Environmental Issues

and Related Problems

Presented by:
Mr. Sherwin B. Zapatero, MAT Science
Science Teacher
Little flower high school
Peñarrubia, Abra 2804 Philippines
Pollution
Undesirable change in the
physical, chemical and biological
condition of the environment.

Pollutants – substances that makes

environment undesirable to live.
Effects:
Formation of dark cloud in the sky
that may cause eye and throat
irritation.
Cause impaired lung function
Causes nausea and headache in
human.
Cause damage to trees and various
crops.
Air Related Problems:
1. Photochemical Smog – caused by exhaust
of vehicles, factories and industries.
 Smog – combination of smoke and fog.
 The hotter the day, the higher the level of
pollutants in the atmosphere because of the
reaction promoted by sunlight.
Causes: Pollutants from the exhaust of
vehicles and factory smoke – stacks and
incomplete burning of hydrocarbon.
2. Thermal Inversion:
Causes:
A layer of dense, cool polluted air cannot rise to a
layer of less dense, warm air above it.
Effects:
Accumulation of air pollutants near the ground level.
Intensified smog levels
Increased health hazards to humans.
3. Acid rain or Acid Deposition

Causes:
Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur
combine with water vapor in the
atmosphere to form acid that are
deposited at or near the earth’s
surface in the form of rain.
Effects:
Makes soil more acidic than normal
Acidic solutions dissolve toxic metals that can leach in
the soil and bodies of water.
Causes defoliation and stunted growth of plant roots.
Kills marine life.
Damages buildings and other structures; corrodes
metals and artifacts.
Contaminates both surface and
ground water supplies.
Aggravates many human
respiratory disease that may lead
to premature death.
4. Greenhouse Effect
Causes:
Build up of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, NO, CFCs)
that absorb and trap heat energy in the lower
atmosphere.
Increased level of carbon dioxide from fossil fuel
burning.
Allows ultraviolet radiation to enter earth but traps
infrared radiation in the lower atmosphere.
Effects:
High atmospheric temperature (global
warming) causes major climatic changes that
disrupt natural ecosystem of many plants and
animals.
Melting of polar ice cap and glaciers which
increase the sea level and flood low – lying
coastal lands.
Causes water to evaporate faster from soil that
would result to drought and low productivity
in both water and soil environment.
5. Ozone Depletion:
Causes:
Widespread of CFCs (freons) and halonswhich remain
chemically unchanged in the atmosphere.
When bombarded by ultraviolet radiation, CFCs and
the halons degrade and release and bromine atoms
respectively, that crystalyze the breakd down of
stratospheric ozone.
Effects:
High incidence of eye cataract and skin
cancer, and suppression of human
immune or defense against infectious
disease.
Decline in crop production.