23-09-2013, 04:12 PM
Pollution
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INTRODUCTION
Amongst the developing countries, India is the foremost nation to take note of degradation of environment. In 1972, in the world environmental conference held at Stockholm, our government declared that it is their responsibility to control pollution in India. Even during recent global conference held at Kyoto in Japan, India accepted the responsibility of reducing global warming and depletion of ozone layer by banning the use of chlorofluorocarbons in cryogenic engineering within a stipulated period. Even in the recent conference held in Rio-de-Janeiro, India declared solidarity by conforming to the standards as stipulated by United States Environmental Protection Agencies (US-EPA). Perhaps India was the foremost country in third worlds to implement rigorously pollution legislation both for air and water. We accepted the stipulated levels of the pollutants in act designated as ‘maximum permissible level’ to be implemented in successive stages in few years.
Within India, Maharashtra state was the front runner to enact Water Pollution and Control Act in 1962. This was followed by passing of Comprehensive Environmental Protection Bill for prevention of air pollution in 1983. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh were the first states in Indian union to have pollution control board with attached analytical laboratories. This was followed by the setting of series of laboratories in all remaining states of the nation. A legislation was passed. The grave tragedy of Bhopal in 1984 by accidentally releasing deadly poisonous gas such as methyl isocyanate took a toll of more than 4500 people who were innocent and helpless. With the growing civilisation and with rise in traffic, auto-exhaust emission also takes a toll of people. Therefore government enacted ‘PUC’ act to check every vehicle periodically and control, release of hazardous gases like NO-NOx, CO, and hydro-carbons in air.
WHAT IS POLLUTION?
Our next task to keep the environment clean is to measure the damage caused to it by pollution. Without understanding the extent of damage caused to our environment due to pollution, it may not be possible for us to clean it. Such cleaning involves development of suitable control measures. Now these suitable control measures can be meticulously planned, provided we know what the level of pollution is? Hence, to understand the level of pollution, we should undertake the analysis or measurement of pollution. This analysis or measurement is termed as Environmental Pollution Analysis, which will throw light on exact degree of pollution. It will guide us to recover valuable products from waste and help us to take appropriate control measures to minimise pollution. With this objective in mind we should try to learn environment pollution analysis, so as to undertake the analysis, we must know the type of pollution.
Principal Air Pollutants:
1. Sources and their effects Carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is form by incomplete combustion of fuel in industries and in internal combustion engine of automobiles (i.e. bus, truck. motorcycle, scooter etc.)
Effect:
Hemoglobin in blood caries oxygen from lungs to different part of the body. But carbon monoxide is poisonous gas and has latter affinity and power to attach itself to hemoglobin then oxygen. So carbon monoxide creates oxygen transportation problem in blood in haling (Co) aids many daises in our body.
2. Chloroflouro carbon(CFC):
The chlorofluorocarbons are used in refrigerator, air conditioner, cleaning solvents, propellant and in fire existinguishing equipment. These equipments release CFC in to the atmosphere.
Effect:
When CFC comes in contact with ultra violet ray, it decomposes to give chlorine. It attacks Ozone molecule and changes it to oxygen with depletion of ozone layer the dangerous UV radiation enters earth biosphere. The UV radiation causes skin cancer, creates ecological disturbance.
3. Lead
Lead a metal is presents in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dry products. It comes out with smoke from automobiles exhausts.
Soil Pollution
Like other natural resources (Air, water) soil can also be polluted. Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste. The most common chemicals involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (such as naphthalene and benzo(a)pyrene), solvents, pesticides, lead, and other heavy metals. Contamination is correlated with the degree of industrialization and intensity of chemical usage. The concern over soil contamination stems primarily from health risks, from direct contact with the contaminated soil, vapors from the contaminants, and from secondary contamination of water supplies within and underlying the soil.[1] Mapping of contaminated soil sites and the resulting cleanup are time consuming and expensive tasks, requiring extensive amounts of geology, hydrology, chemistry, computer modeling skills, and GIS in Environmental Contamination, as well as an appreciation of the history of industrial chemistry.