ENV 203/GEO 205: Introduction

to Geography
Lecture 2

Moupia Rahman (MpR), PhD

E-mail: [email protected]
My Education

PhD in Environmental Science

University of Southampton, UK.

MPhil Leading to PhD

Environmental Science
University of Southampton, UK.

B.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture

Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymenshingh

Research Interest
Heavy metal pollution
Bioaccumulation of pollutants
Quantitative genetics
 Outline
Environment
Basic components of environment
Interactions among basic components of
environment
Anthropogenic effects on the basic
components of environment
Major environmental issues of Bangladesh
 Environment and its components
Environment: Sum total of all surroundings
Definition: The surroundings or conditions in which a
person, animal, or plant lives or operate ( Source:
Oxford dictionary)
Components of Environment
All abiotic factors or conditions like
temperature, light, rainfall, soil,
Micro Macro minerals etc. It comprises of
environment environment atmosphere, lithosphere and
immediate local all the hydrosphere
surrounding physical and
biotic Biotic environment
conditions includes all biotic factors
or living forms like plants,
animals, Micro-
organisms
 Components of Environment

• Anthropogenic
(human made)
effects
Anthropogenic Impacts on the components
of Earth

Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology

 Types of impacts
• Impacts of development activities
• Impacts of air pollution
• Impacts of water pollution
• Impacts of climate change
• Others
Impact of development
 Air pollution

• Air pollution may be defined as any atmospheric

condition in which certain substances are present in
sufficient quantities and duration to cause harm.
 Air pollutants

• Carbon Oxides (CO, CO2 )

• Sulfur Oxides (SO2, SO3 )

• Nitrogen Oxides (NO, NO2, N2O)

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) (CH4, CFCs )

• Suspended particulate matter (SPM) (Solid particles (dust, soot, asbestos, lead,),

liquid droplets (H2SO4, dioxins, and pesticides)

• Photochemical Oxidants (O3, H2O2, Aldehydes )

• Radioactive Substances (Radon-222, Iodine-131, Strontium-90, Plutonium-239)

Point sources Fugitive sources
Mobile sources
 Types of air pollutant

•Primary air pollutants

•Secondary air pollutants

Types of Pollutants
Primary air pollutants are emitted directly
into the air from sources
Types of Pollutants
 Secondary air pollutants – produced through the chemical reactions
between primary pollutants or other element of atmosphere like water
vapor.
 Example
Atmospheric sulfuric acid
is formed due to reaction
of Sulfur dioxide and water
vapor

Smog
 Air pollution known as smog is a mixture of primary and
secondary pollutants formed under the influence of sun­light.
 All modern cities have smog, but it is more common in hot,
sunny, warm climates with a lot of motor vehicle traffic.
 Effects of Air pollution
On environment and climate
 Reduces visual range and
atmospheric clarity, less
contrast, less visibility
 Temperature Inversion
 Greenhouse Effect/Global
Warming
 Ozone Depletion
 Acid Precipitation/Rain
 Effects of air pollution
Greenhouse Effect
Also referred to as global warming, is generally believed to come from the build up of
carbon dioxide (and some other) gas in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is produced when fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide
back to oxygen, but the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than
the world's plants can process.
The situation is made worse since many of the earth's forests are being removed, and
plant life is being damaged by acid rain. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air
is continuing to increase.
This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of our earth.
Changes of even a few degrees will affect us all through changes in the climate and
even the possibility that the polar ice caps may melt.

(One of the consequences of polar ice cap melting would be a

rise in global sea level, resulting in widespread coastal flooding.)
 Effects of Air Pollution
(Ozone layer Depletion)
 The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the
earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the
sun.
 Release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) from aerosol
cans, cooling systems and refrigerator equipment
removes some of the ozone, causing "holes"; to open
up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach
the earth.
 Ultraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer
and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife.
 Effects of Air Pollution
(Acid Rain)
 As the primary pollutants Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides are transported as
much 1000 kilometers by prevailing wind. They form secondary pollutants such
as Nitric acid vapor, droplets of sulfuric acid, and particles of acid-forming sulfate
and nitrate salts.
 This resulting mixture is called acid deposition that fall to the earth as acid
rain/precipitation.

Damage of a statue by
acid rain
Air Pollution in World, Bangladesh and Dhaka

Air pollution
rank of Dhaka?
Water pollution
 Domestic water pollution

• The cities (such as Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna,

Rajshahi) do not have domestic waste treatment
facilities and, therefore, effluents either directly or
indirectly find their way - untreated into the rivers
and, ultimately, into the Bay of Bengal.
Effects
 Depletion of Oxygen Contents
 Promotion of Algal Growth
 Spread of Infections/Diseases
 Industrial Water Pollution

Pollution mainly caused by the discharge of industrial wastes into the

water body is known as industrial pollution.
Mainly all major industries are located on or near the coastline or
riversides.
These wastes contain a wide variety of inorganic and organic substances.
Pollutants from industrial sources include:
Oils and greases,
Plastics,
Suspended solids,
Heavy metals: lead, mercury,
Acids, Nitrates, Phosphates, Sulphur,
Petrochemicals
 Agricultural Water Pollution

Water pollution can be caused by agricultural wastes that are

washed off from the land to the surface and ground water system
through irrigation, rainfall and leaching.

Pollutants from agricultural sources include:

Fertilizers (urea, phosphate, potassium etc.)
Pesticides (aldrin, dieldrin, lindane, DDT etc.)
Animal wastes
Salts dissolved in irrigation water
Sediments
Ship breaking operations
 Radioactive waste

Nuclear waste is produced from industrial, medical and scientific processes that
use radioactive material. Nuclear waste comes from a number of sources:

• Operations conducted by nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste.

Nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants are the biggest sources of man-made
nuclear waste in the surrounding ocean.

• Mining and refining of uranium and thorium are also causes of marine
nuclear waste.

• Nuclear waste can have detrimental effects on marine habitats.

 Oil pollution

Oil Pollution causes when oceans and rivers are polluted by oil on a
daily basis from oil spills, routine shipping, run-offs and dumping.
Oil spill cause a very localized problem but can be catastrophic to
local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters.
A layer of oil floating on the ocean surface can interfere with the
exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide and reduce the rate of
photosynthesis of marine plankton and the respiration of marine
animals.
Oil cannot dissolve in water and forms a thick sludge in the water.
This suffocates fish, gets caught in the feathers of marine birds
stopping them from flying and blocks light from photosynthetic
aquatic plants.
 Oil pollution

An oil spill that occurred on 9 December

Bangladesh oil spill 'threatens rare dolphins'
2014 at the Shela River in Sundarbans,
Bangladesh,
Effects of oil pollution
Impact of Global Warming/ Climate Change

Rise of average temperature and change in the

occurrence of rainfall
excessive rainfall/drought/irregular occurrence of
rainfall
frequent occurrence of disturbances due to warming
(e.g. flooding, cyclones with high intensity etc.)
Sea level rise and salinity intrusion in the coastal areas
Severe impacts on agricultural practices, forestry,
fisheries and natural resources
 Lists of environmental Issues
Global warming,
ozone layer depletion
Climate change
Over population Melting glacier
Food crisis Rising sea level
Poverty Drought, Flood
Cyclone,
Land erosion
Exploitaion of natural
resources

De forestation
Desertification

Conservation
eco tourism Genetic engineering (GMO food)
endangered Urbanization
species, energy use, Pollution (air, water, soil)
energy
conservation
Major Environmental
Issues of Bangladesh
 Climate Change Impacts in Bangladesh

Temperature extremes
Erratic rainfall
Increased number of severe flood
Increased frequency of cyclone and salinity intrusion
More river bank and coastal erosion
Population Vulnerable to Impact of Climate Change
Barind Tract: Drought (5.038 million people under threat)
Haor Basin: Flash Flood (20 million people under threat)
Water logging and permanent inundation due to Sea Level
Rise (SLR)