Ess 1.5

Pollution

Addition of a substance or an agent to an environment by human activity, at a greater rate then the environments ability to render the pollutants harmless

Pollutants

Pollutants are released by human activity;

Ex:

-matter which is organic or inorganic

-energy

Living organisms

Primary pollutants

Are active on emission (ex: carbon monoxide from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels)

secondary pollutants

Formed by primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical changes (ex: sulphuric acid forms when sulphur trioxide reacts with water)

Major sources of pollution

Combustion of fossil fuels, domestic waste, industrial waste, agricultural waste

Pollutant: Carbon dioxide - (major source combustion of fossil fuels)

Effect: greenhouse gas- climate change

Pollutant : Sulphur dioxide (major source combustion of fossil fuels)

Effect: Acid deposition- tree and fish death, respiratory diseases in humans

Pollutants: Nitrogen oxides (major source combustion of fossil fuels)

Effect: respiratory infections, eye irritation, smog

Pollutant: photochemical smog including; tropospheric ozone, PANs, VOCs (volatile organic compounds)- (major source combustion of fossil fuels)

Effects: Secondary pollutants (formed from others in the atmosphere)- damage to plants, eye irritation, respiratory problems in humans

Pollutant Carbon monoxide - (major source combustion of fossil fuels)

Effect: binds with haemoglobin in blood cells instead of oxygen- can lead to death by sufforcation

Pollutant: Organic waste (food and sewage) -(Domestic waste)

Effect: eutrophication, waterborne diseases

Pollutant: waste paper -(domestic waste)

Volume fills up landsites, forests cut to produce it

Pollutant: plastics-containers,packaging-(domestic waste)

Effect: volume fills up landfill sites, derived from oil

Pollutant: Glass (domestic waste)

Effect: energy required to manufacture it (like other products) can be recycled but most goes into landfill sites

Pollutant: tins/cans -(domestic waste)

Effect: can be recycled, but goes to lanfill

Pollutants: heavy metals- (industrial waste)

Effect: poisoning, ex mercury, lead cadmium

Pollutants: fluorides -(industrial waste)

Effect: poisoning

Pollutant: heat -(industrial waste)

Effect: reduces solubility of gases in water, so less oxygen so organisms may die

Pollutant: lead -(industrial waste)

Effect: Disabilities in children

Pollutant: Acids -(industrial waste)

Effect: corrosive

Pollutant: Nitrates -(agricultural waste)

Effect :eutrophication

Pollutant: Organic waste -(agricultural waste)

Effect: Eutrophication, disease spread

Pollutant: pesticides- (agricultural waste)

Effect: Accumulate up food chains

NPS (non-point source) pollutants

Is the release of pollutants from numerous origins ex: gases from the exhaust systems of vehicles (cant find or blame exact source -my simplification)

PS (point-source) pollutants

Release of pollutants from a single identifiable site, ex: factory of a chimney” (specific cases ex: fukushima, bhopa