LU1 : Environmental Pollution
Example form of pollution that can affect environment (6)
1. CO2 2. Greenhouse gases 3. NO 4. Smog & haze 5. Soil 6. SO2
What is the difference between controlling the pollution with preventing the pollution? (2)
1. Control is more to environmental management while prevention more focus on to reduce the amount of pollution generate by a process 2. For control, focus to degrade the waste from source not to pollute the environment while for prevention, concept seeks to increase the efficiency of the process reducing the amount of pollution.
4 Class of pollutants for water pollution
1. Disease causing agents 2. Oxygen demanding wastes 3. Water soluble inorganic pollutants 4. Water soluble nitrates and phosphates
Example form of pollution that can affect human health (7)
1. Ozone 2. Water pollution 3. Noise pollution 4. Mercury 5. Air pollution 6. Lead 7. Chemical & radioactive substances
Eg of human activities that can cause air pollution?
1. Stationary 2. Mobile 3. Fumes 4. Water disposition
What is the function of trickle in point source controls of water pollution?
Animal slurries are usually treated by containment in anaerobic lagoons before disposal
Eg as biotechnologist to counter air pollution?
Biofuels, gas-phase bioreactors & bio-curtain
Role as biotechnologist to counter in water pollution?
Bioremediation and plastic waste
What eg of health problem that can be cause by chemical and radioactive substances?
Cancer & Birth defects
Definition of environmental pollution
Disposal of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change (in any form of chemical and/or physical changes, addition, or disturbance)
Eg of pathogen in polluted water?
E.coli, Salmonella, Giardia lamblia, Novovirus, Cryptosporidium parvum, Burkhilderia pseudomallei
What is the function of riparian buffer in non-point source of water pollution?
Helps shade and partially protect a stream from the impact of adjacent land uses - increase water quality
What pollution can cause neurological problems or symptoms?
Mercury and lead
How does ground level ozone (O3) form?
NOX + VOCs
2 type of source for water pollution?
Non-point source and point source
How excessive amount of CO2/CO2 pollution affect the environment?
Ocean acidification - create unsuitable place for marines lifes to live
How SO2 affect the environment?
Plant become infertile as live with unsuitable environment - distract the food web - less sources
Type of pollutants
Primary and secondary pollutants
What is the difference between of primary and secondary pollutants?
Primary is emitted directly while secondary emitted indirectly
How smog & haze affect the environment?
Reduce the amount of sunlight can penetrate - which reduce amount received by plant - damaged the plant
Step in measuring the water pollution?
Sampling > physical testing > chemical testing > biological testing
Smog and ground level ozone (O3) is example of what type of pollutants?
Secondary pollutants
2 type of physical testing in measurement of water pollution?
Temperature and solids conc.
How bio-curtain help in countering air pollution?
The polluted air enters from bottom, rise as bubbles in panels and contact w/ microalgae. The microalgae capture CO2 from the polluted air.
Sampling the water (pollution) can be affect by (4)
Tides, seasons, location and depth of sampling
What is APM?
Tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas
How biological testing is done in measurement of water pollution?
Use of plants, animals, microbes to monitor health of an aquatic ecosystem
How bioremediation works?
Using microbes to consume and break down environmental pollutants to clean polluted site
What is water quality index (WQI)?
Water quality data is summarized for reporting to the public in a consistent manner
How water-soluble nitrates and phosphates pollutes the water?
cause excessive growth of algae which deplete the oxygen - dangerous for marines
VOCs can be divided to group which is
methane and non-methane
Eg of chemical testing in measurement of water pollution?
pH, BOD, COD, nutrients, metals, oil and grease, TPH and also pesticides
What is the eg of health problems that can cause by ozone pollution?
respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation
Air pollutant index (API) definition
standard scale to measure the quality of air based on average concentration of pollutants with diameter less than 10 microm (PM10)
Air Pollution Definition
the contamination of the atmosphere by the introduction of pollutants from human and natural sources
How does secondary pollutants form?
when primary pollutants react or interact
