LECTURE NO.

07 &
08
Learning
Outcomes
 Interdisciplinary nature of Environmental Science:
 Environmental Biotechnology
 Environmental Biology
 Environmental Chemistry
 Environmental Economics
 Environmental Geology
 Environmental Geography
 Environmental Microbiology
 Environmental Physics
 Environmental Sociology
 Environmental Toxicology
Interdisciplinary nature of Environmental
Science
 ‘In nature, nothing exists alone’ (Rachel Carson)

 To understand interdisciplinary nature of environmental

science, taking example of ‘Air pollution’
Nature & reaction of Air pollutants: Chemistry & chemical

engineering knowledge required

Effects of air pollutants on humans, animals & plants: Biology,

Botany & Zoology knowledge required

Environmental Biotechnology
 Technology: Engineering Bio: Life (Microorganisms)
‘The development, use and regulations of biological systems
for remediation of contaminated environment (ecosystems)
and for environment friendly processes’ (International Society
for Environmental Biotechnology)
 Applications of Environmental Biotechnology:
 Bio fuels
 Solid waste management
 Sewage treatment
 Industrial manufacturing processes
 Bio remediation
 Livestock farms cleaning
Environmental
Biology
 Effect of environment on Biology and effect of Biology (life) on

environment
Focuses specifically on effects of environmental conditions on

biological systems
 Also incorporates conservation of BD
Environmental Chemistry
 ‘Study of chemical alteration in the environment’
‘Study of chemical processes occurring in the environment
which are impacted by human activities’
 Local level impact: Urban air pollutants
 Global scale: Global warming
‘Deals with source, nature, reaction, impact and control of
environmental pollution’
Green chemistry/sustainable chemistry: Control of pollutants
at source level through maximum atom economy (Max.
utilization)
Environmental Economics
 Balancing economy (activity) and environment (impacts)

 Example:

 IET & CDM

 Concept of mitigation & adaptation costs

Environmental
Geology
 ‘Applied science concerned with practical applications of

principals of Geology in solving environmental problems’

Manages geological & hydrogeological resources such as fossil

fuels, minerals, water and land use

Environmental Geography
‘Critically important set of environmental tools for assessing

the impact of human presence on the environment by

measuring the impact of human activity on natural landforms
and cycles’
 Example: RS & GIS
Environmental Microbiology
‘Study of microbial processes, microbial communities, and

microbial interactions in the natural environment and artificial

environments’
 Examples:

 4th grade Bio fuel

 Composting
Environmental Physics
 ‘Application of laws of physics in order to provide a description

of natural environment’
 Example:

 Use in Satellite and more generally in RS & GIS

Environmental Sociology
 Sub-discipline within sociology

 ‘Association between societal well-being and environmental

quality’
Explores various forms of interactions b/w human society and

environment
 Areas of Environmental Sociology:

 Environmentalism as Social movement

 Inequitable social distribution of environmental hazards

Environmental Toxicology
 Also known as ‘EnTox’

Concerned with ‘study of harmful effects of various chemical,

biological, and physical agents on living organisms’

 Eco-Toxicology is the sub-discipline of Environmental
Toxicology:
Concerned with ‘studying harmful effects at ecosystem level’
 Rachel Carson, mother of environmental toxicology:

 Silent Spring (1962) covering effects of pesticides use

 Degree of toxicity varies depending on where organism found

in
 Concepts:
 Bio-Accumulation:
Accumulation of substances such as pesticides or other
chemicals in an organism
Occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster
than that at which substance is lost by catabolism and excretion
 Bio-magnification:
 Also called Bio-amplification
 ‘Increase in concentration of a toxic substance in the tissue of a
tolerant organism at successively higher level in food chains’
Plants absorb heavy metals, animals eat them and human
consume them, on which there is more pronounced effect
 Synergism:
An increase in the adverse effects of toxicants in a body, when
two or more toxicants combine to generate pronounced
harmful effects’