10.

1: Threats
to the
environment
Air pollution, Noise pollution ,
Thermal pollution and thermal
pollution
Air pollution

What is Air Pollution?

• Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical or biological change in the air. It is the contamination of air by
harmful gases, dust and smoke which affects plants, animals and humans drastically.

There is a certain percentage of gases present in the atmosphere. An increase or decrease in

the composition of these gases is harmful to survival. This imbalance in the gaseous
composition has resulted in an increase in earth’s temperature, which is known as global
warming.
Ty p e s o f A i r
Pollutants
Primary Pollutants
The pollutants that directly cause air pollution are
known as primary pollutants. Sulphur-dioxide emitted
from factories is a primary pollutant.

Secondary Pollutants
The pollutants formed by the intermingling and reaction
of primary pollutants are known as secondary pollutants.
Smog, formed by the intermingling of smoke and fog, is
a secondary pollutant.
 Following are the important causes of air pollution:

Burning of Fossil Fuels

Causes of Air The combustion of fossil fuels emits a large amount of sulphur dioxide. Carbon
Pollution monoxide released by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels also results in air
pollution.

Automobiles

The gases emitted from vehicles such as jeeps, trucks, cars, buses, etc. pollute the
environment. These are the major sources of greenhouse gases and also result in
diseases among individuals.

Agricultural Activities

Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases emitted during agricultural activities.
The insecticides, pesticides and fertilisers emit harmful chemicals in the atmosphere
and contaminate it.

Effects of Air Pollution
The hazardous effects of air
pollution on the environment
include:
Diseases
Air pollution has resulted in several respiratory disorders and heart diseases among humans.
The cases of lung cancer have increased in the last few decades. Children living near
polluted areas are more prone to pneumonia and asthma. Many people die every year due to
the direct or indirect effects of air pollution.
Global Warming
Due to the emission of greenhouse gases, there is an imbalance in the gaseous composition
of the air. This has led to an increase in the temperature of the earth. This increase in earth’s
temperature is known as global warming. This has resulted in the melting of glaciers and an
increase in sea levels. Many areas are submerged underwater.
Acid Rain
The burning of fossil fuels releases harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides
in the air. The water droplets combine with these pollutants, become acidic and fall as acid
rain which damages human, animal and plant life.
water pollution
the release of substances into subsurface groundwater or into
lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to the point where
the substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or with
the natural functioning of ecosystems. In addition to the release
of substances, such as chemicals, trash, or microorganisms,
water pollution may also include the release of energy, in the
form of radioactivity or heat, into bodies of water.
Types and
sources of water
pollutants
Water bodies can be polluted by a
wide variety of substances,
including pathogenic
microorganisms, putrescible
organic waste, fertilizers and
plant nutrients, toxic chemicals,
sediments, heat, petroleum (oil),
and radioactive substances.
Several types of water pollutants
are considered below. (For a
discussion of the handling of
sewage and other forms of waste
produced by human activities, see
waste disposal and solid-waste
management.)
Domestic sewage
the primary source of pathogens
(disease-causing microorganisms)
and putrescible organic substances.
Because pathogens are excreted in
feces, all sewage from cities and
towns is likely to contain
pathogens of some type, potentially
presenting a direct threat to public
health
As organics are decomposed
This endangers the quality of lakes
naturally in the sewage by bacteria
and streams, where high levels of
and other microorganisms, the
oxygen are required for fish and
dissolved oxygen content of the
other aquatic organisms to survive.
water is depleted.
Solid waste
The improper disposal of solid waste is a major source of water pollution.
Solid waste includes garbage, rubbish, electronic waste, trash, and construction and demolition waste,
all of which are generated by individual, residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial activities.
The problem is especially acute in developing countries that may lack infrastructure to properly
dispose of solid waste or that may have inadequate resources or regulation to limit improper disposal.
In some places solid waste is intentionally dumped into bodies of water.
Land pollution can also become water pollution if the trash or other debris is carried by animals, wind,
or rainfall to bodies of water.
Significant amounts of solid waste pollution in inland bodies of water can also eventually make their
way to the ocean.
Thermal pollution
Heat is considered to be a water pollutant because it decreases
the capacity of water to hold dissolved oxygen in solution, and
it increases the rate of metabolism of fish
A major source of heat is the practice of discharging cooling
water from power plants into rivers; the discharged water may
be as much as 15 °C (27 °F) warmer than the naturally
occurring water
The rise in water temperatures because of global warming can
also be considered a form of thermal pollution.
Effects of water pollution on
groundwater and oceans
GROUNDWATER
—WATER CONTAINED IN UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS CALLED AQUIFERS—IS A SOURCE OF
DRINKING WATER FOR MANY PEOPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT HALF THE PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES
DEPEND ON GROUNDWATER FOR THEIR DOMESTIC WATER SUPPLY.
GROUNDWATER MAY APPEAR CRYSTAL CLEAR (DUE TO THE NATURAL FILTRATION THAT OCCURS AS IT FLOWS
SLOWLY THROUGH LAYERS OF SOIL), IT MAY STILL BE POLLUTED BY DISSOLVED CHEMICALS AND BY BACTERIA
AND VIRUSES.
SOURCES OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS INCLUDE POORLY DESIGNED OR POORLY MAINTAINED SUBSURFACE
SEWAGE-DISPOSAL SYSTEMS (E.G., SEPTIC TANKS), INDUSTRIAL WASTES DISPOSED OF IN IMPROPERLY LINED OR
UNLINED LANDFILLS OR LAGOONS.

OCEANS-
ESTUARIES AND OCEANS CONTAIN VAST VOLUMES OF WATER, THEIR NATURAL CAPACITY TO ABSORB
POLLUTANTS IS LIMITED.
SOMETIMES, UNSIGHTLY AND DANGEROUS WASTE MATERIALS CAN BE WASHED BACK TO SHORE, LITTERING
BEACHES WITH HAZARDOUS DEBRIS
PLASTIC DEBRIS HAD BEEN DUMPED INTO THE OCEANS ANNUALLY, AND FLOATING PLASTIC WASTE HAD
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution is when the soil is contaminated by
different pollutants like toxic chemicals from man-
made products or even from wind or precipitation,
which are natural pollutants. The chemicals within
soil cause reactions with other chemicals that go
within it, which could lead to soil contamination or
pollution.
Main Causes of Soil
Pollution
1. Industrial Activity
Industrial activity has been the biggest contributor to the problem
in the last century, especially since the amount of mining and
manufacturing has increased. Most industries are dependent on
extracting minerals from the earth.
2. Agricultural Activities
The utilization of chemicals has gone up tremendously since
technology has provided us with modern pesticides and fertilizers.
They are full of chemicals that are not produced in nature and
cannot be broken down by it. As a result, they seep into the ground
after they mix with water and slowly reduce the fertility of the soil.
5. Acid Rain
Acid rain is caused when pollutants present in the air mix up with
the rain and fall back on the ground. The polluted water could
dissolve away some of the essential nutrients found in the soil and
change the structure of the soil
Devastating Effects of Soil
Pollution
1. Effect on Health of Humans
Considering how soil is the reason we are able to sustain
ourselves, the contamination of it has major consequences for
our health. Crops and plants that are grown on polluted soil
absorb much of the pollution and then pass it on to us. This could
explain the sudden surge in small and terminal illnesses.
2. Effect on Growth of Plants
The ecological balance of any system is affected due to the
widespread contamination of the soil. Most plants are unable to
adapt when the chemistry of the soil changes so radically in a
short period of time. Fungi and bacteria found in the soil that
bind it together begin to decline, which creates an additional
problem of soil erosion.
3. Decreased Soil Fertility
The toxic chemicals present in the soil can decrease soil fertility
and therefore decrease the soil yield. The contaminated soil is
then used to produce fruits and vegetables, which lack quality
nutrients and may contain some poisonous substances to cause
Thermal pollution
thermal pollution comes from hot water or cold water
being dumped into a body of water. Bodies of water
naturally tend to dissipate the heat gained from warm
currents, underwater hot springs, and from the sun.
Thermal pollution is called that because it overwhelms the
natural temperature control mechanisms that work in the
water. The sudden temperature change poses a health risk
to a wide range of aquatic and amphibious creatures.
The Main Cause of Thermal Pollution:
Many human and
natural factors
contribute to the
problem of thermal Geothermal vents and
pollution. The single hot springs introduce
biggest cause of thermal excess heat into bodies
pollution is probably of water
cooling for industrial
machinery and power
plants.

Retention ponds can

also be a source of
thermal shock because
Deforestation eliminates
the relatively small and
shade, which exposes
shallow bodies of water
the water to sunlight.
can absorb quite a bit of
heat energy from the
sun
The Effects of Thermal Pollution:
**Decreased Dissolved Oxygen: **
Warm water holds less oxygen than cool water. If the oxygen level
drops animals that cannot move to another area may begin to die.
In deeper bodies of water, the injection of warm water can keep
oxygen from dispersing into deep water, which is potentially good
for bacteria but dangerous for aquatic animals.
Migration:
Fish and amphibians may move away from the warm water to a
more-suitable location, disrupting the ecosystem for animals that
remain. Birds may also be forced to leave in search of areas with
more food
Loss of Biodiversity:
The sudden heating can kill off vulnerable organisms or drive them
away. This is one of many serious issues for threatened and
endangered animal species.
Thank you everyone!!!
Group members:
Harenne
Eiliya
Alieya