Chapter 1: Humans and Environment
1. Explain various factors, responsible for migration of people.
A. Push factors-
• Unemployment and under-employment: Recession and lay-offs due to
economic instability can lead to unemployment and under-employment
• Economic underdevelopment: No economic growth due to various
reasons
• Low wage and low salary: Qualified people getting low wages
• Political instability, wars and unstable conditions: Constant change of
government and war-like conditions
• Disputes and conflicts
• Lack of freedom: Ban and lack of independence in various day to day
lifestyle
• Discrimination based on religion and politics: Constant discrimination
based on age, race, gender or religion pushes people away
• Lack of medical care: Not enough facilities to support
B. Pull factors-
• Better economic prospects
• High salary and income
• Better standard of living
• Good governance
• Safety and stability
• Intellectual freedom
• No discrimination
• Better medical care and better facilities
2. What are different environmental factors, that affect human health?
Natural resources are gift to human life. Good conditions of air, water, soil and
biodiversity enhances our health and wellbeing. When these resources degrade, it
ultimately results into ill health, morbidity and shortening of life span. World Health
Organization (WHO) has defined, "Health as a state of complete, physical, mental and
social wellbeing; not merely absence of disease or infirmity." Unhealthy environment
increases mental stress, anxieties, chances of cancer and other diseases. It also increases
the disabilities of body organs. It increases strain on physical capabilities and affects
reproductive capacities also. Industrialization and over consumerism are main causes of
natural resources pollution. The destruction of natural habitat by pollution affects
agriculture, animal husbandry, aquatic flora and fauna. Increasing malnutrition, poverty
etc. changes environmental conditions resulting in outbreak of different diseases.
C. Water and health- The availability of water resources and quality of water is
being degraded day-by-day in India. It results into harmful effects.
• More than 50% of population of the country does not have access to
potable water.
• 80% diseases are water borne. Unclean and poor water conditions kill
more than 13 million people per year.
• Discharge of untreated sewage and organic load in water bodies increases
chances of cholera, typhoid, diarrhea and hepatitis.
• Different types of untreated toxic effluents, heavy metals are discharged in
water by industries.
• Leaching and seeping of agrochemicals such as pesticides, synthetic
organic chemicals and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) get released in
surface and ground water affecting human health.
D. Air and health- Air is mixture of different gases. The composition of air is
altered by primary and secondary pollutants. It changes quality of air and causes
harm to health of organisms and human being. Air is a movable entity; it affects
global health.
• Two weeks of office and school-work was stopped in Delhi in 2018 due to
air pollution.
• More than 3 million deaths occur in India due to air pollution.
• Inhalation of particulate matter causes heart, respiratory and lung
disorders, increased risk of cancer.
• Global warming by green house gases increases communicable and skin
disease.
• Vehicular pollution soot, CO2, cause irritation of eye, nose and increased
asthmatic condition and bronchitis.
• Smog results in respiratory diseases, decreasing visibility and taking lives
in accidents.
• Congested overcrowded and unhygienic conditions increase microbial
growth and air borne diseases such as T.B., pneumonia, polio, whooping
cough etc in children.
E. Soil and health- Health is deteriorated due to contaminated food which results
due to inappropriate agricultural practices. Non-biodegradable compounds,
chemicals, POPs are entering in food and food chain resulting their bio
magnification. Consumption of such contaminated food disturbs the various
systems of the body causing diseases such as cancer and infertility. Biomedical
wastes added to soil, affect soil flora and fauna. Radioactive products, heavy
metals mixed by e-waste, chemical waste causes various diseases in plants,
animals and humans.
F. Radioactivity and health-Nuclear tests, the warfare in countries and accidents in
radioactive nuclear plants destroy environment in that area. Uranium - 235,
Strontium - 90, Iodine - 131, Cesium - 137 are major radioactive pollutants
released in the environment due to different activities. Accumulation of
radionuclides in human tissues leads to cancer, gene mutation, which also results
in birth of abnormal babies with malformed organs.
