CE 317 - Unit 2 Types & Classification of Pollution PDF

Handout 2 08.09.2024 11.09.2024 Unit2: Types & Classification of Pollution CE 317 – Sem. 461  Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials...

Handout 2 08.09.2024 11.09.2024 Unit2: Types & Classification of Pollution CE 317 – Sem. 461  Pollution Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash, or created by human activities, such as trash or factory runoff. Pollutants damage air, water, and land.  Pollutants and Pollution Sources Useful things for people, like cars or power plants, can cause pollution. Cars emit exhaust, and coal burning pollutes the air. Pesticides seep into waterways, harming wildlife. Global pollution can spread to remote areas.  Global Effects of Pollution Pollution is a global problem. Pesticides have been found in Antarctic ice sheets. Ocean currents and wind carry pollution across regions and nations.  Air Pollution Air pollution can be visible, like smoke, or invisible, like harmful gases. It can cause serious health problems, such as difficulty breathing and lung cancer.  Human-Caused Air Pollution Most air pollution comes from burning fossil fuels. Gasoline-powered cars emit carbon monoxide, and factories produce pollutants like nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide.  Did you know? Indoor Air Pollution – The air inside your house can be polluted. – Air and carpet cleaners, insect sprays, and cigarettes are all sources of indoor air pollution.  Smog Pollutants react with sunlight to produce smog, a thick haze of pollution. Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults.  Acid Rain Air pollutants can mix with moisture to form acid rain, which can kill trees and fish and damage buildings and monuments.  Greenhouse Gases Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are necessary for life but are increasing due to human activity, leading to global warming.  Global Warming Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt, sea levels to rise, and habitats to shrink, threatening animals like polar bears.  CFCs and Ozone Layer Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a dangerous form of air pollution that governments worked to reduce in the 1980s and 1990s. CFCs once used in refrigerators and aerosols were damaging the ozone layer. International efforts reduced CFC production to protect people from harmful ultraviolet radiation.  Light Pollution Light pollution is the excess amount of light in the night sky. Light pollution, also called photopollution, is almost always found in urban areas. Light pollution can disrupt ecosystems by confusing the distinction between night and day. Nocturnal animals, those that are active at night, may venture out during the day, while diurnal animals, which are active during daylight hours, may remain active well into the night. Feeding and sleep patterns may be confused. Light pollution also indicates an excess use of energy. The dark-sky movement is a campaign by people to reduce light pollution. This would reduce energy use, allow ecosystems to function more normally, and allow scientists and stargazers to observe the atmosphere.  Noise Pollution Noise pollution is the constant presence of loud, disruptive noises in an area. Usually, noise pollution is caused by construction or nearby transportation facilities, such as airports. Noise pollution is unpleasant, and can be dangerous. Some songbirds, such as robins, are unable to communicate or find food in the presence of heavy noise pollution. The sound waves produced by some noise pollutants can disrupt the sonar used by marine animals to communicate or locate food.  Water Pollution Polluted water may look clean but be filled with harmful chemicals. Unsafe water is linked to illness and death, particularly for children. Oil Spills and Other Contamination Oil spills, runoff from factories, and buried chemical waste all contribute to water pollution, threatening wildlife and human health.  Acid Mine Drainage Mining activities release sulfuric acid into rivers and streams, creating toxic environments for aquatic life and humans.  How Long Does It Last? II Different materials decompose at different rates. How long does it take for these common types of trash to break down? – Paper: 2-4 weeks – Orange peel: 6 months – Milk carton: 5 years – Plastic bag: 15 years – Tin can: 100 years – Plastic bottle: 450 years – Glass bottle: 500 years – Styrofoam: Never  Land Pollution Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also harm the land. Mining sometimes leaves the soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals. Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When people consume the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases.  Land Pollution Trash is another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars, plastic products, and junked cars and appliances damage the landscape. Litter makes it difficult for plants and other producers in the food web to create nutrients. Animals can die if they mistakenly eat plastic. Garbage often contains dangerous pollutants such as oils, chemicals, and ink. These pollutants can leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people.  Land Pollution Inefficient garbage collection systems contribute to land pollution. Often, the garbage is picked up and brought to a dump, or landfill. Garbage is buried in landfills. Sometimes, communities produce so much garbage that their landfills are filling up. They are running out of places to dump their trash. Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them. Pollutants from the landfill leak into the earth in which they are buried. Plants that grow in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the plants also become contaminated. So do the predators that consume the herbivores. This process, where a chemical builds up in each level of the food web, is called bioaccumulation.  Land Pollution Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies. There, the aquatic food web (from microscopic algae to fish to predators such as sharks or eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals. Some communities do not have adequate garbage collection systems, and trash lines the side of roads. In other places, garbage washes up on beaches. Some cities incinerate, or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it, but it can release dangerous heavy metals and chemicals into the air. So while trash incinerators can help with the problem of land pollution, they sometimes add to the problem of air pollution.  Recycling and Pollution Reduction Efforts to reduce pollution include recycling, international agreements, and laws limiting industrial emissions and chemical use.  Reducing Pollution Around the world, people and governments are making efforts to combat pollution. Recycling, for instance, is becoming more common. In recycling, trash is processed so its useful materials can be used again. Glass, aluminum cans, and many types of plastic can be melted and reused. Paper can be broken down and turned into new paper. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and waterways.  Reducing Pollution Austria and Switzerland have the highest recycling rates. These nations recycle between 50 and 60 percent of their garbage. The United States recycles about 30 percent of its garbage.  Reducing Pollution Governments can combat pollution by passing laws that limit the amount and types of chemicals factories and agribusinesses are allowed to use. The smoke from coal-burning power plants can be filtered. People and businesses that illegally dump pollutants into the land, water, and air can be fined for millions of dollars. Some government programs, such as the Superfund program in the United States, can force polluters to clean up the sites they polluted.  Reducing Pollution International agreements can also reduce pollution. The Kyoto Protocol, a United Nations agreement to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, has been signed by 191 countries. The United States, the world’s second-largest producer of greenhouse gases, did not sign the agreement. Other countries, such as China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, have not met their goals.  Reducing Pollution But even as some rivers are becoming cleaner, others are becoming more polluted. As countries around the world become wealthier, some forms of pollution increase. Countries with growing economies usually need more power plants, which produce more pollutants.  Conclusion Reducing pollution requires environmental, political, and economic leadership. Developed nations must work to reduce and recycle their materials, while developing nations must work to strengthen their economies without destroying the environment. Developed and developing countries must work together toward the common goal of protecting the environment for future use.