MEPC Notes

What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical or biological change in the air. It is the
contamination of air by harmful gases, dust and smoke which affects plants, animals and
humans drastically.
Causes of Air Pollution
Following are the important causes of air pollution:
Burning of Fossil Fuels
The combustion of fossil fuels emits a large amount of sulphur dioxide. Carbon monoxide released by
incomplete combustion of fossil fuels also results in air pollution.
Automobiles
The gases emitted from vehicles such as jeeps, trucks, cars, buses, etc. pollute the environment. These
are the major sources of greenhouse gases and also result in diseases among individuals.
Agricultural Activities
Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases emitted during agricultural activities. The insecticides,
pesticides and fertilisers emit harmful chemicals in the atmosphere and contaminate it.
Factories and Industries
Factories and industries are the main source of carbon monoxide, organic compounds, hydrocarbons
and chemicals. These are released into the air, degrading its quality.
Mining Activities
In the mining process, the minerals below the earth are extracted using large pieces of equipment. The
dust and chemicals released during the process not only pollute the air, but also deteriorate the health of
the workers and people living in the nearby areas.
Domestic Sources
The household cleaning products and paints contain toxic chemicals that are released in the air. The
smell from the newly painted walls is the smell of the chemicals present in the paints. It not only pollutes
the air but also affects breathing.
Effects of Air Pollution
The hazardous effects of air pollution on the environment include:
Diseases
Air pollution has resulted in several respiratory disorders and heart diseases among humans. The cases
of lung cancer have increased in the last few decades. Children living near polluted areas are more
prone to pneumonia and asthma. Many people die every year due to the direct or indirect effects of air
pollution.
Global Warming
Due to the emission of greenhouse gases, there is an imbalance in the gaseous composition of the air.
This has led to an increase in the temperature of the earth. This increase in earth’s temperature is
known as global warming. This has resulted in the melting of glaciers and an increase in sea levels.
Many areas are submerged underwater.
Acid Rain
The burning of fossil fuels releases harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides in the air.
The water droplets combine with these pollutants, become acidic and fall as acid rain which damages
human, animal and plant life.
Ozone Layer Depletion
The release of chlorofluorocarbons, halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere is the
major cause of depletion of the ozone layer. The depleting ozone layer does not prevent the harmful
ultraviolet rays coming from the sun and causes skin diseases and eye problems among individuals.
Also Read: Ozone Layer Depletion
Effect on Animals
The air pollutants suspend in the water bodies and affect aquatic life. Pollution also compels the
animals to leave their habitat and shift to a new place. This renders them stray and has also led to the
extinction of a large number of animal species.
Air Pollution Control
Following are the measures one should adopt, to control air pollution:
Avoid Using Vehicles
People should avoid using vehicles for shorter distances. Rather, they should prefer public modes of
transport to travel from one place to another. This not only prevents pollution, but also conserves energy.
Energy Conservation
A large number of fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity. Therefore, do not forget to switch off the
electrical appliances when not in use. Thus, you can save the environment at the individual level. Use of
energy-efficient devices such as CFLs also controls pollution to a greater level.
Use of Clean Energy Resources
The use of solar, wind and geothermal energies reduce air pollution at a larger level. Various countries,
including India, have implemented the use of these resources as a step towards a cleaner environment.
Other air pollution control measures include:
1.By minimising and reducing the use of fire and fire products.
2.Since industrial emissions are one of the major causes of air pollution, the pollutants can be controlled or
treated at the source itself to reduce its effects. For example, if the reactions of a certain raw material yield
a pollutant, then the raw materials can be substituted with other less polluting materials.
3.Fuel substitution is another way of controlling air pollution. In many parts of India, petrol and diesel are
being replaced by CNG – Compressed Natural Gas fueled vehicles. These are mostly adopted by vehicles
that aren’t fully operating with ideal emission engines.
4.Although there are many practices in India, which focus on repairing the quality of air, most of them are
either forgotten or not being enforced properly. There are still a lot of vehicles on roads which haven’t been
tested for vehicle emissions.
5.Another way of controlling air pollution caused by industries is to modify and maintain existing pieces of
equipment so that the emission of pollutants is minimised.
6.Sometimes controlling pollutants at the source is not possible. In that case, we can have process control
equipment to control the pollution.
7.A very effective way of controlling air pollution is by diluting the air pollutants.
8.The last and the best way of reducing the ill effects of air pollution is tree plantation. Plants and trees
reduce a large number of pollutants in the air. Ideally, planting trees in areas of high pollution levels will be
extremely effective.
What is Water Pollution?

Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of water bodies. Water pollution is caused when water
bodies such as rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater and aquifers get contaminated with industrial and
agricultural effluents.
When water gets polluted, it adversely affects all lifeforms that directly or indirectly depend on this source.
The effects of water contamination can be felt for years to come.
Effects Of Water Pollution
The effect of water pollution depends upon the type of pollutants and their concentration. Also, the
location of water bodies is an important factor to determine the levels of pollution.
•Water bodies in the vicinity of urban areas are extremely polluted. This is the result of dumping garbage
and toxic chemicals by industrial and commercial establishments.
•Water pollution drastically affects aquatic life. It affects their metabolism, and behaviour, and causes
illness and eventual death. Dioxin is a chemical that causes a lot of problems from reproduction to
uncontrolled cell growth or cancer. This chemical is bioaccumulated in fish, chicken and meat. Chemicals
such as this travel up the food chain before entering the human body.
•The effect of water pollution can have a huge impact on the food chain. It disrupts the food chain.
Cadmium and lead are some toxic substances, these pollutants upon entering the food chain through
animals (fish when consumed by animals, humans) can continue to disrupt at higher levels.
•Humans are affected by pollution and can contract diseases such as hepatitis through faecal matter in
water sources. Poor drinking water treatment and unfit water can always cause an outbreak of
infectious diseases such as cholera, etc.
•The ecosystem can be critically affected, modified and destructured because of water pollution.
Control Measures of Water Pollution
Water pollution, to a larger extent, can be controlled by a variety of methods. Rather than releasing
sewage waste into water bodies, it is better to treat them before discharge. Practising this can reduce the
initial toxicity and the remaining substances can be degraded and rendered harmless by the water body
itself. If the secondary treatment of water has been carried out, then this can be reused in sanitary
systems and agricultural fields.
A very special plant, the Water Hyacinth can absorb dissolved toxic chemicals such as cadmium and
other such elements. Establishing these in regions prone to such kinds of pollutants will reduce the
adverse effects to a large extent.
Some chemical methods that help in the control of water pollution are precipitation, the ion exchange
process, reverse osmosis, and coagulation. As an individual, reusing, reducing, and recycling wherever
possible will advance a long way in overcoming the effects of water pollution.
What is Noise Pollution?

The word noise is derived from the Latin word ‘Nausea’, which means sickness in which one feels the need
to vomit. Noise is the unpleasant and undesirable sound which leads to discomfort in human beings. The
intensity of sound is measured in decibels (dB). The faintest sound that the human ear can hear is 1 Db.
Due to increasing noise around the civilizations, noise pollution has become a matter of concern. Some of
its major causes are vehicles, aircraft, industrial machines, loudspeakers, crackers, etc. When used at high
volume, some other appliances also contribute to noise pollution, like television, transistor, radio, etc.
Types of Noise Pollution
Following are the three types of pollution:
Transport Noise
It mainly consists of traffic noise which has increased in recent years with the increase in the number of
vehicles. The increase in noise pollution leads to deafening of older people, headache, hypertension, etc.
Neighbourhood Noise
The noise from gadgets, household utensils etc. Some of the main sources are musical instruments,
transistors, loudspeakers, etc.
Industrial Noise
It is the high-intensity sound which is caused by heavy industrial machines. According to many researches,
industrial noise pollution damages the hearing ability to around 20%.
Causes and Sources of Noise Pollution
Following are the causes and sources of noise pollution:
•Industrialisation: Industrialisation has led to an increase in noise pollution as the use of heavy
machinery such as generators, mills, huge exhaust fans are used, resulting in the production of
unwanted noise.
•Vehicles: Increased number of vehicles on the roads are the second reason for noise pollution.
•Events: Weddings, public gatherings involve loudspeakers to play music resulting in the
production of unwanted noise in the neighbourhood.
•Construction sites: Mining, construction of buildings, etc add to the noise pollution.
Noise Pollution Examples
Following are the examples of noise pollution:
•Unnecessary usage of horns
•Using loudspeakers either for religious functions or for political purposes
•Unnecessary usage of fireworks
•Industrial noise
•Construction noise
•Noise from transportation such as railway and aircraft
Effects of Noise Pollution on Human Health
Noise pollution can be hazardous to human health in the following ways:
•Hypertension: It is a direct result of noise pollution which is caused due to elevated blood levels
for a longer duration.
•Hearing loss: Constant exposure of human ears to loud noise that are beyond the range of
sound that human ears can withstand damages the eardrums, resulting in loss of hearing.
•Sleeping disorders: Lack of sleep might result in fatigue and low energy level throughout the day
affecting everyday activities. Noise pollution hampers the sleep cycles leading to irritation and an
uncomfortable state of mind.
•Cardiovascular issues: Heart-related problems such as blood pressure level, stress and
cardiovascular diseases might come up in a normal person and a person suffering from any of
these diseases might feel a sudden shoot up in
Prevention of Noise Pollution
Some noise pollution preventive measures are provided in the points below.
•Honking in public places like teaching institutes, hospitals, etc. should be banned.
•In commercial, hospital, and industrial buildings, adequate soundproof systems should be
installed.
•Musical instruments’ sound should be controlled to desirable limits.
•Dense tree cover is useful in noise pollution prevention.
•Explosives should not be used in forest, mountainous and mining areas.

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What is Air Pollution?

What is Water Pollution?

What is Noise Pollution?

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