Social value of Pollution Prevention

Faculty of Engineering Department of Environmental Engineering The Social Value of Pollution Prevention Omoyayi Ibrahim 20142575 Introduction Pollution has always accompanied civilizations. Pollution started from prehistoric times when man created the first fires. According to a 1983 article in the journal Science, "soot found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of the high levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate ventilation of open fires." [2] Metal forging appears to be a key turning point in the creation of significant air pollution levels outside the home. Core samples of glaciers in Greenland indicate increases in pollution associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production, [3] but at that time the pollution was comparatively small and could be handled by nature. Many great cities, towns, and country at large has been greatly affected by pollution of all source. The burning of coal and wood, and the presence of many horses in concentrated areas of the Great Britain for example made the cities the cesspools of pollution. Pollution would continue to be a problem if pollution prevention is not effected, as a result of lack of pollution prevention in the past few dacedes, great cities fell victim to the harzardous effect of the different pollutant . London recorded one of the earlier extreme cases of water quality problems with the Great Stink on the Thames of 1858, which led to construction of the London sewerage system soon afterward as a form of pollution prevention. Industrial revolution gave birth to a very high and alarming increase in pollution with the emergence of great factories, nuclear experiments, industrial chemical discharges and the likes. Pollution is greatly dependent on population growth as having a dirty neighbor that can't handle their waste is a great problem. This thus leads us to the social value of pollution prevention. The social value of pollution prevention explains the impact of pollution on the ecosystem at large focosing mostly on the imprtance of preventing pollution and how these preventions affect the human health, growth, food security and other factors as such. Pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.[1] Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants is the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Classifcation of Pollution Pollution can be classified in various ways, it could be catergorize according to sources, forms, causes, the pollutants they emits, and even the effects they cause. Point source pollution results when the contaminants come from a single location. Examples of point source pollution in the air, water and soil are given below.  Air Pollution: Given when certain factory or machinery emits harmful chemicals as wastes or residue as part of the manufacturing process, most of these chemicals contains mostly poisonous and toxic gases result, such as benzene, methane etc. The chemical company permits these toxins to be released from the stack at the factory without treating them. The untreated, toxic chemicals are released directly into the air and causes different types of effect spanning from the environment to the human health. These effects will be explain deeply in further chapters.  Water Pollution: Similarly to air pollution, but the waste residue in this case are introduced to a nearby running water of any form (stream river etc). The chemicals are released directly into the stream water without being treated or decontaminated to make them safe. Water pollution like air pollution also cause different types of health effects.  Environmental or Soil Pollution: A good example is a mechanical motor garage that work on cars. As a result they have accumulated waste oil. The waste oil is supposed to be sent to a treatment company for recycling but, instead, they dump the oil into the  ground where it enters the underground water supply and contaminates it. Each of these examples illustrates point source pollution. In each of the examples, the contaminant is introduced directly into the environment at a single location Non-point-source pollution results when contaminants are introduced into the environment over a large, widespread area. Some examples follow.  Air Pollution: People drive cars. When a car is running, the engine produces a variety of chemical products including oxides of nitrogen (some of which are toxic) and molecules of unburned hydrocarbons from gasoline. Similar pollutants and soot result from burning and other combustion processes. Combustion of fuel is used for heating homes and buildings. Large trucks and buses with diesel engines contribute to smoke and hydrocarbons. New federal standards approved in late 2000 call for changes in these vehicles over a five-year period. Once the changes are in place, it is expected that emissions from these vehicles will decrease. Burning of fuels with a high sulfur content also produces sulfur dioxide which enters the air. Sulfur dioxide reacts with water in the air to produce sulfurous acid which is a major component of acid rain.  Water Pollution: Acid rain from the air can enter the water cycle. The result is that it enters the environment. The acid is harmful to fish and other creatures in fresh-water lakes and streams. Whenever there is snow or ice on the roads in winter, the salt trucks come out and spread salt. The salt dissolves the snow and ice and makes the roads safe. But it also washes off the roads into lakes and streams and makes them salty. The salt is also carried down into the ground water where it enters the ground water supply.  Environmental or Soil Pollution: Harmful pollutants can enter the soil either from the air or from the water. Sometimes these pollutants are absorbed by plants so then the plants become toxic as well. Effects of Pollution 1. Environment Degradation : Environment is the first casualty for increase in pollution weather in air or water. The increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leads to smog which can restrict sunlight from reaching the earth. Thus, preventing plants in the process of photosynthesis. Gases like Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain. Water pollution in terms of Oil spill may lead to death of several wildlife species. Also the decrease in the amount of O2 availabe in the ecosystem as a result of increase in CO2 this therefore will cause an oxygen depletion in both the atmosphere and in the water causing various health effects such as lung diseases in terrestial lives and loss of aquatic lives. Plate 1: Fish motarlity as a result of oxygen depletion in the water Source: Hotfish Robert 2. Human Health : The decrease in quality of air leads to several respiratory problems including asthma or lung cancer. Chest pain, congestion, throat inflammation, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease are some of diseases that can be causes by air pollution. Water pollution occurs due to contamination of water and may pose skin related problems including skin irritations and rashes. Similarly, Noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance. Plate 2: Health effects of Pollution Source: Google Images 3. Global Warming : The emission of greenhouse gases particularly CO and CO2 is leading to global warming. Every other day new industries are being set up, new vehicles come on roads and trees are cut to make way for new homes. All of them, in direct or indirect way lead to increase in CO2 in the environment. The increase in CO2 leads to melting of polar ice caps which increases the sea level and pose danger for the people living near coastal areas. In addition to this, warmer climatic weather allows easy breeding of parasitic vectors and diseases within a pollution. The vast increase in disease spreading according to Andrewartha and Birch (the distribution and aboundance of animals) in 1954 will cause a decrease in the population (High death rate). Plate 3: The Emission of oxides of carbon in to the atmosphere. Source: Wikepedia Images 4. Ozone Layer Depletion: Ozone layer is the thin shield high up in the sky that stops ultra violet rays from reaching the earth. As a result of human activities, chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), methane (CH4) were released int to the atmosphere which contributed to the depletion of ozone layer. This ultravoilet rays is very dangerous to skin as the exposure may lead to skin burn skin cancer and the likes. Plate 3: Health effects of Pollution Source: Wikepedia Images Pollution prevention and its Social Values Pollution control is a term used in environmental management. It means the control of emissions and effluents into air, water or soil. Without pollution control, the waste products from consumption, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade the environment. It is nessesary to note at this point that pollution prevention and waste minimization are more desirable than pollution control in the society. As we have seen the different dangers of not preventing pollution, the society at large should join force in the realization of proper waste managment.  Plate 4 below illustrates a waste trap that catches dirts or wastes from the Yarra River in Australia. It can be observed from the plate that warning inscriptions are on the trap to inform the society of the dangers of improper waste disposal. Plate 4: A litter trap catches floating waste in the Yarra River, east-central Victoria,Australia Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution#/media/File Having a waste trap as such will provide a safe ecosystem for the entire community, safe and uncontaminated water will be available for the populace. Both the terestial and the aquatic lives feeds and breeds easily with minimal diseases there by increasing population. Waste collection at a large trap of such can easily be recycle instead of the individual burning of the wastes that causes air pollution and hazards.  A dust collector in Pristina, Kosovo The dust collecter helps to prevent lung related diseases and also less contamination of water of the environment. this creates a greener, more sustainable ecosystem for the entire society. Plate 5: A litter trap catches floating waste in the Yarra River, east-central Victoria,Australia Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution#/media/File  Plate 6: Illustrating a safe green ecosytem with minimal pollution. Plate 6: Global polluants circuit Source: Clear the air Recommendations There are ways to prevent this type of (point source) abuse but people do it any because they do not want to spend money, or they do not want to take the time necessary, or both. Environmental authorities are concerned with locating and punishing violations of environmental protection regulations. And, even if laws are followed now, these types of practices occurred in the past before the laws were enacted and the pollutants are still around. I therfore recommend these few ideas for a safer, greener and more sustainable ecosystem:  The 3 Rs rule should be implemented (i.e reduce reuse recycle)  Educational programes and awereness advert on T.V, bilborad etc should increase.  More researches equating the amout of waste to substacial values or materials so the lay man can understand the great demage he his causing by polluting the environment  Usage of biodegradable products  Law and legistalations against such act  References 1. "Pollution - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary". Merriam- webster.com. 2010-08-13. Retrieved2010-08-26. 2. Spengler, John D.; Sexton, K. A. (1983). "Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Perspective". Science 221 (4605): 9–17 [p. 9]. doi:10.1126/science.6857273. 3. Hong, Sungmin et al. (1996). "History of Ancient Copper Smelting Pollution During Roman and Medieval Times Recorded in Greenland Ice". Science 272 (5259): 246– 249 [p. 248]. doi:10.1126/science.272.5259.246. 4. David Urbinato (Summer 1994). "London's Historic "Pea-Soupers"". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved 2006-08-02. 5. Deadly Smog". PBS. 2003-01-17. Retrieved 2006-08-02. 6. Lee Jackson, Dirty Old London: The Victorian Fight Against Filth (2014) 7. Patrick Allitt, A Climate of Crisis: America in the Age of Environmentalism (2014) p 206 8. Jeffry M. Diefendorf; Kurkpatrick Dorsey (2009). City, Country, Empire: Landscapes in Environmental History. University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 44–49. 9. James R. Fleming; Bethany R. Knorr of Colby College."History of the Clean Air Act". American Meteorological Society. Retrieved 2006-02-14. 10. Cited in David Clay Large, Berlin (2000) pp 17-18 11. Hugh Chisholm (1910). The Encyclopaedia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature and General Information. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition. p. 786. 12. Patrick Allitt, A Climate of Crisis: America in the Age of Environmentalism (2014) pp 15-21 13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution#/media/File 14. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution- overview/ 15. http://worldwildlife.org/threats/pollution 16. http://agrilifecdn3.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/hotfish-Robert-HR-1- 300x198.jpg 17. Andrewartha, H. G. & Birch, L. C. (1954) The Distribution and Abundance of Animals (Univ. of Chicago Press, London). 18. Global polluants circuit www.cleartheair.nsw.gov.au, 2011