1

What are pollutants?

The matter or a substance which is responsible for pollution.

Define: Pollution
It is defined as the unfavourable alteration of our surroundings.

What are the types of pollutants?

1. Biodegradable pollutants.
2. Non-degradable pollutants.

What are the types of pollutions?

1.air pollution
2.soil pollution
3.water pollution
4.marine pollution
5.noise pollution
6.thermal pollution
7.nuclear hazards

Define: Air pollution.

It is defined as the presence of one or more contaminants like dust smoke, mist and odour in the
atmosphere which are injurious to human beings, plants and animals.

What are the sources of air pollution?

1. Natural source: burning of fossil fuels, smoke from kitchen, cigarette etc.
2.man-made(anthropogenic)
Activites: smoke from industries, exhausting smoke from vehicles, smoke from incinerators.

What are the human sources of CO? Mention its health effects?
Human sources: cigarette smoking, incomplete burning of fossil fuels .About 77% comes from vehicle
exhaust.
Human effects: react with hemoglobin in the red blood cells and reduces ability of the blood to bring
oxygen to the body cells and tissues, which causes headaches and anemia. At high levels it causes coma,
irreversible brain cell damage and death.

What are the human sources of NO2? Mention its health effects?
Human source:
Fossils fuels burning in the motor vehicles (49%) and power industrial plants (49%).
Health effects:
Lung irritation and damage.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

UNIT-2

What are the human sources of SO2? Mention its health effects?
Human source:
Coal burning in the power plants (88%) and industrial process (10%)
Health effects:
Breathing problems for healthy people.

10

What is SPM?
Suspended particulate matter

11

Define: Water pollution

It is defined as the alteration in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water which may
cause harmful effects on humans aquatic life.

12

What are oxygen demanding wastes?

The organic waste which require oxygen while decomposed by aerobic bacteria.
(OR)
Some organic waste use oxygen while it is decomposed by bacteria such waste are said to be oxygen
demanding waste

13

What is BOD? Give its significance.

BOD is the amount of oxygen required for biological decomposition of organic matter present in the
water.
Significance of BOD:
1. It is an important indication of the amount of organic matter present in the river water.
2. since complete oxidation occurs in indefinite period. The reaction period is taken as 5 days at 20%.For
all practical purposes, it is return as BOD5.
3. The rate of oxidation and demand depends on the amount and the type of organic present in the river
water.

14

What is COD? Give its significance.

COD is the amount of oxygen required for chemical oxidation of organic matter using some oxidizing
agent like K2Cr2O7 and KMnO4.
Significance:
1. It is carried out to determine the pollutional strength of river water.
2. It is rapid process and takes only 3hours.

15

What are point sources?

Point sources are discharged pollutants at specific locations through pipes, ditches or sewers into bodies of
surface water.

16

What are non-point sources?

They cannot be traced to any single site of discharge. They are usually large land areas or air shed that
pollutes water by run of, subsurface flow or deposition from the atmosphere.

17

What is activated sludge?

The term activated sludge is used to indicate the sludge which is obtained by setting sewage in the
presence of abundant oxygen

18

Define: soil pollution.

It is defined as the contamination of the soil by human and natural activities which may cause harmful
effects on living beings.

19

What are the sources of soil pollution?

Industrial waste.
Urban waste.
Agricultural practices.
Radioactive pollutants.

Biological agents

20

Define: marine pollution

It is defined as the discharge of waste substances into the sea resulting in the harm to the living
resources, hazards to the human health, hindrance to fishery and impairment of quality for use of sea
water.

21

Define: Noise pollution.

It is defined as the unwanted, unpleasant or disagreeable sound that causes discomfort for all living
beings.

22

Define: Thermal pollution

It is defined as addition of excess of undesirable heat to water that makes it harmful to man, animal or
aquatic life or otherwise causes significant departures from the normal activities of aquatic communities
in water.

23

What are domestic wastes?

It contains a veriety of materials thrown out from the home
Eg:food waste,cloth,waste paper,glass bottles,polythene bags,waste metals,etc..

24

Define: Acute toxicity

These wastes have immediate effect on humans or animals causing death.

25

What is chronic toxicity?

These wastes have long term effect slowly causing irreparable harm to the exposed persons. It is much
more difficult to determine.

26

What is 3R?
Reduce,reuse and recycle

27

What is MIC?
MIC means methyl iso cyanate
MIC is a toxic gas,lower concentrations of which affect lungs and eyes and causes irritation in the skin.
Higher amounts of MIC,remove oxygen from the lungs and can cause death

28

What is landfill?
The movement of earthy materials like coherent rock,mud,soil and debris from higher region to lower
region due to gravitational pull is called landfill.

29

What is incineration?
It is a hygienic way of disposing solid waste. It is more suitable if the waste
Contain more hazardous material and organic content. It is a thermal
Process and is very effective for detoxification of all combustible pathogens.

30

What is composting?
In this method bulk organic waste is converting into fertilizing manure by biological action.

31

What are the advantages of landfill?

1. It is simple and economical.

2. Segregation not required.

3. Landfilled areas can be reclaimed and used for other purposes.
4.converts low-lying,marshy waste land into useful areas
5. Natural resources are returned to soil and recycled.
32

What are the advantages of incineration?

1. The residue is only 20-25% of original weight,the clinker can be used after treatment.
2. It requires very little space.
3. Cost of transportation is not high as incinerators located within city limits.
4. Safest from hygienic point of view.

33

What are the advantages of composting?

1. When the manure is added to soil,it increases the water retention and ion exchange capacity of soil.
2. A number of industrial solid wastes can also treated by this method.
3. It can be sold thereby reducing the cost of disposing of wastes.
4. Recycling-occur.

34

What is an earthquake?
An earthquake is a sudden vibration caused on the earths surface due to the sudden release of tremendous
amount of energy stored in the rocks under the earths crust.

35

Define: Flood
Whenever the magnitude of water flow exceeds the carrying capacity of the channel within its banks,the
excess of water over flows on the surrounding causes floods

36

Define: Tsunami.
A tsunami is large waves that are generated in a water body when the sea floor is deformed by seismic
activity. This activity displaces the overlying water in the ocean.

37

What are landslides?

The movement of earthy materials like coherient rock mud,soil and debris from higher region to lower
region due to gravitational pull is called landslides.

38

What is meant by non-point pollution?

Lage land areas or airsheds that pollute water by run off subsurface flow is called non-point
pollution.They cannot be traced to any single sight of discharge.

39

Define: Sustainable development

It is defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to
meet their own needs.

PART- B
1.Mention the sources and effects of various air pollutants.
2. Describe the method of control of air pollution.
3.Briefly describe the sources effects and control of noise pollution.
4. Enumerate with example the major sources of surface and ground water

pollution.
5. Wrtie short notes on a) Minimata disease b) blue baby syndrome c) itai-itai
disease.
6. Explain the method of sewage water treatment.
7. What are the major sources of soil pollution?
8. What are the measures to be taken to prevent soil pollution?
9. Explain in detail the Solid waste management techniques.
10. Write notes on (i) Floods (ii) Landslides (iii) Cyclones.
11. Explain any two case studies on Nuclear pollution.
12. What are the sources, effects & control measures of Marine pollution?
13. Explain the various types of Radio-active radiations.
14. Explain the causes,effects & control measures of Water pollution.
15 .What are the effects of improper municipal solid waste management? State
the measures recommended for proper management of the solid waste.
16. Explain the methods of disposal of municipal solid waste.
17. Write notes on disposal of radio-active wastes.
18. Compare the nuclear power with coal power.
19. What are the causes of soil erosion and methods of preventing it.
20. Discuss the aspects of prevention & control of noise.