Humans and Pollution Pollution The addition of a

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Humans and Pollution

Humans and Pollution

Pollution The addition of a substance or agent to an environment through human activity,

Pollution The addition of a substance or agent to an environment through human activity, at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment The substance or agent has a substantial negative effect on the organisms in the environment.

Pollutants May be: Organic Inorganic Biological agents Invasive species Noise or sound (wind turbine

Pollutants May be: Organic Inorganic Biological agents Invasive species Noise or sound (wind turbine or SONAR) Thermal energy (heat from a nuclear power plant warming up nearby lake or stream) Combustion of fossil fuels All due to human activity

Point Source Pollution Release of pollutants from a single, clearly identifiable site Coal burning

Point Source Pollution Release of pollutants from a single, clearly identifiable site Coal burning power plant Pulp/Paper Mill

Point Source Continued Subject to specific regulations Contain and control measures can be used

Point Source Continued Subject to specific regulations Contain and control measures can be used to mitigate pollution and hazards Pollution levels can be tracked, traced, and reported over time by the EPA and others

Non-Point Source Pollution Release of pollutants from numerous, widespread origins Boat/car exhaust Fertilizer and

Non-Point Source Pollution Release of pollutants from numerous, widespread origins Boat/car exhaust Fertilizer and pesticide runoff Ozone and smog

Non-Point Continued Difficult to regulate Hard to pinpoint who is to blame Not easy

Non-Point Continued Difficult to regulate Hard to pinpoint who is to blame Not easy to mitigate pollution Often leads to health risks

Other pollution types Persistent: Mostly organic compounds that are resistant to degradation (breaking down)

Other pollution types Persistent: Mostly organic compounds that are resistant to degradation (breaking down) through chemical or biological processes Pesticides (including DDT) Solvents Pharmaceuticals Industrial chemicals Biodegradable: Will eventually break down in the environment into harmless substances. Domestic waste Urine Sewage Paper

Other Pollution Types Acute: A major pollution incident which occurs suddenly and violates the

Other Pollution Types Acute: A major pollution incident which occurs suddenly and violates the Pollution Control Act. Oil Spill Toxic waste spill Chronic: Repeated and continuous pollution over a long period of time. Factory that continuously leaks waste from a pipe into a river over many years A landfill leaching waste over a long period of time Underground oil tank leaking for many years into groundwater and soil

Pollution is global Pollution, especially air pollution and non-point source pollution can be a

Pollution is global Pollution, especially air pollution and non-point source pollution can be a global phenomenon Pollution does not obey state or national political borders For example, air pollution from a coal fired power plant in Ohio could reach Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Could Pennsylvania and West Virginia do anything to stop the air pollution in Ohio?

Primary Pollutants Active on emission

Primary Pollutants Active on emission

Secondary Pollutants A result of primary pollutants undergoing a chemical or physical change.

Secondary Pollutants A result of primary pollutants undergoing a chemical or physical change.

DDT: Pollutant or Savior? Insecticide using in WWII to control malaria and typhus among

DDT: Pollutant or Savior? Insecticide using in WWII to control malaria and typhus among civilians and troops. Rachel Carson exposed health risks of DDT in her book Silent Spring. After the war was used as and industrial pesticide for agriculture. DDT discovered to cause cancer, kill bald eagle eggs and other birds, and have lasting effect on environment Extremely effective Still used today in limited amounts in other countries to control malaria, which kills half a million people each year DDT Banned in U. S. in 1972 and later worldwide by the Stockholm Convention of 2001.

What do you think? Take 5 minutes and write a paragraph on whether you

What do you think? Take 5 minutes and write a paragraph on whether you think DDT should be allowed to be used in certain areas of the world where malaria is a major problem. Take another 2 minutes to share with a partner. Do you agree or disagree?

Process of Pollution Level of Pollution Management 1 ST: HUMAN ACTIVITY PRODUCING POLLUTANT Altering

Process of Pollution Level of Pollution Management 1 ST: HUMAN ACTIVITY PRODUCING POLLUTANT Altering human activity The most fundamental level of pollution management is to change the human activity that leads to production of the pollutant in the first place, by promoting alternative technologies, lifestyles, and values through: Campaigns, Education, Community groups, Governmental legislation, economic incentives 2 ND: RELEASE OF POLLUTANT INTO ENVIRONMENT Controlling release of pollutant Where activity/production is not stopped, strategies can be implemented to regulate/prevent release of pollutants by: Extracting and removing pollutant from ecosystem or restocking/replanting lost or depleted populations and communities 3 RD: IMPACT OF POLLUTANT ON ECOSYSTEMS Clean-up and restoration of damaged systems Where both the above levels of management have failed, strategies may be introduced to recover damaged ecosystems by: �extracting and removing pollutant from ecosystem �replanting/restocking lost or depleted populations and communities.

To Do: 1. ) Construct a systems diagram to show the impact of a

To Do: 1. ) Construct a systems diagram to show the impact of a pollutant of your choice. 2. ) Regarding your pollutant, make a table evaluating the effectiveness of each of the three different levels of pollutant intervention. Page 298 in the Course Companion, Table 15. 7 is a good example. Begin in class today. Due by next class period!