Module No.

1
GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 1 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

Unit 2 : ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION CONTROL

Lesson 1 : Types of Pollution and How to manage them

Types of Pollution

One of the main causes of environmental degradation is the improper way of handling wastes that
leads to environmental pollution.

Pollution is the act or process of harming and contaminating the environment that causes
degradation -- wholly or largely as a result of a man's action.
Pollutants on the other hand are the substances that harm the environment - deteriorating the
quality of air, water, land.

 Air pollution
Air pollution is the deterioration of the air quality caused by different air pollutants that
adversely affect human health, animals and the environment. The major sources of air
pollutants in the Philippines' urban areas include vehicular emissions, emission from industrial
processes, and combustion of fuel in power plants, industries and commercial establishments.

Here are some of the things you can do to reduce air pollution:

1. Turn off all unused appliances and lights. Conserving energy is one of the easiest ways to
reduce air pollution by minimizing the carbon dioxide emission from power plants that
produce energy.
2. Car Pool!One of the major sources of air pollutants in the Philippines’ urban areas include
vehicular emissions – thus carpooling helps reduce air pollution by minimizing possible
vehicular emissions.
3. Use bicycles, promote walking! Another way to reduce air pollution is to use bicycles
and/or by walking to nearby destinations instead of using vehicles – it does not only lessen
vehicular emissions, it also is a good way to exercise your body.
4. Plant trees. Planting trees help improve the air quality by converting carbon dioxide to
oxygen, filtering air particles and it also helps cool down the temperature.
5. Avoid burning household waste! Burning waste, especially yard waste, is a common
practice of Filipinos living in provinces. It is not only harmful to your health and the
environment, but incineration of wastes is prohibited in accordance to the Philippine
Clean Air Act of 2004.

 Water Pollution
Water pollution is the contamination and degradation of water quality caused by different
water pollutants. It is further defined as any alteration of any of the properties of water, may
it be physical, chemical and or biological, that makes the water harmful to human, animals,
and or the environment.

In the Philippines, pollution of water resources is a serious problem. Improper disposal and
handling of wastes threatens the country's water surface. An example of this is the 1997
massive fish kill in Manila Bay caused by illegal dumping of poisonous chemicals in the bay.
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GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 2 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

Here are some ways on how to reduce water pollution:

1. Conserve water. Reducing our water consumption is one of the easiest ways to help
reduce water pollution. Before the water reaches our household, it goes through a cycle
of water filtration that uses different chemicals just to make it safer for us to use. You can
conserve water by simply turning off the tap while brushing your teeth, fixing leaks and
re-using reusable water.
2. Never throw your garbage in any bodies of water, such as rivers and lakes.
3. Use water barrels and rainwater tanks to harvest rainwater. One way to reduce water
consumption is to harvest rainwater. You can use rainwater to water the plants, wash
your clothes and for toilet flushing.
4. Avoid disposing cooking oils and cleaning agents down the sink. Flushing your cooking
oils and cleaning agents down the sinks may not only cause clogging but it can also
increase water pollution that will end up in the local water supply.
5. Do not flush trash. Flushed trash like tissues, wet wipes and sanitary napkins eventually
end up in rivers, seas and other bodies of water causing problems not only to the local
sewer system. It can also harm different marine ecosystems.
6. Avoid using pesticides. The chemicals we use on our garden eventually seep down deep
into the ground contaminating the groundwater below. Contaminated groundwater may
harm not only the environment but also the community who depends on it.

 Noise Pollution
Noise can be defined as unwanted or unpleasant sound. Therefore, noise pollution is any
unwanted noise or sounds that have adverse effect to human and/or animals. The intensity
of this pollution or pollutants can be determined based on different factors such as duration,
location and the time when it occurs. Noise pollution adversely affect human health. Regular
exposure to loud and undesirable sounds may cause hearing problems, elevate stress levels,
sleeping disorders, headache and migraine, among others. Here are some ways on how to
reduce Noise pollution:

1. Cancel or mask the noise. One of the simplest ways to reduce noise pollution is to cancel
or mask it with peaceful and calming sounds i.e. use of white noise machines, hanging
wind chimes, etc.
2. Close the windows and shut the door. Closing the windows and shutting the door
prevents noise from coming in by blocking the sound waves.
3. Invest in noise-friendly workplace. Choosing the right furniture in your workplace greatly
improves the acoustics of your workplace. Use furniture that is great sound absorbers.
4. Improve the workplace insulation. Soundproofing your workplace helps reduce noise
pollution by blocking sound waves and noise.
5. Use noise-canceling headphones. If it is inevitable for your workplace to not produce
noise pollution, i.e. construction, welding and other workplace that uses heavy
equipment, you may opt to use noise-canceling headphones to filter the intensity of the
noise.
6. Turn off electronic devices when not in use. Electronic devices generate noise pollution
when on high volume. To reduce the noise generated at your workplace, turn off
electronic devices when not in use.
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GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 3 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

7. Plant trees. Trees are proven to be effective in reducing noise levels. Trees do not only
reduce noise, they also improve the air quality in your workplace.

 Land Pollution
Land pollution is the degradation of earth's surface/land masses caused by improper handling
and disposal of wastes. Land pollution is a major problem faced by everyone, especially those
who are living in Metro Manila. A single resident in Metro manila produces 0.66 kilogram of
waste, approximately 0.7 kilogram of waste a day, which is about 130 percent higher than the
global average of 0.3 kilogram per person per day. Improper handling and disposal of solid
wastes is one of the major causes of floods and disease outbreaks in Metro Manila - from
dengue to leptospirosis, to the clogging of waterways and contaminated water system. Here
are some ways on how to reduce land pollution:

1. Reduce your waste. By reducing your waste, you are reducing the possible solid wastes
that will be delivered to landfills. You can reduce your waste by patronizing biodegradable
products, and 1recycling recyclable materials.
2. Segregate your waste! One way to reduce the amount of wastes is to properly segregate
your wastes. This not only helps you organize your waste, but it also makes it easier for
garbage collectors or paleros to distinguish biodegradable wastes from non-
biodegradable wastes.
3. Do not litter! No matter how small your trash is, it can still contribute to land degradation
or flooding if not properly disposed. That is why you have to make sure that you throw
your trash at its designated garbage can.
4. Grow more trees. Growing trees can actually help fertilize the soils – minimizing its
degradation and reducing land pollution.
5. Go organic, patronize pesticide-free products. One of the major pollutants in land
pollution is pesticides. Pesticides are commonly used in farming as well as gardening to
control pest – it does not only kill pests, but it also contaminates the land, resulting to
land degradation.
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GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 4 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

Lesson 2 : Solid Waste Management

To protect and enhance the quality of the

Philippines’ environment, the State created
necessary agencies/bureaus primarily
responsible for the country's environment
and natural resources – such as DENR.
The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) is the primary agency
responsible for the conservation,
management, development, and proper use
of the country’s environment and natural
resources.
Under DENR, the Environmental
Management Bureau (EMB) is the one
responsible in ensuring the proper
implementation of different environmental management systems and pollution prevention programs
such as the ecological solid waste management act.

To ensure the proper way of collecting, segregating and disposal of solid wastes to reduce the amount
of wastes that is being generated in the community, we must practice solid waste management. Under
the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 the Republic Act No. 9003 (RA 9003), solid wastes
are classified into three categories; the Domestic/Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), Hazardous Waste
(HSW), and the Industrial Solid Waste (ISW).

Domestic/Municipal Solid Wastes

Domestic/Municipal Solid
Wastes are household wastes and
institutional wastes from the local
community – sari-sari stores,
restaurants, schools, etc. According to
2016 World Report Statistics, an average
citizen in Metro Manila generates 0.7 kg
of waste per day which is higher that the
global average 0.3 kg.

Domestic / Municipal solid waste may be

classified according to its composition:

 Industrial Solid Wastes

Industrial Solid Wastes are wastes
produced by different manufacturing
industries.
These can be classified according to its
sources;
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GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 5 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

 Hazardous Wastes
Hazardous wastes are substances that are without any safe commercial, industrial, agricultural or
economic usage for dumping or disposal into any part of the territory of the Philippines.

 Waste Segregation
Waste Segregation is a solid waste management practice of separating different materials found in
solid waste in order to promote recycling and reuse of resources and to reduce the volume of waste
for collection and disposal.

Solid wastes can be classified into 4 types –

Compostable wastes (GREEN TRASH BIN)

These are wastes that are biodegradable or wastes that are organic in nature and can be broken
down naturally. Examples are:

 Yard Wastes - Fallen branches, dried leaves, etc.

 Food Wastes - Food scraps, spoiled and rotten food.

Recyclable wastes (BLUE TRASH BIN)

These are waste materials that can be recovered and/or reused. Examples are:

 PET Bottles - Soda bottles, Mineral water bottles, etc.

 Old Newspaper
 Plastic Bags
 Used paper

Residual wastes (BLACK TRASH BIN)

These are wastes that are non-compostable and non-recyclable. Examples are:
 Used sanitary napkins
 Dirty Diapers
 Candy Wrappers
 Worn-out Rugs

Special wastes (RED TRASH BIN)

These refer to household hazardous wastes e.g. used fluorescent lamps, light bulbs, etc. Examples
are:
 Used fluorescent lamps
 Defective light bulbs
 Aerosols - Air Freshener, Pest Killer
 Spray paints
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GREEN AND ENVIRONMENTAL TRAINING
Unit No 2
Orienting Oneself to Environmentally Sustainable Work Page No. 6 of 6
Title
Standards e-tesda.gov.ph

Lesson 3 : Waste Water Management

Philippines is an archipelago with 7,107 islands. It

ranks fifth in the world's longest coastline with 36,
289 km. We are literally surrounded with large
bodies of water yet we are still experiencing water
shortage especially during El Niño.

In order to protect the country's bodies of water

from pollution, the government passed the
Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 or RA 9275.

The world is currently facing

water quality crisis due to the
growth of population, poor
water use practices and the
lack of wastewater
management. According to
UNESCO last 2012, only 20%
of the globally produced
wastewater was properly
treated.
There are 3 classifications of
wastewater according to the
Philippine Clean Water Act of
2004:

Wastewater Management Systems

There are two types of basic wastewater management systems – on-site wastewater treatment
system or the non-sewered system and off-site wastewater treatment system or the sewered with
centralized treatment. Onsite wastewater treatment systems are commonly used to treat domestic
wastewater back into receiving environment. These are typically referred to as septic system, as it
involves septic tanks for partial system.