Air pollutant – agents or contaminants that cause or induce the formation

of air pollution

Classification of air pollutants –

I) Based on origin –
a) Primary pollutants like PM, SO2, CO etc.
b) Secondary pollutants like O3, PAN, H2SO4 etc.

II) Based on states of matter

a) Particulate pollutants or suspended particulate
matters (SPM) like smoke, fly ash, mist etc.
b) Gaseous pollutants like carbon dioxide, oxides of
sulphur, oxides of nitrogen etc.

III) Based on chemical composition

a) Inorganic compounds like carbon dioxide, oxides of sulphur, oxides
of nitrogen, ozone etc.
b) Organic compounds like formaldehyde, acetone etc.
Types of air pollution –
A) Outdoor air pollution
B) Indoor air pollution

Sources of air pollution –

A. Natural – Volcano, storm, forest fire, ocean release, biological

decay etc. release different types of pollutants like sulphur
dioxide, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, fly ash, dust
particles etc. into the atmosphere.

B. Anthropogenic – Anthropogenic or man-made sources can be

further divided into
I) Industries
II) automobiles
III) domestic
IV) agriculture
 Air quality standards
The objectives of air quality standards are:
1. To indicate the levels of air quality necessary with an adequate margin of safety to protect
the public health, vegetation and property;
2. To assist in establishing priorities for abatement and control of pollutant level;
3. To provide uniform yardstick for assessing air quality at national level;
4. To indicate the need and extent of monitoring programme.

International standards

• The 2005 World Health Organization's "WHO Air quality guidelines" offer global guidance
on thresholds and limits for 4 key air pollutants that pose health risks - particulate matter
(PM), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).
• The Clean Air Act in the US requires the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to set
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and NAAQS has been set for six
pollutants namely, carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particle pollution and
sulphur dioxide.
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has published the Revised National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) in November, 2009 of 12 air pollutants namely PM10, PM2.5,
Lead, Nickel, Arsenic, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, ozone, carbon
monoxide, benzene and Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP).
• The European Union has also developed air quality standards for PM2.5, sulphur dioxide
(SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM10, lead (Pb), carbon monoxide (CO), Benzene, Ozone,
Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Nickel (Ni), Polyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
 Physical parameters are
colour, odour,
temperature, total
suspended solids, total
dissolved solid (TDS),
turbidity, electrical
conductance etc.

Water
quality
Chemical parameters are
pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), Biological parameters
biochemical oxygen are E. Coli, Coliform
demand (BOD), chemical bacteria,
oxygen demand (COD), Ephemeroptera,
total hardness (TH) , heavy Plecoptera,
metals pesticides, nitrate Trichoptera etc.
etc.
Point and non- point sources

Point sources
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines point source pollution as “any
single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a
pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack” (Hill, 1997).
For example factories and sewage treatment plants . Factories, including oil refineries,
pulp and paper mills, and chemical, electronics and automobile manufacturers,
typically discharge one or more pollutants in their discharged waters (called effluents).
Some factories discharge their effluents directly into a waterbody. Others treat it
themselves before it is released, and still others send their wastes to sewage
treatment plants for treatment. Sewage treatment plants treat human wastes and
send the treated effluent to a stream or river.

Non- point sources - Non-point sources of pollution are often termed ‘diffuse’
pollution and refer to those inputs and impacts which occur over a wide area and are
not easily attributed to a single source. They are often associated with particular land
uses, as opposed to individual point source discharges. Most nonpoint source
pollution occurs as a result of runoff. When rain or melted snow moves over and
through the ground, the water absorbs and assimilates any pollutants it comes into
contact with (USEPA, 2004b).
 Domestic
source which
includes both
biodegradable
and non-
biodegradable
waste
Radioactive Industrial
Substances waste

Sources of
water
Marine pollution Agricultural
Dumping waste

River Oil
dumping Pollution
Water footprint for a person , company or country can be defined as the ‘ total
volume of fresh water that is used for producing the commodities, goods and services
consumed by the person, company and nation.

Components of water footprint are

i. Blue water footprint
ii. Green water foot print
iii. Grey water footprint

Blue water – refers to fresh water i.e water in lakes, rivers, aquifers etc.

Green water – refers to precipitated water on the land or stored in the soil or
vegetation.

Grey water – waste water generated from domestic activities like bathing , washing
clothes, dishwashing etc.

Black water or sewage – It refers to waste water generated from toilets, garbage
grinders, feces etc. which are generally considered as hazardous.
Effects of water pollution –
 Ground water pollution
 Seepage of municipal waste and industrial effluents contaminate ground water
 Leeching of inorganic fertilizers leads to accumulation of nitrates in water. On
consumption, the nitrates get reduces to nitrites by the intestinal bacteria of
human beings and animals. Accumulation of nitrites in the body damages the
respiratory and vascular system and leads to suffocation. This disease is known as
methaemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome).
 Excess fluoride in drinking water causes teeth deformity, skeletal fluorosis and
knock knee syndrome
 Presence of excess arsenic in ground water causes black foot disease (BFD),
diarrhoea, hyper keratosis and cancer of lungs, bladder, skin etc.
 Chronic lead poisoning causes fatigue, weakness, paralysis etc.

 Industrial effluents
Industrial wastes contain large amount of heavy metals, toxic chemical, non –
biodegradable waste etc. which directly or indirectly affect the whole ecosystem. Mercury
poisoning causes Minamata disease. Cadmium causes a painful disease of joints and bones
known as itai-itai (ouch – ouch). Cadmium poisoning also causes cancer of lungs and liver.
 Domestic sewage
Diseases like dysentery, cholera, typhoid, jaundice, hepatitis are caused by water
polluted by domestic sewage.
 Eutrophication - the process by which a body of water becomes enriched in dissolved
nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) that stimulate the growth of aquatic plant
life usually resulting in the depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO). It leads to an explosive
increase in the growth of algae, called algal blooms.
Types of eutrophication –
i. Natural eutrophication - gradual buildup of nutrients, sediments and organic
material begin to fill many lake basins over centuries.
ii. Cultural eutrophication - The alteration of nutrient input to water basins by
anthropogenic activity can dramatically increase eutrophication, leading to major
ecological changes in decades, rather than centuries. One of the primary sources of
man-caused sedimentary eutrophication is soil erosion caused by the removal of
trees and vegetation.
Sources of eutrophication –
Point sources are municipal and industrial wastewater runoff, runoff and leaching from
waste disposal systems, animal feedlots, hog and chicken farming operations and
industrial sites etc.
Non- point sources include runoff from agriculture and pastures, runoff from urban areas
without sewer systems and abandoned mines, as well as leaching from septic tanks,
atmospheric deposition etc.
Effects of eutrophication –
 It leads to an increase in phytoplankton biomass and algal blooms. This can result in
decreased water clarity, a reduction in sunlight penetration and a decrease in oxygen
levels, known as anoxia.
 Decomposition of algal blooms leads to oxygen depletion in water. Thus with a high CO,
level and poor oxygen supply, aquatic organism begin to die and the clean water turns
into stinking drain.
 During eutrophication, algal blooms release toxic chemicals which kill fishes, birds and
other aquatic animals
Biomagnification
Also known bioamplification or biological
magnification. It is the process by which a compound
(such as a pollutant or pesticide) increases its
concentration in the tissues of organisms as it travels
up the food chain. As a result of biomagnification,
organisms at the top of the food chain generally suffer
greater harm from a persistent toxin or pollutant than
those at lower levels.
For example - For example, spraying a marsh to control
mosquitoes will cause trace amounts of DDT to
accumulate in the cells of microscopic aquatic
organisms, the plankton, in the marsh.
In feeding on the plankton, filter-feeders, like clams
and some fish, harvest DDT as well as food.
(Concentrations of DDT 10 times greater than those in
the plankton have been measured in clams.)
The process of concentration goes right on up the food
chain from one trophic level to the next. Gulls, which
feed on clams, may accumulate DDT to 40 or more
times the concentration in their prey. This represents a
400-fold increase in concentration along the length of
this short food chain
Bioaccumulation
refers to the accumulation of a toxic chemical in the tissue of a particular organism.
An example of bioaccumulation is the use of DDT as an insecticide in the 1950s and
1960s. Birds of prey were badly affected because it made the shells of their eggs very
thin, causing them to break easily when the birds tried to incubate them.
Biological or Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD)
It represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria and other microorganisms while
they decompose organic matter under aerobic conditions at a specified temperature. he
BOD value is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of
sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 °C.
It is an important water quality parameter because it provides an index to assess the effect
discharged wastewater will have on the receiving environment. The higher the BOD value,
the greater the amount of organic matter or “food” available for oxygen consuming
bacteria. If the rate of dissolved oxygen (DO) consumption by bacteria exceeds the supply of
DO from aquatic plants, algae photosynthesis or diffusing from air, unfavourable conditions
occur. Depletion of DO causes stress on aquatic organisms, making the environment
unsuitable for life. Dramatic depletion can lead to hypoxia or anoxic environments.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) is a measure of the capacity of water to consume oxygen
during the decomposition of organic matter and the oxidation of inorganic chemicals such
as Ammonia and nitrite. The chemical oxygen demand test procedure is based on the
chemical decomposition of organic and inorganic contaminants, dissolved or suspended in
water. A commonly used oxidant in COD assays is potassium dichromate (K2Cr2O7) which is
used in combination with boiling sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
It is commonly expressed in mass of oxygen consumed over volume of solution which in SI
units is milligrams per litre (mg/L).
 MINAMATA DISASTER

Mercury was in the waste product

dumped into Minamata Bay of Japan on
a massive scale by a chemical plant.
Methyl mercury had accumulated in
fishes and shellfishes and those who ate
them had been poisoned with it. These
cases of the poisoning with organic
mercury poisoning were the first to take
place in the world through the food
chain transfer of its environmental
pollution. The cases of organic mercury
poisoning that had been known prior to
Minamata Disease occurred as the
result of the direct poisoning of those
who were engaged in organic-mercury
handling occupations or those who took
it in accidentally
Harmful effects:
Foetuses are most susceptible to developmental effects due to mercury.
Methylmercury exposure in the womb can result from a mother's consumption of
fish and shellfish. It can adversely affect a baby's growing brain and nervous
system. The primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological
development. Therefore, cognitive thinking, memory, attention, language, and fine
motor and visual spatial skills may be affected in children who were exposed to
methylmercury as foetuses.
 Cauvery Water Dispute
The Cauvery River has been a source of conflict between the states of Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu for over 124 years. The primary dispute has always been about the sharing
and distribution of water of Cauvery River between the two states. Over the years,
repeated attempts from both the states and central governments have failed to
resolve this dispute. The rapids and falls of the rivers are used to generate hydro-
electric power in Karnataka while the downstream of the river is enjoyed by Tamil
Nadu. In accordance with Section 4 of the Inter-State Water Dispute Act, 1956,
Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) was set up in 1990. Karnataka government
was directed to ensure the availability of a specified amount of water for the Mettur
dam of Tamil Nadu. The Tribunal has decided that Tamil Nadu will get 419 TMC
water/year and Karnataka will get 270 TMC water /year.
 Godavari Water Dispute
Godavari river basin is spread in the states of Telangana, Maharashtra, Orissa, old
Madhya Pradesh {later bifurcated into present Madhya
Pradesh and Chhattisgarh}, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The disputes between
beneficiary states has been tried to solve by The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal
(GWDT) headed by Justice Bachawat. It was constituted by the Government of India in
April 1969 under the provisions of Interstate River Water Disputes Act– 1956.

Indus Water Dispute

Indus Water Treaty (IWT) was signed by India and Pakistan in 1960 with the World Bank
acting as the signatory. his treaty was signed by then Indian Prime Minister Jawarhar
Lal Nehru and then Pakistani President Ayub Khan in 1960. In accordance with the
provisions of the agreement, Sutlej, Ravi and Beas are assigned for exclusive use by
India prior to their entry in Pakistan. The current dispute in the Indus Water Treaty is
over two issues. Firstly, whether India could draw down the water level in the dams
below the dead storage level in any situation besides an emergency. Secondly,
whether the diversion of water by India for its hydroelectric plants (Ratla and
Kishenganga hydroelectric plants of 850 and 330 megawatts respectively) was a breach
of the Treaty.
 Wetlands
Wetlands are ecosystems saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. They
store water and ensure its quality, providing resilience against drought. They are among
the world’s most productive environments; cradles of biological diversity that provide the
water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for
survival.
According to the RAMSAR Convention, wetlands include: “all lakes and rivers,
underground aquifers, swamps and marshes, wet grasslands, peat lands, oases, estuaries,
deltas and tidal flats, mangroves and other coastal areas, coral reefs, and all human made
sites such as fish ponds, rice paddies, reservoirs and salt pans”.
There are four main kinds of wetlands – marsh, swamp, bog and fen (bogs and fens being
types of mires)
Wetlands are often referred to as “Earth’s kidneys” because they absorb the wastes such
as nitrogen and phosphorous.
Importance of wetlands
 Ecosystem services provided by wetlands carbon sequestration, flood control,
groundwater recharge, nutrient removal, toxics retention and biodiversity
maintenance.
 Ecosystem goods provided by wetlands are water for irrigation; fisheries; non-timber
forest products; water supply; and recreation
 East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW)– A Ramsar Site
It is the world’s only fully functional organic sewage management system. These
wetlands receive the city’s sewage, organically treat it with the help of sunshine,
oxygen and microbial action and turn into a productive fish habitat. It acts as a
natural flood defence for the low-lying city.
Wastewater treatment, also called sewage treatment, the removal of impurities from
wastewater, or sewage, before they reach aquifers or natural bodies of water such as
rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans or they can be reused.
Use of treated waste water for different purposes is known as water reclamation.

Types of sewage:
 Domestic sewage
 Industrial sewage
 Storm sewage
 Primary waste water treatment – It involves sedimentation of solid waste within the
water. Wastewater is passed through several tanks and filters that separate water from
contaminants and the resulting “sludge” is then fed into a digester, in which further
processing takes place. This primary batch of sludge contains nearly 50% of suspended
solids within wastewater.

 Secondary Wastewater Treatment –

 Biofiltration It employs sand filters, contact filters, or trickling filters to ensure that
additional sediment is removed from wastewater. Of the three filters, trickling filters are
typically the most effective for small-batch wastewater treatment.
 Aeration - Aeration is a long, but effective process that entails mixing wastewater with
a solution of microorganisms.
 Oxidation Ponds In this method, wastewater is allowed to pass through this body for a
period of time and is then retained for two to three weeks. Oxidation ponds are
typically used in warmer places

 Tertiary Waste water treatment –

It is the removal of phosphates and nitrates from the water supply. Substances like
activates carbon and sand are among the most commonly used materials in this process.
Activated Sludge is a multi-chamber reactor unit that makes use of (mostly) aerobic
microorganisms to degrade organics in wastewater and to produce a high-quality
effluent.
NOISE POLLUTION
 Noise on the other
. hand is an
unpleasant sound
especially a loud
one comprising of
shouts too.

Thus, it is understood that there is

unpleasantness about noise whereas there
is no unpleasantness about sound.
SOURCES OF NOISE POLLUTION
Industrial – High intensity noise
caused by different types of
machines in industries, factories
and mills.

Transport - Transport noise mainly

consists of traffic noise from road,
rail and aircraft.

Neighbourhood - This type of noise

includes disturbance from household
gadgets and community. Common
sources being musical instruments,
TV, VCR, Radios, Transistors,
Telephones, and loudspeakers etc.
IMPACT OF NOISE POLLUTION

Audiological – affecting satisfactory performance of

hearing mechanism. Excess of noise pollution may
lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing

Biological – interfering with the biological

functioning of the body. Adverse biological effect of
noise include cardiovascular problems (like heart
diseases, high blood pressure etc.), neurosensory
impairment (nervous disorder, short memory etc.),
sleep interference, mental stress etc.

Behavioural – affecting the sociological behaviour of

individuals. They include mental stress, interference
with communication, irritability etc.
 Identifying
noise issues or
sources

Planning noise
mitigation and
Continual control
improvement measures

management
Implementation
Periodic review and operation
of noise control

Assessment and
corrective
action