pollution

Made by:
Sara Al-Mansouri

Index

Page
Subtitle
Pictures/ tables
2
What is pollution
Pic 1
3-4
Water pollution
Pic 2
5
Major water pollutants
Table 20-1
6-7
Solutions
Pic 3
8
Air pollution
Pic4
Table 2
9
The green house effect
Pic 4
10
Land pollution
Pic 4
Pic 5 / table 3
11
Conclusion

12
References

What is pollution? the contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of industrial waste. Light from cities and towns at night that interferes with astronomical observations is known as light pollution. It can also disturb natural rhythms of growth in plants and other organisms. Continuous noise that is loud enough to be annoying or physically harmful is known as noise pollution. Heat from hot water that is discharged from a factory into a river or lake, where it can kill or endanger aquatic life, is known as thermal pollution.
We will be examining 3 main parts of pollution
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Land Pollution

Water Pollution

Factors that contribute to water pollution can be categorized into two different groups
Point sources
Non-point sources
Point sources are the easiest to identify and control
Non point sources are ambiguously defined and harder to control.
Point Sources
Some point sources of water pollution include
Waste products from factories
Waste from sewage system
Waste from power plants
Waste from underground coalmines
Waste from oil wells
They are called point sources because they are direct sources of water pollution and can be reduced and monitored
Non-point Sources
The term non-point source encompasses a large range of sources such as: when rain or snow moves through the ground and picks up pollutants as it moves towards a major body of water the runoff of fertilizers from farm animals and crop land air pollutants getting washed or deposited to earth storm water drainage from lawns, parking lots, and streets Major Water Pollutants and Their Sources Water Pollution, Methods for Preventing and Reducing Water Pollution

Air Pollution
Causes
One of the main causes of air pollution is the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, this happens because of Deforestation and fossil fuel burning.
Sulfur dioxide is another air polluter and is released into the atmosphere by the burning of sulfur containing compounds of fossil fuels. Sulfur oxides are very dangerous to humans at a high concentration. Sulfur in the atmosphere is responsible for acid rain.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): also contribute to air pollution by reducing the amount of ozone the stratosphere. CFCs come from a variety of places such as: the burning of plastic foam items leaking refrigerator equipment spray cans
Natural Air Pollutants
Natural air pollutants can include: Smoke from wild fires Methane released from live stock Volcanic eruptions

Consequences of Air Pollution
CO2 is a good transmitter of sunlight, but it also partially restricts infrared radiation going back from the earth into space, which produces the so-called greenhouse effect that prevents a drastic cooling of the Earth during the night
Increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere reinforces this effect and is expected to result in a warming of the Earth's surface
CO2 in atmosphereàGLOBAL WARMING

The Greenhouse Effect

Acid Rain When emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide from stationary sources are transported long distances by winds, they form secondary pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, nitric acid vapor, and droplets containing solutions of sulfuric acid, sulfate, and nitrate salts.
These chemicals descend to the earth's surface in wet form as rain or snow and in dry form as a gases fog, dew, or solid particles, it is known as acid rain or acid deposition .

Smog

With the introduction of petroleum to replace coal economies in countries, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities, which are located in sunny, warm, and dry climates with many motor vehicles
Worst episodes of photochemical smog tends to occur in summer Consequences continued

Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and peroxyacl nitrates (PANs), cause direct damage to leaves of crop plants and trees when they enter leaf pores (stomates)
Chronic exposure of leaves and needles to air pollutants can also break down the waxy coating that helps prevent excessive water loss and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost "In the midwestern United States crop losses of wheat, corn, soybeans, and peanuts from damage by ozone and acid deposition amount to about $5 billion a year". (Miller 498) Potential for big spill after oil rig sinks

Land pollution

Four Main causes of land pollution:
Construction
Agriculture
Domestic waste
Industrial Waste
Construction
Buildings take up resources and land, the trees are chopped down and used to make buildings
Takes away from places for animals and other organisms to live

Deforestation
Agriculture
As there are more and more people inhabiting the earth, food is in higher demand and so forests are chopped down and turned into farmland
In addition, herbicides, pesticides, artificial fertilizers, animal manure (poop) are washed into the soil and pollute it
Domestic Waste Tons of domestic waste is dumped every day. Some waste from homes, offices and industries can be recycled or burnt in incinerators There is still a lot of garbage, such as refrigerators and washing machines that are dumped in landfills simply because they cannot be reused in anyway, nor recycled

Industrial Waste Plastics factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, nuclear waste disposal activity, large animal farms, coal-fired power plants, metals production factories and other heavy industry all contribute to land pollution.

Consequences of Land Pollution
Land pollution exterminates wild life
Acid rain kills trees and other plants
The vegetation that provides food and shelter is destroyed
Land pollution can seriously disrupt the balance of nature, and, in extreme cases, can cause human fatalities
Pesticides can damage crops; kill vegetation; and poison birds, animals, and fish. Most pesticides kill or damage life forms other than those intended. For example, pesticides used in an effort to control or destroy undesirable vegetation and insects often destroy birds and small animals. Some life forms develop immunity to pesticides used to destroy them.

Conclusion
You can help to reduce global air pollution and climate change by:
Driving a car that gets at least 35 mpg
Walking, biking, and using public transportation
Using CFL bulbs over incandescent bulbs
Buying only energy efficient appliances
Recycling newspaper, aluminum, and others
Planting trees!
Avoid purchasing products that contain CFCs
Supporting much stricter clean air laws and enforcement of international treaties to reduce ozone depletion and slow global warming

BIBLIOGRAPHY
"Clean Water Act Module ." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 6 Jan. 2009