Industrial Pollution and Control

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]
Semester: 5th
Faculty: Mr. Vikram Singh Nanda
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Class Lecture Notes of Unit-1

[Classification of pollutants]
Subject: Industrial Pollution and Control
[Theory - 338512 (38)]
Branch: Metallurgical Engineering Semester: 5th

Classification of pollutants: Sources, Ecological Imbalance
Biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants
Review of Metal Pollution [Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, Mercury]
Review of Water Pollution
Review of Sound Pollution
Review of Air Pollution
Review of Solid Waste Pollution
Review of Thermal Pollution
Review of Radiation Pollution, and Noise Pollution!
Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Pollution and pollutants

The change (disturbance) in any component of the environment which leads to its
deterioration is termed as pollution of the environment. It is the undesirable change in the
physical or biological components which adversely alters the environment.
Pollutants: The substance which is present in harmful concentration and is the agent who
causes pollution is termed as the pollutant.
CLASSIFICATION OF POLLUTANTS:
On the basis of existence in nature
Quantitative Pollutants- The substances which are already present in the

environment, but are termed as pollutants when their concentration (quantity)
increases in the environment. eg. CO2 is present in the environment in greater
quantity than normal and is hence termed as a quantitative pollutant.
Qualitative pollutant- The substances which are not normally present in the
environment and are added by human beings and are pollutants by nature. Eg.
insecticides, pesticides
On the basis of the form in which they persist
Primary Pollutants- The substances which are directly emitted from the source and
remain in that form are termed as primary pollutants eg, smoke, fumes, ash, dust,
nitric oxide and sulphur dioxide
Secondary pollutants- The substances which are formed by chemical reaction

between the primary pollutants and constituents of the environment (i.e. those which
are already present in the environment) .eg smog, ozone, sulphur trioxide, nitrogen
dioxide.
On the basis of disposal
Bio-degradable pollutants- the pollutants which are decomposed by natural

processes eg domestic (municipal) sewage.
Non bio-degradable pollutants- The pollutants which dont decompose naturally or

decompose slowly eg DDT, aluminium cans.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Biodegradable pollutants
Pollutants that can be used and decomposed by microbes, insects or other animals
and birds are called biodegradable pollutants. Examples of biodegradable pollutants
are excreta [Waste matter (as urine or sweat but especially stool) discharged from
the body], organic wastes, paper, leftover food etc. Biodegradable pollutants can be
converted into harmless products through biological activities.
Biodegradable means that by microorganisms something must turn back into
naturally occurring minerals, usually co2, ch4, dirt (humus - Partially decomposed
organic matter; the organic component of soil) water.
Biodegradable waste can be commonly found in municipal solid waste (sometimes
called biodegradable municipal waste, or BMW) as green waste, food waste, paper
waste, and biodegradable plastics. Other biodegradable wastes include human
waste, manure, sewage, slaughterhouse waste. In the absence of oxygen much of
this waste will decay to methane by anaerobic digestion.
The main environmental threat from biodegradable waste is the production of
methane in landfills. Methane is 21 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon
dioxide and accounted for some 3% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-15
in 1995.
There is concern that greenhouse gas, methane, might be released when any
biodegradable material, including truly biodegradable plastics, degrades in an
anaerobic [Living or active in the absence of free oxygen] or landfill environment.
Methane production from landfills is rarely captured or burned, but it rather enters the
atmosphere, where it is a potent greenhouse gas.
Methane production from specially managed landfill environments is captured and
used for energy or burnt off to reduce the release of methane in the environment.
Most landfills today capture the methane biogas for use in clean inexpensive energy.
Of course, incinerating non-biodegradable plastics will release carbon dioxide as
well. Disposing of biodegradable plastics made from natural materials in anaerobic
(landfill) environments will result in the plastic lasting for hundreds of years.
Is cloth biodegradable or non-biodegradable? : - It depends on what the cloth is
made of.
Non-Biodegradable pollutants:
Pollutants that cannot be converted to harmless products through natural activities
are called Non- Biodegradable pollutants. Examples of Non-Biodegradable pollutants
are plastic, polythene etc. Depending on physical state, these Non-Biodegradable
pollutants can be (1) gaseous (2) solid (3) liquid or (4) suspended substances.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Non-biodegradable implies that the material is totally immune from attack by any
biological/natural elements and therefore, will exist forever in essentially the same
form for ever.
Bio-degradable pollutants can be broken down by living organisms where as nonbiodegradable cannot be broken down back into the soil.
In general, differences are based on whether or not the action of "a biological agent"
can cause the waste in question to be "degraded" to some acceptable level.
Biodegradable means that natural processes can break down the material into their
natural components. Whereas, non-biodegradable materials would not be affected
by natural processes that would break the material down. Plastic usually is nonbiodegradable, because there are very few natural processes that could break the
plastic down into smaller elements, whereas something like wood will rot and decay
and be recycled back into the soil.
Biodegradable implies that the material will be destroyed / dissembled by biological
and/or natural elements. Nitric Acid rain manufactured in thunderstorms , Oxygen in
the air, ultraviolet light in sunlight, and all kinds of microscopic "critters [creature
especially living-organisms] in the atmosphere and soil which "chomp [chewing off]
on all kinds of materials [including some petroleum products].
Biodegradable wastes decompose into soil.
Kitchen food scraps

Garden waste
Paper and egg shells
Human and animal waste
cardboard boxes
Non-biodegradable wastes take a long time or never to decompose.
metal cans
bottles
toxic chemicals
plastic products
metal scraps
Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage is a waste

type consisting of everyday items we consume and discard. It predominantly
includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and product packaging, and other
miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential, commercial, institutional, and
industrial sources. Examples of inorganic wastes are appliances, newspapers,
clothing, food scrapes, boxes, disposable tableware, office and classroom paper,
furniture, wood pallets, rubber tires, and cafeteria wastes. Municipal solid waste does

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
not include industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, and sewage sludge. The collection
is performed by the municipality within a given area. They are in either solid or
semisolid form. The term residual waste relates to waste left from household sources
containing materials that have not been separated out or sent for reprocessing.
Following are the different types of wastes.
Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (can also
be recycled).
Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, certain plastics, etc.
Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris.
Composite wastes: waste clothing, Tetra Packs, waste plastics such as toys.
Domestic hazardous waste (also called "household hazardous waste") & toxic
waste: medication, e-waste, paints, chemicals, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes,
spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.
The chief causes of pollution are industrialization and urbanization. Various

pollutants pollute the atmosphere. These pollutants adversely affect the life of
organism [A living thing] directly or indirectly. These pollutants accumulate in the
body and spread in the food web. On the basis of medium in which pollutants
spread, pollution can be classified into three types. (1) Aerial pollution (2) Aquatic
(water) pollution (3) Terrestrial [Land] pollution.
MAINTENANCE OF ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IN NATURE
Ecological balance
The rich diversity of life that inhabits the earth helps in maintaining a balanced
environment. The perfect balance between the physical environment and the living
organisms in nature is called ecological balance. Herbivores eat plants, and are
themselves eaten by carnivores. The number of plants, herbivores and carnivores is
maintained in such a way that there are enough organisms of different species to
survive. However, various human activities cause interference and imbalance in
nature.
Ecological imbalances may lead to:
Destruction of natural habitat of wild life. For example, cutting of forests have
resulted in the disappearance of Cheetah, and a falling number of tigers in India.
Addition of various chemicals from industries in the Kalu River near Bombay
has resulted in extinction of the Bombay duck, a favorite fish of the people living in
this area.
Capturing or killing of lions has led to an increased number of herbivores that

compete for grass. They may uproot grass, making the soil barren that may lead to
soil erosion and desertification.
Disturbance in the food chain, which has resulted in an enormous increase in

the population of a particular types of organisms, while others may become
endangered.
Impact of human population on the environment
The population of India has crossed the figure of 1 billion and the world population is
estimated to have touched the 6 billion mark. To meet the demand of food, housing
and energy, environmental resources are being exploited at a fast pace.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Environment has the potential to replenish most of its resources in a certain period of
time. However, over-exploitation of resources and human activities have altered it
leading to many environmental problems, such as:
Deforestation,
Destruction of wild life,
Air, water and land pollution,
Diminishing fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas),
Concentration of pesticides in alarming proportions in organisms, and
Depletion of ozone layer and global warming.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
REVIEW of Air Pollution:

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Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

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Code: 338512 (38)

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Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
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Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Evidence for Global Warming and Greenhouse effect
The 20th century was the warmest century in the past 1000 years.
2005 was the warmest year on record
Mean global temperature rose about C (1 F) in past 100 years
Increased frequency of hurricanes
Methane levels have risen 145 % [Fig 1 below]
Figure 1: Global concentration of methane gas over the past 1000 years indicates a dramatic increase
beginning about 100 years ago. The data was obtained from air bubbles trapped in ice in Greenland.
Since industrial revolution in 19th century, CO2 concentrations have risen

34 %, highest in 650,000 yrs [Fig 2 is country wide CO2 emission plot]
Rising sea temperatures
Last century, the worlds sea level rose by 10-20 cm
Disappearing glaciers
Melting Arctic sea ice
Melting Antarctic sea ice
Figure2 : Annual per capita carbon dioxide (CO2) releases for the 15 countries with the highest total
emissions, 2000. (1 metric ton = 1000 kg

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Review of Solid Waste Pollution

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is the waste we know best. However, MSW is
only one among many wastes: construction and demolition debris, municipal
sludge, combustion ash, mining and drilling debris, agricultural wastes,
industrial process wastes including sludge, hazardous waste, and others.
There are several methods currently in use for disposal of solid waste. These
methods include landfills, incinerators, and recycling. In the United States,
less than 10% of solid wastes are recycled, more than 5% are incinerated, and
80% are disposed of in landfills (Environmental Task Force, 1986).
What is in Municipal Solid Waste and who produces it ?
Household waste contains anything that we choose to discard, including still

usable and recyclable items: waste food, papers and news papers , packaging,
bottles, metal cans, batteries, grass clippings and other yard waste, clothing,
furniture and appliances, paint and other discarded household chemicals; the
other category includes appliances (white goods) , furniture, batteries, and
household hazardous waste (HHW) . HHW includes residual paints, oily
product s such as automotive maintenance products, and pesticides.
For many years paper has been the largest proportion of MSW in the United
States, about 34% by weight in 2006. This figure shows only what the US
federal government views as MSW. Some states also consider construction and
demolition debris to be MSW, where it equals about 12% by weight. And some
communities consider other wastes as MSW, which may include sludge from
drinking-water treatment and wastewater treatment plants, septic tank sludge,
medical and slaughter house waste, and fast -food grease. Households are only
one contributor to MSW. Others are institutions such as hospitals, government
offices, schools, and prisons; and commercial businesses including restaurants,
grocery stores, and offices. Industries too generate MSW.
Landfills
When we "throw away" something, it does not just "go away" most of it goes
into a landfill. A sanitary landfill is a site where solid waste is disposed on land
to prevent public health and safety hazards. Landfills have strict guidelines for
placement. They must be constructed in areas where the possibility of
contamination if groundwater will be minimal, with a series of pipes to remove
leachate beneath a clay liner. Garbage must be compacted and covered with six
inches of soil daily, and land must be reclaimed as landfill operations are
completed.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Landfills are running out of room. Landfills are becoming "landfulls". Each day
Americans throw away 400 million pounds of food, junk 20,000 cars and
discard 18,000 TV's. The United States has 5% of the world population, but it
produces 30% of the world's garbage.
Leaks from landfills can contaminate groundwater. These are called leachates,
which are liquid wastes and can be formed when water mixes with buried waste.
Leachates may contain a variety of hazardous materials, including household
hazardous wastes.
Incineration
Incineration (the burning of waste) reduces the amount of waste by about 30
40%. With recycling, incineration can at best reduce the amount of waste by
about 80%. Incinerators can also be used to produce lasting electricity, by
generating steam with the burning waste, and using the steam to turn turbines.
There are concerns about the need for air pollution controls to keep particulate
matter from escaping into the air. Also, the ash remaining must be buried in a
landfill, and this residue often contains toxic metals and dioxins, which are
classified as hazardous wastes.
Recycling and the Need for Resource Recovery
Natural resources contained in wastes are growing more limited and more
expensive. We can no longer afford to waste energy or to discard valuable
resources that are still usable.
The Three R's
Reduce. Everyone can help reduce the amount of waste produced in this
country. Buy products that last longer, and only buy the amount of a product
needed for the job. Support businesses that use less packaging.
Reuse. Reuse products instead of buying new ones, and swap with others
products that are no longer being used.
Recycle. Take paper, cardboard, used motor oil, batteries, certain plastics,
construction materials, etc. to recycling centers. Compost [collect and convert to
fertilizer] kitchen scraps and yard wastes.
Recycling Paper
Recycling old paper uses 50% less energy compared to making paper from
trees.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Each ton of paper that is re-cycled replaces and preserves an acre of

harvestable trees.
Recycling Aluminium and steel cans:
Making aluminum out of recycled aluminum uses 95% less energy than
making aluminum from bauxite ore, yet only 54% of all aluminum cans
were recycled in 1981. In other words, Aluminium recycling has major
environmental advantages it uses up to 95% less energy than mining
it from bauxite, and reduces air and water pollution about the same
amount. Meanwhile, 3% of the worlds electricity goes into making new
aluminum cans and about a third of that electricity is generated from coalburning power plants.
Steel cans: Recycling steel cans reduces energy consumption about 60%
compared to starting with raw materials. Both bauxite mining for
aluminum and iron mining for steel can be highly polluting and also
result in major land degradation in the area where mining occurs. These
are also called tin cans because some are still tin coated.
USA Municipal Solid Waste Distribution:
Fig: Materials in US MSW (2007) (254 million tons or 230 million tonnes before recycling)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Why does Municipal Solid Waste concern us?

Almost any garbage is unpleasant. It has unpleasant odours. Diapers and other
sanitary items have microorganisms, sometimes pathogens. So do rotting food
and yard wastes. Although HHW is only a small part of MSW, it can pose
problems such as catching on fire, or injuring the skin or eyes of workers
coming in contact with it, or breathing its fumes. However, a material need not
be hazardous to present problems.
Large quantities of packaging are generated: its composition may make it
difficult to recycle, or prevent it from biodegrading. And if it contains even
trace amounts of hazardous metals, expensive controls are necessary to prevent
metal emissions if it is incinerated.
Some MSW, once disposed of in a landfill may last indefinitely. Even dumped
in the open environment where there is sunlight, heat, and water, many items
especially plastics are long lived as shown in following fig.
Litter at the roadside is ugly, and dangerous to some wildlife. How long will it
stay before decaying may be an ugly surprise as shown in above figure.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Review of Thermal Pollution

Thermal Pollution is the increase in the normal temperatures of natural waters
caused by intervention of human activities.
Major Causes
Nuclear power plants
Deforestation
Soil erosion
Greatest source of heated water is from steam electric generating stations
Figure: Block diagram of a fossil-fueled electric generating station.
Nuclear Power Plants

Nuclear power plants use water as a cooling agent. After the water is used, it is
put back into a water supply at 9-20oC warmer
Effects of Increased Water Temperature
Thermal shock aquatic life adapted to a certain water temperature can
go into shock when the temp is changed even 1 or 2 degrees C.
Oxygen dissolved in water decreases
Increases the rate of photosynthesis, which increases the amount of plant
growth, developing eutrophic conditions

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Increases the metabolic rate of fish, which increases their need for oxygen
Biotic Effects of Thermal Pollution
Changes in the environment may also result in a migration of organisms
to another, more suitable environment and to in-migration of organisms
that normally only live in warmer waters elsewhere. As a result one has
the problem of compromising food chains of the old and new
environments. Biodiversity can be decreased as a result.
Changes of even one to two degrees Celsius can cause significant
changes in organism metabolism and other adverse cellular biology
effects. Principal adverse changes can include rendering cell walls less
permeable to necessary osmosis, coagulation of cell proteins, and
alteration of enzyme metabolism. These cellular level effects can
adversely affect mortality and reproduction.
Growth & reproduction very sensitive to temperature
Under Drought Conditions

Less water is absorbing more heat.

Water flow is lower and slower.
Insufficient water to function as a heat exchanger.
Water gets hotter.
Deforestation
The decrease in vegetation increases the amount of light that hits the
water, which increases the temperature of the water
Deforestation also increases Soil Erosion. Erosion makes the water
muddy, which decreases the light absorbed.
Possible Solutions of Thermal Pollution
Energy alternatives
Desalination plants
Less nuclear power
End shoreline deforestation
Prevent soil erosion

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
REVIEW OF Radiation POLLUTION

Radiation occurs when unstable nuclei of atoms decay and release
particles. There are many different types of radiation. When these
particles touch various organic materials such as tissue, damage
may, and probably will, be done. Radiation can cause burns, cancers,
and death.
Three Types of Radioactive Decay

There are three main types of radiation:
o
o
o
Alpha radiation
Beta radiation
Gamma radiation
Units of Measurement
The unit used to measure radiation dosage is the rem, which stands
for roentgen equivalent in man. It represents the amount of radiation
needed to produce a particular amount of damage to living tissue. The
total dose of rems determines how much harm a person suffers. At
Hiroshima and Nagasaki, people received a dose of rems at the
instant of the explosions, then more from the surroundings and, in
limited areas, from fallout. Fallout is composed of radioactive
particles that are carried into the upper atmosphere by a nuclear
explosion and that eventually fall back to the earth's surface.
Effects of Radiation Exposure on Human Health

Although a dose of just 25 rems causes some detectable changes in
blood, doses to near 100 rems usually have no immediate harmful
effects. Doses above 100 rems cause the first signs of radiation
sickness including:

nausea
vomiting
headache
some loss of white blood cells
Doses of 300 rems or more cause temporary hair loss, but also more
significant internal harm, including damage to nerve cells and the
cells that line the digestive tract. Severe loss of white blood cells,

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
which are the body's main defense against infection, makes radiation
victims highly vulnerable to disease. Radiation also reduces
production of blood platelets, which aid blood clotting, so victims of
radiation sickness are also vulnerable to hemorrhaging. Half of all
people exposed to 450 rems die, and doses of 800 rems or more are
always fatal. Besides the symptoms mentioned above, these people
also suffer from fever and diarrhea. As of yet, there is no effective
treatment--so death occurs within two to fourteen days.
In time, for survivors, diseases such as leukemia (cancer of the
blood), lung cancer, thyroid cancer, breast cancer, and cancers of
other organs can appear due to the radiation received.
Major Radiation Exposure in Real Life Events Case studies

Hiroshima and Nagasaki
For more information on what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
consult the nuclear past page and the nuclear warfare page.
Many people at Hiroshima and Nagasaki died not directly from the
actual explosion, but from the radiation released as a result of the
explosion. For example, a fourteen-year-old boy was admitted to a
Hiroshima hospital two days after the explosion, suffering from a
high fever and nausea. Nine days later his hair began to fall out. His
supply of white blood cells dropped lower and lower. On the
seventeenth day he began to bleed from his nose, and on the twentyfirst day he died.
At Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the few surviving doctors observed
symptoms of radiation sickness for the first time. In his book
Nagasaki 1945, Dr. Tatsuichiro Akizuki wrote of the puzzling,
unknown disease, of symptoms that "suddenly appeared in certain
patients with no apparent injuries." Several days after the bombs
exploded, doctors learned that they were treating the effects of
radiation exposure. "We were now able to label our unknown
adversary 'atomic disease' or 'radioactive contamination' among other
names. But they were only labels: we knew nothing about its cause or
cure... Within seven to ten days after the A-bomb explosion, people
began to die in swift succession. They died of the burns that covered
their bodies and of acute atomic disease. Innumerable people who had
been burnt turned a mulberry color, like worms, and died... The
disease," wrote Dr. Akizuki, "destroyed them little by little. As a

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
doctor, I was forced to face the slow and certain deaths of my

patients."
Doctors and nurses had no idea of how their own bodies had been
affected by radioactivity. Dr. Akizuki wrote, "All of us suffered from
diarrhea and a discharge of blood from the gums, but we kept this to
ourselves. Each of us thought: tomorrow it might be me... We became
stricken with fear of the future." Dr. Akizuki survived, as did several
hundred thousand others in or near Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In fact,
at least ten people who had fled from Hiroshima to Nagasaki survived
both bombs.
The survivors have suffered physically from cataracts, leukemia and
other cancers, malformed offspring, and premature aging, and also
emotionally, from social discrimination. Within a few months of the
nuclear explosions, leukemia began to appear among the survivors at
an abnormally high rate. Some leukemia victims were fetuses within
their mothers' wombs when exposed to radiation. One child who was
born two days after the Hiroshima explosion eventually died of acute
leukemia at the age of eighteen. The number of leukemia cases has
declined with time, but the incidence of lung cancer, thyroid cancer,
breast cancer, and cancers of other organs has increased among the
survivors.
Three Mile Island

For more information on what happened at Three Mile Island, consult
the nuclear past page.
On a Wednesday morning, maintenance workers cleaning sludge
from a small pipe blocked the flow of water in the main feedwater
system of a reactor at Three Mile Island near Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania. The sift foreman heard "loud, thunderous noises, like a
couple of freight trains," coming. Since the reactor was still
producing heat, it heated the blocked cooling water around its core
hot enough to create enough pressure to have popped a relief valve.
Some 220 gallons of water per minute began flowing out of the
reactor vessel. Within five minutes after the main feedwater system
failed, the reactor, deprived of all normal and emergency sources of
cooling water, and no longer able to use its enormous energy to
generate electricity, gradually started to tear itself apart.
The loss of coolant at the reactor continued for some 16 hours. Abort
a third of the core melted down. Radioactive water flowed through

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
the stuck relief valve into an auxiliary building, where it pooled on

the floor. Radioactive gas was released into the atmosphere. An
estimated 140,000 people were evacuated from the area. It took a
month to stabilize the malfunctioning unit and safely shut it down.
The reactor was a total loss and the cleanup required years of repair
and hundreds of millions of dollars.
No one was reported injured and the little radiation that leaked out
was quickly dispersed. Although this accident did cost lots of money
and time, no one was hurt.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station, USSR

I took this info from documentary on Chernobyl disaster in
Discovery channel dated 7th August 2011. [Vikram Singh Nanda]
A far more serious accident occurred at Chernobyl, in what was then
still the Soviet Union. At the time of the accident, the Chernobyl
nuclear power station consisted of four operating 1,000 megawatt
power reactors. Without question, the accident at Chernobyl was the
result of a fatal combination of ignorance and mismanagement. "As
members of a select scientific panel convened immediately after the...
accident," writes Nobel laureate Hans Bethe, "my colleagues and
I established that the Chernobyl disaster tells us about the deficiencies
of the Soviet political and administrative system rather than about
problems with nuclear power."
Although the problem at Chernobyl was relatively complex, it can
basically be summarized as a mismanaged electrical engineering
experiment in night shift carried out by junior engineers [instead of
senior staff/scientists], which resulted in the reactor exploding due to
overheating [due to lack of cooling water circulation]. The explosion
was chemical, driven by gases and steam generated by the core
runaway, not by nuclear reactions. Flames, sparks, and chunks of
burning material [consists of Uranium and plutonium] were flying
into the air [1km high] above the unit. These were red-hot pieces of
nuclear fuel and graphite. About 50 tons of nuclear fuel evaporated
and were released by the explosion into the atmosphere. In addition,
about 70 tons were ejected sideways from the periphery of the core.
Some 50 tons of nuclear fuel and 800 tons of reactor graphite
remained in the reactor vault [underground chamber], where it
formed a pit of a volcanic crater as the graphite still in the reactor had
turned up completely in a few days after the explosion. Failure
analysis revealed the root cause of explosion was mismanagement

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
and wrong decision of carrying out experiment/test in night shift by

junior engineers. 8 senior engineers were held responsible for this
mismanagement and were rigorously punished for 10 years behind
bars.
The resulting radioactive release was equivalent to ten Hiroshimas. In
fact, since the Hiroshima bomb was air-burst--no part of the fireball
touched the ground--the Chernobyl release polluted the countryside
much more than ten Hiroshimas would have done. There was danger
of ground water contamination due to underground construction of
nuclear reactor. Soviet Union Army were called to clear the
contaminated debris and they were using heavy lead cloths and
individual army personal was not working more than 3 minutes in a
stretch. The whole explosion site was covered [with the help from
USA] with thick cemented slab in order to stop nuclear radiation
coming out from debris/underground site. Many people died from the
explosion and even more from the effects of the radiation later. Still
today, people are dying from the radiation caused by the Chernobyl
accident. The estimated total number of deaths will be 16,000.
Children were and still today suffering from thyroid cancer.
Medical Treatment of Radiation

For a more in-depth view of current medical technologies available to
the treatment of radiation, go to the medical imaging page
There is currently no effective medical treatment available for
potentially fatal radiation doses. The case of the Japanese boy
mentioned above illustrates an important fact about radiation
sickness. The boy had probably received a dose of 450 rems or more,
yet his symptoms were about the same as those of a person who
received about 300 rems. Medical science has no way of telling the
difference between people who have received fatal doses and will die
despite all efforts and others who received less radiation and can be
saved. Treatment for the ones that can be saved includes blood
transfusions and bone-marrow transplants. Bone-marrow transplants
rejuvenate the supply of white blood cells which was affected by the
radiation.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Review of Water Pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans
and groundwater). Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in these
bodies of water; and, in almost all cases the effect is damaging not only to
individual species and populations, but also to the natural biological
communities. Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or
indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful
compounds.
Water pollution is a major problem in the global context. It has been suggested
that it is the leading worldwide cause of deaths and diseases, and that it
accounts for the deaths of more than 14,000 people daily. An estimated 700
million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die
of diarrheal sickness every day. Some 90% of China's cities suffer from some
degree of water pollution, and nearly 500 million people lack access to safe
drinking water. In addition to the acute problems of water pollution in
developing countries, industrialized countries continue to struggle with
pollution problems as well.
Water is typically referred to as polluted when it is impaired by anthropogenic
contaminants and either does not support a human use, like serving as drinking
water, and/or undergoes a marked shift in its ability to support its constituent
biotic communities, such as fish. Natural phenomena such as volcanoes, algae
blooms, storms, and earthquakes also cause major changes in water quality and
the ecological status of water.
Water pollution categories
Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and managed as
separate resources, although they are interrelated. Sources of surface water
pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their origin.
Point source pollution
Point source pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway through a
discrete conveyance, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this
category include discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city
storm drain. The U.S. Clean Water Act (CWA) defines point source for
regulatory enforcement purposes. The CWA definition of point source was
amended in 1987 to include municipal storm sewer systems, as well as
industrial storm-water, such as from construction sites.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Fig: Point source pollution - Shipyard - Rio de Janeiro.
Nonpoint source pollution

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not
originate from a single discrete source. NPS pollution is often the cumulative
effect of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a large area. The
leaching out of nitrogen compounds from agricultural land which has been
fertilized is a typical example. Nutrient runoff in storm-water from sheet flow
over an agricultural field or a forest is also cited as examples of NPS pollution.
Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways,
called urban runoff, is sometimes included under the category of NPS pollution.
However, this runoff is typically channelled into storm drain systems and
discharged through pipes to local surface waters, and is a point source. However
where such water is not channelled and drains directly to ground it is a nonpoint source.
What are the sources of water pollution?
There are many causes for water pollution but two general categories exist:
direct and indirect contaminant sources.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Direct sources include effluent outfalls from factories, refineries, waste

treatment plants etc. that emit fluids of varying quality directly into urban water
supplies. In the United States and other countries, these practices are regulated,
although this doesn't mean that pollutants can't be found in these waters.
Indirect sources include contaminants that enter the water supply from
soils/groundwater systems and from the atmosphere via rain water. Soils and
ground waters contain the residue of human agricultural practices (fertilizers,
pesticides, etc.) and improperly disposed of industrial wastes. Atmospheric
contaminants are also derived from human practices (such as gaseous emissions
from automobiles, factories and even bakeries).
Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants leading to pollution in water include a wide spectrum
of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated
temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that
are regulated may be naturally occurring (calcium, sodium, iron, manganese,
etc.) the concentration is often the key in determining what is a natural
component of water, and what is a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter
(e.g. leaves and grass) as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and
anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity (cloudiness) which blocks light
and disrupts plant growth, and clogs the gills of some fish species. Many of the
chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in
either human or animal hosts. Alteration of water's physical chemistry includes
acidity (change in pH), electrical conductivity, temperature, and eutrophication.
Eutrophication is an increase in the concentration of chemical nutrients in an
ecosystem to an extent that increases in the primary productivity of the
ecosystem. Depending on the degree of eutrophication, subsequent negative
environmental effects such as anoxia (oxygen depletion) and severe reductions
in water quality may occur, affecting fish and other animal populations.
What are the effects of water pollution?
The effects of water pollution are varied. They include poisonous drinking
water, poisonous food animals (due to these organisms having bio-accumulated
toxins from the environment over their life spans), unbalanced river and lake
ecosystems that can no longer support full biological diversity, deforestation
from acid rain, and many other effects. These effects are, of course, specific to
the various contaminants.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Groundwater pollution
Interactions between groundwater and surface water are complex.
Consequently, groundwater pollution, sometimes referred to as groundwater
contamination, is not as easily classified as surface water pollution. By its very
nature, groundwater aquifers are susceptible to contamination from sources that
may not directly affect surface water bodies, and the distinction of point vs.
non-point source may be irrelevant. A spill or ongoing releases of chemical or
radionuclide contaminants into soil (located away from a surface water body)
may not create point source or non-point source pollution, but can contaminate
the aquifer below, defined as a toxin plume. The movement of the plume, a
plume front, can be part of a Hydrological transport model or Groundwater
model. Analysis of groundwater contamination may focus on the soil
characteristics and site geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, and the nature of the
contaminants.
Measurement of water pollution
Water pollution may be analyzed through several broad categories of methods:
physical, chemical and biological. Most involve collection of samples, followed
by specialized analytical tests. Some methods may be conducted in situ, without
sampling, such as temperature. Government agencies and research organizations
have published standardized, validated analytical test methods to facilitate the
comparability of results from disparate testing events.
Physical testing
Common physical tests of water include temperature, solids concentration like
total suspended solids (TSS) and turbidity.
Chemical testing
Water samples may be examined using the principles of analytical chemistry.
Many published test methods are available for both organic and inorganic
compounds. Frequently used methods include pH, biochemical oxygen demand
(BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nutrients (nitrate and phosphorus
compounds), metals (including copper, zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury), oil
and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), and pesticides.
Biological testing
Biological testing involves the use of plant, animal, and/or microbial indicators
to monitor the health of an aquatic ecosystem.
Debate: Waste is actually waste or waste is valuable?

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
HOW TO CONTROL POLLUTION PROBLEM ?
Science provides many practical solutions to minimizing the present level at

which pollutants are introduced into the environment and for remediating
(cleaning up) past problems. All of these solutions come with some cost (both
societal and monetary). In our everyday lives, a great deal can be done to
minimize pollution if we take care to recycle materials whose production
creates pollution and if we act responsibly with household chemicals and their
disposal. Additionally, there are choices we make each day that also can affect
the quantity of pollutants our actions will introduce into the environment.
Heavily packaged foods, for instance, contain boxes, cartons, bottles etc.. made
with polluting dyes, many of which are released from groundwater at municipal
landfills. Whether we choose to drive to the corner store rather than walk or ride
a bicycle will determine how much we personally contribute to acid and
hydrocarbon emissions to the atmosphere (and ultimately to global fresh water
supplies).
In the end, there are many choices on the personal and societal level that we
must make (consciously or not) that affect the amount of pollution our town or
country will be forced to live with. Our standard of living and very way of life
is based upon practices which are inherently "dirtier" than those of our distant
ancestors, although they too polluted their environment to some extent. Without
taking a step backward in terms of our standards of living, the answer seems to
lie in a combination of many small changes in our daily practices and paying
more for goods and services, so that manufacturers of various materials and
drivers of automobiles (for instance) will have cleaner devices with which to
conduct their activities.

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Review of Sound / Noise Pollution

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)
Summary of all types of Pollution for quick review

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Semester: 5th
Branch: Metallurgy
Code: 338512 (38)

Industrial Pollution and Control

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Industrial Pollution and Control

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Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Class Lecture Notes of Unit-1

Faculty: Mr. Vikram Singh Nanda

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Pollution and pollutants

Quantitative Pollutants- The substances which are already present in the

On the basis of the form in which they persist

Secondary pollutants- The substances which are formed by chemical reaction

On the basis of disposal

Bio-degradable pollutants- the pollutants which are decomposed by natural

Non bio-degradable pollutants- The pollutants which dont decompose naturally or

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Kitchen food scraps

Non-biodegradable wastes take a long time or never to decompose.

Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as trash or garbage is a waste

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

The chief causes of pollution are industrialization and urbanization. Various

Capturing or killing of lions has led to an increased number of herbivores that

Disturbance in the food chain, which has resulted in an enormous increase in

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

REVIEW of Air Pollution:

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Evidence for Global Warming and Greenhouse effect

Since industrial revolution in 19th century, CO2 concentrations have risen

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Review of Solid Waste Pollution

Household waste contains anything that we choose to discard, including still

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]

Each ton of paper that is re-cycled replaces and preserves an acre of

Department of Metallurgy, OPJIT, Punjipathara, Raigarh [C.G]

Subject : Industrial Pollution and Control [Theory]