INTRODUCTION TO

ENVIRONMENT

Prof. Bhagvat
Zolapara
ENVIRONMEN
T

The word “Environment” is derived from the French

word “Environner” that means to encircle or surround.
All the biological and non-biological things
surrounding an organism are thus included in
environment.
Environment can be defined as:
External surroundings and conditions which directly or
indirectly affects the living organism.
It can also be defined as:
Environment is sum total of water, air, land,
interrelationship among themselves and also with
human beings, other living organisms and property.
 Types of Environment

BIOTIC ABIOTIC

Made up all living

organisms(plant, All physical factor like
animals temperature, humidity
and microorganisms) water soil, minerals,
including their reaction, gases etc.
interactions and
interrelated actions.
ENVIRONMETAL FACTOR OR ECOLOGICAL
FACTOR
Any constitutes of the environment which
directly or indirectly affects the growth and
development of an organisms is called
environmental or ecological factor

E.g. climatic factor, biotic factor, fire, edaphic

(related to soil) factors
ECOLOGY
The word ecology is derived from two greek words
“oikos” meaning house, habitation or place of living and
“logos” meanings ‘study’.
Ecology is the study of interrelationship between living
organisms and their physical and biological
environment.
Physical environment includes light and heat or solar
radiation, moisture, wind, oxygen, carbon dioxide,
nutrients is in soil, water and atmosphere.
The biological environment includes organisms of all
kind as well as plants and animals.
 ECOSYSTEMS
Ecosystem is made up of two words “eco” and “system”. Eco means
environment and system means an interacting and interdependent
complex.

Definition of Ecosystem
1. The organisms of any community besides interacting among
themselves, always have functional relationship with the
environment. The structural and functional system of communities
and environment is called ecological system.

2. It is a community of interdependent organisms together with the

environment.

3. Any unit that includes all of the organisms in a given area

interacting with the physical environment, so that a flow of energy
leads to clearly defined trophic structure, biotic diversity and
material cycles within the system.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Environment science is the study of earth, air, water,
living organisms and the man with his impact on
environment.
It is highly multidisciplinary integrating disciplines of
physical, chemical and biological sciences, geology,
mathematics, sociology etc.
Branches of biology like Botany, zoology,
Microbiology, Genetics, Biochemistry helps in
understanding the biotic components and their
interactions.
CONT….
SCOPE OF ENVIRONEMTAL STUDIES
1. Natural resources-their conservation and
management.
2. Ecology and biodiversity
3. Environment pollution and control
4. Social issues in relation to development and
environment.
5. Human population and environment

Environmental studies can highly specialized also which

may concentrate or more technical aspects like
Environmental science, Environmental engineering,
environmental management etc.
CONT……..
Environment belongs to all and in this important for all.
Whatever be the occupation or age of a person, he or she will
be affected by environment by his or her deeds. Thus, the
environment is one subject that actually global in nature.
Environment studies is also very important science it deals
with the most basic or routine issues like safe and clean
drinking water, hygienic living conditions, clean and fresh air,
fertile land, healthy food and development that is sustainable.
Environment studies helps to solve biggest environmental
problems like acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion
and resources depletion.
ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION
It deals with man’s relationship with his natural and man made
surrounding, including the relation of population growth, pollution,
resource allocation and depletion, conservation technology with the
total human environment.
It is the study of factors influencing ecosystems, mental and physical
health, living and working conditions and pollution.
It has very important role to play in dealing with the global and
local issues of environment.
It is important in developing awareness about the consequences and
the challenges which arise due to man handling the environment.
It also help in improving the attitude towards environment and in
understanding the environment in a better way.
It also improves the skills pertaining to conservation of resources
and maintaining ecological balance and sustainable development
OBJECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

To increase awareness and sensitivity to total

environment.
To increase the knowledge of environment.
To improve attitude towards environment.
To provide motivation for environmental protection.
To increase participation and to develop a sense of
responsibility and urgency regarding environmental
problems and to ensure appropriate actions to solve the
problems.
PRINCIPLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

It consider environment in totality

It is not a short learning process but it requires a holistic
approach as it is multidisciplinary in nature.
Environmental hazards are controllable and every citizen has a
moral obligation and towards this.
Education can be given to all section of societies
Promote the value and necessity of cooperation at personal,
local and national level in the prevention of environmental
problems and solution for it.
Help learner to discover the systems and causes of
environmental problems.
Concerns of environment are concerns of several agencies and
everybody should work together.
COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
Environment can be divided in to 4
parts
1. Atmosphere
2. Hydrosphere
3. Lithosphere
4. Biosphere
ATMOSPHER
E

Atmosphere = mixture of (gases +vapor +

subatomic particles) that entirely covers the earth
extending outward several kilometers.
Major gases:
GASES % CONCENTRATION
N2 78%
O2 21%
Ar 0.9 – 1 %
Others 0.01 – 0.1 %

Others include CO2, Ne, He, CH4, H2, CO, O3

STRUCTURE OF ATMOSPHERE
STRUCTURE OF DISTANCE, Km TEMPERATURE, ºC PROPERTIES
ATMOSPHERE

Troposphere 10-11 20 to -56º Presence of

Nitrogen,
Oxygen,
Water vapor,
existence of
clouds
Stratosphere 11-55 -56 to -2º Presence of
Ozone
Mesosphere 55-80 -2º to -92º Nitric Oxide,
Coldest region
Thermosphere 85-500 -92º to 1200º The heating in
this layer due to
absorption of
solar energy
Exosphere 500 - infinite > 1200º Less Air and
contains
hydrogen in
ionized state
HYDROSPHERE
Water environment
70% of earth is covered water
Water: Sea Ocean, lake, River, glaciers
It is estimates 1360 million cubic kmof
water.
Out of this 97 % Ocean and sea, 2%in
glaciers and ice caps, 1% fresh water
LITHOSPHERE
The outer soil crust of the earth is lithosphere
The living organisms, plant, and vegetation are
supported by the lithosphere.
It also contains resources like minerals, organic as well
as inorganic matter and to some extend of air and
water.
It plays an important role as it not only produces food
for human beings and animals, but also the
decomposition of organic wastes is carried out by a host
of microorganisms in the soil.
BIOSPHERE
Thin outer crust
Includes living organism and their environment
It extends from the lowest sea bed level to about 24 km of the
atmosphere.
Biosphere= Lithosphere+Hydrosphere+atmosphere
The life supporting resources are also available from
biosphere
The waste products in gases, liquids and solids waste forms
are discharged into biosphere.
Though the sustaining and assimilative capacity of the
biosphere is tremendous but it is not infinite.
The system is in operation for millions of years but now it is
showing stress, primarily due to impact of human upon
ENVIRONMETAL POLLUTION
Pollutant: For normal and healthy living a conductive
environment is required by all the living beings. The
favourable unpolluted or clean environment has a
specified composition.

When this composition gets changed by addition of

harmful substances, the environment is called
polluted environment and the substance polluting it
is called pollutant
 ENVIRONMETAL POLLUTION
Environmental Pollution: Any undesirable changes in the
physical, chemical or biological characteristics of any
components of the environment(air, water, soil) which
can cause harmful effects on various forms of life or
property.

The various types of pollutants are:

1. Air Pollution
2. Noise Pollution
3. Water Pollution
4. Land Pollution
5. Thermal Pollution
INTERACTION BETWEEN DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF
ENVIRONMENTAL

ATMOSPHERE

LITHOSPHERE BIOSPHERE

HYDROSPHERE
INTERACTION B/W DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF ENVIRONMENT
Circle indicate sphere and curved arrow indicates the flow path
of matter.
There is closed, dynamic, inseparable, organic coupling or
interrelationship among environment components.
If one components changes, other component respond.
Every sphere has two way linkages to every other sphere
including itself.
The two way linkages matter flow one component to another
component to both direction.
Some arrow show transfer within a given components from one
location indicating movement of the substance from one physical
location to another without leaving the sphere.
Since the matter cannot be destroyed or created, the major
objective is to find the location and chemical form of the
substance at any given time
CONT….
Atmosphere – transport component to receptor – storage capacity
small – great capacity for spatially redistributing matter.

Hydrosphere- classified 2 sub component

It Convey to rivers system which collects the substances within the
watershed and delivers then to second subcomponent to ocean

Lithosphere: solid shell of inorganic materials on the

surface of the earth.
It composed soil particles + under laying rocks downs to the depth
of 50 km. Soil biochemicalreactions by microorganisms are
responsible for most of the chemicals changes of matter

Biosphere: thin shell of organic matter +comprising all living beings

– It is sum total of Hydrosphere + Lithosphere+ atmosphere
IMPACT OF HUMAN ON ENVIRONMENT OR IMPACT OF
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT ON ENVIRONMENT

Natural forces disturb quality of environment.

Increase the comfort started disturbing each and every
component of environment
Cutting of trees
Hunting/Killing of animals
Large scale deforestation
Burning of fire
Grass crop waste
Endangering the species
Industrial revolution
Use of fossil fuel more..
Vehicle pollution
Major environmental issues: Global warming, Ozone layer
depletion, acid rain, population explosion
IMPACT OF URBANIZATION IN VARIOUS
COMPONENT OF ENVIRONENT
 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Environmental degradation:
“The overall lowering of environmental qualities due to damaged caused by both
natural events and human activities in the basic structure of the environment at
local, regional and global levels adversely affecting all living organisms including
man”.
Reason:
1. Increase of population growth
2. Rapid deforestation
3. Industrialization
4. Unplanned urbanization
5. Nuclear explosion
6. Releasing toxic gases from atmosphere
7. Power plants
8. Natural activity
9. Consumption of natural resources by over population of the developing
countries
10. Wasteful over consumption of resources by developed countries

Effects:
Destruction of environment stability and ecology balance
Natural activity like forest fire. Deforestation, earthquake, floods, volcanic eruption
 CONT…
Impact can be calculate by following equation

I=PxAxT

Where,
I= Impact
P= Population size
T= Degradation pollution caused per unit of resources used
A=Per capita consumption of resources
In developing countries Ps or P3 i.e. population, poverty and
pollution are key factor for rapid environmental
urbanization which cause high rate degradation
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
SD is the need of present with compromising the need of
future generation,
In other words, ever generation should leave air, water and
soil as pure and unpolluted as possible. Although it is a
difficult thing, it can be achieved through proper
environmental management.
To meet basic requirement with increase of population,
industrialization is must, but it results in pollution,
environmental degradation andcauses ecology
unbalance.
As the same time industrialization create job opportunity,
rises the standard of living and solve unemployment problem.
So require balance between environment and development
simultaneously, to achieve goal SD is only answer.
 CONT…
SD can be done if following concept are taken care of:
Control of pollution
Reduction of excessive use of resources
Resource conservation
Use renewable energy sources
Recycling and reuse of material for waste
minimization
Use cleaner fuel and technology
Concentrating more on social and economic
development of the community
Development of good mass transport facility to reduce
pollution
By using effective management tool like
Environmental management system like ISO 14001,
Environment Impact assessment (EIA) etc.
 IMPORTANT
QUESTIONS
a) What are the components of Environment? Explain by
drawing sketch.
b) Explain the impact of technology and
development on environment.
c) Explain interrelationship between various components of the
environments.
d) Give the composition of atmosphere.
e) Explain the importance of environmental education.
Discuss the impact of human on environment.
f) What is relationship between man and environment? Do you
think that man has protected environment?
g) Write a short note on “environmental degradation”
h) Define the terms: Environment, Biosphere, Biomes,
Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Ozone layer, Biotic and
Abiotic components
i) What is the role of Environmental Engineer?
j) Explain the IPAT Equation.
k) What a Sustainable development? How it can be achieved?
Thank
you