Pollution

Types of pollution are-

1.Air Pollution.

2.Water Pollution.

3.Noise Pollution.

4.Land Pollution.

1.Smoke from chimneys of factories.The Police - Synchronicity 2 - YouTube2.Smoke from Vehicles.

Discuss L.A, TORONTO, LONDON’S MOTHS , Beijing

3.Smoke from fires.

1.We should share vehicles for going to office.

2.We should get a regular pollution check of our vehicle. (RETIRE YOUR RIDE, CASH FOR CLUNKERS)

3.We should use a bicycle for going to near by places.

4.Chimneys of factories should be fitted with proper filters to prevent smokes from coming out and effect atmosphere.

1.Factories throw their waste in water bodies.

2.People bathe and wash clothes in water bodies.

3.Some oil ships drown in water which hardly effects the aquatic life.

4.Smoke from vehicles let the river to dry.

1.Factories should not throw their waste in water bodies.

2.People should not bathe and wash clothes in rivers or lakes.

3.People should not take their animals to take baths in rivers or lakes.

1.Jet planes.

2.Loud speakers and other loud speaking things.

3.Cinema halls.

4.Factories

5.Road traffic

1.We should not use loud speakers.

2.Factories should be made out of the city.

3.There should be not more noise making vehicles on the roads.

1.People Cut forest for furniture.

2.Plastic is the main source of land pollution (and sea).

3.People throw house garbage on roads.

4.Some industries throw their waste on land.

1.People should not cut trees for making furniture.

2.People should not throw garbage on land.

3.Plastic bags should be avoided for prevention of land pollution.

4.Industries should not throw there waste on land.

Water Pollution

Types and Sources of Water Pollution

#1 problem - Eroded soilsOrganic wastes, disease-causing agentsChemicals, nutrientsRadioactive stuff, heat

Point and Nonpoint Sources

NONPOINT SOURCES

Urban streets

Suburban development

Wastewater treatment plant

Rural homes

Cropland

Factory

Animal feedlot

POINT SOURCES

Major Problem: Drinking Water

Safe Drinking Water Act

EPA: Maximum contaminant levels (municipal, but not rural and private)

1/2 of world’s people drink polluted water

Pollution of Surface Water: Streams D.O., B.O.D., fecal coliform bacteria count

Pollution of Surface Water: LakesCultural eutrophication Slow

turnover

Accumulation of nutrients, excessive plant growth, algae blooms

Case Study: The Great Lakes

MississippiRiver Basin

MissouriRiver

OhioRiver

MississippiRiver

LOUISIANAMississippi

River

Depleted

Oxygen

Gulf of MexicoDead Zone

Suffocatedfish

Lowdissolvedoxygen

Decreased fishpopulation

Altered food web

Thermal Pollution

Groundwater Pollution: Sources Low flow rates Few bacteria

Cold temperatures

Coal strip mine runoff

Pumping well

Waste lagoon

Accidental spills

Groundwater flow

Confined aquifer

Discharge

Leakage from faulty casing

Hazardous waste injection wellPesticides

Gasoline station

Buried gasoline and solvent tank

Sewer

Cesspool septic tank

De-icing road salt

Unconfined freshwater aquifer

Confined freshwater aquifer

Water pumping well Landfill

Groundwater Pollution PreventionMonitoring aquifers - expensive

Leak detection systems

Strictly regulating hazardous waste disposal

Protecting recharge areas- aquifer classifications

Ocean Pollution: dumping and oil

Oil Spills Sources: offshore wells, tankers, pipelines and storage tanks

Effects: death of organisms, loss of animal insulation and buoyancy, smothering

Significant economic impacts

Short-term cleanup problems - beaches, wildlife

Long-term cleanup problem - persistence (decades)

Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water Pollution

Nonpoint Sources Point Sources

Reduce runoff

Buffer zone vegetation

Reduce soilerosion

Water PollutionControl Act (1972)

Clean Water Act(1977)- set effluent standards- secondary treatment

Technological Approach: Sewage Treatment

Mechanical and biological treatment

Technological Approach: Septic Systems

Require suitable soils and maintenance

Technological Approach: Using Wetlands to Treat Sewage

Air Pollution Harmful to life or materials

Materials - soiled, corrosion of metals

Plants - stunting, damage (crops, forests)

Animals - respiratory, nervous system damage

Humans - eye irritation, headache, dizziness,bronchitis, emphysema, cancer- young, old, heart and lung patients susceptible

Air Pollution Primary pollutants Secondary pollutants

Natural Sources - most primary pollutants

Decay processes, winds, volcaniceruptions, sea spray

Widely dispersed- do not reach harmful levels

Human Sources - more importantConcentrated where the people are

1) Stationary fuelcombustion

2) Industry

3) Transportation

Air pollution problems influenced by:

Topography (thermal inversions)Climate (cool-moist, warm-dry)

Temperature InversionsEspecially in valleysLos Angeles, Denver, Winona

Industrial SmogCool, moist

Primarypollutants

Worst in winter,at night

Chicago, London

Photochemical Smog Warm, dry

Secondary pollutants

Worst insummer, midday

Los Angeles

NO from cars

Widespread Secondary Air Pollution: Acid Deposition

Wet depositionDry deposition

Acid Deposition in the U.S.

Acid Deposition and Aquatic Systems Fish declines

Undesirable species

Aluminum toxicity

Acid shock

Acid Deposition, Plants, and Soil Nutrient

leaching

Heavy metal release

Weakens trees

Industrial Smog Control -sulfur dioxide and particulates

Burn less fossil fuels

Use alternative energy sources

Burn low-sulfur coal

Remove sulfur from coal (chemicals)

Stack scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators

Photochemical Smog Control - nitrous oxide emissions

Use mass transit

Develop new engines

Develop new fuels

Develop new emission controls

Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution

Clean Air Acts (1970, 1977)

1) Industrial emissions standards2) Automotive emissions standards3) Deadlines for meeting standards

Standards becoming stricter, requeststo extend deadlines- better technology needed

Waste ManagementIndustrial and agricultural wasteMunicipal solid waste

Hazardous wastes

Solid Waste in U.S.>300 lbs/person/dayAgriculture - 13%

Mining wastes - 75%Industries - 9.5% (fly ash)Municipal - 1.5% (4.6 lbs. per

person, 70% paper, food, yard wastes)

Sewage sludge - 1%Sewage sludge - 1%

U.S. Municipal WastesMulti-billion dollar industry

Resource Conservation and RecoveryAct - 1976- outlawed open dumping

Managing Today’s Wastes Sanitary landfill - 54% Recycling and composting - 30%

Incineration - 16% (dioxin)

Sanitary Landfill

1) Synthetic liner

2) Earth cover

3) Leachate collection system

4) Methane venting

Changing Landfills

Filling up rapidly

Difficult finding new sites

- restrictions- NIMBY - NOT IN MY BACK YARD!

RecyclingEasily isolated

from other wastes

Large quantities (60-80% of wastes)

Valuable

Recycling Aluminum, Wastepaper, and Plastics

40% of aluminum recycled in USRecycled aluminum uses over

90% fewer resourcesPaper: preconsumer vs.

postconsumer recycling10% or less of plastic recycled in USPlastics can be very difficult to recycle

Burning WastesMass burn incineration

Air pollution

Waste to energy

Hazardous Wastes U.S. - >1 ton/person/year

Today’s Management1) reduce, reuse, recycle (5%)

Today’s Management

2) detoxification, incineration (5%) Physical reactions Chemical reactions Landfarming

Burning

Today’s Management3) Land disposal (90%)

Landfills, pits, lagoons, injection wells,“midnight dumping”, sewage systems,surface waters

Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act EPA identifies hazardous wastes, sets

standards for management Superfund - established to clean up

hazardous waste sites

Love Canal - Hooker Chemical plant insuburban Niagara Falls, NY

ENVIRONMENT CANADA HANDLES THIS IN CANADA

• TAR PONDS-steel making process remnants, carcinogens

• HALIFAX HARBOUR-sewage treatment• NIMBY-EXAMPLES?• TAR SANDS TAILING PONDS• Lake Athabaska

Pollution due to Oil Industry

Trans Canada Keystone XL Pipeline not approved by Obama Administration

•“Since only 3% of oil sands oil has been used to date…”game over” for environment if we burn it all.”-Keystone xl rejected by State dept and Obama- “Big Oil’s” first REAL loss usually $ talks

• Obama says still wants US to move away from foreign oil -Environmentalists, scientists and native groups won. -Republicans demanded a decision before November election and forced Obama to rush-play to his constituents

• Trans Canada can reapply. Harper unhappy. Will sell to China.

• Ezra Levant Ethical Oil Versus Conflict Oil - YouTube• http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/

energy-and-resources/to-harpers-profound-disappointment-obama-rejects-keystone/article2306625/

• Air Pollution – YouTube• Rachel Carson Introduction – YouTube• DDT and Pesticides – YouTube• Tar Pond Song -Sydney NS Terminal Drive – YouTube• Rick Mercer Report : Save the Sydney Tar Ponds – YouTube• Sewage Flooding in Halifax – YouTube• How the Sewage Plant Broke – YouTube• Acid rain – YouTube• Acid Rain Eating Washington, D.C. – YouTube• Water Pollution: Saving the water – YouTube

• HouseSmarts Green Piece "Noise Pollution" Episode 111 – YouTube• Ain't Noise Pollution (High Quality) – YouTube• Campaigners fight noise pollution in bustling Mumbai – YouTube• Light pollution, the problem – YouTube