MODULE 2

ENVIRONMENT
 SOURCE OF AIR POLLUTION

• Natural – Dust, Pollen grains, volcanic eruptions, forest fires,

bacteria and other microorganisms

• Man-made – Industrial units, thermal power plants, automobile

exhausts, fossil fuel burning, nuclear explosions
 Types of Air pollutants
1)Gaseous Pollutants- CO2,CO,NH4,Sox,NOx,
CFC
2)Particulate Matter: PM1.PM2.5,PM10

Where :
PM : Particulate matter
1,2.5,10: aerodynamic diameter in micro meter.
 TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION
1. Natural & Man-made (Anthropogenic) air pollution

2. Outdoor & Indoor air pollution

3. Primary & secondary air pollution

4. Gaseous & Particulate matter air pollution

 EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON HEALTH
1. Eye, nose & throat irritation
2. Increase mortality rate
3. CO readily combines with haemoglobin in blood replacing oxygen
4. Causes cancer, asthma, bronchitis

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON PLANTS & ANIMALS

5. Suppressed growth & premature ageing in plants
6. Leaf bleaching
7. Acid deposition damages aquatic life
8. Respiratory problems in animals
9. Migration of seasonal birds

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON MATERIALS

10. Reduces visibility due to smog formation
11. Acid deposition corrodes metals, discolour buildings & clothes
 CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION
1. Use raw materials with less pollutants

2. Use better methods for removal of toxic & harmful pollutants

3. Implement effective legislation for controlling pollution from industry as well

as vehicles

4. Ensure exhausts are in the same direction of the winds for easy dispersal

5. Afforestation programmes

6. Periodic air quality monitoring

7. Promotion of use of renewable energy sources

8. Use of catalytic converters

9. Use of scrubbers
WATER POLLUTION
 WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers,

oceans, aquifers and groundwater). This form of environmental
degradation occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged
into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful
compounds.
SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTANTS
 WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS/CHARACTERISTICS
Physical characteristics –
 Temperature
 TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)
 TSS (Total Suspended Solids)
 Settleable solids
 Turbidity
 color

Chemical characteristics –
 pH
 DO
 Presence of nitrogen, chlorine & other chemicals
 Hardness
 chlorides

Biological characteristics –
 Coliform index
 Most probable number(MPN)
 SUSTAINABLE WASTWATER TREATMENT

1)Adsorption- To remove color

2)Oxidation pond.
3)Oxidation ditch
4)Septic tank
5)Soak pit
6)Wetlands
 Adsorption
 Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions or
molecules from a gas, liquid or dissolved solid
to a surface. This process creates a film of the
adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This
process differs from absorption, in which a
fluid (the absorbate) is dissolved by or
permeates a liquid or solid (the absorbent).
 Oxidation ditch
 oxidation ditch is a modified activated sludge
biological treatment process that uses long
solids retention times (SRTs) to remove
biodegradable organics.
 The typical oxidation ditch is equipped with
aeration rotors or brushes that provide aeration
and circulation.
 Septic tank
 A septic tank is an underground chamber made
of concrete, fiberglass, or plastic through
which domestic wastewater (sewage) flows for
basic sewage treatment.
 Settling and anaerobic digestion processes
reduce solids and organics, but the treatment
efficiency is only moderate
 Soak Pit
 soak pit is an underground chamber that
allows pre-treated wastewater from a septic
tank to slowly soak into the ground.
 It is designed with a layer of sand and gravel
at the bottom to disperse the flow and is
typically 1.5-4m deep with a casing of coarse
sand.
Soak Pit
 Wetlands –
• Places of natural water treatment & it supports biodiversity

• Storm water runoff reach wetlands & plants in the region do the
purification

• When water reaches the wetland, flow becomes slow & the soil filters out
large particles

• Can be artificially created

• Flow pattern should be similar to that of

natural flow

• Good water control to maintain the

quality, quantity & depth of flow
 SOLID WASTES
“Unwanted or useless solid materials generated from residential, industrial
& commercial activities in a given area”

SOURCES:
 Household waste (Municipal solid waste)
 Industrial waste
 Bio medical waste or Hospital waste
 Hazardous waste
 E WASTE

IMPACTS OF SOILD WASTES

On Land Environment –
 Deteriorate soil quality, Irreversible soil erosion & decrease in vegetation
 Breeding grounds for rats, flies etc
 Land value of areas near by solid waste dump site will be low
 Public nuisance
 Contamination of soil by heavy metals cause adverse effect on humans,
 SOLID WASTES
IMPACTS OF SOILD WASTES

On Water Environment –
 Rainwater runoff from solid waste dumps contaminate other surface
water sources
 Leachate (liquid discharge from waste) harm aquatic habitats & pollute
ground water
 High nutrient content in waste deplete dissolved oxygen in water,
denying oxygen for aquatic life
 Health & safety issues for humans & animals

On Air Environment –
 Waste decomposes & release bad odour causing rise in health problems
 Generation of greenhouse gases from solid wastes – climatic change
 Deteriorates the existing ambient air quality in nearby areas of open soil
waste dumping
 Open dumps are breeding ground to mosquitoes
 Health risks to workers involved with waste experience
 ZERO WASTE CONCEPT
“100% Reuse & recycling rate coupled with recovery of all resources from
waste materials”

Zero waste seeks:

 Maximum recycling
 Minimise waste
 Reduce consumption
 Ensure products can be reused, repaired or recycled back to nature

Principle:

• Living organisms consume resources & produce wastes

• Waste for one species is food for another
• In ecosystem all wastes are continually recycled
• Shift from linear conventional resource use & disposal culture to a
‘closed loop’ system
 ZERO WASTE CONCEPT
Activities for attaining zero waste concept –

• Redesign products & packaging for durability, reuse & recycle

• To implement zero waste zone, more manpower requirement

• Usually product price include – material cost, manufacturing cost &

transportation cost. For environmental friendly product – include cost
to reach zero waste

• Subsidies to industries using virgin raw materials should be stopped

Examples:
• Bagasse – waste product from sugar industry is used in pulp and paper
industry

• Left-over material after extraction of oil from seeds is used as cattle

feed
 FOUR ‘R’ CONCEPT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
 REDUCE
 REUSE
 RECYCLE
 RECOVERY

RECOVERY
 FOUR ‘R’ CONCEPT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
 REDUCE –

• Minimize the waste generation by using minimal resources

• Do not use what you do not need
• Low waste or no waste society

 REUSE –

• Reuse elements of the discarded items again

• Waste from one industry should be a valuable resource for another
industry
Example:
1. Cloth rags from textile industry used by paper & other industries
2. Bagasse, waste product from sugar industry used in pulp & paper
industry
3. Left over material after oil extraction from seeds used as cattle feed
 FOUR ‘R’ CONCEPT OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
 RECYCLE –

• Generated waste or discarded materials which cannot be used in

original form can be sent back to industries to be broken down to make
a new product

• Recycling reduces the amount of waste that is thrown

• Waste materials that cannot be recycled should be disposed of in a

proper manner with minimum impact on environment
RECOVERY
Recovery of waste means any operation the principal result of
which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other
materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a
particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that
function, in the plant or in the wider economy
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Resource Degradation –

“Resource” - any useful information, material or service in general which

are required for the survival, comfort and prosperity of human beings

Natural resources – components of environment (atmosphere,

hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere)

Human resources – human wisdom, experience, skill, labour etc

Types of natural resources:

• Exhaustible (non-renewable) resources
• Inexhaustible (renewable) resources

Resource degradation means depletion of natural resources

 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Resource Degradation –

 Degradation of forest resources:

Causes –
• Population explosion
• Agriculture
• Poverty
• Mining
• Forest fires
• Developmental projects

Ill effects –
• Soil erosion
• Biodiversity loss
• Food insecurity
• Global warming
• Frequent floods and droughts
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Resource Degradation –

 Degradation of forest resources:

Measures taken –
• Sustainable forest management
• Involve local communities in joint forest management
• Making the existing forest protection legislations strict
• Creating awareness among the public

 Degradation of water resources

Causes –
• Exploding population and better life style
• Fresh water scarcity due to human activities
• Extreme weather conditions
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Resource Degradation –

 Degradation of water resources

Ill effects –
• Loss of integrity of fresh water ecosystems
• Pollution of water bodies
• Water-borne diseases
• Depletion of aquatic life and other biodiversity

Measures taken –
• Recharge ground water by harvesting rain water
• Reuse water for whatever possible
• Prevent flow of waste water into natural water resources
• Protect forests to protect rivers, lakes etc
 GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Resource Degradation –

 Degradation of food resources:

Causes –
• Fertilisers
• Pesticides
• Water logging
• Salinity

Ill effects –
• Fertiliser runoff
• Soil damage
• Health problems
• Eutrophication
• Contaminates food stuff
GREEN HOUSE EFFECT –

Majority of earth’s atmosphere – N2 and O2 which are not good greenhouse

gases

Earth’s surface absorbs the visible light and emits the thermal radiation of
IR

Heat trapping gases – Greenhouse gases –efficient in absorbing IR light

H2O, CO2 , N2O, NH4

CO2 is removed by:

• Plants absorb CO2 for photosynthesis
• Absorption by oceans

Rate of production is faster than rate of removal – adverse effect on climate

– “Greenhouse effect”
 Global Warming
• The presence of the atmosphere provides a natural green
house effect on the earth which maintains the earth’s average
surface temperature as 14 °C by the absorption of heat from
sunlight by its constituent gases.
• If this natural green house effect were absent, the average
temperature of the earth surface would have been about −19
°C.
• Industries, automobiles and other human activities expel
large quantities of such greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere.
• This causes more heating and increase in average
temperature of earth’s surface due to the increased green
house effect.
• This phenomenon is known as global warming
 Climate Change

• There are statistical distributions of weather

patterns on earth over a period of a large
number of years.
• The persisting changes observed in these
patterns are known as climate change.
• Climate change causes negative effects in many
spheres.
• The existence of living beings and the
sustainability of the quality and quantity of
resources are directly connected to climate
change.
 Climate Change Examples
 Change in weather patterns
 Drought
 Excess rain
 Melting of glaciers
 Rising sea level
 Increased earth temperature
CARBON CREDITS & CARBON TRADING
UN Agreement – Kyoto Protocol
 Reduce GHG emissions by highly industrialized countries

Three flexible mechanisms –

1. Emissions Trading: International transfer of GHG emission allocations

between highly industrialized countries

2. Clean Development Mechanism – CDM creates carbon credits called

Certified Emission Reductions (CER) The developed countries can
purchase CER to make up the excess emissions with the help of
developing countries

3. Joint Implementation (JI) – Any developed country can invest in

emission reduction projects in any other developed country for
reducing emissions
BASICS OF CARBON CREDIT
• When energy is derived from fossil fuels such as oil, coal, gas etc it
releases carbon and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the
atmosphere

• Key contributors to climate change

• Carbon credit or carbon offset – It is a financial unit of measurement

that represent the removal of one ton of carbon dioxide equivalent
from the atmosphere

• Carbon offsetting on its own will not provide a solution to climate

change but it helps in successfully establishing a path to a low carbon
economy
CARBON MARKET
• Compliance carbon market is aimed at most “energy intensive”
emitters

• “Energy intensive” emitters – Emitters who are obligated to reduce their

emissions which include power stations, oil refineries, paper & pulp
industries

• Voluntary carbon market voluntarily reduce their carbon emissions

• Recognised international standards – GOLD STANDARD – that monitor

and verify the quality and validity of the carbon credits that are traded
in carbon markets

• Emission trading – “Cap and Trade” , is a market based approach to

address climate change
CARBON MARKET
• The basic principle involves setting a limit on the total quantity of GHG
emissions allowed to be released over a given period of time – This is
‘cap’

• The ‘trading’ part establishes a market which permit allowing

organizations to buy and sell depending on whether they have a
shortfall or surplus in GHG allowances

CARBON FOOTPRINT
• It is a measure of the exclusive total amount of carbon dioxide
emissions that is directly and indirectly caused by an activity/product or
that is accumulated over the full life cycle of a product/activity

• Carbon footprint is calculated as carbon dioxide equivalent using the

relevant 100 year global warming potential (GWP 100)
CARBON FOOTPRINT
• Carbon footprint is a sum of two parts – primary footprint and
secondary footprint

• Primary footprint – It is a measure of our direct emissions of carbon

dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels including domestic energy
consumption and transportation. We have direct control of these
emissions

• Secondary footprint – It is the measure of the indirect carbon dioxide

emissions from the whole life cycle of products we use – those that are
associated with their manufacture and eventual break down.

• Carbon footprint is an effective tool for energy and environmental

management

• It is used as an environmental indicator to understand and quantify the

main emission sources
FACTORS AFFECTING CARBON FOOTPRINT
1. Population – more people lead to more carbon

2. Energy efficiency – High energy efficiency leads to lesser amount of

carbon emissions

3. Energy structure – The amount of carbon emissions is closely related

to the source of energy. For example – Among fossil fuels such as coal,
petrol, natural gas etc. Natural gas will emit the lowest amount of GHG
and coal emits the largest amount of GHG while consuming the same
amount of energy

4. Type of economic development – Compared to the capital intensive

form of economic development, a labour intensive form of economic
development gives off lesser amount of carbon emissions
CARBON FOOTPRINT
Three main methodologies under development for assessing carbon
footprint are:
 Environmentally Expanded Input-output (EEIO) analysis
 Life cycle Assessment (LCA)
 Hybrid approaches

WAYS AND MEANS TO REDUCE CARBON FOOTPRINT

• Four ‘R’ concept – Reduce, Reuse ,Recycle and Recovery
• Drive less or walk to a destination nearby. For far off distance include
mass transportation option in the area
• Use less air conditioning and heating at homes
• Planting trees reduce carbon footprint – one tree will absorb one ton of
carbon dioxide over its life time
• Use of renewable resources
• Replacing traditional bulbs with fluorescent bulbs saves energy which in
turn reduces carbon footprint
 Carbon Sequestration
• Carbon sequestration is the process of
capturing and storing atmospheric carbon
dioxide.
• It is one method of reducing the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere with the goal
of reducing global climate change.
 Carbon Sequestration by trees
Trees reduce the amount of carbon in the
atmosphere by sequestering carbon in new
growth every year.
As a tree grows, it stores more carbon by holding
it in its accumulated tissue.
The amount of carbon annually sequestered is
increased with the size and health of the trees.
 Ocean carbon sequestration
• Ocean carbon sequestration (OCS) is a method to
distribute CO2 more evenly throughout ocean
depth and minimize surface ocean impacts.
• Ocean carbon sequestration was conceived as a
method to distribute CO2 more evenly throughout
the ocean column, especially into deep ocean
waters, and minimize surface ocean impacts
while the ocean CO2 levels equilibrate with the
atmosphere
Ocean carbon sequestration
 Carbon Capture and storage(CCS)
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is a way of
reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which could
be key to helping to tackle global warming .
How does CCS actually work?
• 1. Capturing the CO2 for storage
• The CO2 is separated from other gases produced in industrial processes,
such as those at coal and natural-gas-fired power generation plants or steel
or cement factories.
• 2. Transport
• The CO2 is then compressed and transported via pipelines, road transport
or ships to a site for storage.
• 3. Storage
• Finally, the CO2 is injected into rock formations deep underground for
permanent storage.
Carbon Capture and storage(CCS)
 ISO 14000
ISO 14000 is a set of standards created to help
companies around the world reduce their adverse
impact on the environment. It’s a framework for
improved and more environmentally-conscious
quality management systems by organizations large
and small.
 According to the ISO 14000 , every industry
should have its own environmental policy.
 ISO 14000
• ISO 14000 includes standards that cover
aspects of management practices inside
facilities, in the immediate environment
around the facilities, and during the life cycle
of the actual product.
• This includes understanding the impact of
the raw materials used to create the product
as well as the impact of its eventual disposal.
 ISO 14000
• Benefits of ISO 14000
• Obtaining ISO 14000 certification can be considered
a sign of a commitment to the environment, which
can be used as a marketing tool for companies. It
may also help companies meet environmental
regulations that are imposed by governments in
which they do business.
• ISO 14000 certification can open the doors to new
business. Some companies prefer to use suppliers
that are ISO 14000–certified suppliers.
 Environmental policy
• Environmental policy is the commitment of
an organization or government to the laws,
regulations, and other policy mechanisms
concerning environmental issues. These
issues generally include air and
water pollution, waste management,
ecosystem management, maintenance of
biodiversity, the management of
natural resources, wildlife and
endangered species.
Environmental policy
 Life cycle Analysis (LCA)
• An LCA is a systematic analysis of environmental
impact over the course of the entire life cycle of a
product, material, process, or other measurable
activity.
• LCA models the environmental implications of the
many interacting systems that make up industrial
production.
• When accurately performed, it can provide valuable
data that decision-makers can use in support of
sustainability initiatives.
 Life cycle Analysis (LCA)
• The results of an LCA can help businesses, policymakers, and
other organizations make more informed decisions to advance
towards sustainability.

 The life cycle that describes most manufacturing today is as

follows:
•material extraction
•production
•packaging and distribution
•use
•end of use
•waste treatment or recovery
 Bio mimicking
• Biomimicry is learning from and then emulating
nature's forms, processes, and ecosystems to create
more sustainable designs.
• Perhaps the most famous example of biomimicry
is Velcro.
• Mosquito Proboscis Inspired A Less Painful Needle.
• How the Humpback Fins Inspired more Efficient
Wind Turbines
• Sharkskin Inspired a High-Tech Swim Fabric.