MODULE 4:

Environmental Issues and

Problems: Wastes and
Pollution
 POLLUTION
• Pollution is the contamination of the environment
by humans adding any substance or energy.
• Heavy metals, gases, oil, sewage, noise, heat,
radiation and pesticides are common pollutants
that can affect the environment adversely.
• A pollutant is any matter or energy introduced by
human activities that produces harmful effects on
resident populations thus altering community
structure.
 Biological magnification is the increase
in concentration of a substance in
successive members of a food chain.
• Toxic substances may accumulate in
members of higher trophic levels as a
result of biomagnification.
• The movement on compounds
(molecules) through trophic
levels is called trophic transfer.
• Toxic substances, like
nutrients, can be transferred
through trophic levels.
• Water pollution occurs when
toxic substances enter water
bodies such as oceans, lakes
and rivers leading to the
degradation of water quality
and rendering it toxic to
human health and the
environment.
 1. Domestic Wastes
• includes wastes coming from
houses and different commercial
establishments. These wastes
usually contain nitrates and
phosphates that are usually
responsible for eutrophication.
• sewage water carries
pathogens, other harmful
bacteria, and chemicals that
can cause serious health
problems leading to diseases.
 2. Industrial Wastes
• contains large amounts of toxic chemicals.
Heavy water pollution occurs when
untreated industrial waste is irresponsibly
discharged into water bodies.

• industrial chemical wastes discharged

can accumulate within the living
tissues of aquatic organisms living in
those areas and threatens human
health through the food chain.
 3. Agricultural Wastes
• wastes such as fertilizers,
farm animal wastes, and
sediments contribute to the
pollution of water since they
contain nitrates and
phosphates which are carried
away by water runoff
resulting to eutrophication.
1. Eutrophication- refers to the phenomenon in which enrichment of nutrients leads to
the increase of algal population in a water body, thereby affecting the aquatic life.
 2. Diseases- consuming polluted water can cause typhoid, cholera,
hepatitis, methemoglobinemia, and various other diseases.

Methemoglobinemia
Cholera
Typhoid Fever
• Air pollution occurs
when there is a release
of air pollutants in the
atmosphere and can
bring global effects and
is harmful to human
health.
 • Industrial chimneys and
1. Industrial Pollutants
powerhouses -CO, CO2, SO2,
H2S, and hydrocarbons
• Phosphate fertilizer
manufacturing plants-fluorine
compounds
(HF, F2, SiF4, H2SiF6)
• Other chemical industries-
hydrochloric acid, chlorine, oxides
of nitrogen, Zn, Pb, As, oxides of
Cu, and SO2, CO, and H2S.
 2. Automobiles
• the most significant contributor
to air pollution

• usage of petrol and diesel releases

the three volatile organic
compounds (VOC)- benzene,
toluene, and xylene.
 3. Burning of Fuels

• found to produce two-thirds of

sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere,
resulting to acid rain.
Sulfur Dioxide and Acid Rain
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a
colorless gas produced by
combustion of fossil fuels at
power plants and certain
industrial sources.
• It along with nitrogen oxides
results in acid rain.
• The impact of acid rain in
Europe has been sever and is
most noticed in forests of the
northeastern US.
 4. Agricultural Activities

• associated with the

burning of forest areas
and grasslands to
provide pastures and
croplands for
production.
1. Photochemical Smog
2. Greenhouse • The greenhouse effect is a natural
phenomenon; however, the enhanced
Effect greenhouse effect occurs due to elevated air
pollutants.
• defined as the
presence of pollutants
or contaminants in
soil, in high enough
concentrations to
pose a risk to human
health and the
environment.
 1. Mining Activities

2. Waste and Sewage

Generation Disposal

3. Agricultural and Livestock

Activities
 Impact on Ecosystem Services of
Soil Pollution from Agriculture

Effects of
Soil Acidification and Crop Loss
Pollution

Human Health Risks Associated

with Soil Pollution
 Impact on Ecosystem Services of
Soil Pollution from Agriculture

▪ Affecting natural
Agricultural wastes resources, specifically
that are released into soil and groundwater
the environment poses bodies, crop
a severe threat to the productivity, and living
environment, such as: organisms, including
humans.
▪ Contaminating areas of
land
Acidification and Crop Loss
 Human Health Risks

Long term impacts of soil

pollution are still vague.
However, efforts through
more research are still in
progress to better
understand the impacts of
toxic pollutants on human
health.
Solid and Hazardous
Wastes
Lesson 4.3
 Discarded
household and

Management Act of 2000

commercial
waste

Ecological Solid Waste

Nonhazardous
Other non-
hazardous/non-
institutional
toxic solid waste and industrial
waste

Solid
Waste

(RA 9003)
Agricultural Street
waste sweepings

Construction
debris
 (1) waste identified or listed as a
hazardous waste of a solid, liquid,
contained gaseous or semisolid form
which may cause or contribute to an
increase in mortality or in severe or
Solid Waste incapacitating reversible illness, or
acute/chronic effect on the health of
persons and other organisms;
(2) infectious waste from hospitals such as equipment,
instruments, utensils, and fomites of a disposable
nature from patients who are suspected of having or
have been diagnosed as having infectious diseases and
must, therefore, be isolated as required by public health
agencies, laboratory wastes such as pathological
specimens and disposable fomites that may harbor or
transmit pathogenic organisms, and surgical operating
room pathologic specimens and disposable fomites
attendant to that, and similar disposable materials from
outpatient areas and emergency rooms;

Solid Waste
 (3) Waste resulting from mining
Solid activities, including contaminated
Waste soil and debris.
Source: What A Waste: Solid Waste Management in Asia. Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999. Working
Paper Series Nr. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit. East Asia and Pacific Region. Page 5.
 a.) substances that are without any safe
commercial, industrial, agricultural or
economic usage and are shipped,
transported or brought from the country
or origin for dumping or disposal into or
in transit through an part of the territory
of the Philippines;
Hazardous b.) by-products, side-products, process
residues, spent reaction media,
Waste contaminated plant or equipment or
other substances from manufacturing
operations and as consumer discards of
manufactured products which products
which present unreasonable risk and/or
injury to health and safety and to the
environment.
(Toxic Substances and Hazardous and
Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 R.A.
6969)
 toxic chemicals and substances , residues from medical hospital facilities

debris from toxic paints and solvents

industrial wastes wastes coming from agricultural activities

Hazardous
Waste non-degradable

may be solid, liquid, or gas that brings a

detrimental effect on human health and
the environment and non-degradable
400 Annually
million metric tons
hazardous waste
 Developing countries have used more
hazardous waste for production and
consumption (chemicals and

Sources
materials) than in developed
countries.

Most industries in developing countries

use outdated and banned technologies
that operate poorly and produce
hazardous wastes.

Hazardous Wastes