Environmental Pollution UPSC

Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is defined as unfavourable alteration of our surroundings, wholly as a by product of man’s activities through direct or indirect efforts of changes in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of land, air or water that harmfully affect human life or any desirable living thing.

Types of Pollutants:

According to how they persist in environment 

▪ Primary pollutants- persist in same form, Ex- DDT, Plastic

▪ Secondary Pollutants – by interaction among primary pollutants, Ex- Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) -> NO + Hydrocarbons

According to nature of Disposal

▪ Biodegradable- degraded by microbial action Ex-Sewage

▪ Non biodegradable – not decomposed by microbial 

action Ex- Plastic, Glass, DDT

Other types:

▪ Natural and Biodegradable.

▪ Quantitative and qualitative pollutants.

Causes of pollution 

• Uncontrolled growth in human population 

• Rapid industrialization 

• Urbanization 

• Uncontrolled exploitation of nature.

• Forest fires, radioactivity, volcanic eruptions, strong winds etc.

1. Air Pollution

• Air composition : N>O>Ar>CO2>other gases.

• Causes : emission from industries, thermal power plants, domestic combustion etc

• Common Air pollutants are :

A. Carbon monoxide

From automobile engines and defective furnaces.

Causes headache, dizziness, inability to distinguish time intervals.

Firms carboxyhemoglobin reducing oxygen carrying capacity.

B. Nitrogen oxides

Anaerobic breakdown of nitrogenous compounds by bacteria, forest fire, lightning and nitrogenous fertilizers.

Causes bifacial necrosis- collapse of leaves and fruits, enhancement of green colour followed by chlorosis.

In humans it causes pulmonary edema and haemorrhage.

C. Hydrocarbos

From accidental spills from chemical manufacturing plants.

Combustion of coal paper,plastic and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Causes abaxial glazing of leaves caused by collapse and plasmolysis of epidermal cells.

D. Lead

Chief sources of Tetraethyl lead which is anti knock additive in fuel.

Chronic exposure leads to stippled red cells, circulatory and nervous disorders.

E. Ammonia

From refrigerator, pre-cooler systems of cold storages, ammonia fertilizers.

Cause bleaching of leaves, rusty spot on leaves, reduction of root and shoot growth, reduce rate of seed germination.

F. Fluoride

Generated similar like gaseous fluorides but less phyto-toxic.

Tip burn in plants.

Calcification of bones and teeth called fluorosis.

G. Carbon dioxide (CO2) 

It is the principle greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and natural gases.

Impairs reflexes, judgment and vision, severe headaches and heart strain.

H. Sulphur Oxide

Thermal power plants and industries are sources.

Impact - Eye and throat irritation, cough, allergies, impairs enzyme function in respiratory system. Reduces exchange of gases from lung surface.

I. Ozone

Major source being Automobile emissions.

Leads to Breathlessness, asthma, wheezing, chest pain, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

J. Radioactive pollutants 

Cosmic rays, x-rays, beta rays, radon and radium.

Destroy living tissues and blood cells; affect cell membrane and cell enzyme functions, leukemia, and permanent genetic changes.

K. Smog

Smog has been coined from a combination of the words fog and smoke. Smog is a condition of fog that had soot or smoke in it.

Industries and vehicular pollution.

Respiratory problems and intense irritation to the eyes.

L. Fly Ash

How Air pollution is measured in India 

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) :

Comprise 12 pollutants, out of which, three pollutants namely PM10, SO2 and NO2 are monitored at 612 locations in 254 cities /towns by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with various State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) for UTs.

12 Pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb, C6H 6(Benzene), Benzo(a) Pyrene (BaP), Arsenic (As), Nickel(Ni)

It was used to decimate information regarding air quality according to Air pollution Act

In 2014 Environment ministry gave a new NAQI.

The National Air Quality Index (AQI) :

One Number - One Colour- One Description.

Technical study was awarded to IIT Kanpur. IIT Kanpur and the Expert Group recommended an AQI scheme.

Six AQI categories, namely Good,Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very Poor, and Severe.

Eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which short-term (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.

Sub-index is calculated for each of these pollutants. The worst sub-index reflects overall AQI.

Measures to Control Air Pollution : 

• different states needs different strategy to curb Air Pollution,

• Reduce traffic and vehicles, 

• Cut dieselization, 

• Scale up integrated public transport, 

• Facilitate walking and cycling, 

• Tax polluting modes,

• Euro VI in 2020 (BS-6),

• Put controls on other pollution sources.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981

• The main objectives of this Act are to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control and abate air pollution in the country.

• Under the Air Act, all industries operating within designated air pollution control areas must obtain a “consent” (permit) from the State Boards.

• The states are required to prescribe emission standards for industry and automobiles after consulting the central board and noting its ambient air quality standards.

2. Water Pollution

Types of Water Pollution

Surface- oceans, lakes, and rivers

Ground- Water stored underground in aquifers

Point source - If pollution comes from a single location, such as a discharge pipe attached to a factory. Eg: Toxic water from a industry

Non point source - water pollution happens not from one single source but from many different scattered sources. 

Eg: sewage release from many villages into river

Trans-boundary - pollution that enters the environment in one place has an effect hundreds or even thousands of miles away. 

Eg: great garbage patch, oil spills.

How to measure is water is polluted ?

1. Chemical indicators – by checking for toxic chemicals in the water.

2. Biological indicators – by looking at the biological diversity in the water.

What Causes Water Pollution

• Sewage, 

• Excess nutrients, 

• Wastewater from industries, 

• Chemical waste, 

• Radioactive waste, 

• Oil pollution, Plastics, 

• Invasive species ,etc.

Effects of water pollution :

Eutrophication

Eutrophication is the natural aging of a lake by nutrient enrichment of its water. 

In a young lake the water is cold and clear, supporting little life. With time, streams draining into the lake introduce nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which encourage the growth of aquatic organisms. As the lake’s fertility increases, plant and animal life burgeons, and organic remains begin to be deposited on the lake bottom

Bio magnification

Bio-magnification refers to increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic levels. This happens because a toxic substance accumulated by an organism cannot be metabolised or excreted, and is thus passed on to the next higher trophic level. This phenomenon is well known for mercury and DDT.

Black Foot Disease

Due to Arsenic Leaching from soil and rocks into drinking water

Asbestosis (No cure)

Chronic lung disease due to Asbestos Pollution

Blue Baby Syndrome

Excess of nitrates reacts with haemoglobin and makes methaemoglobin which impairs oxygen transport

Iodine 131, (thyroid damage)

Iodine 131 from nuclear sites contaminate vegetation and passed on to human and damage thyroid glands

ItaiItai – Ouch Ouch disease

Cadmium pollution causing lung and liver cancer associated with pain

Lead Anaemia

Lead contamination can cause anaemia, loss of muscle power and bluish lines around gums

Minamata 

Crippling effect due to contamination of methyl mercury

Pneumoconiosis/ Black Lung Disease

Occupational lung disease due to inhalation due to coal dust

Silicosis 

Lung disease due to inhalation of silica from sand blasting sites

Skeletal Fluorosis

Fluoride contamination causing teeth deformity, hardening of bones and joint pains

Yokkaichi asthma

Due to sulphur oxide contamination from crude Oil

Remedies for Water Pollution

1) Riparian buffers 

2) Treatment of sewage water and the industrial effluents should be done before releasing it into water bodies. 

3) Hot water should be cooled before release from the power plants.

4) Domestic cleaning in tanks, streams and rivers, which supply drinking water, should be prohibited.

5) Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides should be avoided.

6) Organic farming and efficient use of animal residues as fertilizers.

7) Water hyacinth (an aquatic weed) can purify water by taking some toxic materials and a number of heavy metals from water.

8) Oil spills in water can be cleaned with the help of bregoli – a by-product of paper industry resembling saw dust, oil zapper, micro-organisms.

Steps taken by the Government to address the issues of water pollution

1. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and Amendment, 1988

• The main objective of this act is to provide prevention and control of water pollution and maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness and purity of water (in the streams or wells or on land).

• The Act vests regulatory authority in State Pollution Control Boards and empowers these Boards to establish and enforce effluent standards for factories discharging pollutants into water bodies.

• A Central Pollution Control Board performs the same functions for Union Territories and formulates policies and coordinates activities of different State Boards.

• The State Pollution Control Boards control sewage and industrial effluent discharges by approving, rejecting or impose conditions while granting consent to discharge.

2. Action to comply with effluent standards is taken by SPCBs / PCCs to improve the water quality of the rivers;

3. Issuance of directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to industries and under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; 

4. Implementation of National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) and National Wetland Conservation Programme (NWCP) for conservation and management of identified lakes and wetlands in the country which have been merged in February, 2013 into an integrated scheme of National Plan for Conservation of Aquatic Ecosystems (NPCA) to undertake various conservation activities including interception, diver-sion and treatment of waste water, pollution abate-ment, lake beautification, biodiversity conservation, education and awareness creation, community participation etc.

3. Soil Pollution

Soil is a thin layer of organic and inorganic materials that covers the earth’s rocky surface

Soil pollutant is any factor which deteriorates the quality, texture and mineral content of the soil or which disturbs the biological balance of the organisms in the soil causes :

• Indiscriminate use of fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides and herbicides

• Pollution due to urbanisation

• Dumping large quantities of solid waste

• Deforestation and soil erosion

Effects of Soil Pollution

On Agriculture

- Reduced soil fertility, nitrogen fixation, crop yield.

- Increased salinity and erosion.

On Health

- Bio-magnification

- Leaching and water pollution.

On Environment

- Ecological imbalance and reduced vegetation

Remedies for Soil Pollution

1) Reducing overuse of pesticide and fertilizers – instead use bio pesticide and bio fertilizer and Organic farming

2) Four R’s – Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce

3) Solid waste treatment.

4. Radio Active Pollution

Radioactivity is a phenomenon of spontaneous emission of proton (alpha particles), electrons (beta particles), and gamma rays (short wave EM waves) due to disintegration of atomic nuclei of some elements.

Radioactive pollution occurs when there is presence or depositions of radioactive materials in the atmosphere or environment, especially where their presence is accidental and when it presents an environmental threat due to radioactive decay.

What Causes Radio active Pollution

• Nuclear accidents from nuclear plants

• Nuclear Bombs (Weapons of Mass Destruction)

• Use of radioisotopes in medicine and other applications

• Spillage of radioactive materials in ocean

• Radiation tests

• Cosmic rays

Effects of Radio Active Pollution

- Genetic Mutation- change of genetic material in the future generations

- Diseases like Cancers, leukemia occur due to radiation

- Soil pollution – which may cause biomagnifications

- Cell destruction

- Burns

Remedies for Radio active pollution

1) Proper method of disposal of radioactive waste as per international guidelines

2) Labelling of hazardous radioactive materials and proper usage instructions

3) Banning Nuclear arms tests

4) Shifting to alternative to nuclear energy

5) Proper storage of nuclear waste using containers which can absorb the radiation

6) Reusing the nuclear material and reduce the nuclear waste generated

5. E-Waste

The discarded and end-of-life electronic products rang-ing from computers, equipment used in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), home appli-ances, audio and video products and all of their peripherals are popularly known as Electronic waste (E-waste).

E-waste is not hazardous if it is stocked in safe storage or recycled by scientific methods or transported from one place to the other in parts or in totality in the for-mal sector. The e-waste can, however, be considered hazardous if recycled by primitive methods.

E-Waste Indian Scenario :

In India, among top ten cities, Mumbai ranks first in generating e-waste followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Surat and Nagpur.

• The 65 cities generate more than 60% of the total gen-erated e-waste, whereas, 10 states generate 70% of the total e-waste. 

• Most of the e-waste is recycled in India in unorganized units, which engage significant number of manpower. Recovery of metals by primitive means is a most haz-ardous act.

Pollutants :

Lead

Source: used in glass panels and soldered electronic circuits.

Causes damage to central and peripheral nervous system and kidneys.

Cadmium

From SMD chip resistors, infrared detectors and CRT.

Causes accumulation in body especially kidneys.

Mercury

From thermostats ,sensors, relays , switches, flat display panels

Damage organs including brain and kidneys.

Chromium

From corrosion protector in galvanised steel plates, Dioxin is released when PVC plastic is burnt.

Cause damage to DNA and dangerous to environment.

Brominated Flame Retardants

From plastic housing of electronic equipment to prevent flames

Cause neural disorders

Barium

Soft silvery white metal used to protect users from radiation from display

Causes brain swelling, muscle weakness.

Beryllium

Found in motherboards and finger clips, copper-beryllium alloy to strengthen connectors.

Cause lung cancer, skin disease.

6. Plastic Pollution

The plastics waste constitutes two major categories of plastics – Thermoplastics and Thermoset plastics.

Thermoplastics constitute 80% and Thermoset constitutes approximately 20% of total post-consumer plastics waste generated in India.

The Thermoplastics are recyclable plastics which include; Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE), Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polypropylene(PP), Polystyrene (PS) etc.

The Thermoset plastics contains alkyd, epoxy, ester, melamine formaldehyde, phenol formaldehyde, silicon, urea formaldehyde, polyurethane, metalized and multilayer plastics etc.

Change in Plastic Waste Management Rules:

- The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change amended the Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016)

- According to the amendment, manufacturers, suppliers, and sellers of plastic (and plastic products) across the nation will now be required to phase out, over a period of two years, all such products which have no alternative use or are non-recyclable and non-energy recoverable

- This move was preceded by a state-wide ban in Maharashtra on the manufacture, usage, sale (wholesale and retail), distribution, storage and import of plastic bags and all disposable products made out of plastic.