TOPIC 1

INTRODUCTION
(CO1-PO7)

Updated by Dr Jan Jani

At the end of this week, students should be able to :
 Discuss and describe issues and trends related to environmental
engineering.
 Explain and describe in detail on types of pollutions (water, land, air
and noise) in environmental surrounding.
 Discuss and describe on mitigation measures to control and
minimize the pollutions.
What is Pollution?

 Pollution is the introduction of contaminants/pollutants into

the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution
can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as
noise, heat or light.
 Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign
substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants.
 Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source
pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES???
WATER POLLUTION
Water can exist in all three states of matter?

SOLID (ICE), LIQUID,

OR GAS (VAPOR)
 Water in Malaysia

Out of an annual rainfall volume of 990 cubic

kilometers (km3), 360 km3 (36 percent) are lost to
Evapotranspiration.
The total surface runoff is 566 km3, and about 64
km3 (7 percent of the total annual rainfall)
contribute to groundwater recharge.
80 % of the groundwater flow returns to the rivers
and is therefore not considered an additional
resource.
 Water pollution
➢Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes,
rivers, oceans, and groundwater caused by human activities, which
can be harmful to organisms and plants that live in these water
bodies.

➢Sources; point source and non – point sources

➢Impacts?
Impacts
 The UN and theWorld Health Organization (WHO)Trusted
Source list the following statistics on water pollution:

• Over half the global population do not have safely managed sanitation services.
• Around 2 billion people live in countries with high levels of water stress,
meaning the amount of water available is less than the amount required.
• Experts estimate that by 2025, half the world’s population will live in a water-
stressed environment.
• Around 785 million people do not have basic drinking-water services.
• Since the 1990s, water pollution has worsened in almost all rivers in Asia,
Latin America, and Africa.
 Water Quality Facts (source: UNESCO):
• One in nine people worldwide uses drinking water from unimproved and unsafe sources
• 2.4 billion people live without any form of sanitation
• Lack of sanitation is one of the most significant forms of water pollution.
• 90% of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated directly into water bodies
• Every day 2 million tonnes of sewage and other effluents drain into the world’s water
• Industry discharges an estimated 300-400 megatonnes of waste into water bodies every
year
• Non-point source pollution from agriculture and urban areas often greatly increases the total
pollutant load together with industrial point source pollution
• A reduction of about one-third of the global biodiversity is estimated to be a consequence of
the degradation of freshwater ecosystems mainly due to pollution of water resources and
aquatic ecosystems
• Re-use of wastewater in agriculture is important for livelihoods, but is associated with
serious health risks
Water Quality in Malaysia

GOI C.L. (2020)

Issue in Water pollution
River in Malaysia, the best..
..and the worst
LAND/SOIL POLLUTION
Soil Contamination
• The introduction of substances, biological organisms, or
energy into the soil by human activities
• resulting in a change of the soil quality, which is likely to
affect the normal use of the soil or endangering public
health and the living environment.
 Cause of Contaminant
• Soil contaminants are spilled onto the surface through
many different activities.
1) accidents involving the vehicles that are transporting waste
material from site of origin to a disposal site.
2) direct action of humans pouring potentially toxic materials
3) Illegal dumping (also known as “open dumping”, “fly dumping”,
and “mid-night dumping”)
4) Sewage
5) Pesticide and herbicide
6) Nuclear
7) Acid Rain
Land pollution
Air Pollution
 What is air pollution??
(Other than “Pencemaran udara please..”)
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are
detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole.

▪There are many substances in the air which may effect the health of
humans, animals and plants,

▪..also can reduce visibility.

▪Substances not naturally found in the air or at greater concentrations or

in different locations from usual, are referred to as pollutants.
Air Pollution Pathways
Tragedies of Air Pollution
Case 1;
 During the early hours of 3 December 1984 the world’s worst industrial accident
unfolded in the Indian city of Bhopal.
 Poisonous gas escaped from a chemical plant and killed 3,000 people, according
to official estimates. Other estimates put the number at between 8,000 and
10,000. Around 50,000 suffered permanent disabilities, and more died later.
Case 2;
 The United Kingdom suffered its worst air pollution event when the December
4th Great Smog of 1952 formed over London. In six days more than 4,000 died,
and 8,000 more died within the following months.
CLIMATE CHANGE
 Effects Of Climate Change

• Melting Polar ice caps

• Retreating glaciers
• Rising sea levels
• Extreme weather
• Nature under threat
NOISE POLLUTION
 Noise Pollution
▪ Noise, basically is unwanted or nuisance sound
that disrupts activity or balance of human or
animal life.
▪ The word noise comes from the Latin word noxia
meaning "injury" or "hurt".
▪ Noise or sound is measured in decibels, dB.
 Noise Pollution
https://www.doe.gov.my/portalv1/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Guidelines-Noise-
2019.pdf
• Noise pollution can do more than reduce hearing capacity; it can also
create psychological trauma that leads to:
1.Nervous Disorders
2.Increased Blood Pressure
3.Thickening of The Blood
4.Neurological Problems
5.Leads to hypertension and other cardiovascular problems
Noise Pollution – effects?
 INTRODUCTION
Source of pollution, prevention
and control

CO1,PO7
Updated by Dr Jan Jani
WATER POLLUTION
 Source of water pollution

• Sources; point source and non – point sources

Point source
o Point source water pollution refers to contaminants pollution at
that enter a waterway from a single, identifiable a shipyard in Rio
source, such as a pipe or ditch. de Janeiro, Brazil.
o Examples include discharges from a sewage
treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain.
o Nonpoint source pollution refers to diffuse
contamination that does not originate from a single
discrete source. Runoff of soil
o A common example is the leaching out Fertilizer
of nitrogen compounds from fertilized agricultural and during a
lands. rain storm
 Riparian buffer lining a creek Dissolved air flotation system for
in Iowa. treating industrial wastewater

Prevention and
control measure
of water pollution

o Municipal wastewater treatment

o On-site sanitation and safely
managed sanitation
o Industrial wastewater treatment
o Agricultural wastewater
treatment
Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Retention basin for controlling urban
Plant serving Boston, Massachusetts runoff
and vicinity.

o Erosion and sediment control

from construction sites
o Control of urban runoff (storm
water)
Water Quality
Monitoring
The objectives are;
➢ Pollution prevention
➢ Extensive monitoring network
➢ Database for baseline studies

Three (3) types of water quality monitoring;

➢ Groundwater monitoring
➢ Marine water monitoring
➢ River monitoring
 River Monitoring Program

National Monitoring Network Established

in 1978. The aims;
• To establish the status of river water quality;
• To detect changes in water quality as a result of
River development activities
Monitoring
To
Program date, 902 manual stations in 120 basins.
Program include :
• In-situ measurements
• Sampling and laboratory analysis
• ( 24-physico-chemical and biological parameters)
In situ measurements of more than six (6) parameters – turbidity,
DO, salinity, temperature, pH and electrical conductivity.

Lab analysis of as many as 24 other chemical and biological

parameters.

10 automatic water quality monitoring stations on major rivers River

Monitoring
To detect changes in river water quality on a continuous basis.
Program
Water quality levels violating the ambient standard for specific
parameters will be transmitted real-time to DOE

Immediate inspection will be conducted at the suspected point

 Groundwater monitoring
Groundwater monitoring is being carried out by:
o Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG)
o Department of Environment
o Local Councils
o Water agencies
o Universities (special projects)
Marine Monitoring
Program in Malaysia
AIR POLLUTION
Source of air
pollution
Anthropogenic sources
Natural Sources
Air Pollutants
Prevention and
control
measure of air
pollution
NOISE POLLUTION
Source of
noise pollution

▪ Transportation systems-
including motor vehicle
noise, aircraft noise and rail
noise
▪ Poor urban planning - since
side-by-side industrial and
residential buildings can
result in noise pollution in
the residential area
▪ Office equipment, factory
machinery, construction
work, audio entertainment
systems, noisy people etc
Prevention and control measure of noise
pollution
▪ Aircraft noise can be reduced to some extent by design of quieter jet engines, reconsideration of
operations - altering flight paths and time
▪ Exposure of workers to industrial noise include redesign of industrial equipment, shock
mounting assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace.
▪ Mitigation of roadway noise can be reduced through urban planning, roadway design, noise
barrier design, speed control, surface pavement selection and limitation of heavy vehicles.

Urban Planning and Roadway Design

▪ There are many design decisions regarding alignment and roadway geometrics that can
affect the sound level created
▪ Use of technology to predict future sound levels - exposure of sensitive receptors to elevated
sound levels can be minimized
Mitigation
Surface Pavement Selection
▪ Selection of surface pavement affects sound level create when vehicles travel on it due to
different surface friction.
▪ Quieter pavements are porous with a negative surface texture
▪ Louder pavements have a transversely tined/grooved surface, and/or a positive surface
texture
Speed Control
▪ Effective.
▪ The lowest sound emissions arise from vehicles moving smoothly at 30 km/h to 60 km/h.
▪ Above that range, sound emissions double with each 3 km/h of speed.
LAND POLLUTION
 Source of land pollution
oDeforestation and Soil Erosion
oAgricultural Activities
oMining Activities
oOvercrowded Landfills
oIndustrialization
oUrbanization
oNuclear Waste
oConstruction Activities
oLittering
Prevention and
control
measure of
land pollution
Cleaning method

• Physical Method
• Washing
• Soaking
• Excavation
• Containment
• Biological Method
• Bioremediation
• Phytoremediation
• Chemical method
• Aeration
• Chemical washing
• Thermal remediation
• Electromechanical
Bioremediation
A treatment process that uses microorganisms
(yeast, fungi, or bacteria) to break down, or
degrade, hazardous substances into less toxic or
nontoxic substances (carbon dioxide and water)

• Phytoremediation
• Using Plants for pollution clean up
• Plants, soil, and microbes in the soil work
together to determine which metals and
nutrients plants take up from the soil.
• Some plants excrete a variety of different
chemicals into the soil, some of which act as
signals to soil organisms.