POLLUTION

• Introduction of contaminants into the natural environment
• Form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light
• Point source -Air,  water,  thermal, noise or light pollution
• Non point source pollution –

Water and air pollution from diffuse sources

Forms of pollution�

• Air pollution – CO, CO₂ , SOx, NOx
• Light pollution -  over-illumination
• Littering - throwing of inappropriate man-made objects
• Noise pollution -  roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise
• Soil contamination - hydrocarbons, heavy metals
• Radioactive contamination - atomic physics
• Thermal pollution - temperature change in natural water bodies
• Water pollution - discharge of wastewater from commercial and industrial waste

Pollutants�

• A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil
• Severity of a pollutant
• Chemical nature
• Concentration
• Persistence

EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON ENVIRONMENT

• Biomagnification – toxins (heavy metals) may pass through trophic level
• Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean acidification
• Greenhouse gases leads to global warming
• Reduce biodiversity
• Nitrogen oxides change the composition of ecosystems
• Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants
• Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause acid rain

Pollution control�

• Term used in environmental management
• Control of emissions and effluents into air, water or soil
• Without control will degrade the environment
• Pollution prevention and waste minimization are more desirable than pollution control
• Practices
• Recycling
• Reusing
• Reducing
• Mitigating
• Preventing

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