Pollution and its traditional control

1. Pollution and Traditional
Approaches to Control
Pollution

2. Pollution
Pollution is any undesirable change in the physical,
chemical or biological characteristics of air, water or land
that may harmfully affect life or create potential health
hazards of any living organisms.
Pollutants
Any substance that cause pollution. It may be
● Chemical or geochemical substances,
● Biotic components or its products
● Physical factors released intentionally by man
Particulate/deposited matter
Gases. Acid droplets
Flourides
Heavy metals. Agrochemicals
Xenobiotics etc

3. Air pollution
The befouling of the air by anything that may be harmful to
living organism is called air pollution
Causes
● Exhaust from factories.
● Burning of fossils fuel
● Farming chemicals
● Household products
● Natural clauses.
○ Volcanic eruption
○ Forests fire

4. Traditional Control Approaches
1. Source Control
2. Alternative Energy source
3. Minimize Air Pollutants:
4. Clean Air Act: In U.S.A clean air act was made in 1970 & amendments on this act was
done in1977 -78. CAA set standard for 6 pollutants ( So2, Co2, No2,O3, particulate,
lead) . Their primary standards based on the highest level that can be tolerated by the
humans without noticeable ill effects. These levels are long term & short term. Short
term set to protect against acute effect & long term to protect against chronic effects.
5. Command & Control: To keep criteria pollutants below the primary standards level
called as Command & Control approach. As industries are given a target to achieve a
set limit for each pollutant by specific control equipment. Any industry found violating
would be ordered reduction in air pollutants otherwise it will be ban.
6. Zoning: This method can be adopted at the planning stages of the city. Zoning
advocates setting aside of separate areas for industries so that they are far removed from
the residential areas. The heavy industries should not be located too close to each other.

5. Water Pollution:
Water pollution is the pollution or contamination of natural water bodies
due to the inflow or deposition of pollutants directly or indirectly into
water systems.
CAUSES
● point sources
● Non point sources

6. Traditional Approaches:
1. Using chemical methods such as:
a. Ion Exchange is employed to remove ammonia from wastes water in the form of
ammonium sulphate which can be reduced to fertilizer manufacturing.
b. Reverse Osmosis based removal salts & other substances from water by forcing
them through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. It is used for
purification of water polluted by sewage effluents.
c. Precipitation transformed dissolved contaminants into an insoluble solid,
facilitating their removal from liquid phase by filtration.
d. Coagulation of colloidal particles by destabilizing & chemically precipitating &
then removed them by gravity setting or filtration.
2. Judicious use of agrochemicals i.e pesticides & fertilizers which will reduce their
surface run-off & leaching. Use of these on slopped land should be avoided.
3. Use of nitrogen fixing plants to supplement the use of fertilizers.
4. Treatment of waste water before being discharged.
5. Construct proper sanity landfills sites.
6. Regular qualitative & quantitative monitoring of fresh water resources & investigate
ground water quality.
7. Use the minimum amount of detergent & bleach when washing clothes & dishes. Use
phosphate free soaps & detergent.

7. Land pollution
Degradation & destruction of earth’s surface & soil , directly & indirectly as a result of
human activities.
Sources:
● Deforestation & soil erosion.
● Industrialization & Construction activities
● Agriculture activities
● Nuclear wastes
Traditional Control Approaches:
● Make people aware about the concept of Reduce, Recycle & Reuse.
● Reduce the use of pesticides & fertilizers in agriculture activities.
● Avoid buying packages items as they will lead to garbage & end-up in landfills.
● Don’t litter on ground & do proper disposal of garbage.
● Create dumping ground away from residential areas.
● Buy biodegradable products.
● Reduce the amount of plastic use.
● Reduce paper use; choose digital subscriptions.
● Faulty sanitation practices must be improved.
● Polluted soil must be treated by bioremediation.

8. Thermal Pollution
“Sudden increase or decrease in temperature of a natural body of water which may be ocean,
lake, river or pond by the human influence.”
Sources:
✔ Hydroelectric power
✔ Nuclear power plants
✔ Industrial effluents
✔ Coal-fired power plant
Traditionla Control Approches
● Cooling Towers transfer heat from hot water to the atmosphere by evaporation. Two main
types are ;
○ Wet cooling tower __ Hot water is coming out from condenser is allowed to spray
over baffles, cool air, with high velocity is passed from sides which takes always the
heat & cools the water.
○ Dry cooling tower__ Hot water is flow in long spiral pipes. Cool air is passed over
with the help of fan to these hot pipes which cools down hot water.
● Artificial Lake is a man made water body. The heated effluents can be discharged into the
lake at one end & water for cooling purposes may be withdrawn from other end. The heat is
dissipated through evaporation.
● Cogeneration is a process where waste heat is recycled for domestic & industrial purposes.