POLLUTION

POLLUTION

• POLLUTION REFERS TO THE CONTAMINATION OF:
• AIR
• SOIL
• WATER
• ENVIRONMENT
• POLLUTION IS CAUSED BY
• CHEMICALS
• WASTE
• HARMFUL SUBSTANCES
• POLLUTION IMPACTS
• THE NATURAL WORLD
• THE HUMAN HEALTH
• 

TYPES OF POLLUTION (1)

• AIR POLLUTION
• ACID RAIN
• WATER POLLUTION
• 

TYPES OF POLLUTION (2)

• SOIL POLLUTION
• WASTE
• LIGHT POLLUTION
• NOISE POLLUTION
• RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION
• FOSSIL FUELS
• 

AIR POLLUTION-CAUSES

• HARMFUL GASES
• TINY PARTICLES - CARBON MONOXIDE, NITROGEN DIOXIDE, SULPHUR DIOXIDE
• COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS - COAL, OIL, GAS, EXHAUST FUMES, PLASTIC PRODUCTION
• RADIATION SPILLS
• FOREST FIRES
• VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
• DRY SOIL EROSION
• BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS OR DEMOLITIONS

AIR POLLUTION - EFFECTS

• 1. ON THE ENVIRONMENT
• SMOG INCREASE
• HIGHER RAIN ACIDITY
• CROP DEPLETION
• 2. ON HUMAN HEALTH
• BURNING EYES
• HIGHER RATES OF ASTHMA
• ALLERGIES
• RESPIRATORY ILLNESS

ACID RAIN

• ALSO CALLED ACID DEPOSITION
• HIGHER ACIDITY - CAUSES:
• RELEASE OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE
• RELEASE OF NITROGEN DIOXIDE INTO THE ATMOSPHERE
• HIGHER ACIDITY - PROCESS
• SULPHUR AND NITROGEN DIOXIDE REACT WITH WATER AND OXYGEN TO FORM VARIOUS ACIDS THAT FALL BACK TO EARTH'S SURFACE (ACID PRECIPITATIONS)
• 

ACID RAIN - CAUSES

• COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS
• INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
• ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION
• VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
• WET DEPOSITION: PRECIPITATIONS REMOVE ACIDS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE AND DEPOSITS THEM TO THE GROUND
• DRY DEPOSITION: ACIDS ARE DEPOSITED BY THE FORCE OF GRAVITY AND THEN ARE WASHED INTO WATERS

ACID RAIN - EFFECTS

• ON THE ENVIRONMENT
• INCREASE IN ACIDITY OF BODIES OF WATER
• VULNERABILITY OF TREES - DISEASE, EXTREME WEATHER, INSECTS
• YIELDS REDUCTION
• DAMAGE ON THE WAXT COAT OF LEAVES - ACIDS DIFFUSE INTO LEAVES
• METAL CORROSION
• DETERIORATION OF ROCKS
• ON HUMAN HEALTH
• INCREASE IN ILLNESSES
• PREMATURE DEATH
• LUNG DISORDERS - ASTHMA AND BRONCHITIS

WATER POLLUTION - CAUSES

• DOMESTIC HOUSEHOLDS
• INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES
• IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL
• LITTERING
• RAW SEWAGE IN LAKES OR STREAMS
• INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPERSION
• RADIATION SPILLS
• ILLEGAL DUMPING IN BODIES OF WATER
• INCREASED SEDIMENT OF SOIL EROSION
• LEACHING OF SOIL POLLUTION
• BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION (BACTERIA GROWTH)
• 

WATER POLLUTION - EFFECTS

• DECREASE IN QUANTITY OF DRINKABLE WATER AVAILABLE
• DECREASE OF WATER SUPPLIES FOR AGRICULTURE
• IMPACT ON FISH AND WILDLIFE POPULATION

sOIL POLLUTION

• DEGRADATION OF EARTH'S SURFACE.
• IT CAN BE
• - DELIBERATE, BECAUSE MEN CREATES LANDFILLS
• - ACCIDENTAL - FOR EXAMPLE:
• LITTER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
• ILLEGAL DUMPING
• USE OF PESTICIDES AND FARMING CHEMICALS
• UNSUSTAINABLE MINING
• DEFORESTATION
• OIL SPILLS
• NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS
• 

WASTE

• ANY MATERIAL THAT HAS NO FURTHER USE
• OTHER WORDS: RUBBISH (UK) OR GARBAGE (USA)
• WHERE/HOW CAN IT BE DISPOSED OF?
• - IN LANDFILLS - THESE SITES ARE CREATED NOT TO CAUSE HAZARD TO PUBLIC HEALTH.
• - BY THERMAL TREATMENT - WASTE IS INCINERATED; GAS PRODUCED BY INCINERATION ARE CLEANED OF POLLUTANTS BEFORE BEING RELEASED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE
• 

OTHER TYPES

• LIGHT POLLUTION
• TOO MUCH LIGHT IS PRODUCED BY BIG CITIES
• BILLBOARDS - ADVERTISING - STREET LIGHTS
• IT INTERFERES WITH ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATION
• IT DEGRADES THE QUALITY OF LIFE
• IT MAY AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH AND SLEEP CYCLE
• NOISE POLLUTION IS PRODUCED BY ANY LOUD SOUNDS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL FOR HUMANS AND ANIMALS.
• AIRPLANES - HELICOPTERS - MOTOR VEHICLES - CONSTRUCTION/DEMOLITION NOISE - SPORTING EVENTS
• IT CAN CAUSE
• STRESS - HEARING LOSS - HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - GENERAL DEGRADATION OF LIFESTYLE
• RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION - RARE BUT DEADLY - CAUSED BY NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS BY
• ACCIDENTS - LEAKAGE - IMPROPER NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL - URANIUM MINING OPERATIONS
• IT CAN CAUSE:
• BIRTH DEFECTS - CANCER - STERILIZATION - HEALTH PROBLEMS - SOIL STERILIZATION

IMPACT OF FOSSIL FUELS

• TAR SANDS - A COMBINATION OF
• CLAY
• SAND
• WATER
• BITUMEN
• THE EXTRATION OF TAR SANDS CAUSES ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE BECAUSE IT POLLUTES
• - RIVERS - AIR. FARMLAND -> WASTELAND
• OIL SPILLS
• OIL ENTERS ONTO THE ENVIRONMENT - THE IMPACT IS DEVASTATING
• CAUSED BY: INLAND OR OFFSHORE DRILLING RIGS - SHIPWRECKS - ACCIDENTS INVOLVING TANKERS