Acid Rain

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Effects of acid rain

Increases the acidity of aquatic ecosystems leadng to the kllng of planktoons and aquatc organism s.

De stroys plant tissues and dam ages plant roots

Corrodes metals, marble, plastics, stonework and othe r materials

Reduces the pH of the soil m aking it unsuitable for farm ing.

Leaching of minerals such as calcium from the soil, causing infertile soil

Releases ions of heavy metals such as lead which m ay contaminate the water

F
ormation of Acid Rain and its effects
Air Pollution Index (API)

A system adopted by Malaysia Government to indicate the level of air pollution

based on its health impact
API

Status

Level of pollution

0 - 50

Good

Low, no ill effects on health

51 - 100

Moderate

Moderate pollution, no ill effects on

health

101 - 200

Unhealthy

Mild aggravation of symptoms

among high risk groups

201 - 300

Very unhealthy

Significant aggravation of symptoms

and decreased exercise tolerance
among high risk groups

301 - 500

Hazardous

Severe aggravation of symptoms

and a danger to health

Above 500

Emergency

Severe aggravation of symptoms

and a danger to a health

Water Pollution.
Sources
Agricultural waste
and run-off

Pollutants

Effects

Solutions

Nitrates and
phosphates

Lead to eutrophication

Herbicide and
pesticide residues

Have toxic effects on

organisms in water

Control the use of

fertilisers
Applying only when crops
are growing.
Not applying in empty
fields.
Not spraying when there is
a forecast of rain.
Not disposing of them into
rivers and pond
Reducing the usage of
excess nitrates from
fertilisers and ammonia.
Use biodegradable
pesticides

Untreated
sewage
human faeces
and
domestic
waste

Suspended solids

Nitrates and
phosphates

Detergents

Microorganisms
(viruses, bacteria,
and protozoa)
Effluent from
industries
-Electronics and
electroplating
plants
-Food and
beverage
processing

Heavy metals
(copper, mercury,
zinc, and
chromium), oil,

grease, and
suspended solids,
waste water
contains

and human
Pesticides levels can
be magnified as they
pass through food
chain
Accumulation of
pesticides in
consumers may kill
them or affect their
metabolism
Lead to lower sperm
counts, decreased
ovulation, inability to
conceive and birth
defects.

Reduce light
penetration
High demand for
oxygen

Leads to
eutrophication
Hard detergents
create foam which
reduces the availability
of oxygen to
organisms living in the
water
Soft detergents are
biodegradable but may
contain high levels of
phosphates which can
lead to eutrophication
Cause cholera

Highly toxic
accumulate in the
organisms via food
chains
Mercury causes acute
nervous disorder in
humans.

Use alternative method

(biological pest control)
Planting genetically
modified crops that can
resist attacks by insects as
this may reduce the need to
use chemical pesticides

Treat sewage before it

enters rivers
Prevent slurry (liquid
manure) from farms from
entering rivers and ponds

Use biodegradable
detergents with low
phosphate contents

Drink properly treated and

boiled water

Treat effluents before

discharging into water
sources
Taking legal action against
illegal dumping of toxic
wastes

industry
-Rubber products
processing
industry

numerous
contaminants,
(including
hydroxide
sulphide).

Underground pipes

Lead (highly toxic

heavy metal)

Accumulate in the
tissues of living
organisms
Impair the mental
performance of
children

Replace lead pipes used in

plumbing with copperbased pipes.

The sources, pollutants, effects and solutions of water pollutions.

Eutrophication.
Defination :Artificial nutrient enrichment of an aquatic system with organic material or
inorganic nutrients, causing an excessive growth of aquatic plant life.
Causes by :a. Leaching of inorganic fertilisers, especially nitrates and phosphates, from
agricultural lands
b. Input of untreated sewage as well as discharge from sewage treatment plants
c. Run-off of animal waste from pastures and farmlands into lakes, rivers or
ponds.

Process of eutrophication :-

1. Run-off of excess nutrients into water encourage rapid growth of algae,

results in a population explosion known as an algae bloom
2. At night, high respiration rate of the algae results in a high demand for
oxygen.
3. Excessive growth of algae restricts the penetration of light into the water. The
rate of photosynthesis of aquatic plants reduced and further reduced the
supply of oxygen in water.
4. The algae grow faster than their consumers. Most of algal population dies
without being consumed.
5. Decomposing microorganisms especially aerobic bacteria used up the oxygen
in deeper water at a fast rate.
6. Untreated sewage or animal wastes from farm that contain high
concentration of organic matter encourage the rapid growth of aerobic
bacteria.
7. The aerobic bacteria use up oxygen faster than it can be replenished. An
increase in biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) results in a severe depletion
of oxygen.
8. Low level of oxygen concentration kills larger aerobic aquatic organisms and
organisms that require higher oxygen levels (freshwater shrimps and mayfly
nymphs)

9. If the oxygen levels continues to drop and water become completely

deoxygenated, anaerobic bacteria will grow and release toxic gases (eg.
hydrogen sulphide), causing the death of aquatic organisms.
10.During the growth of algae, certain blue green bacteria also produce toxins.
11.At night BOD levels, organisms that are more tolerant of lower concentration
of dissolved oxygen (eg. leeches, Tubifex worms, and sludge worms) may
appears and multiply.
What is BOD?
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is the amount of dissolved oxygen
required by the microoganisms to decompose the organic matters in the
water.
The measurement of BOD is an indication of the level of water pollution.
If there is a large amount of organic waste in the water, the population of
aerobic bacteria will increase to decompose the organic matter. The dissolved
oxygen level in the water decreases, and the value of BOD will be high.
A lower BOD level (or higher dissolved oxygen level) indicates better water
quality. A higher BOD level (or lower dissolved oxygen level) indicates poor
water quality.
Water Quality Index.
1. The Water Quality Index (WQI) is used by the Department of Environment to
indicate the quality of water.
WQI
92.8 100.0
76.6 92.8
52.5 72.6
29.7 52.5
< 29.7

Pollution Level
Water is very clean
Water is clean with
minimal pollutants
Water is slightly polluted
Water is polluted
Water is very polluted

Class
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.

Thermal Pollution.
In thermal pollution, the temperature of a body of water is unintentionally raised as
a result of human activities.

Hot w ater is d charged into nearby lakes and rivers f om the ffuents of industrialproces and the co ling tow ers of the lectri alpower sta ions w hic use w ater as co ling a ent.
EThffeercmtsalpolution cause the t m perature in a body of water o rise above the norm alv ue.The increas in tem perature can be 5
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Cause
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For som e speci s,a sud en i creas in tem perature can lead to death of s m e aquatic speci s and thge d ath of thes peci s m ay have a negative ffect on the fo d chain,causing the ntire fo d chain colapse.
Noise Pollution.
Noise pollution occurs when our daily lives are disturbed by high levels of noise.

1. Causes:
a. Noises from cars, motorcycles, airplanes, construction sites, agriculture
and industrial machinery.
b. Noise level of residential areas should not exceed 55 decibels (dB).
2. Effects:
a. Prolonged exposure to noise level at or above 80 decibels can lead to
deafness.
b. High level of noise can contribute to the development and aggravation
of stress related problems such as high blood pressure, coronary
disease, ulcers, depression and headache.
c. Loud noise can cause an arousal response in which a series of
reactions occurs in the body.
d. Adrenaline is released into the bloodstream. A persons heartbeat,
blood pressure and respiration rate are likely to increase.
e. The blood vessels constrict and the muscles become tense.
f. Constant exposure to noise can contribute to deterioration in health.
3. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a noise level of not more than
55 decibels (dB).
4. When the surrounding noise levels reaches 80 dB or more, it causes
discomfort and affects the human health.
5. Excessive exposure to a noise level of 80 dB or more for a long period of time
may cause headache, emotional and mental disturbances and in certain
cases, may cause deafness.

Noise Intensity of Daily Human Activities:-