Unit 2: Environmental Pollution

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering environmental pollution types, pollutants, control measures, and waste management concepts from the ES(1CL501) course.

Environmental Pollution

The contamination of the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected.

Pollutant

Any substance present in the environment in harmful concentration, which adversely alters the environment by damaging the growth rate of a species and by interfering with food chains.

Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

A global rating system released by the World Economic Forum that ranks 180 countries in terms of climate change performance, environmental health, and ecosystem vitality.

Quantitative Pollutants

Substances normally occurring in the environment that acquire the status of a pollutant when their concentration increases due to human activities, such as $CO_2$.

Qualitative Pollutants

Substances which do not normally occur in nature but are added by man, such as insecticides.

Primary Pollutants

Pollutants emitted directly from a source and persisting in the form in which they were added to the environment, such as ash, smoke, and nitric oxide.

Secondary Pollutants

Pollutants formed from primary pollutants through chemical interaction with constituents in the atmosphere, such as Ozone or peroxyacyl nitrate (PAN).

Synergism

The phenomenon of increased toxicity caused by chemical interaction among pollutants.

Bio-degradable Pollutants

Pollutants that can be broken down and processed by living organisms or natural processes, such as domestic sewage.

Non-biodegradable Pollutants

Substances that either do not degrade or degrade very slowly in the natural environment, such as mercury salts, aluminium cans, and plastic.

Anthopogenic Sources

Man-made sources of pollution arising from activities like industrialization, urbanization, and nuclear explosions.

Air Pollution (The Air Act 1987)

Any solid, liquid or gaseous substances present in the atmosphere in such concentration that may tend to be injurious to human beings, living creatures, plants, or property.

Settleable Particulates

Solid or liquid particulates with a size greater than $10\,\mu m$ that tend to settle out of the air quickly.

Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)

Small particles with a size less than $10\,\mu m$ that remain suspended in the air for a longer period.

Criteria Air Pollutants

The six principal pollutants for which the EPA has set National Ambient Air Quality Standards: Ozone, Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulphur Dioxide, and Lead.

Fluorosis

A disease of the bone and mottling of teeth caused by exposure to Hydrogen fluoride.

Gravitational Settling Chamber

The simplest type of particulate control equipment used to remove large, abrasive particles (usually $> 50\,\mu m$) from a gas stream using gravity.

Cyclone Separator

A device that utilizes centrifugal force generated by a spinning gas stream to separate particulate matter from carrier gas.

Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP)

A physical process by which particles suspended in a gas stream are charged electrically and separated by an electric field with high potential difference (usually $40-60\,kV$).

Wet Scrubber

A device that removes particulate matter by contacting a dirty gas stream with liquid drops, typically water.

Point Source (Water)

A single, identifiable source of water contamination, such as a pipe from an industrial facility.

Non-point Source (Water)

Contamination that comes from scattered or spread-over large areas, such as agricultural runoff or urban runoff from highways.

Eutrophication

The process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients, especially phosphates and nitrates, leading to excessive algal growth.

Algal Bloom

The excessive growth of algae in nutrient-rich water that depletes available oxygen as it dies and decomposes.

Aquifer

An underground layer of water-bearing material consisting of permeable rock, sand, gravel, or silt.

Primary Water Treatment

The physical process of removing approximately $60\%$ of solids and $30-40\%$ of oxygen-demanding wastes from sewage.

Secondary Water Treatment

A biological process used to remove up to $90\%$ of biodegradable wastes from water.

Bio-medical Waste

Waste generated during diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals, including sharps, pathological, and pharmaceutical waste.

Sanitary Landfill

A method of solid waste disposal where refuse is compacted and covered with excavated earth, using methods like the trench, ramp, or area method.

Pyrolysis

A plastic waste management technology that converts waste plastic into fuel oil or diesel oil.

E-Waste

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) consisting of broken or unwanted electrical or electronic appliances.

Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste

Waste material produced during building structures, renovation, or destruction, typically including concrete, asphalt, wood, and metals.

Deconstruction

The process of taking apart an existing building so that materials can be re-used elsewhere.

The 5 R's

A waste management hierarchy consisting of Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.

Noise Pollution

Unwanted sound that causes pain, annoyance, or interference with communication and behavior.

Decibel (dB)

A unitless quantity used to measure sound intensity relative to a fixed standard threshold of hearing ($10^{-12}\,W/m^2$).

Radioactive Decay

The process by which unstable isotopes transform into a more stable state, measured in units like the Becquerel or the Curie.

Fallout

Radioactive waste that is spread through the earth’s atmosphere.

Thermal Pollution

The addition of excess of undesirable heat to water, which decreases Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and increases the toxicity of poisons to aquatic life.

Cooling Tower

Equipment used to transfer heat from hot water to the atmosphere via evaporation, categorized into wet and dry types.