• Unit 15-Pollution management

    Key points:
    • Pollution occurs when human activity adds a substance to the environment that affects organisms and at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless.
    • Pollution from point sources is often easier to manage than that from non-point sources.
    • Types of pollutant include gases from burning fossil fuels and industry, solid and liquid waste from industry, agriculture and homes.
    • Pollution can be measured directly and indirectly in the atmosphere, water, and soil.
    • Examples of pollution are eutrophication; solid domestic waste; depletion of stratospheric ozone; urban air pollution; and acid deposition.
    • Pollution management of these issues can be considered in the "replace (with alternatives), regulate (the release) and restore (the environment)" model.  But factors such as culture, politics and economics influence strategies used to mange pollution.
    Key words:
     
    pollution point source non-point source
    pollutant biochemical oxygen demand BOD
    indicatior species biotic index replace, resuse, restore
    solid domestic waste reduce recycle
    landfill incinerator compost
    eutrophication phospate nitrate
    ozone onzone-depleting substances ODS
    CFCs halons stratospheric
    tropospheric Montreal Protocol photochemical smog
    acid deposition wet depostion dry depostion
    primary air pollution secondary air pollutant fossil fuel
    sulfur dioxide sulfuric acid nitrogen oxides
    regional liming EIA
    baseline study non-technical summary

Last Modified on February 23, 2015