General Strategies To Control Pollutants

Question 1

Name 3 strategies to control pollution

Answer 1

• CPA: critical pathway analysis
• CGM: critical group monitoring
• emission control strategies

Question 2

What is the purpose of the Critical Pathway Analysis (CPA)?

Answer 2

To predict the movement of potential pollutants in the environment to assess the severity and the location of where pollution may occur

Question 3

When would the CPA suggest action would be needed?

Answer 3

If the potential pollutant became concentrated or polluted in important/sensitive locations

Question 4

When would the CPA conclude that no further action is needed?

Answer 4

If the pollutant would be diluted and dispersed or if in a location where the impact is acceptable

Question 5

What pollutant properties may be considered/included in the CPA?

Answer 5

-state of matter
- Density
- solubility in water/ lipids
- chemical stability

Question 6

What environmental features may be considered in the CPA ?

Answer 6

Wind & water currents
Geology
PH
Oxygen availability
Temperature

Question 7

What does CPA tend to be used for?

Answer 7

To monitor the dispersal of radioactive waste discharges
It can be used to monitor the movements of any mobile and persistent pollutant

Question 8

Why is it important that the CPA can predict pollutant pathways?

Answer 8

Means environmental monitoring can focus on vulnerable sites, dont waste time sampling locations not at risk
The sampling can then be used to check accuracy of CPA predictions

Question 9

What is Critical Group Monitoring (CGM)?

Answer 9

A specific method of assessing the risk of public exposure to pollutants

Question 10

Who classes as the ‘critical group’ in CGM?

Answer 10

The members of the public who because of their lifestyle are most likely to be at risk to the pollutant being monitored
If their risk is low, it is assumed all other members of the public are at an even lower risk

Question 11

How is CGM normally used?

Answer 11

To monitor exposure and asses potential risks before health impacts occur (not detect the health damages caused)

Question 12

What happens if the CGM identified a very dangerous risk?

Answer 12

Emissions will be controlled to reduce future exposure

Question 13

Name 4 environmental factors that can affect pollutants dispersal and which can be managed

Answer 13

• air quality
• meteorological conditions
• hydrology
• emission source: the location and timing of emissions can be managed

Question 14

Why is it important to control the location of emissions?

Answer 14

The severity of the pollutant can be affected by the location where discharges are released

Question 15

Describe 3 ways humans can avoid increasing the severity of pollutants by changing the location of emissions

Answer 15

• not having marine discharges where water currents will disperse and dilute emissions
• not releasing emissions downwind of urban areas
• discharging waste onto permeable rocks above aquifers rather than impermeable

Question 16

Why is it important to control emission timing?

Answer 16

Changes in timing and affect severity

Question 17

Name two natural events where timing changes can impact the severity of pollutants

Answer 17

-tidal cycle
-temperature inversions

Question 18

How can the tidal cycle impact pollutants?

Answer 18

-emissions in tidal rivers when tide coming in will be carried upstream
- when the tide is coming out,they will be carried out to sea where they will be dispersed

Question 19

How can temperature inversions impact pollutants?

Answer 19

-atmospheric emissions during temperature inversions are less likely to disperse
-activities that release pollutants (e.g. diesel cars or industrial combustion) may be estricteces in some cities during temperature inversions

Question 20

Name 2 principles that affect decisions about pollution control

Answer 20

• the polluter pays principle
• the precautionary principle

Question 21

What is the ‘the polluter pays’ principle?

Answer 21

The person or organisation that causes the pollution is responsible for he problems caused and so has an obligation to prevent it

Question 22

when does the ‘the polluter pays’ principle work most effectively?

Answer 22

When the polluter has little chance of escaping their responsibilities

Question 23

How are incentives used in the ‘the polluter pays’ principle?

Answer 23

There is a clear financial incentive to prevent the pollutant if the cost of preventing damage caused is less than the cost of the damage
If the financial penalties are higher, the incentive to comply is greater

Question 24

What is the precautionary principle?

Answer 24

An approach that asumes that a waste will cause pollution if it is released
The release will be permitted if research confirms it is unlikely to do so

Question 25

Why is the precautionary principle safer?

Answer 25

It doesnt allow pollutants to be released in the hope they are safe and waiting for a problem to occur, it prevents a problem from occurring at all

Question 26

What does the precautionary principle mean for the polluter?

Answer 26

That being unaware of a problem not yet understood is not an excuse and doesnt reduce responsibility

Question 27

Name 4 different control methods that can be used for different pollutants

Answer 27

• Production prevention
  -prevention of release
  -post-release remediation
  -alternative processes

Question 28

Give an example of how ‘production prevention’ can be used to control pollutants

Answer 28

It can be used for the desulphurisation of fossil fuels before combustion

Question 29

Give two examples that prevention of release can be used to control pollutants

Answer 29

• electrostatic precipitators for smoke control
• catalytic converters for control of NOx, CO and hydrocarbons in vehicle exist emissions

Question 30

Give 2 examples of post-release remediation as a pollution control method

Answer 30

-oil spill cleanup methods
-phytoremediation of land contaminated with heavy metals

Question 31

Name 3 alternative processes that can be used to control pollutants

Answer 31

• use of electrical rather than diesel/petrol vehicles
• use of Pyrethroid pesticides rather than more polluting organochlorines
• use of renewable energy rather than fossil fuels

Question 32

How efficient is pollutant control?

Answer 32

• it can be expensive and the relationship between cost and efficiency isn’t linear
• it is rarely practical to reduce pollution emissions to 0
• there may be decision about acceptable levels of emissions, meaning there is still low levels of pollutants and they aren’t removed completely

Question 33

What approach should emissions follow?

Answer 33

ALARA

Question 34

What is the ALARA approach?

Answer 34

Means emissions should be “as low as reasonably achievable”
It can be achieved by using new equipment that is “BATNEEC”

Question 35

What does it mean for equipment to be “BATNEEC”?

Answer 35

Best Available Technology, Not Entailing Excessive Cost

Question 36

How can pollution control methods achieve acceptable environmental conditions?

Answer 36

-making changes to emissions control
- pollutant sources may increase as industries and cities expand which might mean the original methods may not be sufficient anymore