The physical and biological world where we live is

called our environment. The environment includes

our physical surroundings like air (or atmosphere),
water bodies, soil (land) and all the organisms such
as plants, animals, human beings and micro-
organisms like bacteria and fungi (called
decomposers). All these constituents of the
environment interact with one another and
maintain a balance in the environment in a natural
way.
Human beings are the only organisms who change
the natural environment to fulfil their needs of
food, clothing housing, transport and industry, etc.
This environmental imbalance created by human
beings gives rise to various environmental
problems. Some of the environmental problems
caused by the various activities of human beings
are:
1. Pollution of air, water and soil (or land).
2. Soil erosion leading to desertification (or
formation of deserts); landslides; floods and
change of river course.
3. Thinning of ozone layer in the atmosphere.
4. Global warming due to increased green
house effect.
 5. Salinisation leading to the formation of salt
deserts.
6. Depletion of natural resources.
7. Waste accumulation.

Pollution and Pollutants

The contamipation of air, water and soil (or land)
with harmful substances is called pollution.
Pollution can be natural or man-made. The
substances which contaminate air, water and soil
(or land) are called pollutants. In other words, the
substances which cause pollution are called
pollutants. Some of the examples of pollutants
are : dust, harmful gases (like carbon monoxide
and sulphur dioxide), sewage and household
garbage.

Classification of Pollutants
Anything which damages our environment is called
a pollutant. All the pollutants can be classified into
two groups:
1. Biodegradable pollutants, and
2. Non-biodegradable pollutants.
Those pollutants which can be broken down into
simpler, harmless substances in nature in due
course of time (by the action of micro-organisms
like certain bacteria) are called biodegradable
pollutants. (Garbage); Urine and Faccal matter;
Sewage; Agricultural residues; Paper; Wood; Cloth;
Cattle dung; Compost; Animal bones; Leather; Tea
leaves; Wool; Wheat and Hay.
Those pollutants which cannot be broken down into
simpler, harmless substances in nature, are called
non-biodegradable pollutants. DDT; Plastics;
Polythene bags; Insecticides; Pesticides; Mercury;
Lead; Arsenic; Metal articles like Aluminium cans;
Radioactive wastes; Synthetic fibres; Glass objects;
Iron nails and Silver foil. The non-biodegradable
pollutants like DDT, insecticides, pesticides,
cyanide compounds, mercury, lead arsenic and
radioactive wastes.

Types of Pollution
The three physical components of our environment
are air, water and soil (or land). So, pollution can
be classified according to the component of the
environment which is polluted. Thus, pollution is
mainly of three types:
1. Air pollution,
2. Water pollution, and
3. Soil pollution (or Land pollution).

AIR POLLUTION
An undesirable change in the physical, chemical or
biological characteristics of air is called air
pollution. The substances which pollute the air are
called air pollutants. Some of the common air
pollutants which pollute the air (or which are
present in the atmosphere) are: Dust, Soot (carbon
particles), Ash, Carbon monoxide, Excess of Carbon
dioxide, Sulphur dioxide, Oxides of Nitrogen, Lead
compounds, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), Pollens,
Hydrocarbons, Asbestos dust, Stone dust, Cement
dust and Radioactive rays.

Sources of Air Pollution

The pollution of air can be caused by natural
processes or by human activities. So, all the
sources of air pollution can be classified into two
groups :
1. Natural sources of air pollution, and
2. Man-made sources of air pollution.

Natural Sources of Air Pollution

Some of the natural sources of air pollution are :
1. Dust storms,
2. Forest fires,
3. Volcanoes,
4. Decay of organic matter (plant and animal
remains), and
5. Pollen grains.

Man-Made Sources of Air Pollution

The important man-made sources of air pollution
are: Homes; Motor vehicles (or Automobiles);
Industries; Thermal power plants; Nuclear power
plants; Agriculture; Deforestation; Use of
chlorofluorocarbons; Mining and smoking.

1. Burning of fuels like wood, cow-dung cakes,

coal and kerosene in home pollutes the air
2. Exhaust gases emitted by motor vehicles
pollute the air
3. Industries pollute air by releasing various
types of pollutants.
4. Thermal power plants pollute air by emitting
sulphur dioxide and fly-ash
5. Nuclear power plants pollute air by releasing
radioactive rays.
6. Use of fertillisers and pesticides in
agriculture pollutes the air.
7. Deforestation pollutes air by increasing the
amount of carbon dioxide in it.
8. Use of chlorofluorocarbons pollutes air by
depleting the ozone layer
9. Mining activity releases particulate matter
into the air and pollutes it.
10. Smoking pollutes air by emitting carbon
monoxide and nicotine

Harmful Effects of Air Pollution

1. Air pollution can cause breathing difficulties
(respiratory problems) and diseases such as
bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis
and pneumonia
2. Air pollution can cause carbon monoxide
poisoning leading to suffocation and even
death
3. Air pollution can cause acid rain which
damages crop plants, trees, buildings,
monuments, statues and metal structures; and
makes the soil acidic.

4. Air pollution causes depletion of ozone layer

due to which ultraviolet radiations can reach
the earth and cause damage
5. Air pollution causes green house effect (or
global warming) which leads to excessive
heating of the earth and its atmosphere
6. Air pollution produce by certain metals,
pesticides and fungicides causes serious
ailments

PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF AIR

POLLUTION
Methods of Controlling Air Pollution Caused by
Gaseous Pollutants
1.Combustion
The technique of combustion is used for
controlling air pollution in those cases where the
pollutants are in the form of organic gases or
vapours (like the unburnt hydrocarbons of
petrol). The organic air pollutants are subjected
to ‘flame combustion’ or ‘catalytic combustion’
when they are converted to relatively less
harmful product such as carbon dioxide, and a
harmless product water.

2.Absorption
In the absorption method, the polluted air
containing gaseous pollutants is passed through
a scrubber (or tank) containing a suitable liquid
absorbent. The liquid absorbs the harmful
gaseous pollutants present in air. So, the air
coming out of the scrubber is free from
pollutants and it is discharged into the
atmosphere.
3.Adsorption
In the adsorption method of controlling air
pollution the polluted air is passed through
porous solid adsorbents kept in suitable
containers. The gaseous pollutants are adsorbed
at the surface of the porous solid and clean air
passes through.

Methods of Controlling Air Pollution Caused by

Particulate Pollutants
1.Fabric Filters
Polluted air containing particulate matter (like
dust, soot and fly-ash) is passed through fabric
filters made of woven or filled fabrics
2.Wet Scrubbers
Wet scrubbers are the tanks in which the
polluted air containing particulate pollutants (like
dust, soot and fly-ash) are sprayed by jets of
water before they reach the chimney. The water
washes away the dust, soot and fly-ash particles
present in polluted air. It also dissolves some of
the harmful gases present in polluted air. The
clean air is discharged into the atmosphere
through the chimney.
3.Electorstatic Precipitator
In this method, the polluted air containing
particulate pollutants (like dust, soot and fly-ash
etc.) is passed through a chamber called an
electrostatic precipitator where an electric
current is passed through it. The electrostatic
precipitator is a device which induces electric
charge on the particles present in polluted air.
These charged particles are then attracted to the
oppositely charged plate (or electrode) of the
electrostatic precipitator and get deposited on
it.)
4.Mechanical Devices
(i) When the polluted air is allowed to stand
for some time in a chamber, then many
particles present in it settle down by the
action of gravitational force and get
removed.
(ii) When the polluted air is made to change
its direction of flow suddenly, the particles
separate out from it due to their greater
momentum because of their mass (This is
 an application of Newton’s first law of
motion)

Some Other Methods of Controlling Air Pollution

The following methods or processes also help in
controlling air pollution:
1. Tall chimneys should be installed in factories
to reduce air pollution on ground. This is
because tall chimneys carry smoke, dust and
waste gases high up into the air where the
wind blows them away.
2. Better designed fuel burning equipments
should be used in homes and industries so
that complete combustion of fuel takes place.
3. As far as possible, smokeless fuels like LPG
and natural gas should be used.
4. Renewable and non-polluting sources of
energy like solar energy (by using solar
cookers and solar water heaters), and wind
energy, etc., should be used.
5. Motor vehicles (or automobiles) should be
maintained properly so that they conform to
Bharat II (or Euro II) emission control
standards and do not cause air pollution.
WATER POLLUTION
Water is necessary to maintain life. We need water
for drinking, bathing, washing and cooking food.
Water is also needed for the irrigation of crops in
agriculture. Water is repuired in industry and also
for navigation purposes.
Point Sources of Water Pollution
Those sources of water pollution which are fixed at
a place and have a specific location for discharging
pollutants into a particular water body are called
point sources of water pollution.
Non-Point Sources of Water Pollution
Those sources of water pollution which are
scattered and do not have any specific location for
discharging pollutants into a particular water body
are called non-point sources of water pollution.
Water Pollutants
The water in rivers and lakes always contains some
pollutants. Some of these pollutants are natural
whereas others are man-made. Some of the
natural pollutants in water are calcium and
magnesium compounds which get dissolved in
water from natural deposits in and around water
sources. Micro-organisms such as protozoa,
bacteria and virus which are vectors (or carriers) of
diseases also pollute water. Some of the man-
made pollutants which are discharged into water
bodies like rivers and lakes are : sewage, industrial
wastes synthetic detergents, chemical fertilizers,
oils, heavy metals and radioactive wastes.

Major Sources of Water Pollution

The major sources of water pollution are :
1. Industrial Wastes. The discharging of
industrial wates from industries into rivers
and lakes pollutes water. The industrial
wastes contain a large number of harmful
chemicals including acids and alkalis.
2. Sewage. Dumping of sewage into rivers
and lakes pollutes water (sewage is the
filthy matter carried in large underground
drains called sewers). Please note that
 industrial wastes and sewage are the two
major sources of water pollution in big cities.
3. Synthetic Detergents. Excessive use of
synthetic detergents for washing purpose
produces a lot of foam and pollutes water.
4. Chemical Fertilisers. The excessive use of
fertlisers in the soil causes water pollution
because some of these fertilizers are
washed into rivers and lakes with rain water.
5. Petroleum Oil. The leakage of petroleum
oil into the sea during drilling and shipping
operations pollutes sea water.

Harmful Effects of Water Pollution

1. Water pollution causes a number of diseases
such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery,
hepatitis and jaundice
2. Water pollution destroys useful micro-
organisms which are the natural cleansing
agents of water
3. Water pollution caused by sewage and
chemical fertilizers leads to eutrophication
and deoxygenation of water bodies killing
the aquatic animals. The process in which
extra nutrients are added to a water body
 leading to tremendous growth of algae
plants resulting in the reduction of dissolved
oxygen, is known as eutrophication.
4. Water pollution caused by toxic industrial
wastes kills fish and other aquatic animals.
Prevention and Control of Water Pollution
1 Industrial wastes should be treated chemically
to neutralize the harmful substance present in
them, before discharging into rivers 9or oceans).
2 Waste paper, plastics, waste food materials
and rotting fruits and vegetables should not be
thrown into open drains.
3. Solid wastes containing organic matter and
effluents from distilleries should not be
thrown into water bodies. These should be
sent to biogas plants.
4. If a source of water (like a lake) gets
polluted with oil, then the oil slick formed
should be skimmed off from its surface
with the help of a suction device. Saw sust
can also be spread over oil slick to absorb
as much oil as possible.
 Certificate
This is to certify that the project report on
“Languages and literature in the
Medieval Period” been compiled as per
CBSE guideline for the practical examination
of AISSE (Class X) for “Social Science” to
appear in examination 2006-2007.
It is also certified that above project
report has been completed under the
guidance and supervision of Mr Mukesh
Dhiman as per CBSE norms.

Guidance Teacher :
Approved By : Mr. Mukesh
Dhiman Saurabh
Pal
 Acknowledge
ment
This Project has been compiled in a simple
and lucid style or better understanding of
subject and is strictly based on CBSE
guidelines for class X 2006-2007.
I am also grateful to my subject teacher Mr.
Mukesh Dhiman for his keen interest,
encouragement and for providing necessary
help throughout my work to conduct my
project report.
It is needless to say that without the help of
my respected parents, teacher and principal,
the project would in complete & meaningless.
In the end, I express my heartiest thanks to
all those who directly and indirectly took
interest in the project and have provided

guidance to me.
 AIM
The Aim of this project is to understand
and learn about “Environmental
Pollution”

Saurabh
Pal
XA
Submitted to : Submitted by
Mr. M.K. Dhiman Saurabh Pal
(H.O.D. Of Social Science) Xth