D.C. MODEL SR. SEC.

SCHOOL
YEAR- 2018-2019
PROJECT REPORT
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

SUBMITTED BY:
NAME: AAKRITI SHARMA
ROLL NO:
CLASS: 12th SCIENCE

SUBMITTED TO:
MRS. CHANDAN JHA
 INDEX

1. CERTIFICATE
2. ACHKNOWLEDGEMENT
3. INTRODUCTION
4. POLLUTION RANGE CHART
5. MEANING OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
6. TYPES OF POLLUTION
7. FACTORS AFFECTING POLLUTION
8. SOURCES OF POLLUTION
9. EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON ENVIRONMENT
10.ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION & CONTROL
METHODS
11. PREVENTION
12. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Ms. Aakriti Sharma of class XII

Science of D.C MOCEL SR. SEC. SCHOOL,
Faridabad has completed her project file under my
supervision. She has taken proper care and shown
utmost sincerity in the completion of this project.
I certify that this project is up to my expectation and as
per the guidelines issued by C.B.S.E.
Mrs. CHANDAN JHA
(P.G.T. Biology)

Teacher Principal Examiner

Signature Signature Signature
 ACHKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to convey my heartful thanks to Mrs.

CHANDAN JHA MA’AM my Biology teacher and
guide, who guided me through the project and also
gave valuable suggestions and guidance for computing
this project. She helped me to understand intricate
issues is valued in profit making besides effectively
presenting it. I would also like to thank our
honourable DIRECTOR SIR, PRINCIPAL MA’AM
who provided us with such hardworking teachers.
My project has been success only because of her
guidance.

Name of the student: Aakriti Sharma

Roll no:
Class: 12th Science
INTRODUCTION
The systematic pollution of our environment is
one of the biggest hazards that humanity faces
today. People are becoming increasingly aware
of the threat posed by pollution and
governments are enacting legislations aimed at
protecting the environment.

During the last few decades, the global

environment has gone through serious challenges
and changes. Population pressure has escaped
rapidly consequently resources have dwindled.

Pollution is an undesirable change in the

physical and biological operations of our air,
land and water. They may be or will be harmful
to human life, species our industrial process;
living conditions and culture assets or
deteriorate our material resources.
Human beings can be exposed to pollutants in
many ways through
 The air they breathe
 The water they drink
 The food they eat
 The cosmetics, drugs, other products, etc.
they use.
Scientific developments have been a growing
concern about the links between the health and
environment and worldwide industrial, land and
resources management practices.
POLLUTION RANGE CHART
 MEANING OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
Ecosystem is a natural unit of living community
(plants and animals) and non-living
environment. The biotic and abiotic community
are constantly interacting and exchanging
materials and energy between themselves.
The life in an ecosystem depends upon the
environment which provides energy in the form
of sunlight and nutrients for the living
components of the ecosystem. Waste matter and
energy produced by human beings through, their
irresponsible and wanting activities cause
disturbance in the natural environment or is the
ecosystem is called environment pollution.
Environmental pollution is the result of
increased production of waste products by the
industries, rapid urbanization, wanting and
irresponsible. Harnessing of the natural
resources as well as unplanned sewage and
waste disposal from industries and cities etc.
Thus presence of any environment pollutant
called environment pollution.
Nature has provided the basic ingredients for
living in abundance and whatever is used up
during normal course of living is recaptured
through natural cycle. Any effort to disturb this
process is termed as Environment pollution.
In a homeostatic ecosystem there is a balance
between the living organisms and the
environment. Disturbance in any component of
the environment is likely to have a harmful
effect on the ecosystem. Any change in the
environment which contributes to its
deterioration is called pollution of the
environment and the agent which causes the
pollution is called the pollutant.
This change in the physical, chemical or
biological characteristics of our physical
environment is undesirable and harms human
life, other living organisms and cultural assets.
The resulting impact on the environment has
been so massive with far-reaching consequences
that the very existence of life is threatened.
TYPES OF POLLUTION
Pollution is of five mains types:
(a) Atmospheric or Air pollution
(b) Water pollution
(c) Land and soil pollution
(d) Noise pollution
(e) Radioactive pollution
(a) Atmospheric or Air Pollution:
It is an atmospheric condition in which certain
substances (including the normal constituents in
excess) are present in concentrations which can
cause undesirable effects on man and his
environment. These substances include gases,
particulate matter, radioactive substances etc.
Gaseous pollutants include oxides of sulphur
(mostly SO2, SO3) oxides of nitrogen (mostly NO
and NO2 or NOx), carbon monoxide (CO),
volatile organic compounds (mostly
hydrocarbons) etc. Particulate pollutants
include smoke, dust, soot, fumes, aerosols, liquid
droplets, pollen grains etc. Radioactive
pollutants include radon-222, iodine-131,
strontium 90, plutonium-239 etc.
(b) Water Pollution:
Water is one of the most important biological
components that sustain life. Its great solvent
power makes the creation of absolute pure water
a theoretical rather than a practical goal.
Human population has the habit of dumping
their wastes into water. This has the effect of
diluting the waste and getting it dispersed if it is
a running water system.
The term “water quality” is infinitely related to
water pollution. The water is said to be polluted
when it has more “negative” qualities than
“positive” ones. Water quality refers to the
physical, chemical and biological characteristics
of water. Thus, in simple words, we can say that
polluted water is that water which has been
abused, defiled in some way, so that it is no
longer fit for use.
Water pollution can be defined as “the presence
of too much of undesirable substances in water
which tend to degrade the quality of water’s
physical, chemical and biological
characteristics, making it unsuitable for
beneficial use”.
(c) Land and Soil Pollution:
Soil is the loose mineral material and is the
most important component of the earth’s surface
(lithosphere). It is the growth medium for many
microbes, plants and animals. The formation of
soil is the result of chemical, physical and
biological weathering.
Like air and water, soil is also subjected to
pollution. Soil contains many microbes.
(d) Noise Pollution:
We hear various types of sounds every day.
Sound is mechanical energy from a vibrating
source. A type of sound may be pleasant to
someone and at the same time unpleasant to
others. The unpleasant and unwanted sound is
called noise.
Sound can propagate through a medium like air,
liquid or solid. Sound wave is a pressure
perturbation in the medium through which
sound travels. Sound pressure alternately causes
compression and rarefaction. The number of
compressions and rarefactions of the molecules
of the medium (for example air) in a unit time is
described as frequency. It is expressed in Hertz
(Hz) and is equal to the number of cycles per
second.
There is a wide range of sound pressures, which
encounter human ear. Increase in sound pressure
does not invoke linear response of human ear. A
meaningful logarithmic scale has been devised.
The noise measurements are expressed as Sound
Pressure Level (SPL) which is logarithmic ratio
of the sound pressure to a reference pressure.
(e) Radioactive Pollution:
The elements such as uranium, thorium etc.
having unstable nuclei emit radiations such as
alpha, beta and gamma in nature to acquire
stability. These elements are called radioactive
elements.
Some ordinary elements like zinc, calcium,
chlorine etc. can be converted into radioactive
by bombardment with neutron or other particles.
This bombardment is called disintegration and
the disintegration rate is measured in curie (Ci)
named on the discoverer, of radioactive
elements.
1 curie = 3.7 × 1010 disintegrations/sec.
FACTORS AFFECTING
ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
Some of the factors which are affecting
environment and causes pollution are described
below:
i. Consequences of Population Growth:
Population growth is one of the prominent
factors that affect the degradation of the
environment. Earlier, pestilence and famine kept
the population under control, but with the
development of chemical compounds to restore
and enhance the soil fertility, and with
reduction in the death rate, there has been an
explosive growth in population with inevitable
consequences.
This dramatic growth coupled with the
development of cheap sources of energy like coal,
petroleum, natural gas etc., and industrial
revolution has posed a grave threat to the
environment because earth is a finite system in
which any further increase will be restricted by
environmental constraints.
Pollution increases not only because the people
multiply and the space available to each person
becomes smaller but also because the demands
per person are continuously increasing and each
throws away more and more every year.
Pollutants are the residues of the things we
make, use and throw away.
An intimate relationship is found between
human number (population) and environment.
The impact of any human group in environment
can be conceptually resolved into three factors;
Pollution, Affluence i.e. material aspects of per
capita consumption of goods and resources and
technology of production.
Using appropriate indices these factors can be
incorporated into an environmental impact
equation as under:
Impact = Population x Affluence x Technology
or
I = PAT
Of the factors responsible for environmental
crisis, the increasing population growth is
considered to be a key factor.
As shown in Table 2.1, the world population has
grown dramatically over the last 350 years.
Control measures should be implemented
successfully or else the biosphere will collapse
under the weight of the rapidly growing
population.
ii. Pollution of Indian Lakes:
Among the surface water bodies, lakes and
reservoirs are considered to be most valuable
water resources. These surface water bodies are
currently under serious pollution threat not only
in India but also globally considered to be an
important issue.
Over past couple of decades national and
international programmes on lake water quality
assessment and their management in the
perspective of conservation were attempted.
Considerable studies were made in Himalayan
lakes of J & K (Dal & Nagin Lake), Kumaun
(Naimtal and Bhimtal Lake), Madhya Pradesh
(Bhopal Lake), Odissa (Chilka Lake), Manipore
(Loktak Lake) and so on. In almost all cases
lake water is highly polluted with silts,
agrochemicals, fertilizer, organic wastes and
industrial discharges etc.
As a result, considerable biotic changes along
with loss of productivity is noticed. In most of
limnological studies of the lake system thus
revealed the fact that most of the lakes slowly
transformed into swampy marsh without any
proper management for conservation. Since
1990s there is a national lake conservation
policy adopted by the Ministry of Environment
and Forest, Govt. of India.
The National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP)
was initiated by the Ministry of Environment
and Forests in June 2001 with objectives to
maintain the ecological health of lakes. Initially
three lakes are taken as a model for this
programme. They are: Powai lake
(Maharashtra), Ooty and Kodaikanal lake
(Tamil Nadu). Now about 49 lakes of 13 states
have been considered for this programme.
The activities covered under NLCP include:
a. Prevention of pollution from point sources by
intercepting, diverting and treating the pollution
loads entering the lake;
b. In situ measures of lake cleaning such as
desalting, de-weeding, bioremediation,
constructed wetland approach etc. depending
upon the site conditions;
c. Catchment area treatment and lake front eco-
development which may include bonding,
fencing, shoreline development, creation of
facilities for public recreation and entertainment
and public area;
d. Public awareness and public participation;
e. Other activities depend upon location-specific
conditions including the interface with human
population.
iii. Pollutants:
According to “The Indian Environment
Protection Act 1980” a pollutant has been de-
fined as any solid, liquid or gaseous substance
present in such concentration as may be or tend
to be injurious to environment.
Any substance present in the environment in
such concentration which adversely effects the
environment by damaging the growth rate of a
species and by interfering with the food chains,
and affects the health, comfort and property etc.
is considered as a pollutant.
Smoke from industries and automobiles,
domestic and commercial sewage, radioactive
substances from nuclear plants and discarded
household articles (tins, bottles, broken crockery
etc.) come under the category of pollutants.
Classification of Pollutants:
The classification of pollutants is done from
different points of view.
Depending upon their existence in nature
pollutants are of two types, namely:
(i) Quantitative and
(ii) Qualitative pollutants.
(i) Quantitative Pollutants:
These are those substances normally occurring in
the environment, who acquire the status of a
pollutant when their concentration gets
increased due to the un-mindful activities of
man. For example, carbon dioxide, if present in
the atmosphere in concentration greater than
normal due to automobiles and industries,
causes measurable effects on humans, animals,
plants or property, then it is classified as a
quantitative pollutant.
(ii) Qualitative Pollutant:
These are those substances which do not
normally occur in nature but are added by man,
for example, insecticides. Depending upon the
form in which they persist after being released
into the environment, the pollutants are
categorized into two types, namely (a) primary
and (b) secondary pollutants.
(a) Primary Pollutants:
These are those which are emitted directly from
the source and persist in the form in which they
were added to the environment. Typical
examples of pollutants included under this
category are ash, smoke, fumes, dust, nitric
oxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrocarbons etc.
(b) Secondary Pollutants:
These are those which are formed from the
primary pollutants by chemical interaction with
some constituent present in the atmosphere.
Examples are:
Sulphur trioxide, nitrogen dioxide, aldehydes,
ketones, ozone etc. Nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons are two primary pollutants
released from automobiles but in the presence of
sunlight, they react to form peroxyacyl nitrate
(PAN) and ozone, two secondary pollutants
which are far more toxic than the primary
pollutants from which they are derived.
This phenomenon of increased toxicity by
chemical interaction among the pollutants is
known as Synergism.
From the ecosystem point of view, i.e., according
to their natural disposal, pollutants are of two
types:
(i) Bio-degradable Pollutants:
These are the pollutants that are quickly
degraded by natural means. Heat or thermal
pollution, and domestic sewage are considered
in this category as these can be rapidly
decomposed by natural processes or by
engineered systems such as municipal treatment,
plants etc.
(ii) Non-degradable Pollutants:
These are the substances that either do not
degrade or degrade very slowly in the natural
environment. These include mercury salts, long
chain phenolic chemicals, DDT and Aluminium
cans etc.
Such non-degradable pollutants accumulate and
are biologically magnified as they move in the
biogeochemical cycle and along food chains in
the ecosystem. For example, DDT, when washed
from the ground goes to the streams where it is
absorbed by the phytoplankton’s which are
eaten by the fishes.
So, the initial dose of DDT which was harmless
in the phytoplankton become very harmful as it
accumulates in the fish day by day, with the
result that large populations of fish die or
become sterile and same is the case with the
birds feeding on such fishes. This phenomenon is
known as bio-magnification or biological
magnification.
SOURCES OF
POLLUTION
There are two main sources of environmental
pollution:
i. Natural sources, and
ii. Man made or Anthropogenic sources.
i. Natural Sources of Environmental
Pollution:
(a) Volcanic eruptions release gases and volcanic
ash.
(b) Forest fires produce smoke and trace gases.
(c) Dust storms increase the wind-blown dust
into the environment.
(d) Bacteria, spores, cysts and pollens are all
natural pollutants.
(e) Decay of organic matter in marshy places
releases marsh gas (methane—CH4) which is a
light, colourless, inflammable hydrocarbon.
ii. Man-Made or Anthropogenic Sources of
Environmental Pollution:
Anthropogenic source cover a wide spectrum of
types as man has aggravated the problem of
pollution by his innumerable activities like,
1. Domestic sources
2. Industries
3. Agriculture activities
4. Radioactive waste
5. Thermal power stations
(a) Industrialisation
(b) Invention of automobiles
(c) Over population
(d) Deforestation: Destruction of natural habitat
(e) Nuclear explosions
(f) Over-exploitation of natural resources
(g) Construction of buildings, roads and dams
(h) Explosives used in wars
(i) Use of fertilizers and pesticides
(j) Quarrying and mining.
EFFECTS OF
POLLUTION
The term “environment” refers to the immediate
surroundings in which man lives. It comprises of
living and non-living constituents that support
life and sustain various human activities.
Pollution affects both the living as well as the
non-living components of the environment.
It brings about drastic changes in the physical
environment causing community wide problems
by polluting the air, water and land; adversely
affecting the health of humans and animals, and
damaging plants and property. Besides there are
effects of noise pollution and the hazards
associated with radiation pollution.
As environmental stress on the human body
increases, many medical scientists fear a
terminal increase in infectious disorders not
only because of lower body resistance but
because viruses and other disease organisms will
increasingly slip through water treatment and
food processing plants as the quality of water
and food at the intake deteriorates.
Effect on plants, the adverse effects range from
reduction in growth rate to death of the plant.
The damage caused to plants by pollution
includes necrosis (dead areas on a leaf structure),
chlorosis (loss or reduction of chlorophyll
leading to yellowing of leaf), epinasty
(downward curvature of the leaf due to higher
rate of growth on the upper surface) and
abscission of leaves (premature fall). Pollution
also causes deterioration of structural materials
such as marble and lime stone.
Pollution has been changed the atmospheric
conditions. An average temperature has been
increased due to increase in pollution. Effects of
pollution at international level are depletion of
ozone layer, global warming acid rain, rising sea
level etc.
ENVIPONMENTAL
PROTECTION
&CONTROLLING
METHODS
Over population and pollution are potent
ecological forces impinging upon man by
affecting the quality of the environment. All
efforts aimed at bringing more and more people
above the poverty line actually increase the
pressure on natural resources.
Careless management of natural resources is
disrupting the ecological processes so much so
that earth’s life supporting capacity is being
substantially threatened. Unmindful
exploitation of the finite resources of the
biosphere has a severe ecological backlash
because no development is sustainable unless it
is environmentally compatible.
Environmental compatibility demands that the
economic and social development should be
linked with environmental management.
Articles 48.A and 51.A of our constitution
provide for environmental protection.
According to the National Committee of
Environment-Planning and Co-ordination
(NCEPC), the frame work for environmental
protection aims at:
i. Control of environmental pollution
ii. Conservation of natural resources
iii. Land management
iv. Development of non-polluting sources of
energy
v. Environmental education
vi. Environmental laws.
Pollution is the burning of the day at the global
level. A combined effort to control pollution has
to be made by all government agencies,
technologists, industrialists, agriculturists and
last but not the least the common man.
An international conference on “Human
Environments” was held at Stockholm in 1971,
to emphasise the need to control pollution.
Several measures were recommended by the
scientists participating in the conference, e.g..
i. The first step should be to identify those
causes of pollution that have global
implications, and to devise protective measures
to be adopted.
ii. The second step should be to find out the
carrying capacity of the environment and reduce
the emission of the major sources of pollution.
iii. The third step should be to find a neutralizer
for each type of pollutant.
iv. The fourth step should be to ensure that anti-
pollution measures are adopted by all
industries.
v. The fifth step should be the identification of
areas where the cause of pollution is poverty
and lack of environmental education.
Contamination of food and water are the basic
causes of pollution in such areas.
vi. Most important is initiation of adequate
research to devise measures for controlling
pollution.
Environmental monitoring is urgently required
for controlling pollution.
This involves:
i. Careful scrutinisation of the environmental
characteristics.
ii. Laying down the standards of environmental
quality.
iii. Regular assessment of the above mentioned
environmental characteristics.
iv. Keeping track of the changes in the
environmental characteristics and educating
people about the changes due to these changes.
v. Devising measures to combat the menace of
pollution.
vi. Enacting environmental laws and taking
legal action against environmental offenders.
Efforts are required to the made by each
individual to control pollution.
These efforts include:
i. Installation of proper sewage disposal
methods.
ii. Dumping of non-biodegradable wastes in low
lying areas.
iii. Installation of gobar gas plants in areas of
high availability of cow dung.
iv. Reduction of smoke emission and treatment
of chimney smoke to remove solid carbon
particles.
v. Judicious use of fertilisers, pesticides and
detergents (Detergents of low-level phosphate
content are less harmful).
vi. Growing plants like Pyrus (apple), Pinus
(chir) and Vitis (grapes) is advocated because of
their capability of metabolizing gaseous
nitrogenous pollutants like nitrogen dioxide etc.
and plants like coleus, ficus (banyan) can fix
Carbon monoxide.
Skilled personnel with know-how to tackle the
problems arising from pollution and for devising
environmental pollution control measures are
working in many institutions in India.
Important ones amongst them are:
i. National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI), Nagpur.
ii. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC),
Mumbai.
iii.  National Committee of Environmental
Planning and Co-ordination (NCEPC), New
Delhi.
iv. Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI),
Lucknow.
v. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR).
vi. Central Public Health Engineering Research
Institute (CPHERI), Nagpur.
Factors Causing Pollution:
(i) Over population: Pollution increases with the
population density. As the population increases
more burden is placed on the environment.
(ii) Urbanization: Shifting of population from
rural to urban. A thickly populated area is the
home of large number of vehicles reservoir solid
and liquid wastes with poor sanitary conditions
and many problems.
(iii) Industrialisation: Power generation,
Vehicular.
(iv) Per capita income: Standard of living, goods
and services demanded per person increased.
(v) Extent of recycling: Waste product is cleaned
and reused pollution level is decreased.
(vi) Technology: Efficient Engines provides less
in pollution/wastes.
(vii) Waste treatment: Cleaning of air and water.
(viii) Ionic
(ix) Deforestation
(x) Water depletion
(xi) Refrigeration
(xii) Arosol
(xiii) Radioactivity
(xiv) Volcanic eruption
(xv) Strong wind
(xvi) Forest fire
(xvii) Vibration
EFFECTS OF POLLUTION ON HUMAN
HEALTH
Air pollution can cause death, impairment of
health, reduce visibility, bring about vast
economic losses and contribute to the general
deterioration. It can also cause intangible losses
to historical monuments.
Minor symptoms include headaches, mucosal
irritation (eye, nose, throat or respiratory
discomfort). Severe reaction can include nausea
or asphyxiation and prolong exposure can lead
to various system effects of toxic poisoning or to
cancer of the lungs or other organs.
i. Odour nuisance
ii. Increase in mortality rate
iii. Increase in mobility rate
iv. Asthmatic attack
v. Bronchitis
vi. Cardio vascular diseases
vii. Pulmonary diseases
METHODS USED TO MINIMISE
POLLUTION
PREVENTION
Pollution is the creation of imbalances between
nature and environment life cycle by human
beings and other living inhabitants on the earth
due to their day to day input output activities
carrying unhealthy surrounding, deforestation,
ecological degradation. Soil erosion, depletion of
natural resources creation of industries slumps
and ugly dwellings.
a. Maximum feasibility reduction of all wastes
generated at production sites.
b. Source reduction, energy efficiency, reuse of
input materials during production and reduced
water consumption.
c. Change products and production processes to
reduce pollution at the source.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 NCERT text book
 Xam idea
 Encyclopedias