ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND POLLUTION
Degradation in the quality of environment
Pollutants
Classification I
- Quantitative: When exceeds a particular level or a limit, example CO2, CH4 etc.
- Quantitative: Right from the emission irrespective of the quantity they are emitted, example hazardous pesticides/insecticides like DDT
Classification II
- Primary: directly emitted from the source, example CO2, CO, NO, NO2
- Secondary: formation takes place after the reaction between or with primary pollutants, example Ground level zone (O3), Tropospheric ozone
Classification III
- Biodegradable: which can be decomposed through or using living organism
- Non-biodegradable: which cannot be decomposed through or using living organism
Classification IV
- Point source: Identifiable point as a source of pollution, example piped waste, vehicular exhaust
- Non-point source: Non-identifiable particular source of pollution, example agricultural run-off, wildfire
DESERTIFICATION
Desertification is a natural process but the rate of desertification increases by anthropogenic activities
Desertification imposes disproportionately high burden on women & children population
Important Anthropogenic activities
- Intensive agriculture
- unsustainable farming practices
- use of more fertilizers
- excessive irrigation
- not practicing fallow
- Over grazing
- Mining activities
- Unsustainable water use
- Increasing developmental activities
- Deforestation & degradation of forests
- Slash & Burn
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
- Adopted after Rio – summit
- India is a party
- 17th June: International day to combat desertification
- 2018 Theme: land has true value. Invest in it
Important steps for controlling desertification
- Afforestation & Reforestation
- Waste management
- Land use and land use change policy
- Regulating agricultural practices
- Decreasing livestock burden
- Restricting & regulating habitat expansion
- Community forming
- Practicing fallow
- Cooperation at National & International level
- Awareness
EUTROPHICATION
Excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to run-off from the land, which causes a dense growth of plant life.
Reasons for excessive nutrients
- Agricultural run offs
- Urban & semi urban run offs
- Domestic waste
- Synthetic detergent
- Industrial Chemical
- Weathering of rocks
CORALS
- Tiny animals (invertebrates (not having spine)
- Individuals called “polyps”
- Thousands of individual polyps living together
- Corals are mainly nocturnal
- Corals capture their prey by ‘Nematocyst’
- Coral grow in clean, clear, shallow, warm, saline, nutrient poor water
Coral reefs are of three types
- Fringing reefs
- Barrier reefs
- Atoll reefs
In India, reefs are found in
- Andaman & Nicobar Islands Fringing Reefs
- Gulf of Mannar Fringing Reefs
- Gulf of Kuchh Fringing Reefs
- Lakshadweep Atoll Reefs
Threats to Corals
- Ocean acidification
- Climate change
- Increased floods
- Increased surface/terrestrial run offs
- Vessels damage
- Oil spill
- Pollution
- Diseases like black band disease, white band disease, pink line
- Ozone depletion
- Unsustainable Tourism
- Unsustainable coastal development
- Overexploitation of resources
- Unsustainable fishing
PERSISTANT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS)
- Organic chemical having properties of being persistent (remaining extent in the atmosphere for a long time i.e. having resistance to degradation)
- Bioaccumulative (capable of getting accumulated in the tissues of plants & animals)
- Normally toxic
- Capable of large range transportation
Stockholm Convention on POPs
- Adopted 2001
- wef 2004
- Initially identified 12 POPs known as “Dirty Dozens”
- Now, it has 26 POPs
Dirty Dozens
- Pesticides: Aldrin, Dieldrin, Endrin, Mirex, Toxaphene, Chlordane, Heptachlor, DDT, Hexa-chlorobenzene
- Industrial Chemicals: Hexa-chlorobenzene, Polychlorinated Biphenyl
- By products: Hexa-chlorobenzene, Polychlorinated Biphenyl, Dioxins, Furans
Rotterdam Convention
- adopted 1998
- wef 2004
- on prior informed consent procedure on certain hazardous chemicals & pesticides in international trade
Bassel Convention
- adopted 1989
- wef 1992
- on control of transboundary movement of hazardous waste & their disposal especially from developed to developing countries
Aim:
- To reduce generation of hazardous waste
- To prohibit transboundary movement of hazardous waste
- To regulate the transboundary movement of that hazardous waste which is allowed
- To promote environment friendly methods of waste management
Bassel convention doesn’t cover “Radioactive waste”
Bamako Convention
- adopted 1991
- wef 1998
- Includes 25 African countries; South Africa not a party
- hazardous waste including radioactive waste
BIOACCUMULATION
Under this, the POPs get accumulated in the tissues of plants & animal species through water, food, air
BIOCONCENTRATION
If it accumulates through water, specifically referred as bioconcentration
BIOMAGNIFICATION
As we move from lower trophics to higher trophics, concentration of bioaccumulative substance increases called as biomagnification.
AIR POLLUTION
It is caused by Primary and Secondary pollutants
Primary pollutants: CO2, CO, SO2, NOX, PM2.5, PM10, H2S
Secondary pollutants: Ground level ozone, Peroxyacyl Nitrates, smog
NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS (NAAQS)
- Standard with respect to 12 pollutants
- NO2, SO2, CO, O3, Lead, NH3, PM2.5, PM10, Benzene, Benzo-a-pyrene, Arsenic, Nickel
NATIONAL AIR QUALITY INDEX (NAQI)
Includes 8 pollutants
NO2, SO2 → 24 hours average CO, O3 → 8 hours average
Pb, NH3 → 24 hours average PM2.5, PM10 → 24 hours average
For preparation of Index, values of minimum 3 pollutants required, including atleast one of the PM2.5 or PM10
CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD (CPCB)
- It is a statutory body established in 1974 under Water (Prevention & Control) Act, 1974
- It also has the responsibility of air & noise pollution
- At state and UTs level, we have similar bodies under the names of State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and UT Pollution Control Board (UTPCB)
SAFAR (SYSTEM FOR AIR QUALITY & WEATHER FORECASTING AND RESEARCH)
- It is developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meterology, Pune, Indian Meterology Department, Delhi and others
- It gives 1 to 3 days forecasting
SMOG & PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG
Smog = Smoke Fog
Smog = SO2 + Particulate matter (Soot + Dust)
Photochemical Smog
Important conditions for formation of photochemical smog
- Abundant sunlight
- Abundance of NOX & volatile organic compounds
- Still air
- temperature Inversion
- Absence of vertical mixing of air
Important Impacts
- Reduced Visibility
- Damage to plant chloroplast
- Breathing problems
- Eye & lungs irritation
- Cracking of rubber goods
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