ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

Introduction
❑ Environmental Pollution can be defined as any undesirable
change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of any
component of the environment i.e. air, water, soil which can cause
harmful effects on various forms of life or property.
❑ Contaminants: there are certain substances which are not
present in the environment, but the release of which as a result
of chemical reactions can lead to pollution. They are called as
contaminant.
Examples: oil spills in sea, methyl isocyanate (MIC) –the gas
responsible for Bhopal gas tragedy.
❑ Pollutant:- A substance present in the environment in greater
proportion than its natural abundance and resulting in
harmful or detrimental effect is called a pollutant.
TYPES OF POLLUTION
➢ WATER POLLUTION

➢ AIR POLLUTION

➢ soil POLLUTION

➢ NOISE POLLUTION

➢ Thermal pollution
WATER POLLUTION
❖ Water pollution is defined as “the alteration in physical,
chemical and biological characteristics of water which
may cause harmful effects on humans and aquatic
life”.

❖ Point and non-point sources

Point source pollution refers to contaminants that

enter a waterway through a discrete conveyance, such as a
pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include
discharges from a sewage treatment plant to rivers, lakes
etc.

Non-point source pollution (NPS) refers to diffuse

contamination that does not originate from a single
discrete source. Run-off and under-drainage from
agricultural land into rivers are typical examples.
CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION
❑ Sewage and waste water:
❑ Industrial waste:
❑ Organic contaminants:
❑ Inorganic contaminants:
❑ Radioactive waste
❑ Oil Pollution
❑ Eutrophication
❑ Agricultural Run-off:
 INORGANIC POLLUTANTS
 They include fine particles of different metals, chlorides,
sulphates, oxides of iron, cadmium, acids and alkalies.
 ORGANIC POLLUTANTS

 They Include oils, fats, phenols, organic acids grease and

several other organic compounds
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
 Chemical fertilizers and pesticides have become essential for
present day high yielding crops.
 These fertilizers contain major plants nutrients mainly
nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium.
 Excess fertilizers may reach the ground water by leaching or may
be mixed with surface water of rivers, lakes and ponds by runoff
and drainage.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
 Organic pollutants like sewage, industrial waste, wastes
from slaughtering units, paper mills and tanneries, run
off from agricultural activity etc causes the depletion
of oxygen.

 Groundwater contamination from pesticides causes

reproductive damage within the wildlife in
ecosystems.

 Pesticides, show biomagnification by reaching the

food chain. Organophosphorous pesticides cause
Eutrophication resulting in algal bloom and lowering
of DO, thereby threatening aquatic life.
EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION
 Oil spills in the water cause animals to die when they
ingest or encounter it.

 Drinking contaminated water causes health problems like

cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever, stomach
sickness and skin rashes in humans.

 Excess radioactive materials in water cause genetic

mutations, birth defects and cancer.

 Excess of nitrates in drinking water produces Blue baby

syndrome, a disease that affects the oxygen carrying
capacity of infant's blood, usually resulting from the
consumption of high levels of nitrate.
CONTROL MEASURES
 Setting up effluent treatment plants.
 Planting more trees.
 Setting up Oxidation ponds for removing low level
radioactive wastes.
 Sewage pollutants are to be subjected to chemical
treatment.
 Laws, standards and practices should be established to
prevent water pollution.
 Industries should develop closed loop water supply
schemes and domestic sewage must be used for irrigation.
 Increase public education and awareness around the world
concerning the causes and impacts of water pollution.
Water hyacinth
 Eutrophication

Eutrophication is the enrichment of an ecosystem with chemical nutrients,

typically compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorous and other
nutrients from detergents, fertilizers, sewage and agricultural runoff.
 Steps involved in Eutrophication
Excess nutrients in soil

Surface run-off

Excess nutrients in water body

Algal bloom

Blockage the sunlight from reaching the bottom of the water body

Plants beneath the algal bloom die due to non-availability of sunlight.

Algal bloom dies and sinks to the bottom of lakes.

Due to decomposition water gets depleted with oxygen, larger

life forms like fish suffocate to death.
 Biomagnification or bioaccumulation
 Bioaccumulation is the process by which a pollutant or
pesticide moves up the food chain, works their way into rivers or
lakes, and are eaten by aquatic organisms such as fish, which in
turn are eaten by large birds, animals or humans.
 The substances/toxins become concentrated in tissues or internal
organs as they move up the chain. Each successive step up in the
food chain causes a stepwise concentration of pollutants such as
heavy metals like mercury or persistent organic pollutants like
DDT.
 Bioaccumulants are usually accumulated and collected in certain
part of living organisms so that their concentration increases
because the substances are slowly metabolized or excreted. This
process is called Biomagnification.
 Substances that biomagnify include DDT, hexachlorobenzene,
polychlorinated biphenyles, monomethyl mercury and heavy
metals.
Soil Pollution
 Soil pollution is defined as the
presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants
or contaminants) in soil, in high
enough concentrations to pose risk to
human health and ecosystem.
Causes of Soil Pollution
 Agrochemicals:
 Industrial wastes
 Petroleum
 Electronic wastes or E-waste
 Indiscriminate dumping of untreated domestic waste on
land .
 Construction and mining activities.
 The storage of waste in landfills, as the waste products
may leak into groundwater or generate polluted vapors.
 Radioactive waste from laboratories, nuclear reactors
and nuclear explosions.
 Soil erosion
 Effects of Soil Pollution
 Reduction in soil fertility.
 Consumption of crops and plants grown on polluted soil
cause health hazards.
 Imbalance in the flora and fauna of the soil.
 Excess use of chemical fertilizers may result in reducing the
ability of plants to fix nitrogen.
 Increase in salinity of the soil makes it unfit for cultivation.
 Pollutants in soil cause alteration in soil structure, causing
death of many soil organisms which can affect the food
chain.
 Decline in the microorganisms found in the soil creating
additional problems of soil erosion.
 Contamination of underground and surface drinking
Control Measures
• Reducing the use of chemicals and fertilizer and
encouraging the use of biopesticides.
• Recycling and Reuse of wastes
• Prevention of erosion
• Create dumping ground away from residential area.
• Launching extensive afforestation and community forestry
programmes
• Proper treatment of liquid wastes from industries and
mines.
• People should be trained regarding proper sanitary
practices.
• Effective treatment of domestic sewage by suitable
biological, chemical and adopting modern method of sludge
disposal.
• Municipal waste should be properly collected, segregated,
treated and disposed scientifically in land fills.
 MARINE POLLUTION
Marine pollution can be defined as the introduction of substance to
marine environment directly or indirectly by man resulting in
adverse effects such as hazards to human health, obstruction to
marine activities, and lowering the quality of sea water.
 Causes of Marine Pollution
 Rivers carry waste in the drainage and joins sea/ocean.
The drainage includes sewage effluents, sludge,
industrial effluents, agrochemicals, plastics, metal
scraps etc.
 Petroleum and oil washed off from roads normally
enter sewage system and finally into the seas.
 Oil spillage is usually an accidental form of releasing oils by
ships, which can devastate marine life.
 Testing of atomic weapons, space aircrafts, missiles
and other radioactive wastes when dumped in seas,
cause heavy loss to aquatic life.
 Oil drilling in seas, tourism activities and heat
released from industries.

Effects of Marine Pollution
 Oil pollution is a great threat to marine life specially fish, birds,
invertebrates and algae. Oil also affects sensitive flora, fauna,
phytoplankton, zoo plankton, and other animals.
 Oil slicks damage salt marshes and mangrove ecosystem and
liquid oil contaminates birds’ plumage and its water repellant
properties diminishes.
 Presence of sewage and other bio-matter in sea will result in
oxygen depletion, which destroys marine life.
 Toxic chemicals make the sea/ocean more acidic which harms
marine animals, plants and corals.
 Plastic materials are dumped into seas by commercial ships or from
drainage. Animals take it through their food in stomach which may
cause ulcer or reduced hunger.
 Heavy metals like mercury, lead, factory materials, mineral oils, are
also hazard to marine life when mixed with sea water.
 Presence of detergents is responsible for the high mortality of
marine animals.
 Control Measures
 Recycling the plastics and proper disposal is our key
responsibility to reduce marine pollution.
 Authorities should take effective measures to check oil
leakage from ships and tankers.
 Introduction of sewage treatment plants to reduce
BOD of the final product before discharging into sea.
 Cleaning oil from surface water and beaches can be
done by spraying chemical dispersants, suction device or by
spreading high density powder over oil spill.
 Developmental activities in coastal areas should be
minimized.
 Nuclear explosion and nuclear activities in sea should be
minimized.
 Drilling should not be allowed in coastal areas.
NOISE POLLUTION
❑ The unwanted, unpleasant sound which
causes irritation to ears and pollution
caused by heavy noise is called noise
pollution.
❑ The unit of sound intensity is Decibel (dB).

❑ People are generally exposed to noise levels ranging from 65

to 80 dB which is the tolerable noise level for the human
ear.

❑ Exposure to noise level greater than 80 dB leads to

stress and is referred as noise pollution. The sensitivity
of the ear is lost if the sound intensity exceeds 150 dB
level.
 CAUSES OF NOISE POLLUTION
❑ Transportation systems are the main source of noise
pollution in urban areas.

❑ Construction of buildings, highways, and streets cause a lot

of noise, due to the usage of air compressors, bulldozers,
loaders, dump trucks, and pavement breakers.

❑ Industrial noise also adds to the already unfavorable

state of noise pollution.

❑ Loud speakers, plumbing, boilers, generators, air

conditioners, fans, and vacuum cleaners add to the existing
noise pollution.
 EFFECTS OF NOISE POLLUTION
➢ Health issues – Effect psychological health, aggressive behaviour,
stress, fatigue, hypertension, work efficiency and behaviour etc.
➢ Pediatric problems – hearing problems associated with children.
➢ Gynecological problems – pregnant women are vulnerable to high
noise levels.
➢ Heart problems – hypertension and cardiovascular problems.
➢ Hearing problems – auditory fatigue caused by noise levels above
80 dB.
➢ Sleep disorders – exposure to noise reduces duration of sleep,
diminish quality of sleep, Psychic disorders.
➢ Wild life issues - noise bring about changes in the behavioral
aptitude of birds and animals. They become inefficient in hunting and
hence disturb the balance of ecosystem. For example, noise
pollution discourages the annual visit of migratory birds to Alipore
Zoo at Kolkata.
 Control Measures
❑ Create public awareness.
❑ Antipollution laws should be enacted and enforced.
❑ Planting coniferous trees (they have pointed leaves which
reflect minimum sound).
❑ Regular servicing and tuning of automobiles.
❑ Reduction of traffic density in residential areas and giving
preference to public transport system.
❑ Preference to petrol engines over diesel engines.
❑ The use of microphones should be controlled and
regulated.
❑ Proper lubrication and sound proofing of machineries.
❑ Minimum use of loudspeakers.
❑ Creation of green vegetation covers in highway, streets and
industrial areas.
❑ Usage of ear plugs and mufflers.
❑ Buildings can be designed with noise absorbing materials on
walls, windows and ceilings.
 THERMAL POLLUTION
It is defined as the sudden increase or decrease in temperature of a
natural body of water like oceans, lakes, rivers or ponds by
human influence. It can also be defined as the degradation of
water quality by any process that changes ambient temperature
of water.
 Causes of Thermal Pollution
1. Nuclear power plants: They emit a large amount of
unutilized heat and traces of toxic radio nucleotides into
nearby water streams. Emission from nuclear reactors
and processing instruments are also responsible for
increasing the temperature of water bodies.
2. Industries: Industries generating electricity require large
amount of cooling water for heat removal. Industries like
textile, paper-pulp and sugar industry also release heat in
water, but to a lesser extent.
3. Coal- fired power plants: Some thermal power plants
use coal as fuel. Coal- fired power plants constitute one
of the major sources. Their condenser coils are cooled
with water from nearby lakes or rivers and discharges
hot water
 Causes of Thermal Pollution
4. Hydroelectric power plant: The generation of
hydroelectric power may result in the release of warm
water into water bodies.
5. Domestic sewage: It is often discharged into rivers, lakes,
canals or streams without waste treatment. The municipal
water sewage normally has a higher temperature than
receiving water.
7. Natural and Geothermal activities: Natural geothermal
activities like volcano can stimulate lava and can cause a
rise in water temperature, leadingto thermal pollution
8. Chemical pollutants discharged into water: There are
factories that discharge their chemical waste directly into
natural water bodies.
Effects of Thermal Pollution
 The concentration of dissolved oxygen decreases with increase
in temperature.
 The increase in temperature increases toxicity of poison
(pesticides, detergents, chemicals) present in water.
 A rise in temperature changes the physical and chemical
properties of water.
 The physiology, metabolism and biochemical process of
aquatic organisms are affected with increase in temperature.
 It influences the reproductive cycle, digestion rate,
respiration rate and many enzymatic activities of living
organisms.
 Thermal pollution may permit the invasion of organisms that
are tolerant in warm waters and are highly destructive in
nature.
 The egg of fish may hatch early or fail to hatch at all.
 Thermal pollution results in low dissolved oxygen levels thereby
perishing aquatic organisms.
 Control of Thermal Pollution
 Cooling ponds: This is the simplest and cheapest method
which cools water to a considerably low temperature.
Heated effluents on the surface of water in cooling ponds
maximize dissipation of heat to the atmosphere and
minimize the water area and volume.
 Spray ponds: In spray ponds, the water is sprayed in the
cooling ponds with the help of spray nozzles to convert it
into fine droplets which provide more surface area to
facilitate efficient heat transfer to atmosphere.
 Plantation of trees upon the banks of rivers, seas and other
water bodies: Trees not only help in controlling thermal
pollution but also aid in a better environment
 Recycling used water: New ideas to be developed on
recycling the used water in factories. Every plant or
industry should make it a rule that water used as coolant
will not be spilled back into water bodies.
NUCLEAR HAZARDS
 Nuclear pollution is the pollution
that contains radioactive materials.
It can spread in air, land or water.
 It is the only type of pollution which “we
can’t see, we can’t smell and we can’t touch”.
 The effect of which may not show up in
this decade, this generation or in this
century.
 However, the nuclear impacts on us are
far beyond our imagination.
 Causes of Nuclear Pollution
 Nuclear waste comes from nuclear power stations. They
release tritium (an isotope of hydrogen) into air and water.
 Cosmic rays from outer space.
 Mining and refining of radioactive materials like uranium and
thorium.
 The advent of nuclear medicines to cure and for precise
diagnosis, with the help of radio isotopes.
 Use of various radioactive derivatives to produce nuclear
weapons for mass destructions
 Use of radio isotopes in industrial activities and various
detectors.
 Disposal of nuclear wastes.
 Television set, radiographic equipment’s.
Effects of Nuclear Pollution
 As long as the radiations continue, nuclear wastes are dangerous
for living being. The effects may be somatic (individual exposed
is affected) or genetic (future generation) damage.
 No physical, chemical or biological process can influence the
process of radioactive emissions. The unstable nuclei have to decay
and acquire a stable state.
 Exposure of human beings to low doses of radiations, may begin
to suffer from fatigue, nausea, vomiting and loss of hair. But
recovery is possible.
 Exposure of human beings to medium doses of radiation may
result in bone marrow disorder, reduction in blood cells,
reduction in natural resistance against germs and failure of
blood to clot.
 Higher radiation doses will kill the organisms by damaging
tissues, brain etc.
Effects of Nuclear Pollution
 Radiations may cause skin burns which may lead to skin
cancer.
 Radiation at pelvic regions of pregnant ladies, cause damage
to the fetus. Infants between eight and fifteen weeks of
pregnancy who were exposed to the atomic attack at
Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were reported
to have a greater incidence of brain damage with side effects
including lower Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and severe mental
retardation in some cases.
 The radiation weakens the immune system of the body.
 Delayed effects of radiation include cataracts, leukaemia,
malignant tumours, cardiovascular disorders,
premature ageing and reduced life span.
Control Measures
 Waste disposal must be careful, efficient and effective. Low level
wastes should be subjected to treatment for the removal of
radioactivity and then discharged to water bodies or landfills.
 Medium level wastes (e.g., filters, reactor components, etc.,) are
solidified and mixed with concrete in steel drums before
being buried in deep mines or below the sea bed in concrete
chambers.
 High level wastes should be concentrated, contained (ceramics) and
stored out of the reach of human environment or buried deep into
earth or stored in deep salt mines.
 Leakages from nuclear reactors, careless handling, transport and
use of radioactive fuels, fission products and radioactive isotopes
have to be totally stopped.
 There should be regular monitoring and quantitative analysis
through frequent sampling in the risk areas.
 Appropriate protection against occupational exposure.
 Nuclear medicines and radiation therapy should only be applied
when absolutely necessary.
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

 Solid-waste management is the collecting,

treating and disposing of solid material
that is discarded because it has served its
purpose or is no longer useful. Improper
disposal of municipal solid waste can
create unsanitary conditions, and these
conditions in turn can lead to pollution
of the environment and to the outbreaks
of vector-borne disease
Source of waste generation
 Effects of Waste Pollution
 Due to improper disposal of municipal solid waste on the
roads and immediate surroundings, biodegradable materials
undergo decomposition and may create unsanitary
conditions. This may lead to the outbreak of epidemic,
producing foul smell and becoming a breeding ground for
disease vectors.
 Burning of industrial and domestic wastes (plastics,
batteries) produce furans and dioxins which are harmful to
human beings.
 Toxic substances may percolate into the ground and
contaminate the groundwater.
 Solid waste from industries like toxic metals, hazardous
wastes and chemicals, when released to the environment
can cause biological and physicochemical problems to the
environment and may affect the productivity of the soil in
that particular area.
 Direct dumping of untreated waste in rivers, seas, and lakes results
in the accumulation of toxic substances in the food chain through
the plants and animals that feed on it.
 Waste treatment and disposal sites can also create health hazards
for the neighborhood. Improperly operated incineration plants
cause air pollution.
 Improperly managed and designed landfills attract all types of
insects and rodents that spread
disease. Ideally these sites should be located at a safe distance
from all human settlements.
 Recycling wastes also carries health risks if proper precautions
are not taken.
 Eye and respiratory infections resulting from exposure to infected
dust, especially during landfill operations.
 Intestinal infections that are transmitted by flies feeding on the
waste.
 Skin and blood infections resulting from direct contact with waste
and from infected wounds.
Control Measures
 Sanitary Landfill
This is the most popular solid waste disposal method used today.
Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, in
abandoned or unused places. In this method garbage is spread out
in thin layers, compacted and covered with clay, sand or plastic liner.
The liners protect the ground water from being contaminated.
When the landfill is full, it is covered with layers of sand, clay, top
soil and gravel to prevent seepage of water.
Advantages:
Simple, economical, cheap equipment, no residue or by-products,
skill labour not required, segregation of waste not required, natural
resources are returned to soil and recycled.
Disadvantages:
Large area is required, continuous evolution of foul smell from the
site, use of insecticide is required, may cause ground water
pollution, cause fire hazard due to formation of methane gas in wet
weather.
 Incineration:
It is the hygienic way of disposing solid waste. It is a thermal process
(controlled combustion) in which the waste material is converted to heat,
gas, steam and ash, which can be used for electrical generation and
domestic heating. It is suitable for hazardous, organic and medical wastes.
Combustible substance should be separated and removed before
incineration process. Wet municipal waste should be preheated before
incineration process. It reduces the volume of waste up to 20 or 30% of
the original volume.
Advantages:
Safest and hygienic method, requires very little space, residue is only 20-
30% of the original amount and can be used as cement clinker after
treatment, an incinerator plant of 3000 tones per day capacity can generate
3MW of power.
Disadvantages:
Its capital and operating cost is high, operation needs skilled personnel,
formation of smoke, dust and ashes needs further disposal and that may
cause air pollution, ordinary incinerators cannot be used for radioactive
wastes.
 Vermi Composting: It has become very
popular in the last few years. In vermi
composting, earthworms are added to the
compost. These help to break the waste
and the added excreta of the worms
makes the compost rich in nutrients. It is
very useful biofertilizer and soil
conditioner.
 Composting:
It is a popular method by which bulk organic matter is converted into
fertilizer by biological action. Microorganisms like fungi, bacteria convert
degradable organic waste into broken, odourless mass called humus, which
is a good fertilizer. Separated compostable waste is dumped in
underground trenches in layers of 1.5m and finally covered with soil of 20
cm and left for decomposition. Sometimes, actinomycetes are introduced
for active decomposition. Biological action will start within two to three
days. Good quality environmental friendly manure is formed from the
compost and can be used for agricultural purpose.
Advantages:
Environmentally effective than landfill and incineration, manure can be sold
thereby reducing cost of disposing wastes, recycling can be done, this
method can be used to treat several industrial solid wastes, controls
growth of weeds in garden, make soil easier to cultivate.
Disadvantages:
Non-consumables have to be disposed separately; the technology has not
caught-up with the farmers and hence does not have an assured market
Case study 1: Minamata Tragedy [Japan]

A case of human mercury poisoning which occurred in May 1956 in

the Minamata in Japan, which is a typical example of the pollution
related health damage. A large plastic plant located near the
Minamata Bay used a mercury containing compound in a
reaction to produce polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a common
plastic material. The left-over mercury was dumped into the Bay
along with other waste from the plant. Though mercury was in its
inorganic state when dumped, the microorganism at the bottom of
the bay converted the mercury into its organic form. This organic
mercury entered into the tissues of fish which were in turn
consumed by the people living in the area. The contaminated fish
thus caused an outbreak of poisoning, killing and affecting
several people. Mothers who had eaten the contaminated fish
gave birth to infants who showed the signs of mercury
poisoning. Mercury poisoning is thus called ‘Minamata
Diseases’.
Case study 2: Exxon Valdez oil spill- worst
oil spill disaster [Alaska, US]

On March 24, 1989 Exxon Valdez, a tanker in an attempt to

avoid iceberg, ran aground and released 11 million gallons of
crude oil into a wide channel in Prince William Sound near Valdez
in Alaska. It was the worst environmental disaster in Alaska history,
and occurred in a very sensitive coastal ecosystem. It contaminated
1300 miles of shoreline and stretching over 470 miles from the
crash site. The site was in a remote location and lack of oil
skimming equipment and ineffective chemical dispersants made a
speedy response very difficult. The cleaning operation involved
11,000 people and 1000 boats. The fast spreading oil proved
deadly for wild life in the region. Countless fishes, along with
more than 2,50,000 sea birds and thousands of otters and
seals perished. Exxon spent more than $2 billion for cleaning up
the spill, but some oil still remains. In a civil case Exxon was hit with
a $ 5 billion civil judgment for its role in the accident.
AIR POLLUTION
❖ Air pollution is the introduction of
chemicals, particulate matter, or biological
materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans
or other living organisms, or cause damage to the
natural environment or built environment, into the
atmosphere.

❖ A substance in the air that can cause harm to

humans and the environment is known as an air
pollutant.
 CAUSES OF AIR POLLUTION
✓ Carbon dioxide-this happens because of
Deforestation and fossil fuel burning.

✓ Sulfur dioxide –Due to the burning of sulfur

containing compounds of fossil fuels.

✓ Sulfur oxides- very dangerous to humans at a

high concentration. Sulfur in the atmosphere
is responsible for acid rain.
 CONSEQUENCES OF AIR POLLUTION
➢ • It affects respiratory system causing breathing difficulties and diseases such
as bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis and pneumonia.
• Inhaling carbon monoxide results in respiratory problems, muscular
weakness, mental impairment, and dizziness in human beings. At high
concentration, it will harmfully affect the plants causing leaf drop, reduction in
leaf size, and premature aging.
• Carbon dioxide causes mild narcotic effects and affects respiratory systems.
Increased concentration in the atmosphere causes green house effect and
global warming.
• Air pollution causes acid rain which damages crop plants, trees, buildings,
monuments, statues and metal structures. It also makes the soil acidic.
• Excess nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere results in respiratory problems
and bronchitis. It also causes harmful effects on nylon, rayon and causes cracks
in rubber.
• Excess sulphur oxides are extremely harmful to plants and animals. It causes
eye irritation, respiratory problems, lung cancer etc. In plants, it kills leaf
tissues, reduces plant productivity, and bleaches leaf pigments.
Control Measures
• Use of public transportation facilities and using
unleaded petrol or using fuels with low sulphur
and ash content.
• Catalytic converters should be used to help
control emissions of carbon monoxide and
hydrocarbons.
• Planting trees along busy streets remove
particulates, carbon dioxide and absorb noise.
• Renewable and non- polluting sources of energy
like solar energy, wind energy etc. should be
used.
• Automobiles should be properly maintained and
adhere to emission control standards.
Control Measures
• Industries and waste disposal sites should be situated
outside the city preferably on the downwind of the city.
It should also be fitted with equipment for removal and
recycling of wastes.
• Emission rates should be restricted to permissible
levels by industries.
• Tall chimneys should be installed in factories.
• Better designed equipment and smokeless fuels should
be used in houses and industries.
• Large amount of fossil fuels are burnt to produce
electricity. So conserve energy by switching off fans and
lights when not in use.
• Understand the concept Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
• Use energy efficient devices like LEDs, CFL lights etc.
GLOBAL WARMING AND THE
GREENHOUSE EFFECT
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GLOBAL
WARMING AND THE GREENHOUSE
EFFECT
❖Global warming refers to a rise in the
temperature of the surface of the earth.

❖The Greenhouse Effect is a process by which

thermal radiation from a planetary surface is
absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases,
and is re-radiated in all directions.
SOME PROOF OF GLOBAL WARMING
PORTAGE GLACIER ALASKA PORTAGE GLACIER ALASKA
NOW….
THEN….
COLORADO RIVER, AS OF COLORADO RIVER, AS OF
JUNE 2002 DECEMBER 2003
THANK YOU