Engineering, Environment and

Society

Course Instructor:
Er.Santosh Khanal
Lecturer
Pokhara University
School of Engineering

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 Environmental pollution
• Developmental activities such as construction, transportation and
manufacturing not only deplete the natural resources but also
produce large amount of wastes that leads to pollution of air,
water, soil, and oceans; global warming and acid rains.
• Untreated or improperly treated waste is a major cause of
pollution of rivers and environmental degradation causing ill
health and loss of crop productivity.
Pollution may be of the following types:
• Air pollution
• Noise pollution
• Water pollution
• Soil pollution
• Thermal pollution
• Radiation pollution
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 WATER POLLUTION
• Addition or presence of undesirable substances in water
is called water pollution. Water pollution is one of the
most serious environmental problems.
• Water pollution is caused by a variety of human
activities such as industrial, agricultural and domestic.
Agricultural run off loaded with excess fertilizers and
pesticides, industrial effluents with toxic substances and
sewage water with human and animal wastes pollute
our water thoroughly.
• Rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, estuaries and ground water
sources may be polluted by point or non-point sources.

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• When pollutants are discharged from a specific location
such as a drain pipe carrying industrial effluents
discharged directly into a water body it represents point
source pollution.
• In contrast non-point sources include discharge of
pollutants from diffused sources or from a larger area
such as run off from agricultural fields, grazing lands,
construction sites, abandoned mines and pits, roads and
streets

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 Organic Pollution
• Organic pollution is a consequence of the emission
of pollutants from organic wastes such as domestic
sewage (raw or treated), industrial effluents, urban
run-off and farm wastes
• Generally, organic pollutants consist of proteins,
carbohydrates, fats and nucleic acids in any
combination. Excessive organic pollutants have the
potential to pollute water sources.

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• Following are some of the consequences of organic
pollution in water:
• The concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water
is reduced during decomposition.
• The amount of sunlight accessible to the
photosynthetic organisms is decreased due to the
suspended solids near the surface of water.
• The habitat of many aquatic animals and plants is
hampered.

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Organic pollutants include:
a) Detergents
b) Disinfection byproducts (Chloroform)
c) Food processing waste (fats, grease)
d) Insecticides, herbicides, pesticides (Pyrethroids,
Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, organochlorides, etc.)
e) Petroleum hydrocarbons (gasoline, diesel, fuel oil)
f) Lubricants (motor oil, Mobil)
g) Cosmetic products h) Pharmaceutical drugs

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Inorganic pollution
• Generally. inorganic chemicals are naturally
occurring, but due to anthropogenic activities, the
concentration of these chemicals has increased over
the years, resulting in inorganic pollution.
• These get access to the environment through urban
storm water.
• These chemicals are involved in many aspects of
human activities even though they are often highly
toxic to living organisms and the environment.
• Such pollutants include; cadmium. Copper, lead, zinc,
nitrogen,ritrate. nitrite, ammonia, phosphorous and
phosphate.

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Water Pollution due to pesticides and inorganic
chemicals
• Pesticides like DDT and others used in agriculture may
contaminate water bodies
• Metals like lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, mercury and
cadmium in industrial waste waters adversely affect
humans and other animals
Ground water pollution
• Generally groundwater is a clean source of water.
However, human activities such as improper sewage
disposal, dumping of farm yard manures and
agricultural chemicals, industrial effluents are causing
pollution of ground water.

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1. Nitrate: Some of the compounds consisting of
nitrates with their key properties are as follows:
• Nitric Acid is a corrosive liquid.
• Nitrates are used in the manufacture of dyes and
explosives
• Bismuth subnitrate (BiONO3.H2O) is used in medicine
for treating intestinal disorders.
• Amitol, a mixture of ammonium nitrate and
trinitrotoluene(TNT) is a powerful explosive.
• Its mixture with phosphorous causes eutrophication
(substantial increase in aquatic plant growth which
affects the dissolved oxygen, temperature. etc).
• Excess nitrate causes hypoxia (low levels of dissolved
oxygen that is toxic to warm-blooded animals).
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2. Fluoride
• Fluoridation is the addition of fluoride to public water
supplies to reduce tooth decay. However, excessive
fluoride consumption can cause bone fracture in adults.
• Extreme levels of fluoride pollution are often observed
countries, such as China, with high concentration of
coal burning power plants.
• Fluoride, in addition to appearing in waterways, may
also crop up in the soil: potentially damaging crops.
• Improper disposal of fluoridated waste may result in
leaching.

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3. Iron
• Iron gets corroded because of continuous action of
water and air In the water supply system resulting in
rusty color and metallic taste to water.
• Even though iron is an essential mineral, disease of
aging such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and others been
linked to excess iron intake.
• Iron toxicity has been observed in certain fish species
concentrations of 1,380 mg iron/kg diet.

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4. Manganese
• Manganese has a tendency to accumulate in some
organisms (such as shellfish) and plants (such as cereal
crops and nuts) which could lead to higher level - and
potentially harmful -exposures further up the food chain.
• Inhalation of air containing high levels of manganese
can lead to a range of adverse health effects. These
include hallucinations, changes in behavior, weakness,
speech problems headaches, tremors, stiffness, balance
problems and bronchitis.
• Exposure to high levels of manganese over long periods
of time can cause impotence.
• It can cause discoloration and turbidity in water.

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5. Arsenic
• It Is extremely poisonous semi-metallic element.
• It can cause lung cancer, skin cancer, birth defects and
reproductive problems, kidney cancer, liver cancer, etc.
• It is a high-profile problem due to the use of deep tube
wells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing
serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of people.
• A 2007 study found that over 137 million people in
more than 70 countries are probably affected by arsenic
poisoning of drinking water.

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6. Heavy metals
• Heavy metals, like copper, lead, mercury, and selenium, get
into water from many sources, including industries,
automobile exhaust, mines, and even natural soil.
• Heavy metals become more concentrated as animals feed
on plants and are consumed in turn by other animals.
• When they reach high levels in the body, heavy metals can
be instantaneously poisonous, or can result In long-term
health problems similar to those caused by pesticides and
herbicides
• Cadmium in fertilizer derived from sewage sludge can be
absorbed by crops. If these crops are eaten by humans In
sufficient amounts, the metal can cause diarrhea and over
time, liver and kidney damage.
• Lead can get into water from lead pipes and solder in older
water systems; children exposed to lead in water can suffer
mental retardation.

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Control of water pollution
The following measures can be adopted to control water
pollution:
(a) The water requirement should be minimized by
altering the techniques involved.
(b) Water should be reused with or without treatment.
(c) Recycling of water after treatment should be
practiced to the maximum extent possible.
(d) The quantity of waste water discharge should be
minimized.

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• AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid,
liquid or gaseous substance including noise and
radioactive radiation in the atmosphere in such
concentration that may be directly and indirectly
injurious to humans or other living organisms, plants,
property or interferes with the normal environmental
processes.

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• Sources of Air Pollution:
a) Burning fossil fuels:
Natural gas, coal, and oil are burned to power industrial
processes and motor vehicles. Burning puts into the
atmosphere carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, sulfur dioxide, and tiny solid particles (including
lead from gasoline additives).
b) Motor vehicle use:
Between 1900 and 1970, the use of motor vehicles rapidly
expanded, and emissions of nitrogen oxides, some of the
most damaging pollutants in vehicle exhaust, increased.
c) Incompletely burned:
when fuels are incompletely burned, volatile organic
chemicals(VOCs) also enter the air.

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d) Garbage:
Garbage in landfills and solid waste disposal sites
emits methane gas, and many household products
give off VOCs.
e) Natural sources:
Forest fires emit particulates and VOCs into the
atmosphere.
f) Volcanoes:
Volcanoes spew out sulfur dioxide and large amounts
of pulverized lava rock known as volcanic ash. A big
volcanic eruption can darken the sky over a wide
region and affect the Earth's entire atmosphere.
•

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Impacts of Air pollution
a) Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen in the presence of
atmospheric moisture turn into droplets of pure acid
floating in smog. These airborne acids are bad for the
lungs and attack anything made of limestone, marble, or
metal.
b) In cities around the world, smog acids are eroding
precious artifacts, including the Parthenon temple in
Athens, Greece, and the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.
c) Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur dioxide pollute places far
from the points where they are released into the air. They
can reach distant regions when carried by winds in the
troposphere where they descend in acid form, usually as
rain or snow. Such acid precipitation can burn the leaves
of plants and make lakes too acidic to support fish and
other living things.

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d) Smog spoils views and makes outdoor activity
unpleasant. For the very young, the very old, and
people who suffer from asthma or heart disease,
the effects of smog are even worse: It may cause
headaches or dizziness and can cause breathing
difficulties.
e) In extreme cases, smog can lead to mass illness
and death. mainly from carbon monoxide
poisoning.

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• Mitigation measures of air pollution:
a) Pollution can be controlled with end-of-the-pipe devices that
capture pollutants already created and by limiting the quantity
of pollutants produced in the first place. End-of-the-pipe
devices include catalytic converters in automobiles and various
kinds of filters and scrubbers in industrial plants.

b) Gasoline, for instance has been reformulated several times to

achieve cleaner burning
c) Car manufacturers are experimenting with automobiles that
run on electricity or on cleaner-burning fuels.
d) Buildings are being designed to take advantage of sun in
winter and shade and breezes in summer to reduce the need for
artificial heating and cooling, which are usually powered by
the burning of fossil fuels.
e) Using public transportation instead of driving, for instance,
reduces pollution by limiting the number of pollution-emitting
automobiles on the road.

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On-site sanitation
• method of sanitation system where, sewage are collected and disposed
off at the generation site in the scientific way
• On-site sanitation (decentralized sanitation) is a scheme where
treatment of excreta or manure is done at the same surroundings where
it is generated.
• On-site sanitation is a system of sanitation where the means of storage
are contained within the plot occupied by the dwelling and its
immediate surroundings. It may be disposed of on site or removed
manually for safe disposal (WHO 2006)

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• Onsite sanitation can be either a dry system or wet
system.
• Common septic tank is a wet system.
• A composting toilet is a dry system.
• Both dry and wet systems have limitations of use
including population density, available water supply,
suitable soil conditions.
• Wet systems may be a risk to ground water supply. On-
site sanitation should only be used where a community
public sanitation system is not available or affordable

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Figure: Onsite sanitation

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• Example
On-site sanitation dry system:
• A simple vertical dry drop pit latrine.
• A ventilated improved pit toilet (VIP) which is a
ventilated dry pit latrine.
• A composting toilet with rotating chambers to enable
full decomposition of the waste matter.

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Compost latrine

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On-site sanitation wet system:
• A basic pour flush latrine connected directly over a
single leach pit.( a pour flush latrine requires a manual
bucket flush)
• A pour flush connected to twin leach pits.( this enables
the standby leach pit to stand idle for 6 months before it
is cleared of dry sludge which can be used for fertilizer)
• An Aqua privy is also a wet system and consists of a
vertical drop into a water tight tank which stores and
contains mud effluent. (The water seal is created by the
vertical drop pipe discharging below the fluid level of
the tank.) (WHO 1992)

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Pour flush latrine
An aqua privy
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Eco-sanitation
• Ecological sanitation, known as ecosan in short, is a closed-
loop sanitation process in which human excreta is recycled,
rendered safe and used for agricultural purposes.
• It treats human excreta itself as a multi-purpose resource; its
main objective is to prevent pollution from happening rather
than to control it after it happens.
• Ecosan also helps in the minimization of the use of non-
renewable resources.
• The concept behind ecological sanitation is to reuse
nutrients and water in human excreta in such a way that
they can be returned to the soil.
• Due to this closed-loop nature of ecological sanitation, it is
self-sustainable, economical and hygienically safe.

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• Benefits of EcoSan
• Reduction in the transmission of pathogens from human excreta into
the water cycle (groundwater and surface water).
• promotion of safe, hygienic recovery and use of nutrients (nitrogen and
phosphorus), organics. water and energy.
• Preservation of soil fertility, improvement of agricultural productivity
and food security.
• Contribution to the conservation of resources through lower water
consumption.
• Substitution of mineral fertilizer and minimization of water pollution.
• Decrease in the dependence on mined phosphorus for fertilizer
production.
• Energy reduction in fertilizer production.
• Reduction in treatment and fertilizer costs by properly managing urine.
• Improvement on health conditions of society.

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• Limitations of EcoSan
• Uncomfortable to use in the beginning as the design is
different from the conventional toilets.
• Reluctance in acceptance and use.
• Lack of farming land limits the application of urine and
faeces.

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 The severity of water and air pollution in Nepal
• It is well known that Nepal, although being one of the
nations with the greatest natural resource wealth, has
severely fallen short of its potential.
• Environmental resources like water, air, trees, etc. are
constantly deteriorating.
• Unplanned and poorly managed urbanization has only
made things worse by producing issues with sewage
systems, solid waste management, rising pollution, etc.
• As a result, air pollution has always been a problem in
Nepal's major cities.

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Status of ambient air quality in Kathmandu Valley
a) The main causes of air pollution are
• unplanned urbanization and industrialization
• use of old and worn out vehicles for transportation
• haphazard of disposal of solid wastes
• lack of pubic awareness to cause changes at local level.
b) The main sources of air pollutants are:
• Smoke from vehicles
• Dust and litter from the streets
• Solid wastes dumped haphazardly
• Smoke from factories
• Particles emitted from cement factories
• Black smoke plume from brick kilns
• Random burning of wastes

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c. The major air pollutant is total suspended particles
(TSP) and PM10,due to the following main sources:
For TSP:
• Re suspension from roads. bricks kilns, domestic fuel
combustion, diesel vehicles, gasoline vehicles.
For PM10:
• Diesel vehicles, gasoline vehicles domestic fuel, brick kilns.
d) The TSP observed at different sample sites in the valley
were found to be higher than the WHO guideline values
(TSP-123 mg/m3 and PM10 - 70 mg/m3 for eight hours)
at all sample sites except residential and control sites.
e) The TSP in the ambient air varied by month. Highest
level observed during April/May and lowest in July

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f) The other air pollutants NO2 and SO2 are below WHO
guideline representing little risk at present.
g) The CO concentrations may be fairly high at rush
hours along with the roads with the heaviest traffic.
h) According to Environmental Pollution Index 2014
published by Yale University, Nepal ranked second
last after Bangladesh in terms of air quality and its
effect to human health.
i) Nepal is the fastest urbanizing country In South Asia
and Kathmandu Valley is the fastest growing
metropolitan area in the region (World Bank, 2012).

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j) Brick kilns are other major source of air pollution in
the valley.
k) In 2005, the Ministry of Population and Environment
estimated that ambient air pollution was responsible
for up to 1,600 premature deaths in the Kathmandu
Valley.
l) The World Bank estimated that Nepal's annual health
cost attributed to urban air pollution was USD 21
million in 2007, equivalent to 0.29% of the GDP.
m) Another study estimates that the reduction in air
pollution from the current level to national ambient
air quality standard would save Kathmandu and
Lalitpur NRs 315 million annually (Adhlkari,2012)

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 Assignment:
1. What is organic pollution in drinking water?
2. Write down the cause, effects and mitigation
measures of air pollution.
3. Discuss the severity of water and air pollution
problem in Nepal? Give your plans to solve this
problem effectively and in short time
4. Discuss the severity of inorganic water pollution
problem in Nepal? Give your plans to mitigate their
problems.
5. What is pollution? Differentiate between onsite
sanitation and eco sanitation.

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