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ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
IMPORTANT TERMS:
Pollution: Any undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of air ,water and soil and
adversely affects the living organisms.
BOD( Biological/Biochemical Oxygen Demand): Measure of oxygen required by aerobic decomposer for
biochemical degradation of biodegradable organic waste.
Biodegradable Pollutants: Pollutants that can be broken into simple and harmless substances by decomposers or
microbes.
Non-Biodegradable Pollutants: Pollutants that can not be broken into simple and harmless substances by
decomposers or microbes.
Biomagnification: Increase in concentration of harmful chemical/ pollutants along the food chain.
Electronic Wastes: Irreparable computer and other electronic goods are known as e-waste.
Accelerated Eutrophication: Man- induced nutrient enrichment and lack of oxygen in water body
Organic Farming: A zero-waste producer where waste products from one process are cycled in as nutrients for
other processes.
Green House effect: short wave length radiations are absorbed and long wavelength radiations are reflected back
by earth surface, responsible for heating of earth’s surface and atmosphere.
Sanitary land fills: Wastes are dumped in a depression after compaction and cover with soil.
Reforestation: Restoring a forest, that once existed, but was removed at some point of time in the past.
Desertification: Formation of desert by the extension and meeting of large barren patches.
Electrostatic Precipitator: Device used to remove particular matter present in exhaust from thermal power plant.
Catalytic Convertor: Expensive metal which convert unburned hydrocarbons in to CO2 and water, CO and nitric
oxides into CO2 and N2 gas.
Synergism: Increased toxicity of secondary pollutantsformed by interaction among the primary pollutants.
IMPORTANT DIAGRAMS
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
It is mainly man made, anthropogenic, due to enormous growth in human population size.
Air Pollution:
Is caused by smoke stakes from thermal plants, smelters and other industries.
Burning of fossil fuel , smoke from forest fire, volcanic eruptions etc. and decomposition of garbage resulting in
release of unwanted gases in atmosphere
Air pollutants are metallic particles, dust particles, CO2, NO2, SO2 and CO
It affects human respiratory system and cause injury, premature death and reduction in growth in plants.
Electrostatic Precipitator: it removes 99% particulate matter present in the exhaust from thermal plant.
The electrodes releases electrons due to production of corona, these electrons get attached to the dust and give
them a net negative charge.
Vehicles fitted with catalytic converter should use unleaded petrol as leaded petrol inactivates the catalyst.
The switching over of public transport from diesel to compressed natural gas from the end of 2002.
Auto Fuel Policy: The Government of India laid out a road map to cut down the vehicular air policy in many cities
of India.
sleeplessness,
and stress.
Water Pollution:
It can be classified into Domestic Sewage, Agricultural runoff and Industrial wastes.
Domestic sewage contains pathogens and cause diseases like typhoid, jaundice, dysentery etc.
Industrial Chemical Wastes causes biological magnification; high concentrations of DDT disturb the calcium
metabolism in birds and causes thinning of egg shell.
Thermal Waste Water eliminates or reduces many organisms that are sensitive ti high temperature.
Solid wastes:
Fly Ash: Generated by thermal power plant, composed of silica, iron, aluminium and low concentration of toxic
heavy metals.
Defunct Ship: they are broken down in developing countries for scrap metal; contain toxic substances such as
asbestos, lead, mercury etc.
Hospital wastes: It contains pathogenic microbes and other harm full chemicals.
Industrial Waste: Industries produce large amount of corrosive and highly inflammable chemicals.
Disposal:
Municipal wastes are incinerated and the heat emitted is used to generate electricity.
Soil Pollution:
Organic Farming: this allows maximum utilization of the resources and increases the efficiency of production.
Radioactive Waste:
Of these, the high level radioactive wastes consist of spent fuel and generate a lot of heat and require cooling.
Earth’s surface emits heat in the form of infrared radiation to the space, but most of it is absorbed by gases like
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, chlorofluoro carbon and methane.
The molecule of these gases radiate heat energy that comes back to the earth’s surface and heat it up.
Global Warming:
Ozone Depletion:
ozone formed in troposphere is called ‘bad ozone’ as it harm plants and animal, while ozone formed in
stratosphere is called ‘good ozone’ that act as a shield and absorbs the ultraviolet radiations from sun.
As a result the UV-radiation reaches the earth and following are the consequences:
• Cause aging of skin, damage skin cells and cause skin cancer
• Lethal to microorganism.
Restoring Ozone Level: Montreal Protocol was signed act Montreal in 1987, became effective in 1989.
Resources are not degraded only by pollutants but also by improper practices of their utilization.
• Over grazing
• Deforestation
Irrigation without proper drainage leads to water logging of soil that affect the crop productivity and cause
deposits of salt on the land surface; saline soil become uncultivable
Deforestation: 40% forests have been lost in tropics and 1% in temperate region.
In India, at the beginning of twentieth century, forest covered about 30% land whereas by the end it reduce to
19.4%
The National Forest Policy (1988) has recommended 33% forest cover in plains and 67% for hills.
Causes:
Consequences:
The Govt. of India has instituted Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award, given to individuals that show
extraordinary coverage and dedication to protect tree.
Chipko Movement started in Garhwal, Himalayas in 1974, aims at saving tree and forests
Joint Forest Management, to work closely with local communities for protecting and managing forests, the
communities get benefit of various forest products.
1. What is pollution?
Ans: Any undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of air ,water and soil and adversely
affects the living organisms.
1. What is eutrophication? Discuss the effect of green house gases on the growth of plants.
2. To what type of wastes do irreparable computers and other electronic
goods belong to ?
Ans: Defunct ships and e-waste.
3. Name four metals which are recovered during the recycling of e-waste?
Ans: Copper, Iron Silicon Nickel and Gold.
4. Complete the following:
A B
1. ____________ Carbon monoxide & Nitrogen oxide
2. Electrostatic precipitator ______________________
3. _____________ High noise level
4. Land fills _____________________
Ans: 1. Catalytic converter
2. Particulate matter
3. Earmuffs
4. Solid waste
5. Water Zooplanktons Small fish Fish eating birds
DDT (0.003ppm) (0.04ppm) (0.5ppm) (5ppm)
Why is the concentration of DDT increasing from the producers to consumers in the
above food chain?
6. Why are grains and vegetables produced in organic farms supposed to be better for human
consumption than those produced in farms where chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc. has been used?
Ans: Chemical fertilizers / pesticides --non -biodegradable , enter into food chain through vegetables /
grains , causes biomagnification in humans . In organic farms manure is used , whose produce causes no
harm to human health .
7. Study the graph and answer the questions given below
a. What measures would you take to decrease BOD and increase DO?
b. What kind of sewage discharge will increase BOD?
THREE MARKS QUESTIONS:
1. Why is CNG preferred than petrol or diesel?
Hint: Fuel efficiency, no adulteration, no theft
2.Why do certain organisms that disappear at the point of sewage disposal reappear at a certain distance in a
river?
Hint: BOD increases, O2 utilized in decomposition, DO becomes zero. After complete decomposition, BOD lowers
and DO increases as oxygen dissolves in water .
3. In a survey it is observed that the population of fish-eating birds living on the bank of lake is continuously
declining, where DDT is regularly sprayed to check mosquitoes.
i) What could be the reason behind this?
ii) Name the phenomenon involved.
Hint: (i) Increase in the level of DDT with each trophic level.
(ii) Biomagnifications
4. Nuclear energy is the most suitable source of energy in future. But still this idea can not be materialized
effectively. Mention the problems associated with it ?
Hint: (i) Accidental leakage (ii) disposal of radioactive waste.
5. Describe how the population of fish-eating birds living on the bank of a lake, where DDT is regularly sprayed to
check mosquito growth for many years, would differ from that living on the bank of another lake, which is free
from insecticides. Name the phenomenon involved.
3. Discuss the causes and effect of global warming. What measures need to be taken to control global warming?
HOTS QUESTIONS
3. What would be the impact on the environment around a thermal power plant if its electrostatic
precipitator stops functioning? Give reason.
4. The figure given show relative contributions of various green house gases to the total global warming
(i) Name the gas a & b
(ii) Explain how increase in green house gases in earth’s atmosphere leads to rise in sea water level?
5. What are flocs? State their role in effluent treatment and their ultimate fate in sewage treatment tank.
6. (a).Why the people living in West Bengal prove to black food disease?
7. Why are cloudy, dusty and humid nights warmer than clear, dust-free and dry night?
9. Observe the following diagram and answer the questions at the end
a. Name the gases.
b. Comment on the consequences of increase in the level of each gas (any
three)