POLLUTION

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change, in the form of killing of life, toxicity of environment, damage to ecosystem and aesthetics of our surrounding.  An unwanted change in the environment which involves the physical, biological and chemical changes involving air, water and land which affects the human life in one way or the other”.

Pollution has become a serious issue after World War II in developing countries due to unchecked rapid industrialization. Pollution is the root cause of many diseases that kill and disable living organisms.

POLLUTION ACTS AND RULES IN INDIA: (LEGAL REQUIREMENTS)

• The air (prevention and control of) pollution act.
• The air (prevention and control of) pollution rules.
• The Environment Protection Act.
• The Environment Protection Rules.
• The water (protection and control of) pollution act.
• The water (pollution) rules.
• The public liability insurance act.
• The public liability insurance rules.

TYPES OF POLLUTION

• Air Pollution
• Water Pollution.
• Noise Pollution.
• Littering (spilling of oils in oceans)
• Soil contamination (by lead, heavy metals)
• Radioactive contamination.
• Thermal pollution.
• Visual Pollution.

AIR POLLUTION:

One has to inhale pure, clean air, free from pollutants to survive. Minimum rate of fresh air for restaurants, dining halls is 25 m³ /head / hour. Fine particles of less than 15 microns can bypass the human body respiratory filters and penetrate into the lungs. The toxic substances could be Creosols, chlorinated benzenes, alkyl epoxide, paraffins, Nitro-benzenes, butadines etc.

The un-natural sources of air pollution are: Combustion of fuels and solid waste, emissions from vehicles, industrial effluents, pesticides, agricultural chemicals etc.

Quality of air inside the hotels: The quality of air inside the buildings is a combination of pollution from the outside air brought inside along with the ventilation air and the pollutants generated from sources / activities within the buildings. Proper ventilation is required to control the moisture / humidity, dispose of surplus heat, remove micro-organisms and remove odours / vapours / smoke. Control of pollutants can be done by installing filters (dust and particulate), water screens, cyclone separators etc.

Sources Of Air Pollution 

•  Household combustion devices. 
•  Motor vehicles. 
•  Industrial facilities. 
•  Forest fires 

Pollutants causing Air Pollution…… 

•  Include particulate matter. (Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended in air many of which are hazardous. This complex mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets.) 
• Carbon monoxide.
• Nitrogen dioxide 
• Sulphur dioxide 

Harmful effects of Air Pollution

• Effects on cardiovascular health
• Effects on breathing (asthma).
• Links to cancer
• Effects on children 

How to control air pollution?

•  Maintaining a healthy distance between the industrial and residential areas. 
• The chimneys should be constructed tall in size so that the emissions must be released higher up in the environment 
• The sulphur must be removed after burning.
• The gasoline must have anti knocking agents. 
• The mining area should be planted with trees. 
• The coal fuel should be replaced with gas fuel to control the air pollution. •
• The automobiles must be designed with emission control system. 
• The wastes must be removed and recycled in the industrial plants and refineries.
• Plants like pine and ribes need to be planted to metabolize the nitrogen oxides and other pollutants.
• Timely servicing of the car helps to keep it in a good condition, and also minimizes fuel exhaustion
• Using public transportation helps to prevent the air pollution 
• Using alternative energy sources like solar energy, hydroelectric energy, and wind energy 

 WATER POLLUTION:

The primary concern with water pollution is due to items that make the water non-potable. Sewage treatment, thermal discharges could have effect on the safe drinking water. Other sources of pollution are: Oil waste, drainage, swimming pools, industrial effluents, fertilizers etc. Control of water pollution can be done by sewage treatment plants, pre-treatment filtration, sedimentation, chlorination, coagulation, activated sludge process, membrane separation, aeration etc.

Polluted Water comes from ….

• Domestic sewage. 
• Industrial wastewater.
• Agricultural wastewater.
• Construction site stormwater. 
• Urban runoff (stormwater). 
• Petroleum hydrocarbons
• Plastics 
• Pesticides 
• Heavy metals 
• Sewage
• Radioactive waste 
• Thermal effluents Water Pollutants…
• Detergents 
• Chloroform 
• Food processing waste, (fats and grease)
• Insecticides and herbicides. 
• Petroleum hydrocarbons, (gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuels, and fuel oil).
• Lubricants (motor oil). 
• From stormwater runoff.

 Preventing Water Pollution… 

• Conserve water by turning off the tap.
• Mind what you throw down your sink or toilet. 
• Don’t throw paints and oils in water channels. 
• Use environment friendly household products, such as washing powder, household cleaning agents etc.
• Take great care not to overuse pesticides and fertilizers. 
• Don’t throw litter into rivers, lakes or oceans.
• Help clean up any litter you see on beaches or in rivers and lakes, make sure it is safe to collect the litter and put it in a nearby dustbin. 

Treating Polluted Water

• Suspended, solid particles and inorganic material can be removed by the use of filters.
• Use of biological filters and processes can naturally degrade the organic waste material.
• After above two steps chemical additives are supplied to get rid of any left-over impurities. 

 LIGHT POLLUTION 

Light pollution, also known as photo pollution or luminous pollution, is excessive, misdirected, or obtrusive artificial light.

 Light pollution Causes..

• Degradation of photic habitat by artificial light.
• Artificial Lights Disrupt the World’s Ecosystems. 
• Nocturnal animals sleep during the day and are active at night.
• Light pollution radically alters their nighttime environment by turning night into day. 
• Artificial lights disrupt this nocturnal activity, interfering with reproduction and reducing populations. 

 Controlling Light Pollution. 

• Excessive lighting should be avoided. 
• For Lighting an applicable design should be followed. 
• Light engineering should be applied for streets.

 NOISE POLLUTION:

Noise may be defined as unwanted sound. The unit used for measuring sound is decibel, dB.

 Effects of noise:

• Noise annoys
• Noise distracts
• Noise disturbs
• High decibel noise can lead to deafness
• Creates uncomfortable living conditions
• Reduces efficiency / productivity of individuals
• Leads to physical fatigue
• Leads to nervous strains, psychological disorders
• Reduction in gastric activity, dizziness.

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.
• Noise pollution can cause
• Annoyance 
• Aggression . 
• Hypertension . 
• High stress levels .
• Hearing loss.
• Sleep disturbances, and other harmful effects. 
• Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss.
• Older males exposed to significant occupational noise demonstrate significantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their non-exposed peers. 

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 waste. Soil Contaminating Chemical
• Petroleum hydrocarbons.
• Poly nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. 
• Pesticides 
• Lead and Other heavy metals.

How to control soil pollution? 

• Limit the use of fertilizers and pesticides 
• Awareness about biological control methods and their implementation 
• The grazing must be controlled and forest management should be done properly
• The afforestation and reforestation must take place 
• Proper preventive methods like shields should be used in areas of wind erosion and wind breaks 
• Treating Wastes of industries. 
• Treating nuclear waste.
• Proper disposing of plastics and other garbage materials. 

THERMAL POLLUTION 

• Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature.
•  A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers.
• When water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the sudden change in temperature decreases oxygen supply and affects ecosystem composition.
• Fish and other organisms adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by an abrupt change in water temperature (either a rapid increase or decrease) known as “thermal shock.”