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Environmental Issues Notes by Andleaf
Environmental Issues Notes by Andleaf
Environmental Issues
INTRODUCTION
POLLUTION
-Any undesirable change in physical , chemical or
biological characteristics of air , land , water or soil
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
ELECTROSTATIC PRECIPITATOR
↓
which produce a corona that releases electrons
↓
Electrons attach to dust particles giving them a net
-ve charge
↓
Collecting plates are grounded & attract the
charged dust particles
↓
velocity of air b/w the plates must be low enough to
allow the dust to fall
SCRUBBER
Figure-16.1
Table-16.1
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NOISE POLLUTION
Figure-16.2
ALGAL BLOOM
-Presence of large amounts of nutrients in waters also
causes excessive growth of planktonic (free-floating)
algae
Figure-16.4
-‘Terror of Bengal'
Water Hyacinth
BIOMAGNIFICATION
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EUTROPHICATION
-Natural aging of a lake by biological enrichment of its
water
NATURAL EUTROPHICATION
-As silt & organic debris pile up , the lake grows shallower
& warmer, with warm-water organisms supplanting those
that thrive in a cold environment
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Caused By :
-Sewage , agricultural & industrial wastes
-Nitrates & phosphates , which act as plant nutrients
Ecological Sanitation
-Sustainable system for handling human excreta , using
dry composting toilets
-With the help of ecological sanitation human excreta can
be recycled into a resource (as natural fertilizer)
Figure-16.5
Figure-16.3
SOLID WASTES
Bio-degradable :
-Wastes which can be degraded by microorganisms
-Eg : food materials
Recyclable
-Wastes which can be converted into new materials
-Eg : glass , paper
Non-biodegradable
-Wastes which cannot be degraded or takes long time to
get degraded
-Eg : Plastic
-Open dumps serve as the breeding ground for rats & flies
-Sanitary landfills were adopted as the substitute for
open-burning dumps
POLYBLEND
-Fine powder of recycled modified plastic which is mixed
with bitumen to lay roads
HOSPITALS WASTES
-Contain disinfectants , harmful chemicals & pathogenic
micro-organisms
-Incinerators are used to dispose hospital waste
eutrophication
Examples :
-Cattle excreta (dung) are used as manure
-Crop waste is used to create compost - can be used as
a natural fertilizer , used to generate natural gas
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
Figure-16.6
Figure-16.7
Montreal Protocol
-International Treaty
-Signed at Montreal (Canada) in 1987 (effective in 1989)
-Control the emission of ozone depleting substances
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Figure-16.8
DEFORESTATION
Causes of Deforestation
-Famers cut down the trees of the forest & burn the plant
remains
-North-eastern states of India
-Ash is used as fertilizer
-Land is used for farming or cattle grazing
-If land is left uncultivated for several years
replenishment of minerals occur
Effects of Deforestation
Reforestation
-Process of restoring a forest that once existed but was
removed at some point of time