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Principles of Environmental Science and Engineering
Principles of Environmental Science and Engineering
Principles of Environmental Science and Engineering
2 MARKS
UNIT I – COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
1. Define Environment:
Environment is defined as the holistic view of the world as it functions at a given
point of time, with a multitude of spatial, elemental and socio-economic systems,
distinguished by quality of space, and the mode of behaviour of the various abiotic
and biotic forms.
5. What is autecology?
It is concerned with the ecology of an individual species and its population. While
studying the autecology of a particular species, an ecologist studies its behavior and
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adaptation to the environmental condition at every stage of that individual’s life
cycle. Autecology is also called species ecology.
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11. Write short notes on photosynthesis.
The process by which chlorophyll bearing plants use energy from the sun to
convert carbon dioxide and water into sugars is called photosynthesis. The
generalized equation for photosynthesis is,
12. Explain energy flow and write down the laws governing that.
The behaviour of energy in an ecosystem can be termed as energy flow.
The flow of energy through the ecosystem is unidirectional and non-cyclic. This
one way flow of energy is governed by laws of thermodynamics which state that;
I) Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but
can only be transformed from one form to another. This is known as
the ‘first law of thermodynamics’.
II) Energy transfer is always accomplished be
dispersion of energy into unavailable heat (ie. entropy). This law is
known as the ‘second law of thermodynamics’ or ‘the law of entropy’.
Death
Inorganic Decomposers
Substances (Bacteria, Fungi)
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Fig.: Basic nutritional links in an ecosystem.
Food web:
Various food chains are often interlinked at different trophic levels to form a
complex interaction between different species from the point of view of food. This
network is called the food web. The following figure shows the food web from grass
to hawk.
Grasshopper Lizard
Mouse Snake
Fig.: Example of food web.
If any of the intermediate stage of the food chain is removed, the succeeding links
of the food chain will be affected. The food web provides more than one alternatives
of food to most of the organisms in an ecosystem and, therefore, increases their
chances of survival.
16. Name some of the natural impacts on water, air and land:
Natural hazards can be broadly divided into two:
1. Geo Physical
2. Biological
Geo Physical can be again divided into;
i. Climatic and Meteorological
ii. Geologic and Geomorphic
Climatic and Meteorological hazards include;
a) Snow & Ice d) Fog
b) Droughts e) Frost
c) Floods f) Hail
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g) Heat waves i) Lightning
h) Tropical and Fire
cyclones j) Tornadoes
Geologic and Geomorphic hazards include;
a) Avalanches e) Shifting Sand
b) Earthquakes f) Tsunamis
c) Erosion g) Volcanic
d) Land Slides Eruptions
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20. What is PEP?
PEP is Preventive Environmental Policy. It involves the adoption of technologies
such as
1. Cleaner technologies for production process.
2. Recycle and reuse technologies.
3. Replace non-renewable resource base with renewable resource base.
4. Integrated technologies that minimize cross-media transfer of
pollutants, thus minimizing overall pollution- induced risks in all
environmental components.
Weight of solvent
Molarity is defined as the number of moles of the solute present in 1000ml of the
solution.
Molarity = Number of moles of solute
Volume of solution
30. Define Hardness of Water.
Hardness of water is defined as the property of Water which consumes more soap
to produce foam or lather. It is due to the presence of certain salts of calcium,
magnesium and other heavy metals dissolved in it.
48. Write the pH of i)Human blood ii)Lemon juice iii)Wine iv)Distilled water
Human blood : 7.5
Lemon juice :-2
Wine :-4
Distilled water : 7
50. Name all the mass/mass units used for representing concentration of solution?
i)percent by weight
ii)parts per million
iii)molality
iv)mole fraction
58. How can you control the emission of nitrogen oxides? OR Explain EGR method.
Since high temperature favors the production of nitrogen oxide, the emission may
be controlled by lowering the combustion temperature. This can be achieved by re-
circulating the exhaust gases, which will no longer burn. Hence it will not produce
any heat if re-circulated and will quench the heat of the combustion gases. This
method is called Exhaust Gas Recirculation(EGR). The temperature in the cylinder
ranges from 500oC and the end of compression stroke (before ignition) to about 3000-
o
C after ignition, which produces nitrogen oxides. Hence to reduce the formation of
nitrogen oxides the temperature must be maintained as low as 1300 oC which can be
maintained by adopting EGR method.
60. Write short note on incineration process used in managing hazardous waste.
The incineration process is very complex and involves chemistry, physics and
thermodynamics. During this process, the bonds between the molecules break and
free radicals are formed leading to violent reactions, and finally to harmless products.
Some reactions are also speeded up by catalysts at high temperature.
68. What are the types of autoclave systems used in treatment of biomedical waste?
Gravity system
Pre vacuum system
Retort type systems
73. What are the two main classifications in sources of radioactive pollution?
Natural sources
Man-made sources
74. What is half-life of a radioactive substance?
The half-life of a radioactive substance is defined as the time taken for decaying
half of the material present.
75. What are the factors to which the effect of radioactive pollutants depend on?
Duration of exposure to the radiation
Strength of the radiation
Half life period of the radioactive pollutant
Rate of diffusion of the pollutant
Environmental conditions
79. What are the factors involved in the amount of waste generation process?
i)House keepinng practices
ii)Extent of process control.
iii)Product quality requirements and initiative.
iv)Managing system and initiative.
80. What is the aim of national committee of environmental planning and co-
ordination.
i)Conservation of natural resources.
ii)Control of environmental pollution.
iii)Environmental education.
iv)Environmental laws.
85. What are the steps to be taken to implement cleaner production in an industry.
i)Undertake environment review and create the awareness of environmental
issues.
ii)Establish environmental policy duly acknowledged by the executive officer.
iii) Carry out environmental audit on suppliers of services.
92. What is the objective role of standards of performance in the control of pollution?
The standards of performance function to monitor and assess the overall
concentration of toxic pollutants in the effluent and enable the analyst or investigators
to check whether the prescribed limit of those pollutants do not exceed the allowable
level.
93. Mention the standards of a few chemical parameters in the oil refinery industry.
94. Mention the standards of a few chemical parameters in the cotton textile industry
95. What is the percentage removal of suspended solids and BOD in primary
treatment?
The primary treatment is aimed to remove 60% of suspended solids and 40% of
BOD.
The major objectives of ISO 14000 series is to promote more effective and
efficient environmental management in organization and to provide useful and
usable tools-ones that are cost-effective, system based, flexible and reflect the
best organizational practices available for gathering, interoreting and
communicating environmentally relevant information. The intended end result is
the improvement of environmental performance.
110. Write down the subjects covered under various ISO 14000 :
111. Write down the key requirements specified under ISO 14000:
According to this principle,’ the people who get benefited due to an activity,
which increases the pollution, should pay for that’.
Risk identification.
Risk estimation.
Risk acceptance.
Risk aversion.
The basic environment law of the land requires that a polluter bear the
remedial or clean-up costs as well as the amount payable to compensate the
victims of pollution. This is known as the ‘polluter pays principle’. The principle
becomes effective with Environmental Law.
1. The polluter pay taxes would be used to enrich government funds, not to
compensate those who were harmed by the pollution.
2. The pollution control boards are in no position to assess the actual costs
imposed by pollution. Pollution taxes enacted through the political process
are likely to reflect political priorities rather than environmental ones
119. Compare and contrast polluter pays principle with beneficiary pays
principle.
In case of the polluter pays principle, the polluter is responsible and he should
pay for his action. Whereas, incase of the beneficiary pays principle, the benefited
persons should pay for enjoying a clean and safe environment. There is no need to
pay by the polluters according to this principle.
121. What are the major constitutional provisions in India for environmental
protection?
Article 47.
Article 48-A.
Article 51-A (g).
Article 253.
Article 47 of the Constitution states that, "The State is to ensure as its primary duty
of,
1.Raising standard of living of its people,
2.To increase the level of nutrition of the people,
3.To bring improvement in public health".
Article 253 of the Constitution empowers the parliament to make laws regarding
preserving the environment. It states 'The parliament has power to make any law for
the whole or any part of the territory of India for implementing any treaty,
agreement or convention with any other country or countries or any decision made
at any international conference, association or other body'.
127. Name some of the acts enacted by the Indian Government to protect the
environment.
1.Kyoto protocol
2.Montreal protocol.
‘Green peace’ is one of the largest NGOs in the world with 1.6 million
contributing members, carries out well-publicised confrontations with toxic waste
dumpers, seal hunters and others who threaten very specific and visible resources.
Over the past 25 years, more than 170 treaties and conventions have been
negotiated to protect our global environment. These are mainly designed to
regulate the following activities:
1. Intercontinental shipping of hazardous waste
2. Reforestation
3. Over-fishing
4. Trade in endangered species
5. Global warming and
6. Wildlife protection.
There are three types of standards mentioned in Environment Protection Rules (EPR),
a. Source standards, which require the polluter to restrict the emission and discharge
of environmental pollutants at source.
b. Product standards, which fix the pollution norms for new manufactured products
such as car.
c. Ambient standards, to set maximum pollutant loads in the air and to guide
regulation on the environmental quality that ought to be maintained for healthy
living.
137. Write down the purpose of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,
1974.
The purpose of The Water Act is “to provide for the prevention and control of
water pollution and the maintenance or restoring wholesomeness of water for the
establishment, with a view to and carrying out the purpose of aforesaid of Boards
for the prevention and control of water pollution, for conferring on and assigning
to such Boards powers and functions relating thereto and for matters connected
therewith”.
138. According to The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 define air
pollutant:
The Air Act was passed for the “prevention, control and abatement of air
pollution”. This law defined an air pollutant as “any solid, liquid or gaseous
substance present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be
injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or
environment”.
140. Write notes on Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous chemical Rules,
1989.
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16 MARKS
UNIT I – COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
UNIT I
1)Explain in detail about the components of environment?(16)
Hydrosphere (6)
Atmosphere (5)
Lithosphere (5)
Carbon cycle
Diagram(3)
Theory (2)
Ecological economics(4)
Concept of sustainable Development (6)
Example(6)
UNIT II
UNIT III
G. M. Masters Page:253-267
S.K. Dhameja
G.M.Masters384-390
UNIT IV
16.Explain various engineering interventions.
Henry & Henike
17.Discuss in detail the waste minimization techniques.
Henry & Henike
18.Explain the clean technology options.
Henry & Henike
19.With flow sheets explain the waste management in paper and pulp industry.
Refer theory from G.M.Masters and draw flow sheets
20.With necessary flow sheets explain the waste management in textile industry.
Refer theory from G.M.Masters and draw flow sheets
UNIT V
EIA study
- flow chart
22.Explain (i) Environment Management System (MIS) Standard
(ii) Precautionary Principle
(iii) Polluter Pays Principle
Precautionary Principle
- definition
- basic components of precautionary action
Non-Governmental Organizations
- definition
- classification of groups and their area of activities
- examples
- Green peace
- Conservation International
Community Participation
- definition
- reasons to use collaborative approaches
- example
- EXNORA in India for clean surroundings
25.Write down the functions of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution
Control Board in India.
- The Water (Prevention and Control) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and
Control) Act, 1981 assigned different functions to the Central / State
Pollution Control Board.
- Functions of CPCB
- Functions of SPCB (atleast 8 points in each)
___________________
Elaborative Answers
The primary purpose of the EIA process is to encourage the consideration of the
environment in planning and decision-making and to ultimately arrive at actions, which
are more environmentally compatible.
The objective of the EIA is to ensure that environmental aspects are addressed
and potential problems are foreseen at the appropriate stage of project design. EIA should
be envisaged as an integral part of the planning process and initiated at the project level
from the start.
There are two types of EIA. Rapid EIA, which is done quickly based on one
season data whereas Comprehensive EIA will be detail and normally takes at least one
year for its preparation.
EIA REPORT
2. Baseline data collection : This includes the present and past data on meteorology,
present air and water quality monitoring, floral and faunal survey, socio-economic
survey of people in the project area.
Project proposal
Expert team
Proposal Evaluation
Report satisfactory
Interim report
Report satisfactory
Meet toData
Accept
finalise
Report
and
Final
/ reject
Policy
theaccepted
Report
recommendations
proposal
analysis
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
The Environmental Impact Statement has some unique features such as,
3. The EIS is the result of EIA Study, which is usually time consuming and
expensive.
7. It should clearly mention the relationship between short-term resources and long-
term productivity, as well as any irreversible commitment of resources resulting
from project implementation.
The objectives of ISO 14000 series is ‘to promote more effective and efficient
environmental management in organization and to provide useful and usable tools – ones
that are cost-effective, system based, flexible and reflect the best organizational practices
available for gathering, interoreting and communicating environmentally relevant
information’. The intended end result is the improvement of environmental performance.
The subjects covered under the various ISO 14000 series are given in Table
2. Before using a new technology, process, chemical or new activity people have an
obligation to examine a full range of alternatives, including the alternative of not
using it.
The polluter-pays principle can also inspire the use of economic instruments, and
the application of rules relating to competition and subsidy. In protecting the
environment, we should understand that provisions for the application of the polluter-
pays principle are clearly justified by the understanding of the term ‘polluter’ and the
responsibility to pay for pollution, which results from classifying a person legally as a
polluter.
There are several policy and strategic approaches to the control of environmental
pollution through the application of the polluter-pays principle.
The first approach is ‘direct regulation and control’. Here, the government can
decide what each polluter must do to reduce pollution by setting certain uniform
standards and subjecting violators to legal penalties.
The second approach is the ‘fixing of charges for various levels of pollution’, to
enable the users to bear the cost of pollution prevention and control measures.
Economists prefer this approach as well as the pollution-pays principle, because as a
strategy, they believe pollution results from a failure of the pricing system and that the
best way to correct the failure is through system itself.
The third approach involves the ‘enforcement of torts and property rights through
the judiciary’. Indeed, under torts, a pollution victim can seek redress in court for damage
suffered. This method is effective when the identity of the affected parties is known, but
the assignable damage might be ambiguous in many cases.
The fourth approach is the one consisting of ‘substantial subsidy for individual
treatment’. Polluters respond differently to these approaches in their own interest. Some
find it cheaper for example to pay a pollution tax, while others might reduce pollution or
avoid charges by using different raw material or improve energy consumption. However,
the implementation of these strategies requires much information on the technology of
each industry to enable regulation.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL LAW
Every country has different legislative and legal processes, and thus the
environmental law changes from country to country. N D Tiwari Committee, appointed
by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1980, to evaluate various existing environmental
laws in India, observed in its report that “we have in about 500 or more environmental
laws in India but we have not undertaken systematic review of these laws till date”. This
brings to us the present status of the environmental laws in India even today.
ANCIENT APPROACH
Production, conservation and judicious use of natural resources were the ancient
approach. It was Dharma of each individual in the society to protect the natural
resources. People worshiped the objects of the nature. The trees, the water, the land and
the animals gains an important position in the ancient time. In ancient times, the
knowledge, the motivation and the sanction were the basic postulates, which regulated
the eco-system. The Dharma of environment was to sustain and to ensure progress and
welfare of all.
British India rule also enacted a number of legislations, which had a direct bearing on one
or the other components of the environment. Three specific areas and one general area
were selected for preserving the environment.
2. Concern for the protection of forest made enactments such as the Cattle Trespass
Act, 1971, the Destructive Insects & Pest Act, 1914.
3. Concern for the protection of animals, wild life and birds including elephants.
4. General areas such as the Smoke Legislations of Bengal, 1905, Bombay, 1912,
Madras Town Planning, the Calcutta Improvements, U.P., Municipality, Bihar
and Orissa Municipality.
2. The concern for gradual deforestation and the extinction of wildlife, birds and
animals, but the British-India Rule was mainly concerned with the trade and
commerce and therefore, aimed at the resources use and the exploitation by the
State and industries under State patronage. Every resource was viewed as a
commodity that deserves to be exploited. In true sense, the British did not enact
Central Specific Legislation in relation to the environment protection and
therefore, the common law principles were brought into play by the courts of law
such as remedy for tort, negligence and nuisance etc.
The Indian Constitution is amongst the few in the world that contains specific
provisions on environmental protection. The directive principles and the fundamental
duties chapters explicitly enunciate the national commitment to protect and improve the
environment. In India the environmental laws comes under the criminal section. This
involves a maximum of 3 year imprisonment and a fine of Rs.10,000/- In many cases, the
Supreme Court has intervened and has often stated that, “the issue of environment must
and shall receive the highest attention from this Court”.
Working with local communities can trap into traditional knowledge and gain
early acceptance for management plans that finally emerge from policy planning. The
important reasons to use collaborative approaches are;
1. The collective view should be incorporated in the early stages of project
implementation; this will lead to the development of acceptable solutions in the
end.
2. Always involve multiple stakeholders and multiple sources of information, which
will enrich the process.
3. Committed people are a basic requirement. To identify such people and to involve
them is an important process.
4. Active involvement by local residents is essential to the process. This will provide
access to situation-specific information and experience.
5. A participant is an important management tool. All the stakeholders involved
directly or indirectly in the process, should be invited for active co-operation.
6. The knowledge and understanding needed by those who will carryout subsequent
phases of a project can be achieved only by active participation.
EXNORA in India can be said as an example for the community participation for
clean surrounding. The basic premise with which EXNORA begin its operations are that
community participation at all levels of functioning was essential to make their work a
success. EXNORA is a broad based voluntary, Non-Governmental Organization. As the
acronym suggests, these ideas were to be EXcellent NOvel and RAdical (EXNORA), the
objective is to create civic and environmental awareness among the citizens. And
EXNORA wanted to provide a service to the public, which would turn these excellent
novel and radical ideas into practice.
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION
Collective Action
The water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 confers the power to
Union Government to constitute Central Pollution Control Board and State Governments
to constitute State Pollution Control Boards. For the effective implementation and
enforcement of the different pollution control Acts and rules statutory authorities at
National level (including Union Territories) Central Pollution Central Board and at State
level State Pollution Control Boards have been constituted.
FUNCTIONS OF THE CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
The water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974) and Air (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act (1981) assign different functions to the Central Pollution
Control Board. They are mainly:
• To promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the states under
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the
country under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Advise the Central Government on any matter, concerning the prevention and
control of water pollution, similarly for the improvement of the quality of air and
the prevention, control or abatement of air pollution.
• Coordinate the activities of the State Boards and resolve disputes among them.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to State Boards, carryout and sponsor
investigations and research relating to problems of water and air pollution and for
their prevention, control or abatement.
• Plan and organize the training of persons engaged or to be engaged in
programmes for the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution on
such terms and conditions as the Board may specify.
• Organize through mass media comprehensive programmes in connection with the
prevention and control of water and air pollution.
• Collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data relating to water and air
pollution, devise measures for their effective prevention and control, prepare
manuals, codes or guides relating to air pollution, treatment and disposal of
sewage and trade effluents and disseminate the information connected therewith:
• Lay down, modify or annul, in consultation with the state government concerned,
the treatment for a stream or well under Water Act and lay down standards for the
quality of air under Air Act.
• Collect and disseminate information in respect of matters relating to water and air
pollution.
• Establish or recognise a laboratory or laboratories to enable the Board to perform
its function effectively under Water Act including the analysis of samples of
water from any stream or well or of samples of sewage or trade effluents, and
similarly air samples under Air Act.
• To perform the functions of the State Board where the State Board has defaulted
in complying with the directions of the Central Board resulting into grave
emergency and where it is required to do so in the public interest.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1974) and Air (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act (1981) assign the following functions to the State Pollution
Control Boards. They are mainly:
• To plan a comprehensive programme for the prevention control or abatement of
pollution of streams and wells in the state and to secure the execution thereof
under Section 17 of the Water Act and similarly for the control of air pollution in
the state under Section 17 of the air Act.
• To advise the State Government on any matter concerning the prevention, control
or abatement of water and air pollution.
• To collect, compile and disseminate information relating to water and air
pollution and the prevention, control or abatement thereof.
• To encourage, conduct and participate in investigations and research relating to
problems of water and air pollution and prevention, control or abatement thereof.
• To collaborate with the Central Board in organising the training of persons
engaged or to be engaged in programmes relating to prevention, control or
abatement of water and air pollution and to organise mass education programmes
relating thereof.
• To inspect sewage or trade effluents, works and plants for the treatment of sewage
and trade effluents and to review plans specifications or other data relating to
plants set up for the treatment of water works for the purification thereof and the
system of the disposal of sewage or trade effluents or in connection with the grant
of any consent as required by the Water Act.
• To inspect at all reasonable times any control equipment, industrial plant or
manufacturing process and to give, by order, such directions to such persons as it
may consider necessary to take steps for the prevention, control or abatement of
air pollution as specified in the Air Act.
• To inspect air pollution control areas at such intervals as it may think necessary,
assess the quality of air therein and take steps for the prevention, control or
abatement of air pollution in such areas.
• To lay down, modify or annual effluent standards for the sewage and trade
effluents and for the quality of receiving waters (not being water in an inter-state
stream) resulting from the discharge of effluents and to classify waters of the state
under Water Act.
• Similarly to lay down, in consultation with the Central Board and having regard to
the standards for the quality of air laid down by the Central Board, standards for
emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial plants and
automobiles or for the discharge of any air pollutants into the atmosphere from
any other source whatsoever not being a ship or an aircraft.
• To evolve economical and reliable methods of treatment of sewage and trade
effluents having regard to the conditions of soil, climate and water resources of
different regions and more especially the prevailing flow characteristics of water
in streams and wells which render it impossible to attain even the minimum
degree of dilution.
• To advise the state government with respect to the suitability of any premises or
location for carrying on any industry which is likely to cause air or water
pollution.
• To evolve methods of utilisation of sewage and suitable trade effluents in
agriculture.
• To perform such other functions as may be prescribed or as may from time to
time, be entrusted to it by the Central Board or the State Government.
• To establish or recognise laboratories for analysis of water samples of any sewage
or trade effluents and air samples.