CSS – General Science and Ability

Introduction
24/7 Accessible Lectures Q/A from instructors Live Sessions

Instructor: Michelle Naeem

 Environmental Science
Renewable Resources
Resources that can be replaced as they are used up e.g. soil, water, air

Non Renewable Resources

Natural Resources which cannot be replaced once they are used up e.g. oil, gas
Non renewable resources deplete after a certain period of time

Atmosphere
Principle constituents: Nitrogen 78%, oxygen 21% and the remaining 1% being atmospheric
gases
Layers of Atmosphere
1. Troposphere
• Lowest layer, temperature decreases upward at a rate of 6.5 degrees per 1000m.
• This is the layer where most clouds occur
• Commercial airplanes and parachutes occur in troposphere

2. Stratosphere
• Temperature increases slightly with altitude in the lower stratosphere
• Within the ozone layer, temperature increases rapidly and the temperature at the
upper boundary of stratosphere is same as the surface of earth
• Supersonic planes and weather balloons and ozone layer is present in stratosphere
Environmental Science
3- Mesosphere
• The layer from 50-80km
• Temperature decreases as altitude increases
• Coldest layer of atmosphere
• Temperature reduces up to -90 degrees
4- Thermosphere
• Starts at an altitude of 80 km
• Temperatures begin to rise
• Polar lights, spacecrafts and satellites are present

5- Exosphere
• Region beyond the thermosphere is exosphere
• It is the outer limit of atmosphere

Atmospheric Pressure
• Air is held to the earth by gravity
• This strong force pulls the air downwards, giving air molecules weight (4.5 x 10^18
kg)
• This weight exerts a pressure on the surface of the earth known as atmospheric
pressure
 Environmental Science
Atmospheric Pollution
• Occurs when air contains gases, fumes or harmful substances in
high amounts

Pollutants

Primary (pollutants pumped
directly into air i.e.CO, Smoke,
dust)
Secondary (primary
pollutants undergo chemical
reactions i.e. Sulphur dioxide
+ oxygen + water = sulphuric
acid)
Environmental Science
Air pollutants
1. Oxides of Nitrogen
i. Cause respiratory infections
ii. NO2 reacts in the atmosphere to form acid rain, harming
plants and animals
2. Oxides of Sulphur
i. Damage lungs causing breathing difficulties
ii. Eyes and Nose irritation
3. Particulate Matter
i. Solid or liquid matter suspended in air
ii. Cause health issues, asthma, premature deaths
Environmental Science

Air pollutants
4. Power Plants
5. Volcanic Eruption
i. Release of Sulphur dioxide
6. Exhaust from factories
7. Agricultural activities (ammonia as a by product of
agricultural activities)
8. Forest Fires (release of methane, carbon dioxide)
Environmental Science
Effects of Air Pollution

• Respiratory issues
• Cancer
• Acid Rain ( due to oxides of nitrogen and Sulphur that react with
air molecules and fall as acid rain)

Solutions of Air Pollution

• Use public transport

• Reduce, reuse and recycle
• Catalytic converters
• Use of cleaner energy technologies like wind, solar and
geothermal
Environmental Science
Kyoto Protocol
• To reduce emission of countries
• To cut green house gases that contribute towards global
warming
Carbon
dioxide

Nitrous
methane
oxide
Greenho
use
Gases

Sulphur
hexa HFC
flouride
Environmental Science
• An international agreement linked to United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
• 84 countries signed the protocol
• The EU agreed to cut its emissions by 8%, Japan by 7%, Us by 7%
and Canada by 6%
• However, developed countries were reluctant supporters of the
treaty as all these countries have cheap energy supplies

Problems with the Protocol

1. No penalties for non compliance
2. The concept of carbon sinks (some countries wanted their
forests to be counted as carbon sinks)
3. Exclusion of developing countries (countries like China and India
had unchecked greenhouse emissions)
Environmental Science

Montreal Protocol (1987)

• Was designed to reduce the production and consumption of
ozone depleting substances in order to protect the ozone layer
of the earth (i.e. CFCs, HFCs)
• Considered as the most successful environment protection
agreement
• 196 countries have ratified the protocol
Environmental Science
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
• The trapping of infrared radiation of longer wavelength by the
CO2 layer present in the atmosphere is called greenhouse
effect.
• CO2 basically absorbs the shorter IR, warms and then emits
longer IR
• The heat trapping gases in the atmosphere behave like the glass
of a greenhouse
• Without these gases, heat energy absorbed and reflected from
Earth’s surface would easily radiate back out to space, leaving
the planet with a temperature of -19 degree Celsius.
Global Warming
The day by day increase in the temperature of the Earth due to increase in
greenhouse effect is called global warming
Effects of Global Warming
• Water cycle disruption
• Melting of glaciers
• Desertification
• Agriculture damage
• Floods
• Loss of habitats
• Forest fires
• Increase in crime rates due to increase in aggression
• Intense heat waves
Ozone Layer and Ozone Depletion
• In troposphere, ozone will be a pollutant
• In the stratosphere layer, it acts as a protection

Importance of Ozone
• Surface of the earth is protected from harmful radiations of the
sun

Ozone Depletion
• The day by day decrease in the concentration of ozone due to
harmful activities is ozone depletion

Causes of Ozone Depletion

1. Supersonic Jets: Hydrazine is used as a fuel that burns with air to
produce nitric oxide
2. CFCs: account for 80% of ozone depletion. They are used as a
coolant in freezers, air conditioners etc.
Ozone Layer and Ozone Depletion
3. HFCs: used as substitutes for CFCs. Less harmful than CFCs

Effects of Ozone Depletion

1. Skin cancer
2. Premature aging of skin
3. Eye diseases, blindness
4. Mutations
5. Reduced growth of crops
6. Loss of biodiversity

Controlling Ozone Depletion

1. Ban on CFCs
2. Control Oxides of Nitrogen
3. Bioremediation: controlling pollutants with the help of
microorganisms
4. Phytoremediation: controlling pollutants with the help of plants
Acid Rain
• Production of Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the
burning of fossil fuels causes acid rain
• Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water and other
chemicals in the air to form sulphuric acid and nitric acid
• The acid pollutants react high in the atmosphere and return to
the ground in the way of rain, snow or fog

Effects of acid rain

1. Irritates skin and lungs
2. Damages buildings
3. Damages clothes
4. Acidification of soil and rocks: dissolves and washes away the
nutrients needed by plants
Acid Rain

Efforts to control acid rain

1. Reduce the amount of Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides
released by power plants, factories and motor vehicles
2. Switch to cleaner burning fuels
3. Install catalytic converters in cars that produce greenhouse
gases
Water Cycle
• Circulation of water between different reservoirs of the earth

Processes
1. Evaporation
2. Evapotranspiration: transfer of water from living beings into
the atmosphere
3. Condensation: water vapor in the air accumulates to form
liquid droplets in the clouds
4. Precipitation
5. Surface Runoff
6. Infiltration
7. Groundwater flow
8. Absorption/ drinking
Water Pollution
Sources and Effects of water pollution
1. Infectious agents: bacteria, viruses, human and animal waste. Effects
include variety of diseases
2. Oxygen Demanding Waste: organic waste such as animal manure
and plant debris decrease the dissolved oxygen content of water and
make it unfit for life..
Sources: sewage, animal waste
3. Inorganic Chemicals: acids, compounds of toxic metals, salts etc.
Effects: skin cancer, damages nervous system, liver and kidney
damage, lower crop yields, death of aquatic life
Water Pollution
Sources and Effects of water pollution

4. Organic Chemicals: gasoline, pesticides, plastics, detergents,

household cleaners.
Effects: cancer, can harm aquatic life, nervous system damage

5. Plant Nutrients: water soluble compounds containing nitrate,

phosphate and ammonium ions, sewage, fertilizers
Effect: causes excessive algae growth that covers the surface of water
bodies. This decreases the sunlight for plants below causing their
death.

6. Sediment: Soil, silt etc.

Effects: causes cloudy water thereby reducing photosynthetic
fireworks
activity, disruption of aquatic food chain, clogs and fills lakes
Water Pollution
Sources and Effects of water pollution

7. Radioactive Materials: radioisotopes of iodine, radon, uranium and

cesium, nuclear power plants, mining and processing of uranium
Effects: genetic mutations, birth defects and cancer

8. Industrial Waste: leather, fertilizer, oil refinery

Effects: heavy metals pollute both surface and ground water used for
irrigation.

Control measure of water pollution

1. Administration of water pollution control should be in the hands of
state or central government
2. No waste should be discharged into any natural water body
3. Public awareness
4. Treatment of waste waster
Land Pollution

Causes of Land Pollution

1. Deforestation
2. Mining activities
3. Industrialization
4. Nuclear waste
5. Construction activities

Effects of Land Pollution

1. Soil pollution
2. Effect on human health: skin cancer, respiratory issues
3. Effect on wildlife
4. Decrease in tourism
Solid Waste Management

The study of disposal of domestic refuse, commercial and

industrial solid waste is called solid waste management

Treating waste
1. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
2. Landfill
3. Incineration
4. Composting