Applied Chemistry Topic for 1st Year 2nd Semester

1. Environmental Pollution
Pollution Control to save
the Earth

2. Minamata Disease,
(Hg), Japan, 1950s
Itai Itai Disease,
(Cd), Japan, 1912s
Chernobyl Disaster,
Russia, 26.04.1986
London Smog,
UK, 1952
Bhopal Gas
Tragedy,
India,
03.12.1984

3. Definition
• Environmental pollution can, defined as any undesirable
change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics
of any component of the environment (air, water, soil), which
can cause harmful effects on various forms of life or property.
The word pollution comes from the Latin word “pollutionem” meaning
to defile or to make dirty.

4. Causes of Pollution
A. NATURAL:
i) Physical: Heat, noise, radioactive pollutants, Solid
particulate
ii) Chemical: Oxides of carbon, sulphur, nitrogen, different
halogen gases
iii) Biological: Bacteria, virus, fungi etc.
B. MAN-MADE:
i) Non-degradable: Aluminium cans, Hg, Pb, Cd , Polymer,
DDT, Leaked oil slicks oil sea water, dissolved solids, oils and
grease,
ii) Bio-degradable: Domestic sewage, CFCs, SOx, NOx

5. Types of Environmental Pollution
1) Air Pollution
2) Water Pollution
3) Noise Pollution
4) Thermal Pollution
5) Marine Pollution
6) Nuclear Hazards
7) Soil Pollution

7. Air Pollution
• The pollution due to the presence of undesirable solid or gaseous particles in
the air, in quantities that are harmful to human health and the environment
The disturbance cause by human activities which affect the
atmosphere is called air pollution.
Basically air pollution is of two types:
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These
include combustion sources like oil, gas ,kerosene, coal.
OUTDOOR AIR POLLUTION
Outdoor air quality as the name indicates that it is the consideration
of pollution outside the home. It is known as ambient air pollution.

8. Sources of Air pollution
1) Natural sources
• Natural contaminants usually present in the air are pollen,
fungal spores, bacteria and marsh gas.
• CO from the breakdown of methane
• Volcanic eruptions
• Forest fire release smoke and harmful trace gases
• Salt spray from oceans
• Dust storms.

9. 2) Man-made sources
thermal power plants, industrial units, vehicular emissions,
fossil fuel burning, agricultural activities etc.
Sources of Air pollution

10. Sources of Air pollution
3) Indoor Air Pollution
•Burning of fossil fuels like coal, dung-cakes, wood, kerosene produces
black soot, CO, SO2, and many others like formaldehyde, benzene α
pyrene (BAP) etc.
Smoking (Pyrene is also found in cigarette smoke)

12. A) Primary Pollutants: Which are emitted from natural events and
human activities such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds and suspended
particulate matter.
B) Secondary Pollutants: Which are produced in the atmosphere when
certain chemical reactions take place among the primary pollutants
such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid, etc.
Different Types of Air Pollutants
1) On the basis of their of source of origin –
A) Point source pollutant: When the origin source is point e.g., emissions from
thermal plant.
B) Line source pollutant: transportation of material by conveyor belts, road rollers,
run off seepage etc.
C) Area source pollutant: When the source is an area e.g., blasting in mines
2) On the basis of formation –

13. 4) On the basis of their existence in nature –
A) Quantitative pollutant: These are the substances which occur in the environment
but becomes pollutant when their concentration reaches beyond a threshold value
in the environment. Example: CO2, NO2 etc
B) Qualitative pollutant: These are the substances which do not occur in the
environment but are passed into it through human activity. Example: fungicides,
herbicides, DDT etc

14. Effects of Air pollution
1) Effects on human health -
• A) Irritation on the respiratory tract.
• B) Irritation of eye, nose and throat.
• C) Pb particulate cause coma and even death
• D) HF causes fluorosis and mottling of teeth
• E) A variety of pollens can initiate asthmatic attack
• F) Hg results in kidney, nerve and brain damage
• G) Ni causes respiration damage.
• H) Cd particulates through cigarrette smoking cause cardiovascular diseases ,
kidney and liver damage and even death.

15. Effects of Air pollution
2) Effects on Vegetation –
• SO2 bleaches the leaf surface and causes chlorosis
• NO2 causes premature leaf fall
• O3 causes necrosis and damage leaves
• PAN(peroxy acetyl nitrate) is responsible for suppressed growth, silvering of
lower leaf surface
• Ethylene induces leaf abscission, leaf epinasty

16. Effects of Air pollution
3) Effect on climate -
• Increase of CO2
• Global warming
• Melting of ice, glaciers
• Thinning of ozone layer
• Penetration of UV rays
• Acid Rain

17. Effects of Air pollution
4) Effect on materials –
Because of their corrosiveness, particulates can cause damage to
exposed surfaces. Presence of SO2 and moisture can accelerate
corrosion of metallic surfaces. SO2 can affect fabric, leather, paint,
paper, marble and limestone. Ozone in the atmosphere can cause
cracking of rubber. Oxides of nitrogen can also cause fading of acetate,
cotton and rayon fibres. Acid rain affects marble materials.

18. GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
 A fraction of the incoming solar radiation (S) is reflected back
into space, the rest [ALBEDO(α)] is absorbed by the planet.
◦ Earth α = 0.31 (31% absorbed, 69% reflected)
◦ Net incoming solar radiation = S(1 - α)
 One possible way of changing Earth’s climate is by changing
its albedo.

19. OZONE LAYER DEPLETION
FREON,
HALON
CH3Br

20. Measures to control Air pollution
•Controlling pollution at the source
•Construction of tall chimneys
•Development of green belt around
industrial areas
•Use of better quality fuel and use
of catalytic converters
•Sprinkling water in mining areas to
reduce the dust particles
•Air quality monitoring

21. • Using low sulphur coal in industries
• Removing sulphur from coal (by washing or with the help of
bacteria)
• Removing NOx during the combustion process
• Removing particulate from stack exhaust gases by employing
electrostatic precipitators, bag-house filters, cyclone separators,
scrubbers etc.
•· Vehicular pollution can be checked by regular tune-up of engines,
replacement of old, more polluting vehicles, installing catalytic
converters,by engine modification to have fuel efficient (lean
mixtures) to reduce CO and hydrocarbon emissions and burning
fuels slow and cooler to reduce NOx emission (Honda Technology)
King Edward I made the first anti-pollution law in 1273
Air pollution Act was passed in 1981 in India

22. Water Pollution
• It can be defined as “ the presence of impurities and foreign
substance in water in such a quantity that lowers its quality
and makes it unfit for consumption and becomes a health
hazard”
(Dissolved material should not be more than 150 ppm and pH
should be between 7 and 8.5)

24. Sources of water pollution
A. Natural impurities:
Dissolved gases : (nitrogen,CO2, H2S etc. which may be picked
up during rainfall)
Dissolved minerals like: Salts of Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium
etc. from the soil of catchment areas.
Suspended impurities : (Clay, silt, sand and mud).
Microrganisms : Mainly the enteric bacteria, viruses etc.
Heavy Metal: copper, lead, zinc, chromium, nickel,
cadmium, mercury and selenium

25. B. Man – made pollutants:
• pesticides and biocides like BHC,
DDT, Aluminum phosphide, chloro
benzilate, nicotine sulphate
• Radioactive substances from nuclear
weapon test.
• Domestic sewage (bathing, washing,
cooking) water waste.
• Plastics.
• Industrial waste (toxic agents ranging
from metal salts to complex synthetic
organic chemicals).
• Thermal pollution.
• Agricultural pollutants (fertilizers,
pesticides).
• Physical pollutants (thermal
pollution, radioactive substances).

26. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTE WATER
COLOUR:
ODOUR: Fishy (amines), Rotten cabbage (Sulfides)
SUSPENDED SOLID:
TEMPERATURE: Hgher in waste water
TASTE:
TRANSMITTANCE: measured in Turbidity Unit (TU)
CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTE WATER
DISSOLVED CHEMICAL:
pH:

27. BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF WASTE WATER
PLANT:
ANIMAL:
EUBACTERIA:
VIRUSES:
OXYGEN: BOD (dissolved O2 used by microorganism during biochemical oxidation
of organic matter in 5 days at 20ºC)
COD (Dissolved oxygen used during the chemical oxidation of organic
matter in 3 hours).

28. Effect of water pollution on the Health of man
and animals
• About four million children die every year from water born disease in India.
• Biological water-borne disease (cholera, dysentery, gastro enteritis, diarrhea,
jaundice, typhoid, hepatitis and guinea pig disease).
• Chemical borne diseases (heavy metal disease like minamata disease, bone
softening disease)
• Increase concentration of floride cause damage to dental enamel(fluorosis).
Fluoride leads to dental decolouration and deformation of bones causing
knock knees, joint pains and back pains.
• High nitrite content –cyanosis in infants.
• High arsenic content in endemic areas cause arsenic poisoning.

29. BIOACCUMULATION
• Intake of a
contaminant by an
organism
• Exceeds the
latter's ability to
metabolize or
excrete the
substance
• Chemical
accumulates within
the tissues of the
organism.
• Bioaccumulation.
BIOMAGNIFICATION
• Concentration of a
contaminant may be
virtually
undetectable in
water
• Magnified
thousands of time
as the contaminant
passes up the food
chain
• Biomagnification

30. Phytoplankton
Zooplankton
Rainbow smelt
Lake trout
Herring Gull
Fish Fry
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
undetectable in water
Biomagnification
In food chain
X 1
X 49.2
X 416
X 1932
X 49,600
?????

31. Eutrophication : Nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers
and detergents in the water bodies act as nutrients and
accelerate the growth of algae which forms a mat or bloom on
the water surface. This increased productivity is called
eutrophication.
a. The bloom producing algae cut off light to submerged
plants
b. On their death they increase the organic loading of water
body which further results in depletion of oxygen and hence
death of aquatic animals and water begins to stink.
c. The water also becomes unfit for drinking, industrial and
recreational use. Therefore, addition of excess of fertilizers to
the fields be avoided.
Effect on Plants

32. How to Avoid Water Pollution
• Rivers should not be used for washing clothes or bathing animals in.
• Harvesting of Rainwater to meet water requirements.
• Dams &embankments must be created.
• The rivers must not be contaminated.
• In sacred river like Ganga the dead bodies shouldn’t thrown.
• Immersing idols made of plaster of paris must be completely
stopped.

33. Prevention and control of Water Pollution:
• Various ways and technique suggested for prevention and control of
water pollution are following
- Stabilization of eco-system.
• Reutilization or recycling of wastes

34. - By different govt. plan and law.
1.GANGA ACTION PLAN
2.NATIONAL RIVER ACTION PLAN.
3.WATER (prevention and control of pollution)act, 1974.
4.THE WATER (prevention and control of pollution)CESS act, 1977.
5.THE WATER (prevention and control of pollution)AMENDMENT act,
1978.