MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

COURSE- ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES (22447)

Chapter 4 :-ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION

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 CHAPTER 4

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
WEIGHTAGE:- 20 MARKS

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CONTENTs:-
• DEFINITION OF POLLUTION,TYPES-NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL
• SOIL/LAND POLLUTION-CAUSES AND EFFECTS ON ENVIRONMENT AND LIVES
PREVENTIVE MEASURES
• WATER POLLUTION-SOURCES OF WATER,SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION,EFFECTS ON
ENVIRONMENT AND LIVES,PREVENTIVE MEASURE,BIS WATER QUALITY
STANDARDS,FLOW DIAGRAM OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT,WATER CONSERVATION
• WASTE WATER-GENERATION,IMPACTS,FLOW DIAGRAM OF SEWAGE TREATMENT
PLANT,CPCB NORMS OF SEWAGE DISCHARGE
• AIR POLLUTION-CAUSES,EFFECTS,PREVENTION,AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS
• NOISE POLLUTION –SOURCES,EFFECTS,PREVENTION, NOISE LEVELS AT VARIOUS ZONES
OF THE CITY
• MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE,BIO MEDICAL WASTE AND E-WASTE-
SOURCES,GENERATION,CHARACTERITICS,EFFECTS AND METHODS TO MANAGE

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LEARNING OUTCOMES:-
• DIFFERENT TYPES OF POLLUTION
• WHAT ARE ITS IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENT
• FUNCTIONS OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT
• STATE STANDARD CONTROLLING VALUES OF VARIOUS TYPES OF
POLLUTION

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DEFINITION OF
POLLUTION/POLLUTANTS:-
• A pollutant is defined as any form of energy or matter or action that causes imbalance or disequilibrium in the
required composition of natural objects such as air, water, etc.
• A pollutant creates damage by interfering directly or indirectly with the biogeochemical process of an
organism.

• TYPES OF POLLUTION/POLLUTANTS: -
o Natural Pollutants − Natural pollutants are caused by natural forces such as volcanic eruption and forest
fire.
o Man-made/Artificial Pollutants − These refer to the release of excess amount of gases or matter by
human activities. For instance, increase in the number of automobiles adds excess carbon monoxide to the
atmosphere causing harmful effect on vegetation and human health.

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 NATURAL SOURCES OF POLLUTANTS: -
o Volcanic Eruptions
o Smoke produce Forest Fires
o Bacteria, Spores, Cysts, Pollens
o Decay of Organic Matter

 MAN-MADE SOURCES OF POLLUTANTS: -

o Automobiles
o Over population
o Deforestation
o Nuclear Explosion
o Construction of building roads and dams

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SOIL/LAND POLLUTION:-
Soil Contamination as part of land degradation is caused by the presence of xenobiotic
chemical found in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial
activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste.
CAUSES: -
Oil Spills Acid Rain
Mining Corrosion of underground storage tanks
Intensive Farming Road Debris
Waste Disposals Accidental Spills as may happen during activities etc
Discharge of sewage Coal ash
Electronic Waste Ammunitions, chemical agents, and other agent of war

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EFFECTS: -

Health Effects
• Many common soil pollutants are carcinogenic causing humans who are exposed to these pollutants to be far
more likely to develop cancer than those who are not.
• For example, regular exposure to benzene is known to cause leukemia in both children and adults and exposure to
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is linked to liver cancer.
• Soil pollution can also cause neuromuscular blockage as well as depression of the central nervous system,
headaches, nausea, fatigue, eye irritation and skin rash.
• Soil does not need to be highly contaminated to be harmful to humans.

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Ecological Effects
• Even though lower pyramid levels of the food chain ingest these alien chemicals, it becomes more complicated
for each consuming step of the food chain
• Soil Contamination alter plant metabolism, which in turn reduces crop yields
• One more effect is this contamination weakens the egg shells, which increases chick mortality and potential
chances of extinction of species

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PREVENTIVE MEASURES OF SOIL/LAND
POLLUTION: -
1. Eat sustainable foodstuffs, properly recycle batteries, produce homemade compost and dispose
of drugs in the places authorized for this purpose.
2. Encourage an eco-friendly model for industry, farming and stock breeding, among other
economic activities.
3. Improve urban planning and transport planning and waste water treatment.
4. Improve the management of mining waste, restore the landscape and conserve topsoil.
5. Involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the design, implementation and
assessment of sustainable land and soil management.

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6. Soil that is not significantly polluted may still harm humans directly though bioaccumulation,
which according to Pollution Issues, occurs when plants are grown in lightly polluted soil,
which continuously absorb molecules of the pollutants. Since the plants cannot get rid of these
molecules, they accumulate in the plant, causing higher amounts of pollution to exist in the plant
than in the soil.
7. Animals who eat many of these polluted plants take on all the pollution those plants have
accumulated.
8. Humans who eat plants or animals that have accumulated large amounts of soil pollutants may
be poisoned, even if the soil itself does not contain enough pollution to harm human health

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WATER POLLUTION:-
• It may be defined as “the alteration in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water
which may cause harmful effects on human and aquatic life.
• Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able to
dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and
brilliant blue waterfalls. It’s also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms,
towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.

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DIFFERENT SOURCES OF WATER:-

1. SURFACE WATER
2. GROUND WATER/SUB SURFACE
3. FROZEN WATER

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1. SURFACE WATER
• If the surface water source is also subject to substantial evaporation, a groundwater source may become saline.

• This situation can occur naturally under endorheic bodies of water, or artificially under irrigated farmland.

• In coastal areas, human use of a groundwater source may cause the direction of seepage to ocean to reverse which can
also cause soil salinization.

• Humans can also cause groundwater to be "lost" (i.e. become unusable) through pollution. Humans can increase the
input to a groundwater source by building reservoirs or detention ponds.

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2. GROUND WATER
• Ground water is fresh water located in the subsurface pore space of soil and rocks.

• It is also water that is flowing within aquifers below the water table.

• Sometimes it is useful to make a distinction between groundwater that is closely associated with surface
water and deep groundwater in an aquifer (sometimes called "fossil water").

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3. FROZEN WATER

• Several schemes have been proposed to make use of icebergs as a water source, however to date this has only been
done for research purposes.

• Glacier runoff is considered to be surface water. (68.7 % OF FRESH WATER IS ENTRAPPED IN ICECAPS AND GLACIERS)

• The Himalayas, which are often called "The Roof of the World", contain some of the most extensive and rough high-
altitude areas on Earth as well as the greatest area of glaciers and permafrost outside of the poles.

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SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION: -
• Point sources: These are discharged pollutants at specific locations through pipes, ditches or sewers Eg:
factories, sewage treatment plants

• Non-point sources: They are usually large areas or air shed that pollute water by runoff Eg: run off of
chemical from cropland into surface water, acid deposition.

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CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF WATER POLLUTION:
-1.Infectious agents:
Example: Bacteria, viruses, protozoa and parasitic worms.
Sources: Human and animal wastes.
Effects: Variety of diseases.

2.Oxygen demanding wastes:

Example: Animal manure and plant debris that can be decomposed by aerobic bacteria.
Sources: Sewage, paper mills, and food processing facilities.
Effects: Wastes can degrade quality by depleting water of dissolved oxygen, make aquatic life to die

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3.In organic Chemicals:
Example: Water soluble inorganic chemicals. Compounds of toxic metals such as lead, arsenic and selenium. Salts such as Nacl in
water.
Sources: Surface runoff, industrial effluents, household cleansers
Effects: Skin cancers & neck damage,Damage nervous system, liver & kidneys , Lower crop yields, Harm fish & other aquatic life
Accelerate corrosion of metals.

4.Organic Chemicals:
Examples: Oil, gasoline, plastics, pesticides, cleaning solvents, detergents
Sources: Industrial effluents, household cleansers, runoff from farms
Effects: Causes nervous system damage, cancer, harm fish & wild life.

5.Radioactive materials:
Example: radioactive isotopes of iodine, radon, uranium, cesium and thorium
Sources: Nuclear power plants, mining, nuclear weapons production.
Effects: genetic mutation, birth defects, and certain cancers.
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PREVENTIVE MEASURES:-
• The administration of water pollution should be in the hand of state or central government.
• Scientific techniques are needed to control pollution in river, ponds or streams.
• Industrial plants should be based on recycling operations.
• The national goal should be “conservation of forests” and campaign should be “plant more trees”.
• Highly qualified and effective persons should be consulted for effective control or water pollution.
• Awareness to public through radio, tv etc>
• Suitable laws, standards and practices should be framed to regulate pollution.
• Basic and applied research in public health engineering be encouraged.
• The possible of reuse or recycling of waste material should be encouraged.
• Companies should not discharge any type of waste either treated or untreated into rivers, lakes, ponds
etc.
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FLOW DIAGRAM OF WATER TREATMENT
PLANT: -
Coagulation and Flocculation
• Coagulation and flocculation are often the first steps in water treatment.
• Chemicals with a positive charge are added to the water.
• The positive charge of these chemicals neutralizes the negative charge of dirt and other dissolved particles in
the water.
• When this occurs, the particles bind with the chemicals and form larger particles, called floc.

Sedimentation
• During sedimentation, floc settles to the bottom of the water supply, due to its weight.
• This settling process is called sedimentation.

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Filtration
• Once the floc has settled to the bottom of the water supply, the clear water on top will pass through filters of
varying compositions (sand, gravel, and charcoal) and pore sizes, in order to remove dissolved particles, such as
dust, parasites, bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.

Disinfection
• After the water has been filtered, a disinfectant (for example, chlorine, chloramine) may be added in order to
kill any remaining parasites, bacteria, and viruses, and to protect the water from germs when it is piped to
homes and businesses.

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WATER CONSERVATION: -
• Put a brick in your toilet’s water tank. You flush an average of 20 gallons of water a day down the toilet. If
you don’t have a high-efficiency toilet, try filling your tank with something that will displace some of that
water, such as a brick.
• Use the right amount of water for each load of laundry. Typically 15-40 percent of indoor home water use
comes from doing laundry. Save water by making sure to adjust the settings on your machine to the proper
load size.
• Pick your washing machine wisely. When considering top-load vs. front-load washers, front-loading washing
machines generally use less water.
• Water plants wisely. Water your lawn or garden early in the morning or late in the evening, so the water lasts
and is not immediately evaporated by the hot sun.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. With a low-flow showerhead, you can save 15 gallons of water during a 10-
minute shower.

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• Check for and repair leaks. An average of 10,000 gallons of water is wasted every year due to household leaks.
One of the most effective ways to cut your water footprint is to repair leaky faucets and toilets.
• Use a dishwasher. Dishwashing accounts for less than 2 percent of indoor water use, but using a machine is
actually more water efficient than hand washing, especially if you run full loads. ENERGY STAR dishwashers
save about 1,600 gallons of water over its lifetime of use.
• Turn off the water. Teach your whole household to turn off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving. Every
little bit of water conservation helps!
• Defrost food in the fridge. Instead of running frozen foods under hot water from the faucet, build in time to let
them defrost in the refrigerator.
• Manage outdoor water use. Don’t forget about water conservation outside as well. Equip all hoses with shut-off
nozzles, which can prevent house leaks.

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Waste water generation (domestic
and industrial)
• Wastewater (or waste water) is any water that has been contaminated by human use.
• Wastewater is "used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural
activities, surface runoff or stormwater, and any sewer inflow or sewer infiltration".
• Therefore, wastewater is a byproduct of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities.
• The characteristics of wastewater vary depending on the source.
• Types of wastewater include: domestic wastewater from households, municipal wastewater from
communities (also called sewage) and industrial wastewater.
• Wastewater can contain physical, chemical and biological pollutants.

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Domestic waste water
generation:-
• Domestic wastewater is wastewater originating from activities such
as restroom usage, washing, bathing, food preparation, and laundry. ...
All industrial wastewater that discharges to a domestic
wastewater or reclamation treatment facility, must be regulated under
the Industrial Pretreatment Program.
• In domestic sewage 99.9 percent is the pure water and the other 0.1
percent are pollutants.

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Industrial waste water
generation:-
• Industrial wastewater is the aqueous discard that results from
substances having been dissolved or suspended in water,
typically during the use of water in an industrial manufacturing
process or the cleaning activities that take place along with that
process.

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Impacts/effects of waste water:-
1. Water Pollution
2. Water Security
3. Ecosystem Services
4. Agricultural/Fisheries/Tourism
5. Health of Urban Rural Populations

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Flow diagram of sewage
treatment plant:-
1) Flow Diagram Of Domestic Sewage Treatment Plant

2) Flow Diagram Of Industrial Sewage Treatment Plant

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1) Flow Diagram Of Domestic Sewage Treatment
Plant

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Flow Diagram Of Industrial Sewage
Treatment Plant

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Air pollution:-
• Air pollution is the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of
humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are different
types of air pollutants, such as gases, particulates, and biological molecules

• The presence of one or more contaminants like dust, smoke, mist and odour in the atmosphere
which are injurious to human beings, plants and animals.

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Causes and effects:-

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PREVENTION/CONTROL:-
• Conserve energy - at home, at work, everywhere.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment.
• Carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible.
• Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery, being careful not to spill fuel and always
tightening your gas cap securely.
• Consider purchasing portable gasoline containers labeled “spill-proof,” where available.
• Keep car, boat, and other engines properly tuned.
• Be sure your tires are properly inflated.
• Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible.
• Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste.
• Consider using gas logs instead of wood.

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• Choose a cleaner commute - share a ride to work or use public transportation.
• Combine errands and reduce trips. Walk to errands when possible.
• Avoid excessive idling of your automobile.
• Refuel your car in the evening when its cooler.
• Conserve electricity and set air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees.
• Defer lawn and gardening chores that use gasoline-powered equipment, or wait until evening.
• Reduce the number of trips you take in your car.
• Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
• Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.
• Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

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Ambient air quality standards:-

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Noise pollution:-
• It may be defined as “the unwanted, unpleasant or disagreeable sound that causes discomfort for
all living beings”. Sound intensity is measured in decibel (dB).

• Types of noise
• Industrial noise (drilling sound, mechanical saws)
• Transport noise (bus, trucks, motors, scooters, rail traffic noise)
• Neighborhood noise (Musical instruments, TV, VCR, Radios, telephones, loudspeakers etc.)

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Effects of Noise pollution:-
1. This affects human health, comfort and efficiency.
2. It causes muscles to contract leading to nervous breakdown, tension.
3. It affects health efficiency and behavior.
4. loss of hearing due to excessive noise,
5. impulsive noise also causes psychological and pathological disorders.
6. Brain is also adversely affected by loud and sudden noise as that of jet and aero plane noise.
7. Ultrasonic sound can affect the digestive, respiratory, cardio vascular system.
8. Rate of heart beat decrease or increase depending on the type of noise
9. Blood is also thickened by excessive noises
10.Optical system is also affected by noise pollution & lead to colour perception & loss of night vision

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Control and preventing measures:-
1. Source control – acoustic treatment to machine surface, design changes, limiting the operational timings.
2. Transmission path intervention- the source inside a sound insulating enclosure, construction of a noise barrier
or provision of sound absorbing materials.
3. Oiling – Proper oiling will reduce the noise from the machines.
4. Receptor control: Protection of the receiver by altering the work schedule, by using ear plugs etc.
5. Planting trees also act as effective noise barriers
6. Different absorptive materials can be used to control interior noise

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Noise levels at various zones of
the city:-

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MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, BIO-MEDICAL
WASTE AND E-WASTE: -
MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE: -
Municipal solid waste, commonly known as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain, is a waste
type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. "Garbage" can also refer specifically to food
waste, as in a garbage disposal; the two are sometimes collected separately.

E- WASTE: -
Electronic waste or e-waste describes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are
destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also
considered e-waste. Informal processing of e-waste in developing countries can lead to adverse human health
effects and environmental pollution.
Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful materials such as lead, cadmium,
beryllium, or brominated flame retardants. Recycling and disposal of e-waste may involve significant risk to health
of workers and their communities.

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BIO-MEDI CAL WASTE: -

• Biomedical waste/hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious)
materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually
appears to be of medical or laboratory origin (e.g., packaging, unused bandages, infusion kits, etc.), as
well research laboratory waste containing biomolecules or organisms that are mainly restricted from
environmental release. As detailed below, discarded sharps are considered biomedical waste whether
they are contaminated or not, due to the possibility of being contaminated with blood and their
propensity to cause injury when not properly contained and disposed of. Biomedical waste is a type
of biowaste.
• Biomedical waste may be solid or liquid. Examples of infectious waste include discarded blood,
sharps, unwanted microbiological cultures and stocks, identifiable body parts (including those as a
result of amputation), other human or animal tissue, used bandages and dressings, discarded gloves,
other medical supplies that may have been in contact with blood and body fluids, and laboratory
waste that exhibits the characteristics described above. Waste sharps include potentially contaminated
used (and unused discarded) needles, scalpels, lancets and other devices capable of penetrating skin.

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SOURCES: -

1. Residential sources: from households and residential areas. These are the major sources of
solid waste in almost all cities and towns in Ethiopia.

2. Commercial sources: from businesses such as food and drink establishments, shops, banks, etc.

3. Institutional sources: from public and government institutions e.g. offices, religious institutions,
prisons, schools, universities, etc.

4. Open areas: waste from street sweepings, roadside dustbins, ditches and other public places.

5. Industrial sources: from various types of industrial processes.

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6. Health facilities: from hospitals and other health facilities

7. Construction and demolition: from various types of construction and demolition activities in
urban areas such as the construction of apartments, the demolition of urban slums, etc.

8. Agricultural sources: from farming — more common in peri-urban areas of small and medium
towns of Ethiopia and in rural areas.

9. Electronic and electrical waste (e-wastes):waste electronic devices (computers, phones, radios,
etc.) and household appliances (cookers, washing machines, etc.).

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EFFECTS OF WASTE ON ENVIRONMENT: -
• Climate Change
• Wildlife
• Public Health

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1) Climate Change
1. The way we dispose of waste is troubling.
2. What is worse, in this decade alone, it would seem that waste disposal has become more careless.
3. What we have failed to do is to put into action the ideas we believe will help us mitigate or adapt to
climate change.
4. Case in point: the trash that is dumped in landfills releases methane gas. Taken one step further open
landfills were found to represent 91% of all landfill methane emissions. The burning of large, open
piles of trash in various parts of the world emits dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse
gas that is heating up our planet.
5. Researchers have calculated that approximately 40% of the world’s trash is burned in this fashion,
posing large-scale risks to both our atmosphere and the people that live near these burning sites.

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2) Wildlife
1. Ecosystems vary widely from location to location.
2. However, one of the most outsize consequences of our global waste problem manifests itself in relation
to our marine life and waterways.
3. Simply put, it affects the people who depend on the ocean for their livelihoods.
4. They cannot distinguish between what is or isn’t food.
5. They consume the trash, which results in death because the aquatic animal could not process it.
6. This affects fish, seals, turtles, whales, and many other aquatic animals, as scientists have also found
many plastic fragments in over a thousand species.
7. Due to ingestion of trash or plastics, starvation is usually the next step because some species do not
have high acidic levels in their stomach to break down the object that they ingested. There are some
animals that do but plastic fragments have been known to be able to last 100 years.
8. When it comes to biodiversity, our waste problem is severely plaguing the health of the world’s species.

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3) Public Health
1. Human health is at risk through our inaction.
2. We keep producing large amounts of trash, we do not dispose of it correctly, and in the end that will
be our downfall as it is for the environment and wildlife in the ecosystems, we all share.
3. We cannot prevent or promote longevity with how we treat our Earth.
4. The more emissions that we produce due to how much trash we generate, affects us long term.
5. One can develop diseases such as asthma, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, childhood
cancer, COPD, infectious diseases, low birth weight, and preterm delivery.
6. Bacteria, vermin and insects can also be added to the problem that trash causes.

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METHODS TO MANAGE WASTE: -
• Landfill
The Landfill is the most popularly used method of waste disposal used today. This process of waste disposal focuses
attention on burying the waste in the land

• Incineration/Combustion
Incineration or combustion is a type disposal method in which municipal solid wastes are burned at high temperatures
so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products.

• Recovery and Recycling

Resource recovery is the process of taking useful discarded items for a specific next use. These discarded items are
then processed to extract or recover materials and resources or convert them to energy in the form of useable heat,
electricity or fuel.

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• Recycling
Recycling is the process of converting waste products into new products to prevent energy usage and
consumption of fresh raw materials. Recycling is the third component of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
waste hierarchy. The idea behind recycling is to reduce energy usage, reduce volume of landfills, reduce
air and water pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural resources for future use.

• Plasma gasification
Plasma gasification is another form of waste management. Plasma is a primarily an electrically charged
or a highly ionized gas. Lighting is one type of plasma which produces temperatures that exceed 12,600
°F . With this method of waste disposal, a vessel uses characteristic plasma torches operating at +10,000
°F which is creating a gasification zone till 3,000 °F for the conversion of solid or liquid wastes into a
syngas

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