>NOISE POLLUTION > WATER POLLUTION > MARINE POLLUTION > NUCLEAR POLLUTION > AIR POLLUTION > THERMAL POLLUTION > SOIL POLLUTION And its causes and prevention. Bhopal gas tragedy (Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL))

1. The role of individual in
prevention of Pollution and
Bhopal gas Tragedy
-Archit Akre
-Darshan Rathi
-Bhavesh Thawrani

2. TYPES OF POLLUTION
>NOISE POLLUTION
> WATER POLLUTION
> MARINE POLLUTION
> NUCLEAR POLLUTION
> AIR POLLUTION
> THERMAL POLLUTION
> SOIL POLLUTION

3. NOISE POLLUTION
Definition:-The unpleasant and unwanted sound is called noise, And the pollution
caused by them is called noise pollution.

4. Noise standards recommended by CPCB committee

5. CAUSES OF NOISE POLLUTION:-
(i) Vehicular Noise: The modern means of traffic including vehicles such as
buses, trucks, scooters, cars, motorcycles, trains, aircraft, firecrackers, explosives
etc, pollute the atmosphere.
(ii)Industrial Noise: Noise pollution is an integral part of the industrial
environment with heavy machines used in the industries; it is on the rise with the
increase in industrial urbanization.
(iii)Domestic Noise: As the houses in the cities are quite adjacent, the amount
of domestic noise is increasing.

6. (iv)Construction activities: Unbridled construction is also a reason for noise
pollution outside the home.
(v)Political Activities: Noise pollution is also generated by dharna,
demonstrations, slogans, election propaganda, processions, and rallies frequently
organized in cities.
(vi)Fireworks: Fireworks are another source of pollution. Uncontrolled
fireworks in festivals, fairs, or crackers after victory in matches and elections
produce unbearable noise. During Diwali noise generated by various firecrackers
is beyond the permissible noise levels of 125 decibels.

7. CONTROL OF NOISE POLLUTION
1. Reduction in sources of noise: Sources of noise pollution like heavy
vehicles and old vehicles may not be allowed to ply in the populated areas.
2. Noise making machines should be kept in containers with sound absorbing
media. The noise path will be in interrupted and will not reach the workers.
3. Proper oiling will reduce the noise from the machinery.
4. Planting more trees having broad leaves.

8. 5. Use of sound absorbing silencers: Silencers can reduce noise for
absorbing sound. For this purpose various types of fibrous material could be used.
6. Through Law: Legislation can ensure that sound production is
minimized at various social functions. Unnecessary horn blowing should be
restricted especially in vehicle-congested areas.

9. WATER POLLUTION
Definition :- Water pollution can be defined as alteration in physical, chemical or
biological characteristics of water making it unsuitable for designated use in its
natural state.

10. CAUSES OF WATER POLLUTION:-
(i)Sewage: Pouring the drains and sewers in fresh water bodies causes water
pollution. The problem is severe in cities.
(ii)Industrial effluents: Industrial wastes containing toxic chemicals, acids,
alkalis, metallic salts, phenols, cyanides, ammonia, radioactive substances, etc.
are sources of water pollution. They also cause thermal (heat) pollution of water.
(iii)Synthetic detergents: Synthetic detergents used in washing and cleaning
produce foam and pollute water.

11. (iv) Agrochemicals: Agrochemicals like fertilizers (containing nitrates and
phosphates) and pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, herbicides etc.) washed by
rain-water and surface run-off pollute water.
(v)Oil: Oil spillage into sea-water during drilling and shipment pollute it.
(vi)Waste heat: Waste heat from industrial discharges increases the temperature
of water bodies and affects distribution and survival of sensitive species.

12. CONTROL OF WATER POLLUTION
(i) Judicious use of agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilizers which will reduce
their surface run-off and leaching. Avoid use of these on sloped lands.
(ii) Use of nitrogen fixing plants to supplement the use of fertilizers.
(iii) Adopting integrated pest management to reduce reliance on Pesticides

13. (iv) Prevent run-off of manure. Divert such run-off to basin for settlement. The
nutrient rich water can be used as fertilizer in the fields.
(v) Separate drainage of sewage and rain water should be provided to prevent
overflow of sewage with rainwater.
(vi) Planting trees would reduce pollution by sediments and will also prevent soil
erosion.

14. MARINE POLUTION
Definition :- Pollution of oceans caused by sewage sludge,industrial
effluents,detergents,agrochemicals,solid wastes,plastics,metals and waste heat is
called marine pollution.

15. CAUSES OF MARINE POLLUTION:-
(i) Major sources of marine pollution are the inflow of chemicals, solid waste,
discharge of radioactive elements, industrial and agricultural effluents, man-made
sedimentation, oil spills, and many such factors.
(ii) The majority portion of the marine pollution comes from the land that
contributes to 80 percent of the marine pollution
(iii)Air pollution also carries pesticides from farms and dust into the marine
waters.

16. (iv)Air and land pollution is a major contributor to the growing marine pollution
that is not only hampering the aquatic ecology but also affecting the life on land.
(v) Apart from these, factors like land runoff, direct discharge, atmospheric
pollution, pollution caused by ships, and deep sea mining of natural resources
contribute heavily

17. Control of Marine Water Pollution
(i) Toxic pollutants from industries and sewage treatment plants should not be
discharged in coastal waters.
(ii) Run off from non-point sources should be prevented to reach coastal areas.
(iii) Sewer overflows should be prevented by having separate sewer and rain
water pipes.
(iv) Dumping of toxic, hazardous wastes and sewage sludge should be banned.

18. (v) Developmental activities on coastal areas should be minimized.
(vi) Oil and grease from service stations should be processed for reuse.
(vii) Oil ballast should not be dumped into sea.

19. NUCLEAR POLLUTION
Definition :- Radioactive substances are present in nature. They undergo natural
radioactive decay in which unstable isotopes spontaneously give out fast moving
particles, high energy radiations or both,and the pollution cause due to them is
called nuclear pollution.

20. CAUSES OF NUCLEAR POLLUTION:-
(i)Nuclear explosions and detonations of nuclear weapons – probably the highest
amounts of human-induced radiation pollution have been generated in the mid-
twentieth century through various experimental or combat nuclear detonations.
(ii)Defensive weapon production may also release radioactivity from the
radioactive materials handled
(iii)Nuclear waste handling and disposal may generate low to medium radiation
over a long period of time. The radioactivity may contaminate and propagate
through air, water, and soil as well

21. (iv)Nuclear accidents – an already classic example of such accident is the nuclear
explosion at a former Soviet nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, that occurred in
1986. Its effects are still seen today.
(v)Mining of radioactive ores (such as uranium ores) involves the crushing and
processing of radioactive ores and generates radioactive by-products. Mining of
other ores may also generate radioactive waste (such as mining of phosphate
ores).

22. Control of Nuclear Pollution
(i) Siting of nuclear power plants should be carefully done after studying long
term and short term effects.
(ii) Proper disposal of wastes from laboratory involving the use of radioisotopes
should be done.
(iii) Containment of the waste in radiation-shielded containers usually buried
underground
(iv)Isolation of radiation waste in remote locations such as remote caves or
abandoned mines

23. AIR POLLUTION
Definition:- Air pollution occurs due to the presence of undesirable solid or gaseous
particles in the air in quantities that are harmful to human health and the environment.

24. Air pollution can be minimized by the following methods:
i) One of the effective means of controlling air pollution is to have proper
equipment in place. This includes devices for removal of pollutants from the flue
gases though scrubbers, closed collection ,recovery systems through which it is
possible to collect the pollutants before they escape,use of dry and wet collectors,
filters, electrostatic precipitators, etc.Providing a greater height to the stacks can
help in facilitating the discharge of pollutants as far away from the ground as
possible.
ii) Industries should be located in places so as to minimize the effects of pollution
after considering the topography and the wind directions. Substitution of raw
material that causes more pollution with those that cause less pollution can be
done.

25. iii) Removing sulphur from coal (by washing or with the help of bacteria).
iv) Removing NOx during the combustion process.
v) Removing particulate from stack exhaust gases by employing electrostatic
precipitators, bag-house filters, cyclone separators,scrubbers etc.
vi) Vehicular pollution can be checked by regular tune-up of engines ;
replacement of more polluting old vehicles; installing catalytic converters ; by
engine modification to have fuel efficient (lean) mixtures to reduce CO and
hydrocarbon emissions; and slow and cooler burning of fuels to reduce NOx
emission (Honda Technology).
vii) Using mass transport system, bicycles etc.
viii) Shifting to less polluting fuels (hydrogen gas).

26. ix) Using non-conventional sources of energy.
x) Using biological filters and bio-scrubbers.
xi) Planting more trees
xii) Limit driving by carpooling, using public transportation, biking and walking.
xiii) Keep your automobile well tuned and maintained. Follow the manufacturer’s
instructions on routine maintenance, such as changing the oil and filters.
xiv) Using low sulphur coal in industries

27. SOIL POLLUTION
DEFINITION:-Soil pollution refers to anything that causes contamination of soil and
degrades the soil quality. It occurs when the pollutants causing the pollution reduce the
quality of the soil and convert the soil inhabitable for microorganisms and macro
organisms living in the soil.

28. CAUSES OF SOIL POLLUTION:-
● Dumping of various types of materials especially domestic and industrial
wastes causes soil pollution.
● Domestic wastes include garbage,rubbish material like glass, plastics,
metallic cans, paper,fibres, cloth rags, containers, paints, varnishes
etc.
● Industrial wastes are the effluents discharged from chemical
industries, paper and pulp mills, tanneries, textile mills, steel
industries,distilleries, refineries, pesticides and fertilizer industries,
● Pharmaceutical industries, food processing industries, cement
industries, thermal and nuclear power plants, mining industries etc.

29. Control of Soil Pollution
(i) Effluents should be properly treated before discharging them on the soil.
(ii) Solid wastes should be properly collected and disposed off by appropriate
method.
(iii) From the wastes, recovery of useful products should be done.
(iv) Biodegradable organic waste should be used for generation of biogas.

30. (v) Cattle dung should be used for methane generation. Night soil (human faeces)
can also be used in the biogas plant to produce in-flammable methane gas.
(vi) Microbial degradation of biodegradable substances is also one of the
scientific approaches for reducing soil pollution.
(vii)Proper farming methods: Finding alternatives to chemical fertilizers and
pesticides is an ideal way to avoid soil erosion. Rotational and mixed farming are
also encouraged.

31. THERMAL POLLUTION
DEFINITION:-Thermal pollution can be defined as presence of waste heat in the
water which can cause undesirable changes in the natural environment.

32. CAUSES OF THERMAL POLLUTION:-
● Heat producing industries i.e., thermal power plants, nuclear power plants,
refineries, steel mills etc. are the major sources of thermal pollution.
● Power plants utilize only 1/3 of the energy provided by fossil fuels for their
operations. Remaining 2/3 is generally lost in the form of heat to the water used for
cooling.
● Cold water, generally, is drawn from some nearby water-body, passed through the
plant and returned to the same water body, with temperature 10-16°C higher than
the initial temperature. Excess of heat reaching such water bodieS causes thermal
pollution of water.

33. CONTROL OF THERMAL POLLUTION
The following methods can be employed for control of thermal pollution
(i) Cooling ponds (ii) Spray Ponds, (iii) Cooling towers
(i) Cooling Ponds: Water from
condensers is stored in ponds
where natural evaporation cools
the water which can then be
recirculated or discharged in
nearby water body.

34. (ii) Spray Ponds: The water from
condensers is received in spray
ponds. Here the water is sprayed
through nozzles where fine droplets
are formed. Heat from these fine
droplets is dissipated to the
atmosphere.

35. (iii) Cooling Towers:
(a) Wet cooling tower: Hot water is
sprayed over baffles. Cool air
entering from sides takes away the
heat and cools the water.This cool
water can be recycled or
discharged. Large amount of water
is lost through evaporation and in
the vicinity of wet cooling tower
extensive fog is formed which is not
good for environment and causes
damage to vegetation.

36. (b) Dry cooling tower: The
heated water flows in a
system of pipes. Air is
passed over these hot pipes
with fans. There is no water
loss in this method but
installation and operation
cost of dry cooling tower is
many times higher than wet
cooling tower.

38. Union Carbide India Limited Factory
Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) factory was
built in 1969 to produce the pesticide using methyl
isocyanate (MIC) as an intermediate.
An MIC production plant was added to UCIL site
in 1979. The chemical process employed in the
Bhopal plant had methylamine reacting with
phosgene to form MIC.
In the early 1980s , the demand for pesticides had
fallen , but production continued , leading to build-
up of stores of unused MIC where that method was
used.

41. ● In 1979,Two local trade unions
complained of pollution within the
plant .
● In 1981, a worker was accidentally
splashed with phosgene as he was
carrying out a maintenance job of
the plant,s pipes.
● In January 1982, a phosgene leak
exposed 24 workers,all of whom
were admitted to a hospital . None
of the workers had been ordered to
wear protective masks.

42. ● Again at the same year in October
1982 , there was another MIC leak.
● During 1983 and 1984 , there were
leaks of MIC, chlorine,
monomethylamine, phosgene and
carbon tetrachloride.
● One month later, In February 1982,
an MIC leak affected 18 workers.In
August 1982, a chemical engineer
came into contact with liquid MIC
resulting in burning of over 30% of
his body.

44. The Bhopal UCIL
has a facility of
three underground
68,000 liters liquid
MIC storage tanks.
In late night of 3rd
October 1984,tank
E610 lost the ability to
effectively contain
most of its nitrogen gas
pressure . It meant that
the liquid MIC
contained within could
not be pumped out.

45. At the time of this
failure, tank E610
contained 42 tons of
liquid MIC. Shortly after
this failure and parts of
the plant were shut
down for maintenance.

46. In early December 1984,most of the MIC plant’s
related Safety System were malfunctioning and
many valves and lines were in poor condition
(E610,E611,E619).

47. ● During the late evening hours of 2 december 1984, water was
believed to have entered a side pipe .
● The introduction of water into the tank subsequently resulted in a
runaway exothermic reaction, which was accelerated by
contaminants , high ambient temperature and various other factors.

48. Refrigeration
system : Freon
system to cool
liquid MIC was
shut done in june
1984 to save
money and Freon
shipped to other
plants.

49. Vent gas scrubber
:
Leaking gas could
have been
detoxified,but the
scrubber was
turned off.

50. Flare tower :
Designed to burn
off gas , but a
connecting pipe
had been
removed for
maintenance.

51. MIC Storage tank :
40 tons in E610 ,15
tons in E611 and
E619 was
empty.Water leaked
into E610 causing
runaway heat
producing reactions

52. The Night of death ….

54. ● A UCIL
employee
triggered the
plant’s alarm
system at 12.50
a.m as the
concentration of
gas in and around
the plant became
difficult to
tolerate.

55. ● Activation of the system triggered
two siren alarms: one that sounded
inside the UCIL plant, and a
Second directed outward to the
public and the city of the Bhopal. .
● With the lack of timely
information exchange between
UCIL and bhopal authorities, the
city’s Hamida Hospital was first
told that the gas leak was
suspended to the ammonia,then
phosgene .

56. ● Finally,they received an updated
report that it was MIC which
hospital staff had never heard of,had
no antidote for , and received no
immediate information about.
● The MIC gas leak emanating from
tank E610 peted out at
approximately 2:00 a.m.Fifteen
minutes later, the plant’s public
siren was sounded for an extended
period of time.

57. Water Flushing Theory:
● The media played a significant role in establishing the WATER
WASHING THEORY as a plausible explanation.
● At the time, workers were cleaning out a clogged pipe as a
part of routine maintenance.
● They did not go through the plant standard operating
procedures and hence they failed to insert the slip-blind plate
used to prevent water from going inside the tank.
●The water was supposed to be drained through drainage
nozzles. Due to the existence of large quantities of rust in the
pipe, these nozzles were plugged with dirt.
● Water supposedly backed up into the pipelines and eventually
found its way into the tank because the slip blind plate wasn’t
in its place.

58. Sabotage Theory:
• The investigation was done by the engineering consulting firm
“Arthur D. Little”.
• It was concluded that an angry employee secretly introduced
a large amount of water into the MIC tank by removing a
meter and connecting a water house directly to the tank
through the metering port.
• Carbide claimed that such a large quantity of water could not
enter the tank by accident, available safety systems couldn’t
deal with intentional sabotage.

59. UCC found three main weak points in the water flushing
theory.
● Water head was not enough to push such a large quantity (2000
lbs) of water
to the MIC tank
● An intermediate valve found closed after the accident.
● The intermediate line found dry.

60. Effects

61. The initial effect of exposure were
coughing,severe eye irritation and
a feeling suffocation burning in the
respiratory
tract,breathlessness,stomach pains
and vomiting.
People awakened by these
symptoms fled away from the
plant. Methyl isocyanate gas is
approx. twice as dense as air and
hence in an open environment has
a tendency to fall toward the
ground.

62. The official immediate death toll was 2,259. The
government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total
of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release.A
government affidavit in 2006 stated that the leak
caused 558,125 injuries, including 38,478
temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900
severely and permanently disabling injuries.Others
estimate that 8,000 died within two weeks, and
another 8,000 or more have since died from gas-
related diseases.

63. Thousands of people had died by
the following morning. Apart from
MIC,based on laboratory
simulation conditions, the gas
cloud mostly contained
chloroform,dichloromethane,hydr
ogen chloride
,methylamine,dimethylamine,trim
ethylamine and carbon dioxide.

64. Who is that devil ?

65. Warren Anderson
(Devil)

66. ● In the immediate aftermath, the plant was closed for to outsiders (including
UCC) by the indian government . The UCC chairman and CEO Warren
Anderson,together with a technical team,immediately travelled to india .
● Upon arrival anderson was placed under house arrest and urged by the
indian government to leave the country within 24 hours.
● The health care system immediately become overloaded .In the severely
affected areas,nearly 70 percent were under-qualified doctors.Doctors and
hospitals were not aware of proper treatment methods for MIC gas
inhalation.

67. ● In 1991,the local Bhopal
authorities charged
Anderson,who had retired in
1986 with manslaughter , a
crime that carries a maximum
penalty of 10 years in prison.
● He was declared a fugitive from
justice by the chief Judicial
Magistrate of Bhopal on 1
February 1992 for failing to
appear at the court hearings.
● Warren Anderson died in 2014.

68. Thank You