Lecture 3 Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is the definition of pollution?
Chemical or biological substance which has adverse effect on water, air, and soil quality.
What are the 7 types of pollutants?
Organic
Inorganic
Organometallic
Acid
Physical
Radiological
Biological
Describe organic pollutants
Any carbon containing chemicals.
Pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, surfactants, and hydrocarbons.
Hypothermia, poisoning, congested lungs and damaged airways, gastrointestinal ulceration and hemmorhaging.
Describe inorganic pollutants
Nitrates and metals.
Often released from industrial manufacturing and municipal facilities.
Highly toxic and disrupt cellular events.
Describe organometallic pollutants
organic molecule with carbon and metal.
Trybutiltin used as biocide in antifouling paints.
endocrine disrupting events causes severe effects in aquatic organisms.
Describe radiological pollutants
small particles releasing energy or other particles.
occurs naturally in uranium decay.
anemia, cataracts, fractured teeth, cancer and death.
Describe biological pollutants
Microbially contaminated water becomes dangerous.
Pathogenic bacteria cause diseases.
faecal matter, cattle farms, hospitals, industry increase bacteria in water.
Cholera outbreaks.
Routine testing via indicator species present in gut.
What are Persistant Organic Pollutants?
Present in wide range of chemicals.
Resistant to degradation.
Accumulate in tissues over time.
What are emerging contaminants?
substance that is yet to be regulated that may be of environmental or human health concern.
Why is air pollution a threat?
Causes 4.2 million premature deaths.
Types of air pollution.
Gasses: formless fluids that take up space. CO2, SO2, NO2, hydrocarbons or oxidants.
Particles: SPM are fine sized solids that include dust, fumes, smoke, fly ash, mist and soot. Formed due to chemical reactions.
Air pollutants.
CO2 is primary as it is directly emmited in air.
NOx is secondary as it results from chemical reactions in the air, gaseous NOx transforms to nitrate particles.
What is the problem with particulates?
less than 10um (PM10) invade lungs and bloodstream.
PM2.5 pose greatest risk causing cancer.
People with asthma, pneumonia, diabetes, and resp. and cardio. diseases are susceptible.
What are the impacts of construction industry?
Contributes to 30% of PM10 emissions.
This keeps increasing.
Air pollution regulations and strategies.
Air Quality Standards Regulation 2010 set limit values, target values, and long term objectives.
In april 2023 UK published “Air quality strategy: framework for local authority delivery” for England.
Social context of air pollution.
Death of Ella in 2013 as a result of asthma due to air pollution.
In May 2022 Ella’s law was introduced to bring air quality standard in communities to minimum of WHO standards.
What is the importance of soils?
Soils are living and are key for recycling elements and nutrients.
Unprecedented detoration, desertification and erosion eliminating service it provides.
Soil pollution.
Disturbed by: population growth, urbanisation, farming and climate change.
Soil contamination is one of the greatest concerns globally.
Definition of contaminated land by environmental protection act 1990.
“Contaminated land is any land which appears to the local authority in whose area it is situated to be in such a condition, by reason of substances in, on or under the land, that—
(a) significant harm is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such harm being caused;
or
(b) significant pollution of controlled waters is being caused or there is a significant possibility of such pollution being caused.”
What does 7th environment action programme set?
“soil is adequately protected and the remediation of contaminated sites is well underway”.
What is importance of clean water?
1 in 10 people do not have access to clean water.
2-3 billion people worldwide experience water shortages.
2 billion do not have safe drinking water and 3.6 lack access to sanitation.
Lack of sanitation is one of most significant forms of water pollution.
40% of water bodies are severly polluted.
Water supply regulation 2016
99.5%
Nitrates directive aims to improve water quality by limiting ____
50mg/L of nitrate
What percentage of land in England is a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone due to 50mg/L?
58%
