Introduction to

environmental science
Prof. Farwa Hameed
Pollution
• The term "pollution" refers to any substance that negatively impacts
the environment or organisms that live within the affected
environment.
• Major forms of pollution include:
Air pollution
Soil pollution
Water pollution
Noise pollution
Thermal pollution
Air pollution
• Air pollution can be defined as an alteration of air quality that can be
characterized by measurements of chemical, biological or physical
pollutants in the air. Therefore, air pollution means the undesirable
presence of impurities or the abnormal rise in the proportion of some
constituents of the atmosphere.
Causes of air pollution
• Air pollution is caused by the presence in the atmosphere of toxic substances,
mainly produced by human activities, even though sometimes it can result
from natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, dust storms and
wildfires, also depleting the air quality.
• Combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport,
producing air pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide.
• Emissions from industries and factories, releasing large amount of carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air
• Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers
that emit harmful chemicals
• Waste production, mostly because of methane generation in landfills
Effects of air pollution
• On the environment
Air pollution has a major impact on the process of plant evolution by
preventing photosynthesis in many cases, with serious consequences for the
purification of the air we breathe. It also contributes to the formation of acid
rain, atmospheric precipitations in the form of rain, frost, snow or fog, which
are released during the combustion of fossil fuels and transformed by contact
with water steam in the atmosphere.
• Human health
Our continual exposure to air pollutants is responsible for the deterioration of
human health. Air pollution is indeed a significant risk factor for human health
conditions, causing allergies, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as
lung damage.
• Global warming
On top of that, air pollution is a major contributor to global warming and
climate change. In fact, the abundance of carbon dioxide in the air is one of
the causes of the greenhouse effect. Normally, the presence of greenhouse
gases should be beneficial for the planet because they absorb the infra-red
radiation produced by the surface of the earth. But the excessive
concentration of these gases in the atmosphere is the cause of the recent
climate change.
Solutions of air pollution
• Renewable fuel and clean energy production
The most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil fuels,
replacing them with alternative energies like solar, wind and geothermal.
• Energy conservation and efficiency
Producing clean energy is crucial. But equally important is to reduce our
consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits and using more efficient
devices.
• Eco-friendly transportation
Shifting to electric vehicles and promoting shared mobility (i.e carpooling, and
public transports) could reduce air pollution.
•  Green building
From planning to demolition, green building aims to create environmentally
responsible and resource-efficient structures to reduce their carbon footprint.
Soil pollution
• Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants
or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose a risk
to human health and/or the ecosystem. In the case of contaminants
which occur naturally in soil, even when their levels are not high
enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of
the contaminants in soil exceed the levels that should naturally be
present
Causes of soil pollution
• Municipal solid waste
Municipal corporations don’t dumped the waste properly that contribute to the soil
pollution
• Hospital waste
Hospital waste including used syringes that have high risk of contamination are thrown
in the environment that cause serious health risk and soil pollution
• Excessive use of pesticides/fertilizers/herbicides
Pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers are used in excessive amount they penetrate into the
fruits or vegetables that are eaten by man and other creatures cause serious health
issues and damage tha natural quality of soil as well.
• Disposal of industrial solid waste on open land
Industrial waste contain a lot of hazardous chemicals that are dangerous for living
organisms are dumped into the open environment cause change in soil quality and
decrese its fertility and underground water as well.
Effects of soil pollution
• Health risk
Soil pollutants enter our body through the food chain, causing illnesses to
appear. Moreover, the spread of antibiotics in the environment increases the
pathogens' resistance to these drugs.
• Poor harvest
Soil pollution agents jeopardise world food security by reducing the amount and
quality of harvests.
• Climatic change
In the first decade of the 21st century, soil degradation released between 3.6 and 4.4
billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere.
• Desertification
The number of inhabitants in the most arid areas of the earth could account for 45 %
of the world's population in 2050, while world wetland areas have decreased in size by
87 % over the last three centuries
Solutions of soil pollution
• To control soil pollution, following simple remedies must be
considered always:
• Management of municipal solid waste
• Waste grading and recycling
• Setting-up landfills and composting sites
• Incineration for hospital infectious wastes
Water pollution
• Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of a stream,
river, lake, ocean or any other stretch of water, depleting water
quality and making it toxic for the environment and humans.
• There are two main types of water pollution:
• Organic pollution
Due to microorganisms - bacteria and viruses - present in the water,
generated by excrement, animal and vegetable waste
• Chemical pollution
Generated by the nitrates and phosphates of pesticides, human and animal
drugs, household products, heavy metals, acids and hydrocarbons used in
industries
Causes of water pollution
• Sewage and waste water
Inadequate sewage collection and treatment are sources of water pollution.
According to the United Nations, more than 80% of the worldwide
wastewater goes back in the environment without being treated or reused.
• Urbanization and deforestation
Even though it does not have a direct impact on water quality, urbanization
and deforestation have a lot of indirect effects. For instance, cutting down
trees and concreting over large areas generates an acceleration of flows
• Agriculture
Agriculture has an impact on water pollution due to the use of chemicals such
as fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or insecticides running off in
the water, as well as livestock excrement, manure and methane (greenhouse
effect). Regarding aquaculture, pollution is directly in the water, as excess
food and fertilizers are causing dystrophication.
Conti…
• Industries
Industries produce a lot of waste containing toxic chemicals and pollutants. A
huge amount of the industrial waste is drained in the fresh water which then
flows into canals, rivers and eventually in the sea. Another source of water
pollution is the burning of fossil fuels, causing air pollution like acid rain which
then flows to streams, lakes, and other stretches of water.
• Marine dumping
Everyday, garbage such as plastic, paper, aluminum, food, glass, or rubber are
deposited into the sea. These items take weeks to hundreds of years to
decompose, and thus they are a major cause for water pollution.
Effects of water pollution
• On environment
Water pollution truly harms biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. The toxic
chemicals can change the color of water and increase the amount of minerals
- also known as eutrophication - which has a bad impact on life in water.
Thermal pollution, defined by a rise in the temperature of water bodies,
contributes to global warming and causes serious hazard to water organisms.
• On human health
Water pollution has very negative effects on public health. A lot of diseases
result from drinking or being in contact with contaminated water, such as
diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery or skin infections. In zones where there
is no available drinking water, the main risk is dehydration obviously.
Solutions of water pollution
• Waste treatment
Wastewater treatment consists of removing pollutants from wastewater
through a physical, chemical or biological process. The more efficient these
processes are, the cleaner the water becomes.
• Plastic waste reduction
80% of plastic in our oceans is from land sources. In order to reduce the
amount of plastic entering our ocean, we need to both reduce our use of
plastic globally, and to improve plastic waste management.
• Water conservation
Without water conservation, we won’t go very far. It is central in making sure
the world has better access to clean water. It means being aware that water is
a scarce resource, taking care of it accordingly, and managing it responsibly.