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GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UNIVERSITY

LAHORE

SUBMITTED TO:

Dr.M.P.Bhatti
SUBMITTED BY:

Sehar Afzal
ROLL NO:

1009-BH-CHEM-16

ASSIGNMENT TOPIC:

Environmental Pollution

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CONTENTS

Introduction:...............................................................................................................................................3
Pollutants....................................................................................................................................................3
Persistent pollutants:..................................................................................................................................3
Non-persistent pollutants:.......................................................................................................................3
Quantitative pollutants:.....................................................................................................................3
Qualitative pollutants:........................................................................................................................3
Primary pollutants:......................................................................................................................................3
Secondary pollutants:..................................................................................................................................4
Types of pollution:.......................................................................................................................................4
1. Water pollution:..............................................................................................................................4
Sources:...............................................................................................................................................4
TMDL:..................................................................................................................................................5
Effects:.................................................................................................................................................5
Control measures:...............................................................................................................................5
2. Soil pollution:...................................................................................................................................6
Sources:...............................................................................................................................................6
Effects:.................................................................................................................................................6
Control measures:...............................................................................................................................6
3. Air pollution:....................................................................................................................................6
Sources:...............................................................................................................................................6
Effects:.................................................................................................................................................7
Control measures:...............................................................................................................................7
References:..................................................................................................................................................7

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Environmental pollution
INTRODUCTION:
The addition of unnatural changes in components of ecosystem is called environmental
pollution. These are negative changes in air, water and soil as these are components of
ecosystem. A certain amount of chemicals and gasses is required to form a sustainable
ecosystem as a specific amount of carbon dioxide is necessary to keep the ecosystem well
worked but its large quantities cause global warming, similarly a specific amount of metal
nutrients is required for nutrition of plants and animals and excess causes poisoning. These
changes affect not only living components of systems but also non-living components. Now
many methods are devised to eliminate their adverse effects but their production rate is
increasing day by day’

POLLUTANTS
The chemicals that produce pollution are called pollutants. These may be of two types:

PERSISTENT POLLUTANTS:
The pollutants that remain persistent in the environment in their original forms are
called persistent pollutants such as plastics, nuclear materials and pesticides etc.

Non-persistent pollutants:
The pollutants that does not consistent and degrade in the simpler forms are called non-
persistent pollutants and if this degradation is done by some living organism they are called
biodegradable such as animal wastes.
Pollutants can be classified into two groups according to their existence:
Quantitative pollutants:
These are the substances that already exist in the environment but their level of
existence is now increased from the limited value and reached to the value that they are called
pollutants and effecting our lives and environment.
Qualitative pollutants:
There are the pollutants that were not already present in the ecosystem naturally but
they are human productions and effecting environment badly such as fungicides, insecticides
etc.
There is another classification of pollutants which is:

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PRIMARY POLLUTANTS:
These are the pollutants that remain same as they were added in the environment such as
plastic and DDT.

SECONDARY POLLUTANTS:
These are formed due to reaction of primary pollutants with other chemicals such as PAN is
formed by reaction of oxides of nitrogen with hydrocarbons.

TYPES OF POLLUTION:
There are three non-living components of environment which are air, water and soil so there
are three types of pollution which are explained as.

1. Water pollution:
 It is the addition of many harmful chemicals in the water which may be organic,
inorganic or some other and they affect the quality of water.
 This pollution is not only limited to surface water but also underground water
reservoirs, seas and oceans.

Sources:
There are two categories of sources of water pollution which are point and non-point
sources.

Point sources:
These are the sources that are directly pointed towards water reservoirs and their source
of production is known.
 Untreated waste water from different soap, paper and other industries.
 Discharge of hot water from power plants.

Non-point sources:
These are those sources whose point of elimination in not able to identify and it is sum of many
pollutants such as discharge pipes. They also include;
 Release of fertilizers and different sprays like insecticides from agriculture lands.
 Sediments run off from construction sites and forest lands.
 Release of livestock due to poor septic system.

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TMDL:
It is total maximum daily load for each pollutant which refers to the combined amount of point
and non-point source pollution that a water reservoir can bear without exceeding the specific
value and maintaining quality standards.

Effects:
 Excessive amount of heavy metals causes many diseases in humans, animals and water
lives such as mercury accumulation can cause Mina Mata in humans and dropsy in
fishes. If heavy metals are accumulated in gills of fishes, they are unable of respiration
and die. High levels of aluminum in humans can cause brain illness.
 Polluted water may have high levels of algae which forms algal blooms that use oxygen
of water for waste degradation and oxygen level of water becomes less also sun light
cannot penetrate into deep water that causes deaths of both animals and plants in
water.
 Excessive levels of nitrates and fluorides are dangerous for infants and cause
neuromuscular diseases respectively.

Control measures:
 We can minimize water usage by changing techniques.
 We can recycle water to the maximum extent.
 Waste water can be treated to minimize pollution.
 Less waste water should be discharged from industries.
 Use of pesticides and insecticides should be lessened.

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2. Soil pollution:
The addition of unwanted species to the soil that badly effect the chemical and physical
properties of soil and reduce its fertility are called soil pollutants.
These pollutants change the texture, quality and composition of soil.

Sources:
 Industrial wastes that contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury, alkalis’
and other organic substances.
 Agricultures wastes that contain fertilizers, pesticides, insecticide and biological wastes
like manure.
 Plastic bags and radioactive materials that are non-biodegradable sources of pollution.

Effects:
 It reduces the productivity of soil and yield of crops is lessened while there is an
increase in soil erosion and salinity.
 It causes imbalance in flora and fauna.
 In urban areas there is sanitary problem and clogging of pipes occurs and release of
different types of gases occurs.
 Presence of radioactive substances causes bio magnification and affect humans and
animals along with plants.

Control measures:
 We must avoid deforestation and promote reforestation.
 We should reduce from construction area.
 We must stop use of plastic products and non-degradable materials.
 Biomedical waste should be collected and incinerated.

3. Air pollution:
 If the addition of harmful chemicals in such harmful quantity and amount is added that
has negative effect on health of plants and animals.

Sources:
 Nitrogen oxides are released from industries, vehicles and power plants.
 Carbon monoxide is released from burning of fossil fuels.
 Suspended particulate matter is released from vehicle emissions and burning of fossil
fuels.
 Sulphur oxides are released from industries and power plants.
 Smog is released from industries and vehicle emissions.
 Hydrocarbons are released from burning of fossil fuels.
 Chlorofluorocarbons are released from refrigerators and emission if jets.

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Effects:
 Acid rain is the effect of air pollution in which the reaction of nitrogen and Sulphur
oxides with water causes the formation of acids which are nitric and sulfuric acid
respectively. Due to high concentration of hydrogen ions the pH of water decreases
from 5 and water becomes acidic. Due to acidic rain many lives are effected and it also
causes the corrosion of stones and steels. It effects surface water as well as oceans and
river lives. Due to this soil acidification is done.
 Global warming is also due to air pollution which is due to elevated levels of greenhouse
gases such as carbon dioxide. Due to this change in climates occur and ice from
mountains melt and floods come. Summer lasts for long time than winter.

Control measures:
 Selection of suitable fuels.
 Conversion of pollutants in less toxic forms.
 Policy measures.

REFERENCES:
 Environmental pollution causes and consequences: a study. “Dr. Ramamohana Reddy
Appannagari “environmental ecologist. North Asian International Research Journal of
Social Science & Humanities, Vol. 3, Issue-8, August-2017.
 Environmental pollution: a long-term perspective, James Gustave Speth, world
resources institute, 1988.
 Exploring the Potential and Opportunities of Current Tools for Removal of Hazardous
Materials From Environments, Vimal Chandra Pandey, Vijai Singh, in Phytomanagement
of Polluted Sites, 2019
 Environment Pollution: Types, Causes, Effects, Arpit Kumar Jain, Nov 15, 2019.
 Environmental Pollution, http://www.pcpolytechnic.com/mechanical/pdf/7.pdf