Pollution

• Pollution


  The release of substances into the environment, which have a harmful effect of organisms living there
• Pollutants can be spread through

  • Land
  • Air
  • Water
• Land pollution


  • Toxic chemicals leaking from incorrectly disposed objects like batteries in landfills
• Air pollution


  • Factory chimneys and vehicles releasing pollutants like carbon dioxide from combustion
• Water pollution


  • Factories pumping waste into rivers and seas, oil tankers accidentally spilling oil
• Air pollution


  • Human population increasing rapidly, more resource use, energy needs, waste production
  • Energy obtained by combustion (burning) of fuels
  • Pollutants released into atmosphere during this process
• Sulphur dioxide


  Produced when fossil fuels (mainly coal) containing sulphur undergo combustion
• Oxides of nitrogen


  Produced when fuels in cars are combusted
• Sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen

  Dissolve in rainwater to form acid rain
• Reducing sulphur dioxide


  1. Using low-sulphur fuels

  2. Reacting the sulphur dioxide pollutant into something less harmful
• Reducing oxides of nitrogen


  1. Converting into less harmful gases using catalytic converter

  2. Using more electric vehicles

  3. Using energy efficient vehicles
• One way carbon enters the atmosphere in the carbon cycle
• One way animals transfer carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in the carbon cycle
• Carbon sink


  A reservoir that absorbs and stores more carbon than it releases
• One natural change that has changed the amount of oxides of nitrogen in the atmosphere
• One man-made change for carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere
• Carbon footprint


  The total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities
• Greenhouse gases


  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Nitrous oxide
• Greenhouse effect


  1. Radiation from sun emitted and passes through atmosphere to Earth's surface

  2. Some radiation reflected by Earth's surface and escapes back into space

  3. Some radiation absorbed by Earth's surface and re-emitted as different form of radiation

  4. This radiation absorbed by greenhouse gases to produce temperature increase
• What is causing the world's climate to change
• One effect of climate change
• Pollution


  The release of substances into the environment that have a harmful effect
• How is sulphur dioxide produced