Nature and causes of pollution in urban systems; CBD, industrial systems residential areas. Detection and monitoring pollution.

HGG 1003: Group 4

TOPIC :

POLLUTION

Pollution :

WHAT IS POLLUTION

• According to Vijaya Menon ,pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment.• The action or process of making something

impure or often unsafe or unsuitable for use .• The process of making land ,water ,air etc dirty

and not safe or suitable to use .

NATURE OF POLLUTION

• AIR POLLUTION –the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere.•WATER POLLUTION –the introduction of

contaminants into water bodies making the water unsafe to use .•NOISE POLLUTION –a form and level of

environmental sound that is generally considered likely to annoy ,distract or even harm other people.• SIGHT /VISUAL POLLUTION –this is the de-

beautification of aesthetic (pleasing in appearance) view of the environment.• LAND POLLUTION –the throwing of

inappropriate man-made objects on the environment making it dirty.

URBAN SYSTEMS

•NATURE AND CAUSES OF POLLUTION IN THE CBD•AIR POLLUTION

• Burning fossil fuels for example fumes from car exhausts containing dangerous gases such as carbon monoxides and hydrocarbons(an organic compound containing only carbon and nitrogen and often occuring in petroleum ,natural gas and coal )• China ,USA , Russia ,India ,Mexico and Japan

are the world leaders in air pollution emissions .•Using gas as source of heating and lighting .This

can lead to gas leaking and gas cylinders burst thereby polluting the environment e.g in Barcelona• Spraying of Pesticides and herbicides e.g

Harare Gardens • Construction and renovation of buildings

releasing dust from cement

NOISE POLLUTION

• The dominant source class is the motor vehicle producing about 90% of all unwanted noise worldwide.• Recreation e.g. discos for example in Barcelona

harmful environmental noise is defined as daytime ,evening and night time noise levels exceeding 65-60-55 decibels .•Hawkers peddling their way e.g. in Harare• Aircraft noise.

LAND POLLUTION

•Domestic waste e.g. litter•Uncollected garbage • Stagnant water•Old unused buildings

SIGHT / VISUAL POLLUTION

• Campaign posters for example in Harare • Billboards •Old unused buildings •Open storage of trash •Municipal solid waste

NATURE AND CAUSES OF POLLUTION IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS

NATURE OF POLLUTION IN INDUSTRIAL AREAS

1. AIR POLLUTION- emission of poisonous gases and water vapour into the atmosphere- this has taken a toll on the health of the people and the environment

2. WATER POLLUTION- many industries require large amounts of water for their functions- when involved in a series of processes, the water comes into contact with heavy metals, harmful chemicals, radioactive waste and even organic sludge - these are either dumped into open oceans or rivers- industrial accidents e.g. oil spills and radioactive leaks destroy aquatic life

3. LAND POLLUTION- deposition of harmful substances on land- research and development pave the way for modern fertilisers and chemicals that are highly toxic and lead to soil contamination-the toxic chemicals lead to problems of skin cancer and human respiratory system.- the chemical can reach our bodies through foods and vegetables that we eat as they are grown in polluted soil

4. AESTHETIC POLLUTION- destruction in the natural look of the environment - land fills are unsightly (not pleasing to look at)- they can be home to rodents e.g. rats - major industrial accidents like oil spills and fires are harder to clean-up as they have a higher impact in a shorter span of time

5. SOUND- heavy manufacturing industries release sound which causes ear problems

6. THERMAL POLLUTION- it is the degradation of water quality by any process that changes the ambient water temperature- a common cause is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers - when water used as a coolant is returned to the natural environment at a higher temperature, the change in temperature decreases oxygen supply and affects ecosystem composition

CAUSES OF INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION

1. LACK OF POLICIES TO CONTROL POLLUTION- lack of effective policies and poor enforcement drive allows many industries to bypass laws made by pollution control boards which results in mass scale pollution that affects lives of many people.

2. UNPLANNED INDUSTRIAL GROWTH- in most industrial townships , unplanned growth takes place wherein these companies flout rules and norms and pollute the environment with both air and water pollution

3. USE OF OUTDATED TECHNOLOGIES- most industries still rely on old technologies to produce products that generate large amount of waste- to avoid high cost and expenditure, many companies still make use of traditional technologies to produce high end products

4. PRESENCE OF HIGH NUMBER OF SMALL SCALE INDUSTRIES- many small scale industries and factories that don’t have enough capital and rely on government grants to run their day-to-day businesses often escape environmental regulations and release large amounts of toxic gases into the atmosphere

5. INEFFICIENT WASTE DISPOSAL- water pollution and soil pollution are often caused directly due to inefficiency in disposal of waste- long term exposure to polluted air and water causes chronic health problems , making the issue of industrial pollution into a severe one- it also lowers the air quality in surrounding areas which causes many respiratory disorders

6. LEACHING OF RESOURCES FROM OUR NATURAL WORLD- industries do require large amount of raw material to make them into finished products- this requires extraction of minerals from beneath the earth - the extracted minerals can cause soil pollution when spilled on the earth- leaks from vessels can cause oil spills that may prove harmful to marine life

POLLUTION IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Nature and causes

Air PollutionCauses• Indoor pollution: smoke emitted by domestic fires from chimneys• Open air fires: braais• Exhaust fumes from vehicles• Garbage/Dumpsite fires• Use of organic solvents and insecticides that result in significant

vapor emissions into the atmosphere• Dust: from home industries and construction vehicles

ImpactRespiratory diseasesMicro-climate warming(greenhouse effect)

Water PollutionCauses Sewage bursts Faecal refuse washed from footpaths and driveways

by storm water Improperly disposed oil and oil leaks from cars Garden chemicals: e.g. weed killers and fertilisers Detergents: from car washes and other household

cleaners

ReflectorsGreyish water colour and fowl-run odour Water-bourne diseases like typhoid and cholera eg Zimbabwe (2008)

Def : This refers to unwanted electromagnetic signals that produce jarring or displeasing effects and which interfere with human communication, comfort and health.Unwanted sound that disrupts communication.

Causes

Operation of garden equipment like lawnmowers Outdoor parties Motor vehicles Use of electricity generators (Enugu City, South Eastern Nigeria)

Noise pollution

Visual pollutionDef. : This is the de-beautification of aesthetic view of the environment

Causes

• Dumpsites: e.g at corner road junctions• Graffiti• Dilapidated buildings

Detection and Monitoring

What is the meaning of DETECTION?

What is the meaning of monitoring?

Definitions• Detection entails a wide range of actions each tailored to a particular

hazard or a public health concern.• Monitoring: implies the use of routine measurements to direct changes

in the environment to maintain a desirable optimum state of atmosphere.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTIONS TO MONITOR• Air pollution• Water pollution• Noise pollution• Vissual pollution• Land pollution

Air pollution• The cornerstone of the strategy to meet air quality

according to Environmental Act 1995.

• Prediction strategies:• For any potential environmental hazard one of the

main principles for monitoring and control is to identify the critical agents, pathways and populations at risk.• Emission inventories(records of the permitted or

actual level of emission from specific sources)• Environmental data(measurements of the

concentration of pollutants in the environment.

Prediction strategies:• Bio- monitoring data(measurements of specific agents or

their metabolic products in biological samples)• Health data• Routine surveillance data:• Clinical surveillance(relevant to specific exposed population)• Relevant health data:• Infection disease check ups• Health care utilisation data(hospital admissions, primary care

consultation)• Cancer registrations• Mortality statistics• Epidemiological surveys

Monitoring /control measures• Determining the levels of control needed to keep

exposure below specified thresholds.• Licencing/banning of specific substances(CFCs)• Setting of emission control e.g. vehicles exhaust

industrial emissions.• Enforcement of health and safety protection.(for

workers handling biological agents)• Setting of guidelines/standards relating to

environmental levels e.g (air pollution monitoring)

Water and food• Quality standards are set for physical, chemical and

biological characteristics of drinking water and monitored through the water treatment.(Harare Motorng jeffry)• AIR POLLUTION• Information dissemination to the public• Emission taxes e.g. carbon tax• Anti-nuclear Act• NOISE POLLUTION• The environment, Food and Rural Affairs(DEFRA)

have begun to generate maps to provide an overview of ambient noise climate in cities e.g England.

Presentation by :

M. T. TsekeniT. E Bere

Nb: Geographical Information Science and Earth Observations students at the University of Zimbabwe.

Thank You