Pollution is referred to the acts of contaminating ones

environment by introducing certain hazardous contaminants that disturbs the ecosystem and directly or indirectly the living organisms of the ecosystems.
Historical Background: Pollution is not just todays problem.. Pollution started when man for the first time started fire..

 King Edward I of England banned the burning of coal

in 1272 Industrial revolution gave birth to pollution Chicago & Cincinnati were Americas first two cities to enact the law ensuring cleaner air in 1881.

 Pollution became a popular issue after world war II

Drew attention for the first time in 1950s to 1970s

Restrictions were made on dumping waste in rivers International catastrophes increased consciousness

about pollution

 Air pollution

Light pollution
Littering Noise pollution

Soil contamination
Radioactive contamination Thermal pollution

Radioactive pollution
Water pollution

 Introduction of chemicals, particulate matter &

biological material into the water bodies

Most common & dangerous form of pollution Indoor air quality & Urban air quality were listed as

Worlds Worst Pollution problems in 2008.

 A substance in the air that can cause harm to humans

and the environment is known as an air pollutant

Two main types:
Primary (that are directly emitted from a process) Secondary (form in air when primary pollutants react)

 Two main sources: Anthropogenic sources (human activity) like military,

waste deposition, chemicals, fumes etc

Natural Sources like dust, smoke from wildfires etc

 Caused diseases like

Asthma
Lungs cancer Heart diseases Respiratory infections

2.4 million deaths per year- Reported by The World

Health Organization

 Any adverse effect of artificial light including, sky

glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste.
Source:
Side effect of industrial revolution Building of interior & exterior lighting Advertising & commercial properties

 Light trespasses

Over Illumination
Glare Light Clutter

Sky Glow

 Consequences:
Energy waste Adverse effect on animal

Reduction:
Use good quality

& human health & psychology. Disruption of ecosystems. Effect on astronomy. Increase in atmospheric pollution.

lighting fixtures that do not waste the energy. Redesign the lighting plans Adjust the right type of light source.

 Litter consists of waste products that have been

disposed of improperly, without consent, in an inappropriate location.

Litter means to throw objects on the ground & leave

them as it is, without any proper disposal.

 Causes:
Intentional & Unintentional cause such as debris that

falls off from the improperly secured trash. More common in third world countries
Effects:
The hazardous material can leach into water Causes air pollution & contaminates the soil Transmits viruses like malaria, West Nile Virus etc Also results in visual pollution

 Installation of litter bins

Picking up litter properly and timely

Container deposit schemes Litter traps

Monitoring sites of littering and dumping

Legislation and fines to control the problem of

littering.

 It is the excessive, displeasing human, animal, or

machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.
Source:
Construction & transportation systems Motor vehicle, aircraft & rail noise Side by side industrial & residential buildings

 Human Health
Annoyance
Aggression Hypertension High stress levels

Wildlife Health
Increase in death rate by

Tinnitus

the disturbance of the balance between predator or prey detection Reduction in usable habitat Death of whales due to the exposure to high volume military sonar

 Noise barriers

Altering time of the day

Limitation of speed
Alteration of the road

Redesign of the

surface texture Limitation of heavy vehicles Use of traffic controls Quieter jet engines Altering flight paths

industrial equipments Use of shock mounted assemblies Use of the physical barriers in the workplace

 Soil contamination or soil pollution is caused by the

presence of xenobiotic (human-made) chemicals or other alteration in the natural soil environment. Causes:
Incorrect storage of waste Incorrect use of pesticides & insecticides Old sewers in a poor state Underground drums Industrial construction & demolition waste etc

 Health Effects:

Prevention:

Very injurious to human & wildlife health.. Caused: Cancer Neurological problems Tissue damage and irritation Reduction of soil health.

Government can reduce soil contamination by:

Reducing the use of

chemicals Controlling the growth of weeds Reforestation Recycling of wastes.

 Definition: presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids & gases where their presence is undesirable Source:
Nuclear explosions and detonations of nuclear weapons

Defense weapon production

Nuclear waste handling and disposal Mining Nuclear accidents

 Skin burn

Skin cancer
Cells damage (bone, muscle and nervous cells) Loss of hair, nails

Subcutaneous bleeding
Genetic changes and mutations Decrease of life span and tumors

 Thermal pollution could be defined as the

degradation of water quality by any process that changes ambient water temperature. Cause:
Use of water as a coolant by the power plants

Control:
Governments should make sure that: Cooling ponds Cooling towers Cogeneration

Are installed to reduce thermal pollution.

 Visual pollution is defined as the unattractive and

man-made visual elements of a vista, a landscape, or any other thing that a person doesnt feel comfortable to look at.
It is an aesthetic issue

 Water pollution means the contamination of the

water bodies e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and ground water. Source:
Point Source like factory, sewage treatment plant etc Non-point source involve marine dumping, global

warming, industrial waste etc

 Contaminants:
Pathogens Detergents Trees & bush debris

Control:

It could be controlled by the installation of:

Domestic sewage

Fertilizers
Food processing waste Chemical waste Insecticides &

Cooling ponds & towers

Non-point source

herbicides Volatile organic compounds

controls Erosion controls Sediment controls Point source waste water treatments

 Population more than 16o million people

Average population density is 226 persons per sq km.

36% urban & 64% rural population High migration rate from rural to urban areas Due to all of these reasons, environmental problems

have been noted such as air & water pollution, soil contamination etc

 Air Quality:
Sr City No Level ug/m3

Water Quality:
Consumption of

domestic, agriculture & industrial water is:

Agriculture 69% 23% 3& Industry Domestic use

1
2

Islamabad
Lahore

73
121.83

3
4

Karachi
Peshawar

53.20
70.10

Remaining water becomes

Quetta
Safe Limit

47.1
35.0

the waste water having all the toxic chemicals & biological contaminants. NCS indicated 40% deaths due to water pollution

 Never been practiced in Pakistan

No proper landfill or other infrastructure is available to

manage 50 million tons of waste per day Only 53% of the waste is collected, the rest is left over The collected waste is dumped over on open spaces Waste is burnt to reduce its volume that increases the air pollution Littering is also a common issue, there is no law against it.

During 2005-10, following steps were taken by the Governments in Pakistan: Establishment of continuous air quality monitoring systems in federal & provincial capitals Upgrading of EPA laboratories Adoption of Euro-II standards from 1st July, 2009 Carried out monitoring of water bodies Plan of execution of the CNG buses with public & private partnership Improved fuel quality Prohibition of the use of plastic bags & use of biodegradable bags instead