Pollution management Glossary

Pollution
The addition of a substance or agent to an environment by
human activity at a harmful rate which affects the organisms
within the environment
Point source pollution
The release of pollutants from a single, clearly identifiable
source (factory chimney)
Eg: water pollution from oil refinery waste water outlet
Noise pollution from jet engine
Light pollution from intrusive street light
Thermal pollution from industries
Radio emissions from an interference producing electrical
device
Non-point source pollution
The release of pollutants from numerous, widely dispersed
origins (gases from the exhaust systems of vehicles)
It is cumulative result of our everyday personal actions and
our local use policies.
Eg: Indirect discharge of water into water like urban runoff
and agriculture runoff
Major sources of pollutants
Combustion of fossil fuels, domestic and industrial waste,
manufacturing and agricultural systems
Describe two direct methods of monitoring pollution
One method for air and one for soil or water
air pollution:
-measure the acidity of rain water to determine levels of
-measure CO2, CO, or NOx levels in the atmosphere using a
gas sensor
-measure particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere
soil pollution:
-conduct tests for nitrates and phosphates
-measure the level of organic matter in the soil
water pollution:
-nitrate and phosphate tests
-fecal coliform tests
-tests for heavy metals
Methods of checking water quality:
Trace metal analysis, nutrient analysis, cation/anion analysis,
pesticides and related substances, metal analysis, physical
parameters, microbial indicators
Biochemical oxygen demand

Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen

used by microorganisms(eg; aerobic bacteria) living in a water
sample.
high BOD indicates there are many organisms using oxygen
for respiration, low BOD indicates relatively few organisms
needing oxygen for respiration
high BOD = low DO levels = high pollutant levels, especially
nitrate & phosphate
low BOD = high DO levels = low pollutant levels
Procedure:
The sample bottle stored in paper bag should be placed in
dark and incubated for 5 days at 20 degree Celsius(room
temp). After 5 days dissolved oxygen of sample is determined
by repeating steps of treatment procedure and all steps of
titration and clean up.
Indirect method of measuring pollution levels using Biotic
index.
Biotic index : scale showing quality of anvironment by
indicating types of organisms present in it( measures from 1
to 10)

Tubifex( worm) and rat tailed maggot indicates severe

pollution
Outline approaches to pollution management.
3-tiered approach to pollution management- "replace,
regulate, and restore" model
-change the human activity that generates the pollutant in the
first place
-minimize the amount of the pollutant released into the
environment
-clean up the pollutant and the affected areas
Evaluate the costs and benefits to society of the World
Health Organization's ban on the use of the pesticide DDT.
Costs: mosquitoes have developed resistance to DDT, human
health concerns from exposure, loss of biodiversity
Benefits: kills mosquitoes which spread malaria, so malaria
rates decrease, cheap, persistent (lasts a long time), effective

Debating a global ban on DDT

Processes of eutrophication
-increase of nitrates and phosphates leading to rapid growth
of algae
-accumulation of dead organic matter
-high rate of decomposition and lack of oxygen
Positive feedback processes.
Increase in inputs of nutrients entering lake, increase algae
productivity, increase in dead organic matter due to increase
in decomposer, decomposers respire causing increase in
oxygen demand, but decline in oxygen level cause death of
organisms.
Impacts of eutrophication
-death of aerobic organisms
-collapse of food chains and loss of species diversity
-water contaminated with nitrites
Pollution management strategies for eutrophication
Minimize the amount of nutrients being released into the
system by:
limiting production/use of detergents containing phosphates,
create buffer zones between agricultural land and water
sources, prevent animal waste from leaching into
groundwater and rivers/streams
Treat the polluted area by:
pumping air into the water source, divert or treat sewage
properly, dredge (dig up) contaminated sediments, physically
remove algal blooms

Types of solid domestic waste

Paper, glass, plastics, organic waste, packaging
Pollution management management strategies for solid
domestic waste
Reduce(packaging),Reuse(second hand materials)Recycling,
incineration, composting, and landfills
Overall structure and composition of the atmosphere
From top to bottom: exosphere, thermosphere, mesosphere,
stratosphere, troposphere
Role of ozone in the absorption of ultraviolet radiation
UV radiation is absorbed during the formation and
destruction of ozone from oxygen.
Interaction between ozone and halogenated organic gases
(CFCs)
CFCs are very stable under normal conditions, but can break
down when exposed to UV radiation in the stratosphere. The
halogen atoms that are released then react with monatomic
oxygen and slow the rate of ozone re-formation. Pollutants
enhance the destruction of ozone, thereby disturbing the
equilibrium of the ozone production system.
Effects of UV radiation on living tissues and biological
productivity
mutations, sunburn, skin cancer
interferes with photosynthesis in producers, especially
phytoplankton. Their consumers, zooplankton, then gain less
energy from phytoplankton, and the food chain suffers
(productivity decreases)
Methods of reducing the manufacture and release of ozonedepleting substances
Recycling refrigerants, alternatives to gas-blown plastics,
alternative propellants, ban use of nitrous oxide
Describe and evaluate the role of national and international
organizations in reducing the emissions of ozone-depleting
substances.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),
1987 Montreal Protocol: international agreement on the
emission of ozone-depleting substances, froze production and
consumption of CFC's with goal of zero production by year
2000, LEDC's granted a longer time to implement the treaty,
China and India have not met their quotas under the MP
because of their rapid economic growth and high demand for
refrigeration & AC's, good example of a successful
international cooperative effort to alter human impact on the
environment.

Source of ozone in the atmosphere

When fossil fuels are burned, two of the pollutants emitted
are hydrocarbons and nitric oxide (NO). NO reacts with
oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a brown gas that
contributes to smog. NO2 can also absorb sunlight and break
up to release oxygen atoms that combine with oxygen in the
air to form ozone.
Effects of ozone
Ozone is a toxic gas and oxidizing agent. It damages crops and
forests, irritates eyes, can cause breathing difficulties in
humans, may increase susceptibility to infection. It is highly
reactive and can attack fabrics and rubber materials.
Formation of photochemical smog
Photochemical smog is a mixture of about one hundred
primary and secondary pollutants formed under the influence
of sunlight. Ozone is the main pollutant.
Pollution management strategies for urban air pollution
reducing demand for electricity and private cars, switching to
renewable energy
Formation of acid rain
Conversion of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the
sulfates and nitrates of dry deposition, and the sulfuric and
nitric acids of wet deposition.
Effects of acid deposition on soil
One direct effect (acid on aquatic organisms), one toxic effect
(aluminium ions on fish), one nutrient effect (leaching of
calcium)
Pollution management strategies for acid deposition
Reduce fossil fuel consumption, switching to renewable
energy, clean-up measures at points of emission
Why is the effect of acid rain regional rather than global?
Acid precipitation falls back to Earth rather than entering
stratospheric jet stream; most areas are downwind of
pollution sources (Canadian forests damaged by coal-fired
power plants in USA, Scandinavian and German forests
damaged by British coal plants)
Transect sampling, this is used to measure abiotic and biotic components of an
ecosystem, along the environmental gradient
Line transect sampling can be used to it can be done using a nylon rope to study
the components of environment to study the environment gradient.

Measuring light, light meter, limitations: cloud cover, changes during the day.
Thermometer, limitations should be obtained at standard pressure
pH meter probe, should be cleaned between each reading
Anemometer, dusty conditions and consistent wind speed
Sieve (particle measurer) time consuming
Clinometer
Soil moisture probe, weight loss method
Loss of ignition (soil mineral measurer)
Flow meter, to measure the flow velocity
Saline probe (salinity)
Oxygen probe
Dynamo meter (wave meter)
Turbidity (seechi disk or turbidity probe)
Lincoln index to estimate the population size
Dichotomous key
Species richness,