5.

1 Nature of pollution
Pollution
The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances
that are harmful to living organisms.
Pollution can occur naturally,(ex. through volcanic
eruptions), or unnaturally (ex. the spilling of oil and
disposal or industrial waste)
Two Types of Pollution: Point source pollution and
non-point source
Point Source Pollution
Point source: Pollution that can be traced back to a
single origin or source (ex. sewage treatment plant
discharge).
Point source pollution has a localized impact is easier
to manage.
Can be challenging because it is more scattered and
can be very numerous
 Non-Point Source Pollution
Non-point source: Pollution which cannot be traced
back to a single origin or source (ex. storm water
runoff, water runoff from urban areas and failed septic
systems).
More difficult to identify and manage
Hard to assign responsibility
Point source or non-point source?
 Sources of Pollution
Fossil fuels - release greenhouse gases, can contribute to
respiratory problems and acid rain
Domestic waste - food waste, sewage, rubbish (glass, plastics,
paper, wood, metals)
Industrial waste - heavy metals, heat (in air and/or water),
acids
Agricultural waste - fertilizers, animal waste, and pesticides
contaminate water sources
Non-point source pollution
 Sources of Pollution
Combustion of Fossil Fuels
Domestic
Industrial Waste
Agriculture Systems
The Era of Fossil Fuels
 Fossil fuels: petroleum, natural gas and coal
 Currently 90% of current US energy from fossil fuels
 Expected oil production peak:2020-2030
 Consumption of energy currently increasing
 Projected world oil production will be exhausted by 2100
 Produces significant and diverse pollution problems
Greenhouse gases
Gaseous sulfur and nitrogen oxides
Land-based disturbances
 What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a liquid mixture of thousands of organic
chemicals found underground.
Result of decaying organic matter over thousands of
years (fossil fuel)
Found all over the world and varies tremendously in
its density, sulfur and metals content
Oil Refinery and the BP oil rig
The Refinery
World oil reserves
 Coal
Coal provides 25% of world’s
commercial energy; 22% of U.S.
energy
Advantages:
Worlds most abundant fossil fuel
Cheap
Disadvantages:
Dangerous to mine,
Harms land, water and air
Causes smog, acid rain and global
warming
World Coal Reserves
Health impacts
131 million Americans
live in areas with smog
pollution
Over 45,000 lives are
cut short by air
pollution
It is estimated that
every year 60,000
children may be born at
significantly increased
risk of neurological
defects due to mothers
eating mercury
contaminated fish.
Mercury
Contaminatio
n
Oil Spills
31,000 gallons of spilled oil into waterways each day
Between 1973 and 1993 there were 200,000 oil spills
in the U.S. waters spilling more than 230 million
gallons of oil
Land Destruction
Mountaintop removal in west Virginia (for coal)
Tens of thousands of coal bed methane wells in
Powder river basin in Wyoming.
Global Warming
Only 4% of world population produces 25% of the
carbon dioxide pollution
Projected that the Earth’s surface temperature will
increase between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees F by 2100 if no
major efforts are taken to reduce carbon emissions