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Unit-V- ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Definition: Pollution can be defined as undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological
characteristics of air, water or land that will harmful to living organisms.
(A) Types of pollution:
1. Water pollution
2. Air pollution
3. Land (soil) pollution`
4. Noise pollution
5. Radioactive (nuclear) pollution
6. Thermal pollution
(B) Types of pollution:
1. Natural pollution: 2. Anthropogenic pollution :
a) Decaying of dead matter a) Industrial setup
b) Leaching of rocks b) Domestic sewage
c) Volcano eruption c) Fertilizers and pesticides
d) Synthetic chemicals
e) Deforestation
Pollutant: Pollutant is a solid, liquid or gases substance present in such concentration in the
environment which tends to be harmful for living beings.
Classification of pollutants:
A. On the basis of their forms exist in the environment:
1. Primary pollutants: These pollutants exist as such after released in the environment. Ex.
Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide.
2. Secondary pollutants: These are the substances derived from primary pollutants by
chemical reactions. Ex. PAN (Peroxy acetyl nitrate), ozone
Hydrocarbons + nitrogen oxides → PAN (secondary pollutant)
B. On the basis of degradation in the environment:
1. Biodegradable pollutants: These pollutants easily degraded in the natural environment.
Ex. Domestic sewage, plant debris
2. Non-biodegradable pollutants: the pollutants which do not degrade or degrade very slowly
in the natural environment. PAH compounds, DDT, lead and mercury salts, plastic.

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WATER POLLUTION
Definition: The adding to water of any substance (organic, inorganic or biological) or changing of
water’s physical and chemical properties which leads to degrade the quality of water is known as
water pollution.
Water pollutants: a) Physical (temperature, turbidity, color, suspended solids)
b) Chemical (organic and inorganic)
c) Biological (bacteria, fungi, virus, protozoa)
Source of water pollution: The main sources of water pollution are as follows:
1. Domestic wastewater
2. Industrial wastewater
3. Agricultural wastewater
4. Solid waste

Consequences of water pollution:

1. Depletion of dissolved oxygen (DO).
2. Algal growth in water body leads to eutrophication.
3. Spread of infectious diseases due to bacteria, protozoa, virus etc.
4. Unfit for drinking and other uses. Eg. Agriculture
5. Color change
6. Toxic effects on animals and humans.
7. Loss of aesthetic value of water body.
Control of water pollution:
1. Proper disposal of sewage and industrial wastes (wastewater treatment).
2. Recycling of water resources.
3. Waste water treatment standards.
4. By environmental laws and regulations.
5. By awareness and education.
Wastewater treatment:
Different treatment technologies are used to control water pollution which are as follows:
1. Primary treatment: This step is used to remove heavy materials like sticks, plastic, wood, from
wastewater.
2. Primary treatment: this method is used to separate suspended solids from water. This process
removes 30-40% BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and about 50% total suspended solids
(TSS) from water.
3. Secondary treatment: This is a biological method of treatment in which bacteria is added to
wastewater to remove (oxidize) pollutants.
Ex. Trickling filters, Activated sludge process (ASP) etc.
4. Tertiary (Advanced treatment): This method is generally used to remove micro-organisms,
color, and other fine impurities from water.
Ex. a) UV treatment b) Ozonation
c) Chlorination d) Coagulation
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e) Advanced oxidation process f) Ion exchange process

Wastewater treatment process

Marine (Ocean) Pollution

Ocean pollution, also known as marine pollution, is the spreading of harmful substances such as oil,
plastic, industrial and agricultural waste and chemical particles into the ocean.

Causes of Ocean Pollution

There are various ways for how pollution enters the ocean:
1. Sewage: Pollution can enter the ocean directly.
2. Toxic Chemicals from Industries
3. Land Runoff: Land runoff is another source of pollution in the ocean.
4. Large Scale Oil Spills: Ship pollution is a huge source of ocean pollution, the most devastating
effect of which is oil spills.
5. Ocean Mining: Ocean mining in the deep sea is also a source of ocean pollution. Ocean mining
sites drilling for silver, gold, copper, cobalt and zinc create sulfide deposits up to three and a half
thousand meters down in to the ocean.
6. Littering: Pollution from the atmosphere is, believe it or not, a huge source of ocean pollution.
This occurs when objects that are far inland are blown by the wind over long distances and end up in
the ocean. These objects can be anything from natural things like dust and sand, to man-made
objects such as debris and trash. Most debris, especially plastic debris, cannot decompose and
remains suspended in the oceans current for years.

Effects of Ocean Pollution:

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1. Effect of Toxic Wastes on Marine Animals: Oil spill is dangerous to marine life in several
ways. The long term effect on marine life can include cancer, failure in the reproductive system,
behavioral changes, and even death.
2. Disruption to the Cycle of Coral Reefs: Oil spill floats on the surface of water and prevents
sunlight from reaching to marine plants and affects in the process of photosynthesis.
3: Depletes Oxygen Content in Water: When oxygen levels go down, the chances of survival of
marine animals like whales, turtles, sharks, dolphins, penguins for long time also goes down.
4: Failure in the Reproductive System of Sea Animals: Industrial and agricultural wastes include
various poisonous chemicals that are considered hazardous for marine life. Pesticides can
accumulate in the fatty tissue of animals, leading to failure in their reproductive system.
5: Effect on Food Chain: Chemicals used in industries and agriculture get washed into the rivers
and from there are carried into the oceans. These chemicals do not get dissolved and sink at the
bottom of the ocean. Small animals ingest these chemicals and are later eaten by large animals,
which then affects the whole food chain.
6. Affects Human Health: Animals are then eaten by humans which affects their health and can
lead to cancer, birth defects or long term health problems.

Thermal Pollution: Thermal pollution is defined as sudden increase or decrease in temperature of a

natural body of water which may be ocean, lake, river or pond by human influence. This normally
occurs when an industry or plant takes in water from a natural resource and puts it back with a
change temperature. The main causes of thermal pollution are: Water as Cooling Agent in Power,
Manufacturing and Industrial plants, Deforestation and Natural causes like volcanoes and
geothermal activity under the oceans and seas. Effects of thermal pollution:
1. Decrease in DO (Dissolved Oxygen) Levels:
2. Loss of Biodiversity:
3. Affects the metabolism of aquatic animals.
4. Excessive temperature can cause the release of immature eggs or can prevent normal development
of certain eggs.
5. Migration of animals.

AIR POLLUTION
Definition: Undesirable changes in the air composition, or mixing of harmful solid particles, liquid
or gaseous substances or addition of sound beyond particular level that may tend to be injurious to
human beings, other living creatures, plants or property, is known as air pollution.

Classification of air pollutants:

A. General classification
1. Natural Contaminants: Pollen is important natural contaminant. It may cause irritation and
allergy sometimes leading to bronchitis, asthma and dermatitis. The air transported pollen
grains range mainly between 10 and 50 microns.

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2. Aerosols: Aerosols refer to the dispersion of solid or liquid particles of microscopic size in
the air. It can also be defined as a colloidal system in which the dispersion medium is gas and
the dispersed phase is solid or liquid. The diameter of the aerosol may range from 0.01 (or
less) micron to 100 micron. The various aerosols are as follows:-
(i) Dust: (over 20 micron in diameter)
(ii) Smoke: (carbon particles of size less than 1.0 micron)
(iii)Mists: (40 to 400 micron)
(iv) Fog: (1.0 to 40 micron)
(v) Fumes: Fumes are solid particles generated by condensation from the gaseous state after
volatilization from melted substances.
3. Gases: The main air pollutant gases are:
a. Sulphur dioxide: It is a major air pollutant gas produced by the combustion of fuels like
coal.
b. Oxides of nitrogen: the main sources of oxides of nitrogen are production of nitric acid,
automobile and power plants. Out of the seven oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, NO3, N2O,
N2O3, N2O4, N2O5) only nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide are classified as the main
pollutants. All the oxides of nitrogen are collectively known as NOx.
c. Carbon monoxide: It is produced because of the incomplete combustion of coal and
other petroleum products. It is produced in the exhaust of automobiles. In the pollution
check of vehicles mainly CO and unburnt hydrocarbons are measured.
d. Hydrogen sulphide: It is produced mainly by the anaerobic (in absence of air)
decomposition of organic matter.
e. Hydrogen fluoride: It is produced in the manufacturing of phosphate fertilizers.
f. Chlorine and hydrogen chloride: It is mixed in the air either from the leakages from
water treatment plants or other industries where it is produced or used. Hydrogen chloride
is also evolved in various industrial chemical processes.
g. Ozone: It is a poisonous gas. It formed mainly due to photochemical reactions.
h. Aldehydes: They are produced by the incomplete oxidation of motor fuels and
lubricating oil. They may also be formed because of photochemical reactions.
B. Primary and Secondary Air Pollutants
Primary pollutants are those that are emitted directly from identifiable sources. Secondary air
pollutants are those that are produced in the air by the interaction of two or more primary air
pollutant.
Examples of Primary air pollutants Examples Secondary air pollutants
Fine (less than 100µ) and coarse (more than Ozone
100µ) suspended particulate matter (SPM)
Oxides of sulfur PAN (Peroxyacetyl nitrate)
Oxides of nitrogen Photochemical smog
Carbon monoxide Acid mists
Halogens
Organic compounds
Radioactive compounds
C. Classification based on position
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Another way of classification of air pollutants is the source being stationary or mobile. This way
they can be classified as:-
(i) Point source (large stationary source as power plants)
(ii) Mobile source (line source like highway vehicles or area source like Aircraft at airports)

Harmful effect of air pollution

The air pollutants have harmful effect on human beings, animals, plants and even on the buildings.
A. Harmful effects of air pollution on human beings
(i) Affects cardio-vascular system
(ii) Affects central nervous system
(iii) Affects respiratory system
(iv) Damage immune system
(v) Lung choking
B. Harmful effects of air pollution on materials
The air pollution affects the materials in following ways:-
(i) Abrasion (loss of material by wind with coarser particles).
(ii) Corrosion (acidic effect of rain water).
(iii) Deposition and removal (adhering substances like SPM and removal of material by rusting.
(iv) Direct chemical attack (effect of gases like SO2).
C. Harmful effect of air pollution on atmospheric properties
1. Visibility reduction
2. Fog formation
3. Solar radiation reduction
4. Temperature and wind disturbance

CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION

Prevention is always better than cure. So one should try to prevent the air pollution by the following
procedures for prevention and control of air pollution:
1. Containment: Prevention of escape of toxic substances into the ambient air.
2. Replacement: that is replacing a technological process causing air pollution by a new process.
Ex: Use of natural gas in place of coal.
3. Dilution: Diluting the pollutants.
Ex. The establishment of “green belts” between industrial areas.
4. Legislation: By making law for air pollution
5. International Action: such as international network of laboratories for the monitoring and study
of air quality. These centers will issue warnings of air pollution where and when necessary.
6. By control technologies: Depending upon the situation different control technologies are
adopted.
➢ For dealing with the particulate matter the following control technologies are used,
• Settling chambers
• Cyclone separators
• Fabric filters
• Electrostatic precipitators

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• Wet collector (scrubbers)
➢ For gaseous pollutants the following control technologies are used.
• Condensation
• Absorption
• Adsorption
• Combustion
➢ For the control of gases such as NO2 and SO2 produced in combustion, wet and dry
scrubbers are used.

Automobile pollution (air pollution)

Pollution caused due to the smoke produced by vehicles/automobiles is called automobile pollution.
It is a class of air pollution.
Composition of smoke
1. Hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylene)
2. Oxides of carbon (CO and CO2)
3. Oxides of nitrogen (NOx)
4. Oxides of sulfur (SOx)
5. Lead
6. Suspended particulate matter (SPM)
Causes of Automobile pollution:
1. If Engine is not tuned properly
2. Old technology
3. If quality of fuel is not good
4. Over loading
5. Air fuel mixture ratio is not correct.
Harmful effects of automobile pollution:
A. Effects on Humans
1. Effect of CO: It affects cardio vascular system, central nervous system, causes headache.
2. Effect of NOx: It affects respiratory system and cause nose irritation.
3. Effect of SPM: It damage immune system, cause lung choking and cancer.
4. Effect of SOx: It affects lung function.
5. Effect of lead: It cause brain damage, resulting in lower IQ, reduce ability to concentrate.
6. Effect of hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons present in automobile smoke are carcinogenic.
B. Effects on natural environment
1. SOx and NOx responsible for acid rain.
2. Damage aquatic ecosystem.
3. SPM reduce the visibility.
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4. Dust deposit on leaves reduce photosynthesis.
Control of automobile pollution
➢ Change engine oil at regular intervals.
➢ Use lubricant of recommended brands.
➢ Clean and tune the carburetor at regular intervals.
➢ Check tyre pressure regularly.
➢ Drive around 50-80 km/hr.
➢ Switch off the engine at red lights/railways crossings.
➢ The user has to maintain the vehicle by its proper servicing (tuning of engine) in such a way that
the exhaust emissions are under control.
➢ The quality of fuel should be good.
➢ Use of alternative fuel technology like hydrogen fuel cell, solar cell vehicles, CNG etc.
➢ The vehicular pollution can also be controlled by using the catalytic converter.
➢ The industry can be compelled to manufacture the vehicles in such a way, i.e. enforcing the
Euro standards, that they produce minimum pollutants.

Soil Pollution
Soil contamination or soil pollution as part of land degradation is caused by the presence
of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other change in the natural soil environment. It is mainly
caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste.
The most common chemicals cause soil pollution are:
1. Petroleum hydrocarbons,
2. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (such as naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene),
3. Solvents,
4. Pesticides,
5. Lead and other heavy metals.
Causes of soil pollution:
Soil pollution can be caused by the following:
1. Oil drilling
2. Mining and activities by other heavy industries
3. Accidental spills as may happen during deforestation activities, etc.
4. Corrosion of underground storage tanks
5. Acid rain
6. Intensive farming
7. Agrochemicals, such as pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
8. Industrial accidents
9. Road debris
10. Drainage of contaminated surface water into the soil

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11. Waste disposal:
➢ Oil and fuel dumping
➢ Nuclear wastes
➢ Direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil
➢ Landfill and illegal dumping
➢ Coal ash
➢ Electronic waste
➢ Ammunitions and agents of war

Cleanup options:
There are several methods for the remediation of soil:
1. Excavate soil and take it to a disposal site.
2. Aeration of soils at the contaminated site.
3. Thermal remediation by introduction of heat to raise subsurface temperatures sufficiently high to
volatize chemical contaminants out of the soil for vapour extraction.
4. Bioremediation, involving microbial digestion of certain organic chemicals.
5. Containment of the soil contaminants (such as by capping or paving over in place).
6. Phyto-remediation (by using plants) to extract heavy metals.
7. Myco-remediation (by using fungus) to metabolize contaminants and accumulate heavy metals.
Noise Pollution

The word noise is derived from the Latin term “nausea”. Noise has been defined as a sound without
agreeable quality or as unwanted or undesirable sound.

Source of Noise pollution:

The roar of jet planes, honking of buses, the screeching of rushing vehicles, emergency vehicle
sirens, whistling of railway engines, back fire from motor vehicles, the din of factories, the thunder
of construction machinery, are contributing to the high level of noise. The increasing use of
televisions, sound systems and loudspeakers

Levels of noise:
The sound pressure of the sound that can be heard by a normal healthy individual is about 20 micro-
Pascal (varying from 20 µ Pa to 200 Pa).
The sound level (L) is thus represented as,
L = log10 Q/Q0 (Bels)
Where Q = Measured quantity of sound pressure or sound power or sound intensity.
Q0 = Reference standard quantity of sound pressure.
L = Sound level in Bels.
A Bel is a large unit so for convenience it is divided into 10 subunits called decibels (dB).
So when sound level is expressed in decibels.
L = 10 log10 Q/Q0 (dB).

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According to World Health Organization (WHO) a level of 45 dB is considered a safe noise level in
a city. However, a noise level of 65 dB can be tolerable as per the international standards.

Effects of noise
The noise of different levels has different psychological and physiological effects.
1. Effects on Human Body Function:
➢ Exposure to noise is likely to bring about activation of sympathetic nervous system in a
similar way as heat, cold, pain etc.
➢ One of the short time reactions is the change in blood circulation.
➢ Long time noise can produce stomach ulcer, reduced flow of gastric juice and change in
acidity neurosis, allergies and circulatory disease, abortion and other congenital defects in
children, deafness etc.
2. Sleep Interference: The main annoying effect of noise is the interruption on sleep.
3. Effect on working efficiency:
➢ It has been proved that the working efficiency reduces with increase in noise.
➢ Reduction in noise from 96 dB to 87 dB has increased the performance by 12%.
➢ Reduction of noise either by sound proofing or putting sound obstructing barriers improves
the quality of work.
➢ It also reduces the industrial accidents.
➢ The noise affects communication signals, so reduction of noise increases the efficiency.
4. Effect on Wild Life
➢ Noise produces physiological effects on human as well as animal health.
➢ It has been surveyed that noise has adversely affected the wildlife.
➢ It has been observed that animals particularly deer, lions, rhino etc. are the worst affected
ones by the traffic noise.
➢ They become dull, inactive, lesser reproductive and ill.
➢ Even the migratory birds are reduced if there is noise.
5. Effects on Non-living Things:
➢ Noise affects even the non-living things.
➢ High intensity noise may produce cracks into buildings.
➢ The noise and vibrations from machinery result in shattering of foundations, loosening of
plaster and cracks in walls and house hold crockery.

Control of noise pollution:

The basic principles of noise control are as follows.
1. Noise Control at Source
➢ In an industry to control the noise at source the machinery should be equipped by effective
silencers, properly installed on the designed foundation and well maintained.
➢ Use of guards, covers, enclosures and muffler systems, sealing all openings, use of proper
cutting speeds are other ways of noise reduction.
➢ The proper maintenance of machines by lubrication and timely replacement of bearings is the
main thing required for the control of noise at source.
2. Noise Control along the Path

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The modification of sound path includes:
➢ Use of solid high barriers to interrupt the direct transmission.
➢ Increasing distance between the source and the receiver.
➢ By planting trees. Trees are very good absorber of the sound.
3. Noise control at receiving end
To control the noise at receiver level following measures are adopted:
➢ Double glazing windows in the building for improved sound proofing.
➢ Gasketing and sealing door and windows openings.
➢ By controlling hours of exposure to noise.
➢ Use of personal protective devices like ear plugs, ear defenders, disposable ear plugs etc.
4. Other ways of noise control
➢ Forming legislation for noise levels for various types of equipment, land use pattern,
declaration of silence zone.
➢ Restricting the use of loudspeakers are some of the ways of noise reduction.
➢ Educating people about hazards of noise pollution and developing awareness at all levels can
solve the problem.
➢ The social workers should come up to ban the use of bands, orchestras, D.Js in the marriages
and other functions.
➢ The engineers should design the equipment with minimum noise.
➢ The industrialists have to install and maintain the equipment & machinery properly.
➢ The vehicle drivers should owe to restrict the use of horns of their vehicles unnecessarily.
➢ The students should owe to stop the use of crackers on festivals and other moments of joy.
➢ The demonstrations should be silent ones.
“Society in general can reduce the noise pollution if it really wants so”.

Solid Waste Management (SWM)

Solid waste: Any unwanted or discarded material from residential, commercial, industrial, mining or
agricultural activity is known as solid waste.
Types:
1. Biodegradable
2. Non-biodegradable
3. Hazardous industrial waste: Hazardous wastes, which may be in solid, liquid or gaseous form,
may cause danger to health or environment. It is presumed that about 10 to 15 percent of wastes
produced by industries are hazardous. Hazardous waste includes products that are explosive,
flammable, irritant, harmful, toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive, or infectious.
4. Non-hazardous industrial waste: Non-hazardous (ordinary industrial waste) is generated by
industrial or commercial activities, but is similar to household waste by its nature and
composition. It is not toxic and includes paper, cardboard, wood, textiles, packaging, etc.

Source of solid waste:

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a) Domestic waste: Solid waste comprising of garbage and rubbish (such as bottles, cans, clothing,
compost, disposables, food packaging, food scraps, newspapers and magazines) that originates
from private homes or apartments. It may also contain household hazardous waste.
b) Municipal waste: All types of solid waste generated by households and commercial
establishments, and collected usually by local government bodies.
c) Biomedical waste: According to Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 of
India “Any waste which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human
beings or animals or in research activities or in the production or testing of biologicals.
Biomedical waste poses hazard due to two principal reasons – the first is infectivity and other
toxicity. Biomedical waste mainly consists of:
➢ Human anatomical waste like tissues, organs and body parts
➢ Animal wastes generated during research from veterinary hospitals
➢ Microbiology and biotechnology wastes
➢ Waste sharps like needles, syringes, and broken glass, etc
➢ Discarded medicines and cytotoxic drugs
➢ Soiled waste such as dressing, bandages, plaster casts, material contaminated with blood.
➢ Liquid waste from any of the infected areas
➢ Incineration ash and other chemical wastes
d) Industrial waste: The waste produced by industrial activity and mining operations. Some
examples of industrial wastes are chemical solvents, paints, sandpaper, paper products,
industrial by-products, metals, and radioactive wastes.
e) Agricultural waste: It includes manure and crop residues waste from farms and poultry houses.
f) Other waste - ex. radioactive waste, etc.

Effects of solid waste:

1. Municipal solid waste undergoes decomposition producing foul smell and become a breeding
ground for disease vectors
2. Health hazards- site for flies, favorable site for pathogens.
3. Problem by rodents (plague, trichinosis etc.)
4. Death of man and animals by contamination of crop or water supplies.
5. Toxic metals and hazardous wastes (Industrial solid wastes) that affect soil characteristics and
productivity of soils when they are dumped on the soil.
6. Toxic substances may percolate into the ground and contaminate the groundwater.
7. Burning of industrial or domestic wastes (cans, pesticides, plastics, radioactive materials and
batteries) produce furans, dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls that are harmful to human
beings.
8. Loss of aesthetic value of environment.
Management of solid waste:
The waste management is to collect, treat, utilize, control and dispose solid waste in an economic
manner consistent with the protection of public health. It can be done by:
➢ By treatment
➢ Recovery
➢ Reuse
➢ Recycle: Recycling is the reprocessing of discarded materials into new useful products.

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➢ Reduce
➢ Education
➢ Social awareness
➢ Refuse derived fuel (RDF)

Municipal (Urban) solid waste management

1. Dumping of waste into sea.
2. Composting: Composting is a form of waste disposal where organic waste decomposes naturally
under oxygen-rich conditions. Compost is organic matter that has
been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer. Compost is a key ingredient in organic farming.
3. Vermicomposting: In this process, composting of biodegradable waste is done by using various
species of worms and earthworms. Vermicast is the end-product of the breakdown of organic
matter by species of earthworms.
4. Sanitary landfills: A sanitary landfill is a carefully designed structure built into or on top of the
ground for waste disposal where the waste is buried either underground or in large piles. This
method of waste disposal is controlled and monitored very closely. After 2-3 years solid waste
volume shrinks by 25-30% and land is used for parks, roads and small buildings. This is the most
common and cheapest method of waste disposal and is mostly employed in Indian cities.

Figure: Sanitary landfill

5. Incineration: Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves
the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high-
temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". It converts the
waste into ash, flue gas and heat. The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of the
waste. In some cases, the heat generated by incineration can be used to generate electric power.

Industrial waste management:

1. Incineration (as described above)

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2. Pyrolysis: Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated
temperatures in the absence of oxygen. It typically occurs under pressure and at operating
temperatures about 200-300°C. In practice, it is not possible to achieve a completely oxygen-free
atmosphere. It destroys semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs), fuels, and pesticides in soil.
The process is applicable for the treatment of organics from refinery wastes, coal tar wastes,
contaminated soils, hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Bio-medical waste management

There are numerous non-incineration technologies sold to treat infectious waste. They can be
classified as thermal, chemical, biological or irradiative technologies.
1. Disinfection: Chemical disinfection is used to disinfect liquid medical waste. It is done by
adding a chlorine based chemical into the liquid destroy the biohazards ("Disposal of,"2013). By
using bleaching powder (Sodium hypochlorite) to kill pathogens.
2. Deep burial: A pit or trench should be dug about 2 m deep. It should be half filled with waste,
and then covered with lime within 50 cm of the surface, before filling the rest of the pit with soil.
3. Irradiative techniques: Irradiative techniques that have been tested for infectious waste
treatment include electron beams and ultraviolet light (UV-C).
4. Incineration: Incineration is also known as burning of medical waste in medical waste
incinerator ("Medical Waste Frequent," 2012). This is the simplest process of medical waste
destruction because the medical waste does not need to be sorted prior the burning.
5. Autoclaving: The most common is autoclaving. This uses high pressure steam, usually at 121-
134oC, to disinfect waste so that it can be either recycled of disposed of safely. Autoclaves are
used 90% of the time to treat medical waste. They are closed chambers that apply heat, pressure
and steam to sterilize the medical waste and to kill all the microorganisms (Moss, 2013).
6. Microwaving: Microwave destruction is a newly introduced method to disinfect medical
waste. Microwave disinfection is one of the cheapest ways to destroy the biohazards.

Hazardous waste
Simply defined, a hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of
having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. Hazardous waste may have following
properties:
➢ Explosive
➢ Flammable Liquids/Solids
➢ Poisonous
➢ Toxic (harmful to human beings/animals)
➢ Ecotoxic (harmful to the environment or a specific ecosystem)
➢ Infectious Substances.
Radioactive waste: Radioactive waste is waste that contains radioactive material. Radioactive
waste is usually a by-product of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear
fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine.

Nuclear hazards and human health risks

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Nuclear hazard can be defined as the Risk or danger to human health or the environment posed by radiation
emanating from the atomic nuclei of a given substance, or the possibility of an uncontrolled explosion
originating from a fusion or fission reaction of atomic nuclei.

Sources of Nuclear Hazards:

The sources of radioactivity are both natural and man-made.
The natural sources include:
▪ Cosmic rays from outer space. The quantity depends on altitude and latitude; it is more at higher
latitudes and high altitudes.
▪ Emissions from radioactive materials from the Earth’s crust.
Man-made sources include:
▪ Mining and processing of radioactive ores.
▪ Use of radioactive material in nuclear power plants.
▪ Use of radioactive isotopes in medical, industrial and research applications.
▪ Use of radioactive materials in nuclear weapons.

Effects of Nuclear Hazards

Ionization radiations can affect living organisms by causing harmful changes in the body cells and also
changes at genetic level.
▪ Genetic damage is caused by radiations, which induce mutations in the DNA, thereby affecting
genes and chromosomes. The damage is often seen in the offsprings and may be transmitted up to
several generations.
▪ Somatic damage includes burns, miscarriages, eye cataract and cancer of bone, thyroid, breast,
lungs and skin.

Control of Nuclear Hazards

Following measures can help in controlling the radioactive pollution:
▪ Workers in nuclear plants should be provided with nuclear gadgets and safety measures against
accidents.
▪ Leakage of radioactive elements from nuclear reactors, laboratories, transport, careless handling
and use of radioactive fuels should be checked.
▪ There should be regular monitoring and quantitative analysis through frequent sampling in the
risk areas.
▪ Preventive measures should be followed so that background radiation levels do not exceed the
permissible limits.
▪ Waste disposal must be careful, efficient and effective.

Nuclear holocaust
A nuclear holocaust or nuclear apocalypse is a theoretical scenario involving widespread destruction
and radioactive fallout causing the collapse of civilization, through the use of nuclear weapons.

Effects:
➢ A nuclear war could involve direct destruction of cities by nuclear blasts,
➢ firestorms
➢ Nuclear winter
➢ Widespread radiation sickness from fallout
➢ Temporary loss of much modern technology due to electromagnetic pulses.

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Nuclear winter: Nuclear winter is the severe and prolonged global climatic cooling effect
hypothesized to occur after widespread firestorms following a nuclear war. The hypothesis is based on the
fact that such fires can inject soot into the stratosphere, where it can block some direct sunlight from
reaching the surface of the Earth.

Electromagnetic pulse: An electromagnetic pulse (commonly abbreviated as EMP) is a burst of

electromagnetic radiation. Nuclear explosions create a pulse of electromagnetic radiation called a nuclear
EMP or NEMP. Such EMP interference is known to be generally disruptive or damaging to electronic
equipment.

Fluoride problem of drinking water

Arsenic problem of drinking water

London Smog

Bhopal gas tragedy

Air pollution problem in NCR, India

Role of individual in pollution control

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