Marine pollution, it's causes and effects

1. Ashna Islam

3. Causes of marine pollution
 The most obvious inputs of waste are through pipes directly
discharging wastes into the sea. Very often municipal waste and sewage
from residences and hotels in coastal towns are directly discharged into
the sea.
 Pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture which are washed off the
land by rain, enter water courses and eventually reach the sea.
 Ships carry many toxic substances such as oil, liquefied natural gas,
pesticides, industrial chemicals, etc. in huge quantities sometimes to
the capacity of 350,000 tons. Ship accidents and accidental spillages at
sea therefore can be very damaging to the marine environment.
Shipping channels in estuaries and at the entrances to ports often
require frequent dredging to keep them open. This dredged material
that may contain heavy metals and other contaminants are often
dumped out to sea.
 Offshore oil exploration and extraction also pollute the seawater to a
large extent.

4. Pollution due to oil
Tanker operations
Dry docking
Tanker accidents
Offshore oil production

5. Oil spill

7. Definition of soil
Soil is the upper part of earth crust in which humus is
present and plants are anchored.

8. Component of Soil
The soil is made up of the following components.
Mineral particles
Dead organic matter or humus
Soil atmosphere
Soil water
Biological system or soil microorganisms

9. Causes of soil degradation
 Soil erosion
 Imbalanced Fertilizer Use
 Improper Use of Pesticides
 Over Exploitation of Biomass from the Agricultural
Fields
 Urbanization
 Unplanned Industrial Development
 Open discharge of industrial wastes in land
 Mining of Sand and Gravels from Agricultural Land
 Improper Cultivation in Hill Slopes

10. Soil degradation in coastal zone
 Recurring cyclones and storm surges, which inundate
the land
 Practice of shrimp cultivation round the year is
increasing the salinity of the soil.
 Intrusion of saline water in the dry season

11. Problems with pesticide use
Pesticides not only kill the pests but also a large variety
of living things including humans. They may be
persistent or non-persistent. Persistent pesticides once
applied are effective for a long time. However as they
do not break down easily they tend to accumulate in
the soil and in the bodies of animals in the food chain.
For example, DDT.

13.  Noise may not seem as harmful as the contamination
of air or water but it is a pollution problem that affects
human health and can contribute to a general
deterioration of environmental quality.
 Noise is undesirable and unwanted sound. Not all
sound is noise. What may be considered as music to
one person may be noise to another? It is not a
substance that can accumulate in the environment like
most other pollutants. Sound is measured in a unit
called the ‘Decibel’.

14. Sources of noise pollution
Noise emanating from factories, vehicles, playing of
loudspeakers during various festivals can contribute to
outdoor noise pollution
Loudly played radio or music systems, and other
electronic gadgets can contribute to indoor noise
pollution.

15. Effects of noise pollution on
physical health
Temporary threshold shift (TTS): The temporary or
permanent hearing loss often called a temporary
threshold shift (TTS). People suffering from this
condition are unable to detect weak sounds.

16.  Physical damage to the ear
 Harmful effects on the circulatory system by raising
blood pressure and altering pulse rates
Effects of noise pollution on physical
health

19. Effects of noise pollution on
mental health
Emotional or psychological effects such as irritability,
anxiety and stress
Lack of concentration and mental fatigue are
significant health effects of noise. It has been observed
that the performance of school children is poor in
comprehension tasks when schools are situated in
busy areas of a city and suffer from noise pollution.

20. Effects of noise pollution on
mental health
 As noise interferes with normal auditory
communication, it may mask auditory warning signals
and hence increases the rate of accidents especially in
industries.
 It can also lead to lowered worker efficiency and
productivity and higher accident rates on the job.

21. Noise Control techniques
Four fundamental ways in which noise can be
controlled:
Reduce noise at the source
Block the path of noise
Increase the path length
Protect the recipient

22. Thanks