UGC NET/TNSET PAPER 1

UNIT-9 (Session 1)
(PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT)
Professor Academy

1
Topics to be covered
• Pollution and Types
• Global warming
• Conventions and Protocols
• SDGs
• Environmental laws in India
POLLUTION
POLLUTION - TYPES:
• Air pollution
• Noise pollution
• Water pollution
• Soil pollution
• Thermal pollution
• Radiation pollution
AIR POLLUTION
 Types of Air Pollutants
Primary Pollutants
Released directly  Air
E.g.
1. Oxides of Sulphur (SOx), Nitrogen (NO
& NO2), & Carbon (CO, CO2)
2. PM (Particulate Matter)
3. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
 Secondary Pollutants
Photochemical / Thermal reactions
of primary pollutants
E.g.
1. Sulphuric acid (SO2 + H2O)
2. Nitric acid (HNO3)
3. Ground Level Ozone
4. Peroxy Acetyl Nitrate (PAN)
(Hydrocarbons+O2+NO2+Light)
 Secondary Pollutants
Photochemical / Thermal reactions
of primary pollutants
E.g.
1. Sulphuric acid (SO2 + H2O)
2. Nitric acid (HNO3)
3. Ground Level Ozone
4. Peroxy Acetyl Nitrate (PAN)
(Hydrocarbons+O2+NO2+Light)
 Atmosphere
Mixture of atmospheric gases, water
vapour and suspended particulates
surrounding earth
Bound to earth by gravity
COMPOSITION OF ATMOSPHERE
LAYERS OF ATMOSPHERE
 IMPORTANCE
O3 layer absorbs 97-99% of
UV-B radiation from sun
Prevents harmful UV from
reaching Earth's surface
 O3 - GOOD OR BAD?
Stratospheric ozone or Good ozone (Protective layer)
Tropospheric or Ground Level Ozone or Bad Ozone
NOx + VOCs + CO (with sunlight)  O3
Important Air Pollutants
 PM/Particulate Matter
Mixture of solid or liquid particles in air
E.g. Fly ash, Dust, Dirt, Soot, Smoke, Pollen
 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
POLLUTANT SOURCES
EFFECTS EFFECTS

Respiratory
Particulate
Fossil fuel Poor visibility, problems
Matter
combustion Smog, Haze Heart disease
(PM) Cancer
 ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTANT SOURCES HEALTH EFFECTS
EFFECTS

Nitrogen High-
Smog
oxides temperature Carcinogen

(NOx) combustion Acid rain High blood pressure

Vehicles
NO & NO2
 NO - Nitric Oxide
NO2 - Nitrogen Dioxide
N2O - Nitrous Oxide – Green house gas

Nitrate – Blue Baby Syndrome

UV - Less
energy,
Long waves

More energy,
short waves
Green House Effect  Global Warming
↑ Average temperature of Earth
Maintains a stable & habitable temperature
 Allows life to exist on Earth
Major GHGs:
1. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
2. Methane (CH4) Extra:

3. Nitrous oxide (N2O) Water vapor and Ozone

Industrial gases:
1. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
2. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
3. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
4. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
5. Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
Coming back
to Air Pollution
 SMOG = FOG + SMOKE
Comprises of
• Ground-level ozone (O3) – Least concentration
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• NOx & SOx
• Carbon monoxide (CO) – Highest concentration
• Peroxyacetyl Nitrates (PAN) – Eye Irritation
2 types:
1.Photochemical Smog / Los Angeles
Smog
2. Sulfurous smog / London Smog/
Reducing smog
 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
POLLUTANT SOURCES
EFFECTS EFFECTS

Sulfur
Coal-fired power Acid rain Respiratory
dioxide
plants issues
(SO2)
 ACID RAIN
Precipitation with acidic components
Oxides of sulphur and Nitrogen + Water +
O2 → Suphuric acid + Nitric acid
 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
POLLUTANT SOURCES
EFFECTS EFFECTS

Chlorofluorocarbons GHG
(CFC) Refrigerants Deplete O3 layer
Aerosol  Global warming ↑ Skin cancer
Hydrofluorocarbons propellants
GHG
(HFC)
Global warming
 OZONE DEPLETION
Thinning of the ozone layer
 OZONE HOLE
Areas of the ozone layer where ozone concentrations is
below 220 Dobson Units
Culprit?
Chlorine (Bromine also) from Chloroflurocarbons
 CONSTITUENT %
FLY ASH Silicon dioxide (SiO2) 50-70%

Fine, powdery material Alumina (Al2O3) 20-30%

Iron oxide (Fe2O3) 5-15%

Source: Byproduct of Coal
Calcium oxide (CaO) 1-5%
Thermal Power Plants
Magnesium oxide (MgO) 1-5%
(TPP)
Potassium oxide (K2O) 0.5-1%
Toxic air pollutant Sodium oxide (Na2O) 0.5-1%
 INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
Presence of contaminants in air inside buildings

Causes:
1. VOCs
2. Pollen & dust
3. Combustion
4. Radon (radioactive gas)  Lung cancer
Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) - symptoms or discomfort - associated
with indoor environment (Inadequate ventilation)
AIR QUALITY
MONITORING
 NAAQS
(NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS)
• By CPCB in 1982  1994  2009
• Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
• For effective management of ambient air quality
• Covers 12 pollutants
• Comes under NAMP
 ANNUAL PERMISSIBLE
POLLUTANT
LIMITS (NAAQS)
1. PM10 60 ug/m3
2. PM2.5 40 ug/m3
3. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) 40 ug/m3
4. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) 50 ug/m3
5. Carbon mono-oxide (CO) 02 mg/m3
6. Ozone (O3) 100 ug/m3
7. Ammonia (NH3) 100 ug/m3
8. Lead (Pb) 0.50 ug/m3
9. Benzene (C6H6) 05 ug/m3
10.Benzopyrene (BaP) 01 ng/m3
11.Arsenic (As) 06 ng/m3
12. Nickel (Ni) 20 ng/m3
 CPCB WHO
(Central Pollution (AQG – Air Quality
PM
Control board) guidelines) 2021
Permissible limits Permissible limits
PM2.5 (ug/m3) 40 5
PM10 (ug/m3) 60 15
 AQI – AIR QUALITY INDEX
• IIT Kanpur & CPCB expert group  AQI scheme
• Launched – Sept 2014
• Under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Theme: ‘One Number - One Colour - One Description’

Calculate AQI - Minimum 3 pollutants

(but 1 must be PM10 or PM2.5)

SAMEER App -
Hourly updates on AQI
Includes 8 major pollutants:
1. Particulate Matter 10 (PM10)
2. Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5)
3. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
4. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
5. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
6. Ozone (O3)
7. Lead (Pb)
8. Ammonia (NH3)
AIR QUALITY RANKING
 WORLD AIR QUALITY
REPORT 2023
By IQ Air
PM2.5 - Most widespread air
pollutant
India’s annual PM2.5 (2023) –
54.4 µg/m3
Important pointers:
1. Of the top 10 most polluted cities in
the world, 9 belong to India
2. Among top 50 most polluted cities
in the world, 42 cities were in India
3. Begusarai - most polluted
metropolitan area of 2023
 Noise Pollution
Environment Protection Act, 1986 - Noise  Pollutant
PROPERTY INTENSITY OF SOUND WAVE FREQUENCY OF SOUND WAVE

Definition Amount of energy/ unit area Number of vibrations/ sec

Decibel (dB)
Units Or watts per square meter (W/m²) Hertz (Hz)
(Noise level /Loudness)
 FREQUENCY OF SOUND
PROPERTY INTENSITY OF SOUND WAVE
WAVE

Audible sound Intensity Range

0 db - 130 db
Human hearing range:
Extras Threshold of human hearing
20 Hz - 20,000 Hz
– 0 db or 1 picowatt per square meter
(pW/m²)
Human ear is not equally sensitive to all
frequencies of sound
Most sensitive - 1,000 to 4,000 Hz
 NOISE POLLUTION
(REGULATION AND CONTROL) RULES, 2000

Silent Zone: 100 m radius around schools, colleges, hospitals, & courts
 Water Pollutant – Types
POINT SOURCE NON-POINT SOURCE
FEATURE
POLLUTANTS POLLUTANTS
Specific Diffuse
Source
Identifiable Multiple
Identification
Easy Challenging
and control

Examples Oil spills Agricultural runoff

 POP Condition Symptoms
Neurological damage, developmental delays and
Lead (Pb) Damages CNS
cognitive impairment especially in children, Anemia

Mercury Minamata Neurological disorder

(Hg) disease Kidney damage

Arsenicosis
Arsenic Peripheral neuropathy,
Black foot
(As) cancers (e.g., skin, lung, bladder)
disease
Osteomalacia (softening of bones), bone fractures,
Cadmium
Itai-Itai disease kidney damage, renal failure, lung cancer, prostate
(Cd)
cancer
 POLLUTANT SOURCES HEALTH EFFECTS
Naturally occurring • Skeletal fluorosis
(groundwater) • Dental fluorosis
• Bow / Knock knee
Fluoride (F)
(Teeth & Bones)
 BIOACCUMULATION
Toxin build up in an organism over time
Fat soluble toxins – Fat tissue
BIOMAGNIFICATION /BIO AMPLIFICATION
Type of bio-accumulation
↑ in toxins - up the food chain
E.g. Mercury & DDT
Organisms @ Higher trophic levels > Lower trophic levels

POPS & HEAVY METALS

 BIOACCUMULATES & BIOMAGNIFIES
 WATER
&
DISEASES
 DISEASE
FEATURE E.G.
CATEGORY
Typhoid
Spread through contaminated (by Salmonella Typhi)
Water-borne
drinking water Cholera
(by Vibrio cholerae)
Lack of clean water supply
Water-washed/ Ringworm
 Proper sanitation &
Water scarce Conjunctivitis
hygiene
 DISEASE
DEFINITION EXAMPLES
CATEGORY
Schistosomiasis/ Bilharzia
Transmitted through Aquatic
(Snail – Host;
Water-based invertebrate organisms -
Schistosome - Parasitic
Hosts for pathogens
worms)
Transmitted by mosquitoes
Water-related Transmitted by insects Malaria
vector-borne (water - breeding sites) Lymphatic Filariasis
Yellow fever
IMPORTANT
WATER
QUALITY
INDICATORS
 DISSOLVED OXYGEN (DO)
Amount of O2 dissolved in water
O2 - Animals & algae
Respiration & Metabolism
Low DO  ↑ Pollution
Factors affecting DO:
1.Temperature ↑ DO↓ (Warm water < Cold water)
2.Salinity ↑ DO↓ (Saltwater < Freshwater)
3.Turbulence ↑ DO ↑
4.Organic & inorganic wastes ↑ DO ↓
 BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND (BOD)
Amount of dissolved O2 consumed by microorganisms in water
(during decomposition of organic matter)
High BOD  ↑ Organic pollution  O2 depletion (Less DO)
Assess effectiveness of wastewater treatment
 EUTROPHICATION
Over fertilization of water bodies
↑ Concentration of Nitrates & Phosphates
Classification of Lakes – Nutrient Level

TYPE OF LAKE NUTRIENT CONC.

Oligotrophic Low

Mesotrophic Moderate

Eutrophic High

Hypertrophic Extremely high

 pH SCALE
ACIDITY OR ALKALINITY OF A SUBSTANCE
 OCEAN ACIDIFICATION
Ocean - carbon sink, absorbs 1/3rd of CO2 in atmosphere
 ↓CO2 levels in atmosphere
But, in Oceans
 CO2 + H20
Carbonic acid (H2CO3)
 Lowers ocean PH
Pre-industrial ocean pH - 8.2
But now, 8.1
 Important
Conferences
 Event Year Location Key outcomes
United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment 1972 Stockholm, Sweden Creation of UNEP
(Stockholm Conference)
World Commission on Report "Our Common Future";
Environment and Development 1983-
introduced the concept of sustainable
1987 --
(Brundtland Commission) development
Rio Declaration, Agenda 21,
United Nations Conference on
Rio de Janeiro, Commission on Sustainable
Environment and Development 1992
Brazil Development; adoption of UNFCCC and
(Earth Summit)
CBD
World Summit on Sustainable
Development Johannesburg,
2002 Johannesburg Declaration
(Johannesburg Summit South Africa
(Rio+10)
United Nations Conference on Outcome document "The Future We
Rio de Janeiro,
Sustainable Development 2012 Want"; emphasis on sustainable
Brazil
(Rio+20) development
Convention on Biological Kunming, China,
2021-
Conventions
and Protocols
 Came into
Name Adopted in Description
force in
Convention on International Trade in
CITES 1963 1975 Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora

Ramsar Known as the Convention on Wetlands.

1971 1975
Convention Adopted in the city of Iran, Ramsar

Vienna Convention for the

1985 1988
Convention Protection of Ozone Layer
Montreal International protocol on substances
1987 1989
Protocol that deplete the Ozone Layer
Kigali
2016 2016 To phase out HFC
Amendment
 Convention on
Convention for the conservation
Biological Diversity 1992 1993
of biological diversity
(CBD)
Cartagena International protocol on
Protocol 2000 2003 Biosafety to the Convention on
(Under CBD) Biological Diversity.

International Protocol on
Nagoya Protocol Access to Genetic Resources
2010 2014 and the Fair and Equitable
(Under CBD) Sharing of Benefits Arising from
their Utilization (ABS)
United Nations Treaty to combat climate change
Framework through adaptation and mitigation
Convention on 1992 1994 efforts directed at the control of
Climate Change emission of Greenhouse Gases
(UNFCCC) (GHGs) that cause global warming.

International protocol to reduce

Kyoto Protocol 1997 2005
greenhouse gas emissions.

United Nations
Climate Change Paris Agreement; global agreement to
Conference 2015 2015 limit warming to well below 2°C, with
efforts to limit to 1.5°C
(COP 21)
GHG - under Kyoto Protocol are:
7 greenhouse gases:
Non-fluorinated gases:
• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4)
• Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Fluorinated gases:
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
• Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
United Nations Treaty to combat climate change
Framework through adaptation and mitigation
Convention on 1992 1994 efforts directed at the control of
Climate Change emission of Greenhouse Gases
(UNFCCC) (GHGs) that cause global warming.

International protocol to reduce

Kyoto Protocol 1997 2005
greenhouse gas emissions.

United Nations
Climate Change Paris Agreement; global agreement to
Conference 2015 2015 limit warming to well below 2°C, with
efforts to limit to 1.5°C
(COP 21)
 INTERNATIONAL SOLAR ALLIANCE (ISA)
Origin of the idea: UNGA in September 2014 by PM Modi
Launch: November 30, 2015
Who? Narendra Modi & François Hollande, France President
Headquarters: Gurugram, India
Where?
UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21) - Paris, France
Official language: Hindi, French, English
 Convention on Persistent
Stockholm Organic Pollutants (POPs)
2001 2004
Convention Adopted in Geneva,
Switzerland
International environmental
Minamata treaty intended to protect
2013 2017 health and the environment
Convention from the adverse effects of
Mercury
National Action Plan on Climate Change
NAPCC - 2008
Set of 8 national missions
Address climate change
Under MoEFCC
1. CFCs & HCFCs  used as coolants in AC and refrigeration

2.CFCs banned (Montreal protocol, 1987)

 Hydro-fluoro-carbons (HFCs) - Alternatives
HFC - No ozone depletion potential (No Chlorine content) but high GWP

3. HFC banned (Kigali Amendment,2016 -Montreal Protocol)

 Hydro-fluoro olefins (HFOs) or “Natural" refrigerants alternatives
 Millennium
Development
Goals (MDGs)
UN Millennium Summit (Newyork, Sept. 2000)
 8 goals, 21 targets & 63 indicators
 Time period: 2000-2015
 Baseline year -1990
 UN Conference On Sustainable Development
Or Rio+20 Summit

 Adopted: September 25, 2015 @ UN Summit, New York

 Effect: January 1, 2016
 17 goals, 169 targets & 247 indicators
 Time period: 2016-2030
 To be achieved by 2030
 Global Sustainable
Development Report
SDG Index - Assess country’s progress towards SDGs

Score : 0 - 100
Published by - Sustainable Development Solutions
Network (SDSN)

2023 - India Rank - 112 (63.5)