5.1 – Nature of Pollution

1. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.1 – Nature of Pollution IB Topics 5.1.1-5.1.3

2. Pollution • The contamination of the Earth and atmosphere to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected. • Can be natural/human caused • Can be deliberate/accidental

4. Pollution • Can be matter (solid, liquid, gas) or energy (noise, light, heat)

5. Major Pollution Sources: Combustion of Fossil Fuels • Carbon Dioxide • Greenhouse gas • Sulfur Dioxide • Acid deposition (tree/fish death) • Photochemical Smog • Respiratory problems • Carbon Monoxide • Binds hemoglobin, can cause death

6. Major Pollution Sources: Domestic Waste • Organic Waste (food/sewage) • Eutrophication • Fills landfills • Waste Paper/Plastics/Glass/Metals • Fills landfills • Reduces natural resources • Energy used to produce causes pollution

7. Major Pollution Sources: Industrial Waste • Heavy Metals • Poisoning • Fluorides • Poisoning • Heat • Reduces dissolved oxygen • Lead • Disabilities in children • Acids • Corrosive

8. Major Pollution Sources: Agricultural Waste • Nitrates • Eutrophication • Organic Waste • Eutrophication • Pesticides • Accumulate up food chains

9. Point Source Pollution • Pollution released from a single, identifiable source. • Examples: • A factory smokestack or exhaust pipe • A sewage pipe • A specific incident • A very bright light

10. Non-point Source Pollution • Release of pollutants from dispersed origins • Examples: • Agricultural runoff • Vehicle exhaust • Urban runoff

11. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.2 Detection and monitoring of pollution IB Topics 5.2.1-5.2.3

12. Pollution Monitoring • Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) • A measure of the amount of oxygen required by micro-organisms to break down the organic material in water

13. Pollution Monitoring • Indicator Species • Organisms that show something about the environment by their presence, absence, or abundance.

14. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.3 – Approaches to pollution management IB Topics 5.3.1-5.3.3

15. Pollution Management Strategies • Replace-Regulate-Restore

16. Pollution Management Strategies • Replace • Develop alternate technologies • Adopt alternate lifestyles

17. Pollution Management Strategies • Regulate • Setting and imposing standards • Introducing measures for extracting the pollutant from waste

18. Pollution Management Strategies • Restore • Extracting and removing pollutant from ecosystem • Replanting and restocking with plant/animal populations

19. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.4 - Eutrophication IB Topics 5.4.1-5.4.3

20. Eutrophication • The addition of excess nutrients to a water ecosystem, causing algae to bloom • Usually nitrates and phosphates • Detergents • Fertilizers • Livestock drainage • Sewage

21. Eutrophication Process • Fertilizers wash into lake • Algae bloom, light to plants decreases, plants die • More algae=more zooplankton=more small fish • Algae die and are decomposed by bacteria, oxygen level goes down, everything dies • Turbidity increases

22. Eutrophication Management • Replace • Stop/change fertilizers/waste • Plant buffer zones • Regulate • Limit pollutants • Restore • Pump air through lake • Dredge lake bottom • Remove algae physically or by algicides • Reintroduce species

23. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.5 – Solid domestic waste IB Topics 5.5.1-5.5.2

24. Types of Solid Domestic Waste • Garden Waste/Kitchen Waste • Glass, wood, metal, plastics • Paper • Textiles • Diapers

25. Solutions to Waste • Landfill • Pros: • Cons: • Compost • Pros: • Cons: • Recycle (or Reuse) • Pros: • Cons: • Incineration • Pros: • Cons:

26. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.6 – Depletion of Stratospheric Ozone IB Topics 5.6.1-5.6.3

27. Atmosphere Structure • Main Components: • Nitrogen (78%) • Oxygen (20%) • Argon (1%) • CO2 (.038%) • Temperature and pressure vary with altitude

28. Ozone Layer • Ozone (O3) is more concentrated in the low stratosphere (12-20mi) • O3 absorbs UV radiation in a process that converts O2to O3 and back

29. UV Radiation (UV-B) • Blocked by ozone • Causes eye damage, cataracts, sunburn, and skin cancer in humans (and some animals) • Can damage plants and phytoplankton

30. Ozone Depleting Substances • CFCs • Refrigerants • 1987 Montreal Protocol called for a sharp reduction in CFCs and other Ozone Depleting Substances

31. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.7 – Urban air pollution IB Topics 5.7.1-5.7.3

32. Tropospheric Ozone • Ozone is a pollutant in the troposphere and causes eye/lung problems • Pollution from burning fossil fuels can react with sunlight to form ozone (O3) • NOx • Hydrocarbons • VOCs

33. Photochemical Smog • VOCs, Hydrocarbons, Nitrogen Oxides react to form ozone and brown gas. • Happens primarily in warm dry places, can by compounded by surrounding mountains

34. Topic 5 – Pollution Management 5.8 – Acid deposition IB Topics 5.8.1-5.8.3

35. Emissions • Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxides are emitted from industry, vehicles, urban areas, livestock, and natural causes • They fall to the ground as dry deposition or wet deposition

36. Wet Deposition (Acid Rain) • SO2 and Nox form H2SO4 and HNO3 in the atmosphere and fall to the ground as precipitation

37. Effects of Acid Rain • Acidified Lakes • Acidified Soil • Release of heavy metals • Trees and forests

38. Management of Acid Rain • Prevention/Reduction of pollution • Soil/Water conditioners