ES-1F

• Air Pollution


  The contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere (WHO)
• Air Pollution


  Mix of hazardous substances from both human-made and natural sources (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• Natural Sources of Air Pollution

  • Volcanic Eruption
  • Organic Decay
  • Polen Grains
  • Forest Fires
• Man-made Sources of Air Pollution

  • Household Devices
  • Motor Vehicles
  • Industrial Facilities
  • Mining Activities
• Effects of Air Pollution on the Environment

  • Acid Rain
  • Haze
  • Eutrophication
  • Effects on Wildlife
  • Ozone Depletion
  • Global Climate Change
  • Crops and Forest Damage
• Acid Rain


  Broad term that includes any form of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms.
• Eutrophication


  A condition in a water body where a high concentration of nutrients (such as nitrogen) stimulate blooms of of algae, which in turn can cause fish kills and loss of plant and animal diversity.
• Eutrophication


  although it is a natural process in the aging of lakes and estuaries, human activities accelerate eutrophication by increasing the rate at which nutrients the rate at which nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems.
• cars, power plants, trucks


  the increasing amounts of nitrogen entering aquatic ecosystems is partially because of massive air emissions of nitrogen oxides from:
• haze


  is caused when sunlight encounters tiny pollution particles in the air and obscures the clarity, color, texture, and form of what we see.
• negative impacts of haze


  exposure to haze has been linked with increased respiratory and decreased lung function.
• negative impacts of haze


  formation of haze contributes to acid rain formation which makes lakes, rivers, and streams unsuitable for many fish and erodes building and historical monuments.
• effects of wildlife


  toxic pollutants and debris ( dust, soot, ash) in the air can impact wildlife in a number of ways.
• effects of wildlife mainly are categorized as:

  extinction, mutation, biomagnification
• extinction


  studies show that air toxics are contributing to birth defects, reproductive failure, and disease in animals.
• extinction


  studies also show that exposure to air pollutants causes morphological and physiological changes in the avian respiratory system.
• mutation


  air pollution can cause heritable mutations in mice, according to a field study of exposure to ambient air.
• mutation


  air pollution can cause DNA mutations in the sperm of mice reared in an industrial city, researchers have found.
• biomagnification


  airborne contaminants present a risk to wildlife and humans because they can build up i the food chain.
• biomagnification


  air pollutants can be deposited on bodies of water and can build up in living things and increase in concentration as you move up each level of the food chain.
• ozone depletion


  occurs when ozone is gradually being destroyed by man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons, halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons.
• OZONE


  is a gas that occurs both at ground-level and in the Earth's upper atmosphere, known as the stratosphere.
• why is ozone important?

  in the stratosphere, ozone forms a layer that protects life on earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
• why is ozone important?

  The ozone layer acts as a shield for life on earth from UV, which can penetrate the skin and can damage life's DNA.
• where do ozone-depleting substances originate?

  coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, aerosol propellants
• what happens when the ozone depletes?

  it causes increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth, which can lead to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune system
• what happens when the ozone depletes?

  UV can also damage sensitive crops, such as soybeans, and reduce crop yields.
• (crop and forest damage) ground-level ozone can lead to:

  -reductions in agricultural crops and commercial forest yields.

  -reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings

  -increased plant susceptibility to disease, pests, and other stresses ( such as harsh weather)
• crop and forest damage

  crop and forest damage can also result from acid rain and from increased UV radiation caused by ozone depletion.
• global climate change


  the earths atmosphere contains naturally-occurring gases that keep temperature stable.
• global climate change


  Earth's atmosphere appears to be trapping more of the sun's heat, resulting in the Earth's average temperature rising.
• global warming have significant impacts on:

  -human health

  -agriculture

  -water resources

  -forests

  -coastal areas

  -wildlife
• Water pollution


  Polluted water is water whose composition has been changed to the extent that it is unusable. It is toxic water that cannot be drunk or used for essential purposes like agriculture, and which also causes diseases like diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid and poliomyelitis that kill more than 500,000 people worldwide every year.

  
• Water pollution


  When harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.
• Causes of water pollution

  • Agricultural
  • Sewage and wastewater
  • Oil pollution
  • Radioactive substances
  • Industrial waste
  • Marine dumping

  
• Agricultural pollution


  • The leading cause of water degradation worldwide
  • The biggest source of contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest in wetlands, and the third-biggest in lakes in the United States
  • Runoff washes fertilizers, pesticides, animal waste, and pathogens into waterways
  • Nutrient pollution from excess nitrogen and phosphorus harms water quality and causes algal blooms

  
• Sewage and wastewater

  • Sources include homes, commercial activities, industrial activities, agricultural activities, and stormwater runoff
  • Can contain sewage, metals, solvents, toxic sludge, fertilizers, pesticides and animal waste
• Oil pollution


  • Consumers are the biggest source of oil pollution in seas (oil and gasoline drippings from vehicles)
  • Land-based sources (factories, farms, cities) contribute nearly half of the oil pollution in seas (not tanker spills)
• Radioactive substances


  • Sources include uranium mining, nuclear power plants, military weapons production and testing, universities and hospitals
  • Radioactive waste persists for thousands of years in the environment and disposal is difficult
• Industrial waste


  • A major source of water pollution
  • Pollutants include toxic chemicals, oils, heavy metals, and pathogens
  • Enters waterways through stormwater runoff from industrial sites, construction sites, streets, and other locations