Contemporary Urban Environments - Other Environmental Issues Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is atmospheric pollution caused by?
Atmospheric pollution is caused by the release of particles and noxious gases into the atmosphere and this can have a negative effect on human health.
How many deaths per year are caused by air pollution?
4.2 million deaths due to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases.
How many Londoners died prematurely in 2019 due to air pollution?
3799 deaths
What are pollution episodes?
During wet or windy conditions pollution concentrations remain low, either blown or washed away.
During periods of still, hot weather, pollution is able to build up to harmful amounts, leading to pollution episodes.
What are some strategies to improve air quality?
Measures include ensuring that:
- Houses are energy efficient
- Urban development is well served by public transport routes
- Street design is appealing and safe for pedestrians and cyclists
- Waste is well managed
Why is air pollution worse in LICs and NEEs?
They lack the finances and legislation to adequatelt tackle the problem. Over 90% of air pollution in these countries is attributed to vehicle emissions due to the high number of older vehicles, poor vehicle maintainence and low fuel quality
What is water pollution?
Water pollution is the contamination of water sources including rivers, lakes, oceans, aquifers and groundwater.
How does water pollution occur?
Occurs when pollutants are directly or indirectly discharged into water without adequate treatment to removeharmful compounds.
What are some indirect sources of water pollution?
Contaminants that enter the water from soils or groundwater and from the atmosphere via rain.
What are some causes of water pollution in urban areas?
- Surface run-off from streets carrying oil, heavy metals and other contaminants from motor vehicles
- Industrial waste
- Untreated or poorly treated sewage
- Rubbish dumps
- Intentional dumping of hazardous substances
What are some consequences of water pollution?
- Heavy metals can slow development, result in birth defects and may be carcinogenic
- Industrial waste often contains toxic compounds that damage the health of aquatic animals and those who eat them
- Organic matter and nutrients can cause an increase in aerobic algae and deplete oxygen from the water
- Microbial pollutants from sewage often result in infections that infect aquatic life and terrestrial diseases that infect aquatic life and terrestrial life through drinking water
What are the two main ways to improve water quality in HICs?
1) The construction of water-treatment facilities and wastewater plants
2) Regulations aimed at ‘point source’ polluters such as industries which discharge water pollution into receiving waters or sewer systems that flow into treatment plants.
What are some key water pollution strategies?
- Low impact development
- Legislation, regulation and enforcement
- Education and awareness
- Improvements in sewage and wastewater processing
- Appropriate technology
How is Low-impact development (LID) used to manage water pollution?
It is a stormwater management approach that can help to reduce stormwater run-off. This is done through the use of vegetation and permeable surfaces to allow infiltration of water into the ground. Permeable streets and pavements, ‘green’ roofs, rain gardens and more urban parks allow water to infiltrate into soils rather than flow directly into sewers.
How is Legislation, regulation and enforcement used to manage water pollution?
There are many different anti-pollution laws and agreements in operation worldwide. However, these laws need to be enforced, and some cities have adopted incentive-based approaches, charging polluters per unit or limiting discharge from factories.
How is Education and awareness used to manage water pollution?
The more people know about the causes and effects of pollution, the more likely they will be to avoid adding to the problem.
What is dereliction?
Dereliction refers to the state of having been abandoned and become dilapidated. In urban area, derelict buildings are often associated with former industrial sites or run-down housing estates.
How does dereliction impact its surrounding area?
Crime and vandalism rates tend to be higher, house prices fall, and out-migration of residents takes place.
How can derelict land be a risk to human health?
Contamination from industrial processes lives on in an environment long after the industry that produced or used them is gone.
What is a brownfield site?
A term used in urban planning to describe land previously used for industrial purposes or some commercial uses
What is a greenfield site?
An area of undeveloped land
What is land remediation?
The removal of pollution or contaminants from the ground enables areas of derelict former industrial land to be brought back to commercial use.
What is social segregation?
When groups of people live apart from the larger population due to factors such as wealth, ethnicity or religion
