Pollution

1. Green House gases and global warming

2. Acid Rain
3. Nuclear Fall out
4. Eutrophication
5. Pesticides
6. Heavy metals
7. Non biodegradable plastics
8. Female contraceptive hormones
 Learning Objectives
• State the sources and effects of pollution of the air by
methane and carbon dioxide, limited to the enhanced
greenhouse effect and climate change
• Explain how increases in carbon dioxide and methane
concentrations in the atmosphere cause an enhanced
greenhouse effect that leads to climate change
• Discuss the causes and effects on the environment of acid
rain
• State the measures that are taken to reduce sulfur dioxide
pollution and reduce the impact of acid rain
 Green House Effect
• CO2 is transparent to shortwave radiation from the sun. The
sunlight passes freely through the atmosphere and reaches
ground.

• This radiation is reflected

from ground as longer
infrared radiation. CO2
absorbs much of it and
makes atmosphere
warm. This phenomenon
is called Green House
Effect
 Global Warming
• The CO2 in atmosphere thus allows in short wave
radiation but does not allow long wave radiation to escape.
• As the GHGs in atmosphere increase, they trap more
infrared radiations and make the atmosphere warmer. This
is called enhance green house effect and its effect on the
Earth’s temperature is called Global Warming
• Global warming is due to natural reasons ( there have
been periods of ice age) as well as human induced.
• However, humans have caused the changes at much
faster rate(last 100 yrs) due to industrialization .
 Task: List the Green House Gases(GHGs)
and Their Sources
The Earth’s atmosphere contains several different gases that act like a
blanket, keeping Earth warm. They are called as GHGs. Various GHGs are

1. CO2: Fossil fuel combustion

2. Methane (CH4): Cattle ranching, paddy fields, mining
3. Ozone: fossil fuel burning
4. CFCs: Refrigerators and ACs, plastic foams
5. Nitrogen oxide : motor vehicles and fertilisers
6. Water vapor: water cycle and

HW: Redraw the table on pg no. 242 in your notebooks. Mentioning the
pollutants, sources and undesirable effects of pollutant on the environment
Task: List the Effects of Global
warming
Disadvantages:
1. Ice Caps melting
2. Rise in sea level
3. Low lying land will be flooded Eg Bangladesh, Maldives, cities of London
4. Violent Storms, hurricanes, dessertification
5. Polar shift
6. Loss of Biodiversity ( due to habitat loss)
Advantages:
7. Extra CO2 means higher rate of photosynthesis
8. Unproductive polar zone becoming productive thus higher yields
 Task: List at least 10 different unique ways to reduce Global warming /
Green house gas emission
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle choose Reusable products instead of
disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the
economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to Reduce
waste. And whenever you can, Recycle paper, plastic, newspaper,
glass and aluminum cans.
2.Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning Adding insulation to your
walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around
doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25
percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool
your home.
3. Drive Less and Drive Smart: Less driving means fewer emissions.
Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of
exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check
out options for carpooling to work or school.
4. Plant a Tree:
 Acid Rain
• Fossil fuels are formed from living organisms. They all
contain Sulphur and Nitrogen as an element of protein.
• When burnt release S & N , which combine with O in the
air and form SO2 and Nitrogen oxides.
• Coal burning releases more of SO2 ( power plants) and
vehicles releases more of Nitrogen oxides.
• These pollutants combine with rain to form Acid Rain
– SO2 + H2O → H2SO3 - sulfurous acid
– SO3 + H2O → H2SO4 - sulfuric acid
– NOx + H2O → HNO3 - nitric acid
 ACID RAIN
• Reduce S fuel use ( coal + solvent )dissolves S
from fuels
3. PREVENTIVE • Wet powdered lime stones neutralize acidic gases
MEASURES before they escape
• Catalytic converters- used to reduce NO in
exhausts of cars
• Kills leaves & reduces ability to fight diseases.
• Lichens are affected
• Leaching – washes away AL, Mg & Ca salts from soil
2. EFFECTS making it infertile
• Kills microbes in soil
• Al salts dissolve below pH 5.5 , enter water & make it toxic
which leads to clogging of gills in fishes

• SO2 – factories & fossil fuels, vehicles

• NOx – exhaust fumes , power plants in china
1.CAUSES •
Combine with rain water & form sulphuric &
nitric acid clouds , are carried away over large
distances by wind
 Learning Objectives
• State the sources and effects of pollution of land and water, e.g. rivers,
lakes and the sea, by nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers
• Explain the process of eutrophication of water in terms of:
– increased availability of nitrate and other ions
– increased growth of producers
– increased decomposition after death of producers
– increased aerobic respiration by decomposers
– reduction in dissolved oxygen
– death of organisms requiring dissolved oxygen in water
• State the sources and effects of pollution of land and water, e.g. rivers,
lakes and the sea, by insecticides, herbicides
 Eutrophication
 http://coseenow.net/blog/2008/11/eutrophication-
animation/
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGqZsSuG7a
o
• Task: Write the steps of eutrophication while
viewing the video
Eutrophication
 Definition:
 The process of nutrient enrichment (usually nitrogen and
phosphorus) in aquatic ecosystems leading to its destruction.
Causes:

 Fertilisers leaching into the soil- especially

nitrogenous compounds
 Animal Waste runoffs
 Sewage water- adds phosphates and
microorganisms to the water.
Process of eutrophication
Stages in eutrophication
 Nitrates from farmland fertilisers and silage,
factories or sewage works etc drain into a pond or a
river. (see the Nitrogen Cycle)
 Plants grow rapidly, particularly on the surface this is
called algal bloom.
 They block sunlight and so plants beneath the
surface die as they cannot photosynthesize.
 These plants are decomposed by bacteria and fungi
and they use up the oxygen.
 Most animals beneath the surface die as they can't
respire.
 Anaerobic bacteria start growing and releasing
gases that cause the water body to stink.
 s e w a g e
f e r tilis e r s ( liq u id d o m e s tic
a n d in d u s tr ia l w a s te )

m in e r a ls m in e r a ls

Eutrophication
The process of e s p . n itr a t e s e s p . p h o s p h a te s

o r g a n ic m a te ria l
e u t r o p h ic a tio n

a lg a l b lo o m

c o m p e t it io n c o n s u m e r s c a n 't
f o r lig h t c o n s u m e fa s t e n o u g h

d e a d p la n ts d e a d a lg a e

d e t r it u s

m o re d e c o m p o s e rs

u s e u p o x y g e n
b y a e r o b ic r e s p ir a t io n
( in c r e a s e d B O D )

a e r o b e s d ie a n a e r o b ic b a c te r ia
( in v e r t e b r a t e s , t h r iv e . R e le a s e
f is h , e t c ) N H 4, C H 4, H 2S
The process of Eutrophication cont.
s e w a g e
f e r tilis e r s ( liq u id d o m e s tic
a n d in d u s tr ia l w a s te )

m in e r a ls m in e r a ls
e s p . n itr a t e s e s p . p h o s p h a te s

o rg an ic m ate rial
e u t r o p h ic a tio n

a lg a l b lo o m

c o m p e t it io n c o n s u m e r s c a n 't
f o r lig h t c o n s u m e fa s t e n o u g h

d e a d p la n ts d e a d a lg a e

d e t r it u s

m o r e d e c o m p o s e r s

u s e u p o x y g e n
b y a e r o b ic r e s p ir a t io n
( in c r e a s e d B O D )

a e r o b e s d ie a n a e r o b ic b a c te r ia
( in v e r t e b r a t e s , t h r iv e . R e le a s e
f is h , e t c ) N H 4, C H 4 , H 2S
Solution: Reduce nutrient
inputs
 • Agriculture
 Avoid excess use of fetilisers
 Substitute fertilisers with manure.
( organic fertilisers – release
nutrients to the soil gradually)
 Avoid applying fertilisers on empty
fields
 Not to be applied before rains
 Not to be sprayed to close to streams
and rivers
 Sewage
 Proper sewage treatment must be
done
 To disinfect the sewage before letting
it into waterbodies
 To recycle the water for non-drinking
purposes
Pesticides:

What do they do?

• Herbicides- kill weeds ( compete for light, water space and nutrients with the
crop)
• Insecticides/Pesticide- kill harmful insects that destroy the crop
• Fungicides – kill fungi

• Why are thery needed?

• To protect the crop- else crop yield will decrease
• Why are they harmful?
• Non- specific – kill harmless and useful pollinating insects.
• Persistent- do not break down, remain in the bodies of organisms and in
soil. – leads to bioaccumulation.
What is the solution?
develop cheaper and safer pesticides that are not harmful to other organisms.
Pesticides- Bioaccumulation
• Bioaccumulation:
• increase in concentration of a pollutant E.g DDT
from the environment to the first organism Ppm = parts per million

in a food chain
z o o p la n k to n s m a ll fis h la r g e fis h b ir d s
w a te r 0 .0 4 p p m 0 .5 p p m 2 ppm 25 ppm
• Biomagnification:
• increase in concentration of a pollutant
from one link in a food chain to another.

• These phenomena cause even small

concentrations of chemicals in the
environment to find their way into
organisms in high enough dosages to
cause problems.
 This causes the birds to lay eggs with soft
shlls., which does not allow the embryo to
grow well.
• In order for biomagnification to occur, the
pollutant must be:
• long-lived
• mobile
•
 Heavy Metals
• Source ;-
Industrial water
• Metals:
• Cadmium, mercury, lead,
• Effect:
• Toxic ‘cos they act as
enzyme inhibitors.- do not
let enzymes work
properly.
• May kill almost all
aquatic organisms.
 Learning Objectives
• Discuss the effect of oil spill on water bodies
• State the sources and effects of pollution of
land by nuclear fall-out
• Discuss the effects of non-biodegradable plastics
in the environment, in both aquatic and terrestrial
ecosystems
• Describe the negative impacts of female
contraceptive hormones in water courses, limited
to reduced sperm count in men and feminisation
of aquatic organisms
 Oil spills
• Refer www.skoool.co.uk
• Oil spills at sea decrease the oxygen level in the
water and cause grave harm to the creatures
living in the sea
• Since crude oil is lighter than water, it floats on
the surface and poses the threat of swift-
spreading fire
• Many animals can be annihilated in case they
ingest oil.
• Oil contaminated prey may be a reason of
death for many, as it enters a food chain.
• If the oil coats the feathers of birds, these
may die.
• Oil and antifreeze makes the water have a
foul odor and there is a sticky film on the
surface of water that kills animals.
 Nuclear Pollution
• Cause:
– Leaks from nuclear power plants
– Nuclear explosions
– Nuclear tests
• Why dangerous:
– If half life is high, remains in environment for many years
– accumulates in food chains – causes mutations leading to cancers.
• Safe disposal of nuclear wastes a major environmental . Safe disposal
of nuclear wastes a major environmental problem.
• Effects
– Long term :interferes with cell division and cell growth;
– High doses fatal
– Lower doses: ski burns, loss of hair, and cancers.
 Non- Biodegradable Plastics-
Why say no to plastics?
1}Plastic pollute beaches &oceans
2} Plastic bags litter the landscape
and are unaesthetic.
3} Plastic bags kill animals that
mistakenly eat them.
4) Plastics can trap or strangle
animals.
5) Plastic bags are non-biodegradable
– cannot be broken down by
decomposers and accumulate in
the environment
6) Plastics affect human life- cause
cancer is inflammable.
7)Recycling of plastic is associated
with skin and respiratory problems
due to toxic fumes.
 "Stop the Plastic Pollution, Be Part
of the Solution"

• List at least 10 ways in which we can

reduce plastic pollution in our society.
 Female Contraceptive Hormones
• Contraceptive hormones like estrogen taken by women is
excreted in urine.
• Enters water bodies through sewage.
• Taken up by fish molluscs and other aquatic animals.
– Reduces sperm count in males
– May cause sex change in males
• Sperm count in human males is also decreasing
• – due to exposure to female hormones
– and certain hormone like chemicals used in making plastics.