INTRODUCTION

 
Pollution
 release of undesirable materials in the surroundings that have harmful effects on plants,
animals, and human beings
 
Human Activities
 source of environmental pollution
 
Effects of Pollution
 water
 atmosphere
 land
 
Why is it important to learn the chemistry behind pollution?
 For us to understand their nature, sources, effects and how we can manage to prevent
them.
 
 
 
I. DEFINITION OF TERMS
 
Pollution chemistry
 study of the chemistry of the nature, sources, transformations, and effects of pollutive
substances on the environments
 looks at the chemical basis of pollution, its management and analysis
 
Pollution
 occurs in the environment when humans contaminate the air, water, or land
 
Categories of Pollution
1. Primary Pollution
 happens when humans directly contaminate the earth in some manner
2. Secondary Pollution
 happens when a primary pollutant reacts with another primary pollutant, sunlight,
and water to create a different pollutant
 
Pollutant
 any substance causing nuisance or harmful effects or uneasiness to the organisms
 
 
RESOURCE 1: STUDY SESSION 7 POLLUTION: TYPES, SOURCES AND
CHARACTERISTICS
 
How is pollution classified?
1. Physical nature
2. Sources (Sector of human activity)
3. Sector of environment it affects (Most commonly used method)
 
Physical Nature of Pollutants
1. Liquid pollutants (Liquid waste)
 2. Gas pollutants
3. Solid pollutants (Solid waste)
4. Energy (Noise pollution)
 
Liquid waste
 includes human excreta (both feces and urine), industrial wastewaters and other forms
of waste from water-using activities
 generated by factories related to washing in the manufacturing process, cleaning objects
and chemical mixing
 
Sewage
 mixture of human excreta from water-flushed toilets and other wastewater from houses
and businesses
 
Urban run-off
 can contain a lot of organic matter which may come from open defecation or
inappropriate handling of organic wastes produced from households and businesses
 
Organic matter
 includes anything that is derived from living organisms, such as human and animal
wastes, decaying plants and food wastes
 
Solid waste
 most common are plastic bags
 any solid material that is assumed not to be useful and is therefore thrown away
 produced by factories, businesses, and households
 includes paper, plastics, metals, chemicals in solid form, pieces of cloth or food, fecal
matter, and animal remains
 
Noise pollution
 common in urban communities
 unacceptable levels of noise in work, residential and recreational places
 makes difficult to have a conversation, irritates and disturbs people, and can damage
hearing in the long run
 mainly comes from loud music from music shops and clubs in the urban community
 pleases some, but it disturbs many other people because it interferes with
communication in the daytime and sleeping at night
 
What are the frequent sources of pollution?
 Sewage and human waste from overflowing septic tanks and latrines
 
What are examples of polluting gases?
 Greenhouse gases are pollutants that contribute to human-induced climate change. The
main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides.
 
Main Sources of Pollution
1. Point sources
 identifiable points or places easy to locate
 Ex: diesel truck that produces visible black exhaust fumes from its tailpipe
 
2. Non-point sources
  also known as diffuse pollution
 difficult to identify the exact origin of the pollution
 Ex: floodwater that washes all types of waste from the land into a river
 
What types of organic waste are produced by a typical household?
 The organic wastes from domestic sources include human excreta and also food waste
and other kitchen waste such as cooking oil residues.
 
Sources of Pollution
1. Domestic sources
 include toilets, latrines and wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms, solid
wastes from households and also from shops, markets and businesses that
include food waste, packaging materials and other forms of rubbish
 most human waste are washed into rivers and other water surfaces
 responsible for gaseous pollutants in the form of smoke and carbon dioxide from
domestic fires
 
2. Industry
 produce polluting waste substances that are discharged to the environment,
frequently through chimneys (to the air) or through pipes (to surface water)
 most polluting industries are food processing, tanneries and textiles with
processing plants and factories that produce liquid effluents which are
discharged into rivers, often without treatment
 
3. Agriculture
 pollutants mainly come from pesticides and fertilizers that contain phosphate and
nitrate which promotes excessive plant growth in bodies of water responsible for
increasing and dangerous levels of oxygen resulting poisoning of marine animals
 also responsible for gaseous pollutants in the form of methane produced by
livestock and solid pollutants from crop residues, packaging materials and other
wastes similar to those produced domestically
 
4. Transport
 produces black exhaust gas which mainly comes from poorly maintained and old
vehicles resulting in high levels of tailpipe emissions
 makes the air hazy or smoky and causes coughs and eye irritation
 promotes traffic jams in big cities
 
What bodies of water frequently receive polluting discharges from many different sources all at
the same time?
 River
 
Little Akaki River
 found in Addis Ababa
 polluted by several industrial sources as well as domestic wastes
 
Pathway of pollution
 the way the pollutant moves from the source, enters into the environment, and finally
how it reaches the human body or other recipient
 travels from source to recipient
 may take different forms depending on the type of pollutant
What are the primary recipients of pollution?
 Water, air, and soil
 
How do pollutants reach humans?
 Through consumption of contaminated and polluted water and food, and breathing
polluted air.
 
Processes that Reduce the Worst Effects of Pollutants
1. Dispersion
 smoke disperses into the air and is no longer noticeable away from the source
 
2. Dilution
 soluble pollutants are diluted in the water of a river or lake
 
3. Deposition
 some suspended solids carried in a river settle (are deposited) on the river bed
 
4. Degradation
 some substances break down (degrade) by natural processes into different,
simpler substances that are not polluting
 
What is the general effect of these processes towards pollutants?
 Reduce the concentration of the pollutant
 
Concentration
 measure of the amount of the substance in a known volume of water or air
 units used are in milligrams per liter (mg/l) and parts per million (ppm)
 
Does these processes of reduction apply to all pollutants?
 No, because of the existence of persistent pollutants
 
Persistent pollutants
 remain intact when released into the environment because they do not break down by
natural processes
 
Sectors of the Environment Affected by Pollution
1. Water pollution
 affect surface water such as rivers and lakes, soil moisture and groundwater in
aquifers, and the oceans
 
2. Air pollution
 
3. Soil and land pollution
 
 
Study Questions
 
1. Give 2 examples each of primary pollutants and secondary pollutants. For each example
cited, describe the chemical basis for the formation of the secondary pollutant
 
Answer:
 
 
2. Aside from air, water and land/soil pollution, research on the other types of pollution and
describe how they affect our normal lifestyle adversely. Please describe this in 5-10 sentences
only. A reference or source material has to be included in terms of the other types. The effect on
our normal lifestyle should be your own words.
 
Answer:
 
The three main types of pollution are air, water, and land or soil pollution; however, other types
of pollution, such as noise and light pollution, have emerged as a result of industrialization and
urbanization (Noise and Light Pollution | Athens-Clarke County, GA - Official Website, n.d.). In
addition, a new type of pollution known as the electromagnetic pollution has been monitored
recently and may impose great risks in the future (Redlarski et al., 2015).
 
Urbanized environments frequently have noise pollution, which is defined as any undesirable or
upsetting sound that has an adverse effect on people's and other species' health and well-being
(Noise Pollution, n.d.). Specifically, exposure to noise pollution may hinder daily activities which
may cause stress and irritation to the people and may also result to serious health issues such
as hearing loss and blood pressure. For instance, a person working on a a meticulous task
requires focus and proper attention, any unnecessary noise may lead to disruption of the task
which stresses an individual which may also result to a series of unproductive and upsetting
events. On the other hand, light pollution results from the excessive and inappropriate use of
outdoor and artificial lighting (Light Pollution, n.d.). Light pollution particularly is responsible for
how celestial objects such as stars in the sky are unable to be seen with the naked eye. In
addition, light pollution can also affect an individual’s perception of time or more commonly
known as the “body clock” which disrupts the daily lifestyle and habits of an individual such as
sleep routine. Lastly, electromagnetic pollution results from the electric and magnetic fields that
are produced by power lines, electrical devices, and mobile phones (Electro-magnetic Pollution |
InforMEA, n.d.). Prolonged used of laptop devices produces this type of pollution which may
cause some health issues such as headaches, nausea, and fatigue which prevents an individual
to perform productive tasks within the day.
 
References
Electro-magnetic pollution | InforMEA. (n.d.). https://www.informea.org/en/terms/electro-
magnetic-pollution
Light Pollution. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/light-pollution/
Noise and Light Pollution | Athens-Clarke County, GA - Official Website. (n.d.).
https://www.accgov.com/8195/Noise-and-Light
Noise Pollution. (n.d.). https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/noise-pollution/
Redlarski, G., Lewczuk, B., Żak, A., Koncicki, A., Krawczuk, M., Piechocki, J., Jakubiuk, K.,
Tojza, P., Jaworski, J., Ambroziak, D., Skarbek, U., & Gradolewski, D. (2015). The Influence of
Electromagnetic Pollution on Living Organisms: Historical Trends and Forecasting Changes.
BioMed Research International, 2015, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/234098
 
 
 
II. URBANIZATION, INDUSTRIALIZATION, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
 
Urbanization
  redistribution of populations from rural to urban settlements
 
What year has observed rapid urbanization of the world's population?
 20th century
 
What is the reason why people are attracted to cities and relocate to urban settlements?
 Promise of jobs and affluence (money)
 
What is the projected estimation of urban settlements in the future?
 Half of the global population already lives in the cities. Around 2050, 2/3 of the world's
people are estimated to reside in urban areas.
 
How are urban settlements connected to the environment?
 Urban populations interact with their environment. Urban people change their
environment through their consumption of food, energy, water, and land. And in turn, the
polluted urban environment affects the health and quality of life of the urban population.
 
 
RESOURCE 2: LINKING URBANIZATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT: CONCEPTUAL AND
EMPIRICAL ADVANCES
 
(Read Section 3 that tackles the six major urban environmental challenges.)
 
Industrialization
 contributes a major part to the economic development and prosperity of a country
 provides employment opportunities and wealth generation while on other hand it leads to
environmental deterioration
 
 
RESOURCE 3: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND SOLUTIONS TO INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION IN
OUR ENVIRONMENT
 
(Comprehensively discussed the causes and effects of industrial pollution and suggested ways
on how to reduce its effects.)
 
 
What impacts the environment and availability of resources?
 Asides from population; consumption habits of every person and the types of technology
used affects the quality of the environment.
 
Technology
 used as a part of industrialization
 requires energy and the higher level of technology in a community the greater need for
energy, which equates to greater extent of pollution and environmental damage caused
by energy generation
 
 
RESOURCE 4: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT- HUMAN IMPACT: THE IPAT EQUATION
 
(Understand more about this model and the assumptions used in the equation.)
 
 
Study Questions
 
1. As you come to realize the environmental threats urbanization brings to the environment,
suggest possible solutions on how to alleviate these threats.
 
Answer:
 
 
2. Calculate the Environmental Impact (I) of beer consumption in San Jose Del Monte City in
2018 given the following:
Population (P): 1 x 106; Affluence (A): 94.6 dm3/capita; Technology (T): 0.066 bottles/capita
 
Answer:
 
 
 
III. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
 
Environmental quality
 set of properties and characteristics of the environment, either generalized or local, as
they impinge on human beings and other organisms
 measure of the condition of an environment relative to the requirements of one or more
species and or to any human need or purpose
 
 
RESOURCE 5: PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
 
(Learn what is environmental quality and why and how should we protect it.)
 
 
How is environmental quality assessed?
 By setting environmental quality standards.
 
Environmental quality standard
 limit for environmental disturbances from ambient concentration of pollutants and
wastes, that determines the maximum allowable degradation of environmental media as
defined by United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
 its purpose is to protect quality of life and health by controlling the quantity and quality
(mainly in terms of toxicity) of anthropogenic pollutants, emanating mainly from industrial
activities, released to the environment
 can be introduced nationwide or for particular geographical areas, such as counties or
municipalities
 Ex: lay down the maximum allowable concentration of a substance in air, soil or water
 
What are taken into account when standards for environmental quality are set?
 Technical, economic, social, cultural or political aspects of the environment.
 
 
Study Questions
 
1. Recall the Philippine National Standard for drinking water. What do you think were the basis
of the values set in that law?
 
Answer:
 
 
2. Research on how environmental quality standards are decided. What analytical tools are
used in setting their values? Give specific examples.
 
Answer: