UNIT4 Environmnetal Issues

1) GREENHOUSE EFFECT
Greenhouse effect is the process by which radiations from the sun are
absorbed by the greenhouse gases and not reflected back into space.

OR
Greenhouse effect, a warming of Earth’s surface and troposphere (the
lowest layer of the atmosphere) caused by the presence of water
vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and certain other gases in the air.

Greenhouse Gases
“Greenhouse gases are the gases that absorb the infrared radiations and
create a greenhouse effect. For eg. carbon dioxide and
chlorofluorocarbons.”

The major contributors to the greenhouse gases are factories,

automobiles, deforestation, etc. The increased number of factories and
automobiles increases the amount of these gases in the atmosphere. The
greenhouse gases never let the radiations escape from the earth and
increase the surface temperature of the earth
Causes of Greenhouse Effect
The major causes of the greenhouse effect are:

1) Burning of Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels are an important part of our lives. They are widely used in
transportation and to produce electricity. Burning of fossil fuels releases
carbon dioxide. With the increase in population, the utilization of fossil
fuels has increased. This has led to an increase in the release of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
2) Deforestation
Plants and trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Due to the
cutting of trees, there is a considerable increase in the greenhouse gases
which increases the earth’s temperature.

3) Farming
Nitrous oxide used in fertilizers is one of the contributors to the
greenhouse effect in the atmosphere.
 4) Industrial Waste and Landfills
The industries and factories produce harmful gases which are released in
the atmosphere.
Landfills also release carbon dioxide and methane that adds to the
greenhouse gases.

Effects of Greenhouse Effect

The main effects of increased greenhouse gases are:
1) Global Warming
It is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the average temperature of
the Earth’s atmosphere. The main cause for this environmental issue is
the increased volumes of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and
methane released by the burning of fossil fuels, emissions from the
vehicles, industries and other human activities.
2) Depletion of Ozone Layer
Ozone Layer protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet rays from the
sun. It is found in the upper regions of the stratosphere. The depletion of
the ozone layer results in the entry of the harmful UV rays to the earth’s
surface that might lead to skin cancer and can also change
the climate drastically.
The major cause of this phenomenon is the accumulation of natural
greenhouse gases including chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide,
methane, etc.
3) Smog and Air Pollution
Smog is formed by the combination of smoke and fog. It can be caused
both by natural means and man-made activities.
Smog is generally formed by the accumulation of more greenhouse
gases including nitrogen and sulfur oxides. The major contributors to the
formation of smog are automobile and industrial emissions, agricultural
fires, natural forest fires and the reaction of these chemicals among
themselves.
4) Acidification of Water Bodies
Increase in the total amount of greenhouse gases in the air has turned
most of the world’s water bodies acidic. The greenhouse gases mix with
the rainwater and fall as acid rain. This leads to the acidification of water
bodies.
Also, the rainwater carries the contaminants along with it and falls into
the river, streams and lakes thereby causing their acidification.

Prevention of greenhouse effect

• Afforestation: Afforestation on a large scale area helps in

decreasing the release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
• Conservation of energy: Switching to renewable sources of
energy such as solar energy, wind energy, etc will reduce the use
of fossil fuels. This eventually reduces the release of carbon
dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Policy intervention: When the government comes up with strict
policies to maintain the overall air quality of the city.

2) GLOBAL WARMING

Global warming is a gradual increase in the earth’s temperature generally due to

the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, CFCs, and
other pollutants.

Causes of global warming

The following are the global warming causes that are contributing to the climate
problem.
1) Deforestation- Plants are the main source of oxygen. They
take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen thereby
maintaining environmental balance. Forests are being
depleted for many domestic and commercial purposes. This
has led to an environmental imbalance, thereby giving rise to
global warming.

2) Waste: Because of the amount of packaging used and the

short life cycle of items, humans are producing more waste
than ever before. Many things, garbage, and packaging are
not recyclable, so they end up in landfills. When rubbish in
landfills decomposes/breaks down, it emits toxic gases into
the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

3) Power plants: Power plants use fossil fuels to run, and as a

result, they emit a range of pollutants. The pollution they
produce ends up not just in the atmosphere but also in the
waterways, which contributes significantly to global
warming.

4) Industrialization- The waste generated by this industry is all

disposed of in landfills or in our surrounding environment.
Chemicals and minerals used in industrialization can damage
not just the atmosphere, but also the land beneath it.

5) Oil and gas: Oil and gas are ubiquitous in practically every
business. It is most commonly seen in automobiles,
buildings, manufacturing, and the generation of power. When
 we burn coal, oil, and gases, we contribute significantly to
the climate problem. The usage of fossil fuels also poses a
hazard to wildlife and the surrounding ecosystem due to the
toxicity that destroys plant life and renders areas
uninhabitable.
6) Chlorofluorocarbon- With the excessive use of air
conditioners and refrigerators, humans have been adding
CFCs into the environment which affects the atmospheric
ozone layer. The ozone layer protects the earth surface from
the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the sun. The CFCs
have led to ozone layer depletion making way for the
ultraviolet rays, thereby increasing the temperature of the
earth.
7) Agriculture- Various farming activities produce carbon
dioxide and methane gas. These add to the greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere and increase the temperature of the earth.
8) Overpopulation- An increase in population means more
people breathing. This leads to an increase in the level of
carbon dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in
the atmosphere.
9) Use of Vehicles- The use of vehicles, even for a very short
distance results in various gaseous emissions. Vehicles burn
fossil fuels which emit a large amount of carbon dioxide and
other toxins into the atmosphere resulting in a temperature
increase
Effects of Global Warming
Following are the major effects of global warming:
1) Rise in Temperature
Global warming has led to an incredible increase in earth’s temperature.
The earth’s temperature has increased by ~1 degrees. This has resulted
in an increase in the melting of glaciers, which have led to an increase in
the sea level. This could have devastating effects on coastal regions.
2) Threats to the Ecosystem
Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to the loss of
plant and animal lives. Increase in global temperatures has made the
fragility of coral reefs even worse.
 3) Climate Change
Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. There are
droughts at some places and floods at some. This climatic imbalance is
the result of global warming.
4) Spread of Diseases
Global warming leads to a change in the patterns of heat and humidity.
This has led to the movement of mosquitoes that carry and spread
diseases.
5) High Mortality Rates
Due to an increase in floods, tsunamis and other natural calamities, the
average death toll usually increases. Also, such events can bring about
the spread of diseases that can hamper human life.
6) Loss of Natural Habitat
A global shift in the climate leads to the loss of habitats of several plants
and animals. In this case, the animals need to migrate from their natural
habitat and many of them even become extinct. This is yet another major
impact of global warming on biodiversity.

Methods to Prevent Global Warming

Some Methods to Prevent Global Warming are given below:
• Reduce your driving time.
• Increase your recycling efforts.
• Cut back on the amount of hot water you use.
• Avoid items with a lot of packing.
• Think about planting a tree.
 3) CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather
patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the
solar cycle. Human actions are causing Earth to warm by increasing the
amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The climate is the commonly considered to be the weather averaged over
a long period of time.

Causes of climate change

• There are several causes of climate change. The most significant

anthropogenic effect on the climate is the increasing trend in the
concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

• The causes can be grouped into two:

Natural causes-Volcanoes, Earths tilt and ocean current
Anthropogeniccauses-

1) Natural causes
Volcanoes- when a volcano erupts it throws out large volumes of SO2,
water vapors, dust and ash into the atmosphere. The gases and dust
particles can reach the stratosphere and partially block the incoming
radiations leading to cooling. SO2 combines with water to form tiny
droplets of H2SO4 acid.
Ocean current- ocean currents have been known to change directions or
slow down. Much of the heat that escapes from the oceans is in the form
of water vapor the most abundant greenhouse gas.
 Earths tilt- earths is tilted at an angle of 23.5. for one half of the year
when it is summer, the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun in the
other half when it is winter , the earth is tilted away from the sun.
Changes in the tilt of the earth can affect the severity of the seasons
more tilt means more warmer season and colder winters less tilt means
cooler summers and mild winters.
2) Anthropogenic causes

• Concentration of greenhouse gases – This is the primary cause as

the increase of greenhouse gases like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),
Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O), Carbon dioxide (CO2), and
Ozone (O3) in the atmosphere degrade the quality of the air we
breathe

• Deforestation – Human beings are destroying the forests and green

areas for the purpose of urbanization and construction of human
habitats, this has resulted in the loss of habitat for various animal
species. Also, cutting down of trees results in increased carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere

• Excessive Use of Fossil Fuels – This is another cause for the

change in climate as the energy released by the usage of fossil
fuels into the atmosphere, degrades its quality and depletion of
fossil fuels.
• Generation of large quantity of plastics and polythene which is non
biodegradable and thus degrading the atmosphere.
• Use of huge quantity of paper and timber in college, office and
schools and manufacturing furnitures respectively, which causes
large amount of forest to be cut down.

The main causes of climate change include:

1. Emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

 2. Deforestation for human settlements
3. Overutilization and exploitation of natural resources
4. Pollution caused by human activities
5. Changes in solar output which is associated with sunspot activities
6. The aerosols that reach the atmosphere after volcanic eruptions.

Effects of climate change

1) Increased drought- Climate change is changing water

availability, making it scarcer in more regions. Global warming
exacerbates water shortages in already water-stressed regions and
is leading to an increased risk of agricultural droughts affecting
crops, and ecological droughts increasing the vulnerability of
ecosystems.
 2) A warming, rising ocean
The ocean soaks up most of the heat from global warming. As the ocean
warms, its volume increases since water expands as it gets warmer.
Melting ice sheets also cause sea levels to rise, threatening coastal and
island communities. In addition, the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide, keeping
it from the atmosphere. But more carbon dioxide makes the ocean more
acidic, which endangers marine life and coral reefs.

3) Loss of species
Climate change poses risks to the survival of species on land and in the
ocean. These risks increase as temperatures climb. Forest fires, extreme
weather, and invasive pests and diseases are among many threats related to
climate change. Some species will be able to relocate and survive, but
others will not.

4) Not enough food

Changes in the climate and increases in extreme weather events are among
the reasons behind a global rise in hunger and poor nutrition. Fisheries,
crops, and livestock may be destroyed or become less productive

5) More health risks

Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. Climate
impacts are already harming health, through air pollution, disease, extreme
weather events, forced displacement, pressures on mental health, and
increased hunger and poor nutrition in places where people cannot grow or
find sufficient food. Changing weather patterns are expanding diseases,
and extreme weather events increase deaths and make it difficult for health
care systems to keep up.
 6) Poverty and displacement
Climate change increases the factors that put and keep people in poverty.
Floods may sweep away urban slums, destroying homes and livelihoods.
Heat can make it difficult to work in outdoor jobs. Water scarcity may
affect crops.
 4) ACID RAIN
Any precipitation (rain or snow) that has a pH lower than 5.7 is
considered acid rain. It is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides; these emissions react with the water in our atmosphere
to produce acids.
Sulfur dioxide can be produced by volcanic eruptions and nitrogen
dioxides by lightning strikes. Most of the harmful chemicals are released
by human activities. These chemicals travel up into the atmosphere, mix
with rain clouds, and fall in the form of acid rain.

The acid rain can cause corrosion of steel structures such as bridges,
stone statues, and the peeling of paint. Much of these chemicals
originate from electricity generation, factories, and motor vehicles.
Causes of Acid Rain
Both natural and man-made sources are known to play a role in the formation
of acid rain. But, it is mainly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels which
results in emissions of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).

1. Natural Sources
The major natural causal agent for acid rain is volcanic emissions.
Volcanoes emit acid-producing gases to create higher than normal
amounts of acid rain.
Decaying vegetation, wildfires and biological processes within
the environment also generate acid rain forming gases.
Lighting strikes also naturally produce nitric oxides that react with
water molecules via electrical activity to produce nitric acid, thereby
forming acid rain.
2. Man-made Sources
Human activities leading to chemical gas emissions such as sulfur and
nitrogen are the primary contributors to acid rain. The activities
include air pollution sources emitting sulfur and nitrogen gases like
factories, power generation facilities, and automobiles.
Automobiles and factories also release high scores of gaseous
emissions on a daily basis into the air, especially in highly industrialized
areas and urban regions with large numbers of car traffic.
The use of coal for electrical power generation is the biggest contributor
to gaseous emissions leading to acid rain.

Effects of Acid Rain

• Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants, and animals. It

washes away all nutrients which are required for the growth and
survival of plants. Acid rain affects agriculture by the way it alters
the composition of the soil.
• It causes respiratory issues in animals and humans.
• When acid rain falls down and flows into the rivers and ponds it
affects the aquatic ecosystem. It alters the chemical composition of
the water, to a form which is actually harmful to the aquatic
ecosystem to survive and causes water pollution.
• Effect on Forests- It makes trees vulnerable to disease, extreme
weather, and insects by destroying their leaves, damaging the bark
and arresting their growth. Forest damage due to acid rain is most
evident in Eastern Europe – especially Germany, Poland and
Switzerland.
• It damages the buildings and monuments made up of stones and
metals.
 Examples 1) Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world, is
largely affected by acid rain. The city of Agra has many industries
which emit the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in the atmosphere.
formation of calcium sulphate results in the corrosion of this
beautiful monument.
CaCO3(s) + H2SO4(l) → CaSO4(s) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

2) Statue of Liberty which is made of copper has also been damaged by

the cumulative action of acid rain

• Effect on Soil- Acid rain highly impacts on soil chemistry and

biology. It means soil microbes and biological activity as well as
soil chemical compositions such as soil pH are damaged or
reversed due to the effects of acid rain.

5) Ozone Layer Depletion

The ozone layer is a region in the earth’s stratosphere that contains
high concentrations of ozone and protects the earth from the
harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun.

Ozone layer depletion is the gradual thinning of the earth’s ozone

layer in the upper atmosphere caused due to the release of
chemical compounds containing gaseous bromine or chlorine from
industries or other human activities.

Ozone hole refers to the depletion of the ozone layer in the stratosphere.
The main causative agents are CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons or freons)
used as aerosol and refrigerants.
The Ozone layer of the stratosphere absorbs and shields us from the
harmful ultraviolet rays of the Sun. The thickness of the ozone layer is
measured in Dobson Units (DU).
The UV rays present in the stratosphere act on CFCs to release chlorine
free-radicals. These free radicals catalyse the degradation of ozone to
form molecular oxygen. As Cl only acts as a catalyst and not consumed,
they continuously damage the ozone layer.
UV-B causes a mutation in DNA and it is the reason for various cancers.
UV-B also causes inflammation in the eye (snow-blindness) and
damages the cornea.
Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone layer depletion is a major concern and is associated with a
number of factors. The main causes responsible for the depletion of the
ozone layer are listed below:
1) Chlorofluorocarbons- Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are the
main cause of ozone layer depletion. These are released by
solvents, spray aerosols, refrigerators, air-conditioners, etc.
The molecules of chlorofluorocarbons in the stratosphere are broken
down by ultraviolet radiations and release chlorine atoms. These atoms
react with ozone and destroy it.

2) Nitrogenous Compounds
The nitrogenous compounds such as NO2, NO, N2O are highly
responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.
3) Natural Causes
The ozone layer has been found to be depleted by certain natural
processes such as Sun-spots and stratospheric winds. But it does not
cause more than 1-2% of the ozone layer depletion.
The volcanic eruptions are also responsible for the depletion of the
ozone layer.
Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS)

Ozone-depleting substances are the substances such as

chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride, etc. that are
responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.
Ozone-Depleting Sources
Substances
Chlorofluorocarbons Refrigerators, air-conditioner.
(CFCs)
Halogens Fire-extinguishers
Carbon tetrachloride Fire extinguishers, solvents
Methyl chloroform Adhesives, aerosols
Hydrofluorocarbons fire extinguishers, air-conditioners

Formation of Ozone
The reaction of UV radiation with O2 or dioxygen molecules results in the formation of
O3. The UV radiation splits the oxygen molecule into the free oxygen or O atoms. These
O atoms combine with molecular form of oxygen to form ozone (O3). It is
thermodynamically an unstable compound and has a tendency to decompose into
molecular oxygen. Therefore, a constant dynamic equilibrium is present between the
production and decomposition of O3 molecules.

O2(g) → O(g) + O(g)

(in presence of UV Radiation)

O(g) + O2(g) ↔ O3(g)

 (in presence of UV Radiation)

Depletion of Ozone Layer

The depletion of the protective O3 layer is because of the presence of

particular chemicals in the stratosphere of earth’s atmosphere. The
constant release of compounds like carbon tetrachloride, CFCs
(chlorofluorocarbon) or freons and other chlorine or bromine containing
halogens in the atmosphere is the main reason for the depletion.

These chemicals mix with normal atmospheric gases and finally reach the
stratosphere. Thus, these compounds break down into free chlorine
radicals in the presence of powerful UV radiation in the stratosphere.

CF2Cl2 (g) → Cl(g) + CF2Cl(g)

 (in presence of powerful UV Radiation)

Cl(g) + O3(g) → ClO(g) + O2(g)

The chlorine radicals combine with the stratospheric O3 thereby forming

molecular oxygen and chlorine monoxide radicals.

Chlorine monoxide radicals will further react with atomic oxygen to form
more chlorine radicals.

ClO(g) + O(g) → Cl(g) + O2(g)

This process will continue and constantly regenerate chlorine radicals.

This, in turn, will lead to the breakdown of ozone. Hence, CFCs are
transporting agents that are responsible for damaging the ozone layer.

Effects Of Ozone Layer Depletion

The depletion of the ozone layer has harmful effects on the environment.
Let us see the major effects of ozone layer depletion on man and
environment.
Effects on Human Health
Humans will be directly exposed to the harmful ultraviolet radiation of
the sun due to the depletion of the ozone layer. This might result in
serious health issues among humans, such as skin diseases, cancer,
sunburns, cataract, quick ageing and weak immune system.
Effects on Animals
Direct exposure to ultraviolet radiations leads to skin and eye cancer in
animals.
Effects on the plants
Strong ultraviolet rays may lead to minimal growth, flowering and
photosynthesis in plants. The forests also have to bear the harmful
effects of the ultraviolet rays.
Effects on Marine Life
Planktons are greatly affected by the exposure to harmful ultraviolet
rays. These are higher in the aquatic food chain. If the planktons are
destroyed, the organisms present in the food chain are also affected
Solutions to Ozone Layer Depletion
The depletion of the ozone layer is a serious issue and various
programmes have been launched by the government of various countries
to prevent it. However, steps should be taken at the individual level as
well to prevent the depletion of the ozone layer.
Following are some points that would help in preventing this problem at
a global level:
1) Avoid Using ODS
Reduce the use of ozone depleting substances. E.g. avoid the use of
CFCs in refrigerators and air conditioners, replacing the halons based
fire extinguishers, etc.
 2) Minimise the Use of Vehicles
The vehicles emit a large amount of greenhouse gases that lead to global
warming as well as ozone depletion. Therefore, the use of vehicles
should be minimised as much as possible.
3) Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products
Most of the cleaning products have chlorine and bromine releasing
chemicals that find a way into the atmosphere and affect the ozone layer.
These should be substituted with natural products to protect the
environment.
4) Use of Nitrous Oxide should be Prohibited
The government should take actions and prohibit the use of harmful
nitrous oxide that is adversely affecting the ozone layer. People should
be made aware of the harmful effects of nitrous oxide and the products
emitting the gas so that its use is minimised at the individual level as
well.