environment without detrimental effects to the environment or those who use of it - Achieved through dilution, dispersion, and removal through chemical or biological processes - Important in hydrology, meteorology and pedology for a variety of environments (lakes, rivers, oceans, cities and soils). - A subjective measurement that is quantified by governments and institutions (e.g. Environmental Protection Agency). - Using assimilative capacity as a guideline can help the allocation of resources while reducing the impact on organisms in an environment. - It is paired with carrying capacity in order to facilitate sustainable development of city regions. - Has been critiqued as to its effectiveness due to ambiguity in its definition that can confuses readers and false assumptions that a small amount of pollutants has no harmful effect on an environment. ## National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) - Set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), applicable to the whole country and drawn from the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. - These standards are essential for effective management of ambient air quality. - Developed in 1982, revised in 1994, 1998 and 2009 - The 2009 standards lowered the maximum permissible limits and made the standards uniform across the nation. - The compliance is monitored under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) by the CPCB. - Current standards (2009) comprise 12 pollutants: - Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) - Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5) - Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) - Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) - Carbon Monoxide (CO) - Ozone (O3) - Ammonia (NH3) - Lead (Pb) - Benzene - Benzopyrene - Arsenic - Nickel ## Conclusion - Air pollution remains a critical issue with far-reaching effects on human health, the environment, and climate. - Addressing this challenge requires a multifaceted approach, including legislative measures, technological innovations, public awareness, and international cooperation. - Implementing effective strategies and fostering collective efforts can mitigate air pollution and ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for all.