Chapter-18 : Pollution of air and water

Air pollution : The contamination of air by impurities which have a harmful effect on living
organisms and non-living things is called air pollution.
 The substances which pollute the air are called air pollutants.
 The natural sources of air pollutants are the smoke and dust from forest fires and volcanic
eruptions.
 The sources of pollutants due to human activities are from factories, power plants,
automobile exhausts, burning of fuels like coal, firewood, dung cakes etc.

Pollutants present in polluted air and their harmful effects :

 Automobile exhausts contain carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and other pollutants.
 Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the
blood.
 Smoke may contain oxides of nitrogen which combine with other air pollutants and fog
to form smog. It causes asthma, cough and wheezing in children.
 Many industries and petroleum refineries produce oxides of sulphur and nitrogen.
 It causes respiratory problems and damage to lungs. It also combines with rainwater to
forms acids (sulphuric acid and nitric acid) called acid rain. Acid rain causes damage to
cells and tissues of living organisms. It also causes damage to buildings, monuments
made of marble like the Taj Mahal and statues.
 Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used in refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosol sprays
cause damage to the ozone layer which protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet
radiation of the sun.

Greenhouse effect : The rays of sun warms the earth. A part of this radiation is absorbed by
the earth and a part of it is reflected back. A part of the reflected radiation is trapped by the
atmosphere which further warms the earth. This is called greenhouse effect.
 The gases like carbon dioxide, methane, water vapour etc. traps the heat radiated by
the earth and increases the temperature of the earth. This is called global warming. It
can cause drought, melting of glaciers and rise in ocean levels etc.

Methods to reduce air pollution :

 Air pollution caused by automobiles can be reduced by using CNG and unleaded petrol
instead of diesel and leaded petrol.
 Use of alternative sources of energy like hydropower, solar energy, wind energy etc.
 Preventing deforestation, planting more trees, social forestry programs like Van-
Mahotsav etc.
 Putting dry leaves in compost pits instead of burning it.
Water pollution : The contamination of water by substances which are harmful to living
things is called water pollution. The substances which pollute water are called water pollutants.

Factors responsible for water pollution :

 People bathing, washing clothes and defecating in the river.
 Throwing garbage into the river.
 Discharge of untreated sewage into the river.
 Discharge of harmful chemicals from industries into the river.

Harmful effects of water pollution :

 The harmful chemicals released from factories contain lead, mercury, arsenic, fluorides
etc. affects organisms living in water.
 Fertilizers used for growing crops dissolve in water and helps in the growth of algae in
water bodies. This reduces the amount of oxygen in the water and can kill organisms living
in water.
 Water pollution causes diseases in human beings like typhoid, cholera, jaundice etc.

Potable water : Water which is suitable for drinking is called potable water.
 Water can be made safe for drinking by :
 Removing the solid impurities by filtration. It can be done by using the candle type
filters.
 Boiling of water helps to kill the harmful germs in water.
 Chlorination (by adding chlorine tablets or bleaching powder) is a chemical method
which is used to kill germs in water.