Environmental

Pollution
Objectives
► Define few terms related to
Environmental Pollution
► Enlist the types of Pollution
► Discuss the effects of Pollution
► Identify the ways how to manage
Pollution
► Environment
“All the external factors surrounding the
host that might influence vulnerability or
resistance”.

► Environmental Health
“Assessing, controlling, and improving the
impact people make on their environment
and the impact of environment on them”.

► Environmental Impact
“The effect of positive or negative changes
on the environment and on the people,
animals, and plants living in it”.
► Pollution
“It is the contamination of natural
resources such as air, water, and soil,
making them foul and unfit for human
consume”
(Allender & Spradley, 2005)
► Introduction by man, waste matter or
surplus energy into the environment,
which directly or indirectly causes
damage to man and his environment
►Pollutant:
“A substance or effect which
adversely alters the environment by
changing the growth rate of species,
interferes with the food chain, is toxic,
or interferes with health, comfort
amenities or property values of
peoples”.

MERCURY
► Deforestation
“The clearing of tropical, and temperate forests for
cropland, cattle grazing, or urbanization”.

► Ecosystem
“A community of living organisms and their
interrelated physical and chemical environments”.

► Ecologic Perspective
“A view point about the community of living organisms
and their interrelated physical and chemical
environment”.
 Major Global Environmental
Effects
► Over population
► Air Pollution
 Dusts, Gases, and Naturally Occurring
elements
► Acid Precipitation
► Ozone Depletion and Global Warming
► Water pollution
► Deforestation, Wetlands, destruction, and
desertification
► Energy Depletion
 Major Global Environmental
Effects (Cont…)
► Inadequate Housing
► Unhealthy or contaminated Food
 Inherently harmful food
► Contaminated Foods
 Foods with Toxic Additives
 Food Irradiation
► Water Disposal
► Disposal of human wastes
► Disposal of Garbage
► Disposal of Hazardous Waste
► Insect and rodent Control
 Major Global Environmental
Effects (Cont…)
► Safety in the Home, Worksite, and Community
 Exposure to toxic chemicals
 Exposure to Irradiation
 Injury Hazards
 Exposure to Noise pollution
 Exposure to Biological Pollutants
 Psychological hazards
 Facing Terrorist Danger
 Gases (Burning fossil fuels, Carbon dioxide
 Tobacco smoke and fumes from domestic fuel
 Producing Carbon dioxide & sulpher oxide from industries
TYPES OF POLLUTION

► Water Pollution
► Air Pollution
► Land Pollution
► Noise Pollution
► Thermal Pollution
► Electro Pollution
► Visual Pollution
 Types of pollutants
► Organic Pollutants
► Inorganic Pollutants
► Heavy metal Pollutants
► Pathogenic Pollutants
 The Issue

We use Resources extensively

and then are NOT
responsible for
The Consequences
 Effects on Biosphere
► Damage to human health by specific
chemical substances present in the air,
food, water and radioactive material
► Damage to natural environment affecting
vegetation, animals, crops, soil and water
► Damage to visual quality by smoke,
fumes, dust, noise and waste
► Damage by carcinogens, radioactive
materials and excessive noise
Toxicity is Quantity related ..
► Anything and Everything is toxic if
the dose is made so !!
Paracelsus (1493-1541)
Water Pollution
Factors Responsible for Water Pollution
► Inorganic materials
 alkalis, acids, inorganic salts, ammonia, phosphates,
etc.
► Heavy metals
 chromium, mercury, nickel, copper, cadmium etc.
► Disinfection by products
 trihalomethanes
► Other harmful substances
 organochlorides etc.
► Physical factors
 turbidity, colour, temperature etc.
Water Pollution
Sources Discharging Pathogenic
Organisms
Sources Organism Diseases
Sewage Bacteria Cholera, typhoid, dysentery,

Farm slurry gastroenteritis

diarrhea, salmonellosis
Hospital waste Viruses polio, hepatitis,
Protozoa Diarrhea,
dysentery,
Medical Amebiasis Giardia,
laboratory Cryptosporidiu
m
Food processingHelminths Roundworm infestation,
pinworm,
beef tapeworm,
Air Pollution
Air Pollution
has No
Boundaries
Effects from Air Pollution

► Global warming
► Ozone depletion
(Ozone hole)
► Acid Rain
► Various respiratory
illnesses
 Ozone Depletion & Global
Warming
► Global warming is the trapping of heat radiation from the
earths surface that increases the over all temperature of
the world, causing a greenhouse effect (Yassi et al,
2001)
► Carbon dioxide and other gases that enter the
atmosphere through the depleted ozone layer and
become trapped
► The accumulation of stratospheric ozone shield the earth
from damaging ultraviolet light, filtering and reducing
the extent of radiation that reaches the earth
► Chemical interaction among air pollutants primarily
chlorofluorocarbons
► Health Effects of Ozone Depletion
 Skin cancer
 Cataracts
► Health Effects of Global Warming
 Damage to food chain
 Vector-borne diseases
 Raised ocean levels
 Effects on crop production
► Temperature increase in 1-2 °C would
enable mosquitoes to extend their range to
new geographic areas, leading 45%-60%
increases `in cases of malaria by 2050
 Acid Rain
► Emission of hazardous chemicals into the earths
atmosphere
► Sulpher dioxide from power plant emission or nitrongen
oxides from motor vehicle exhaust combine with rain
water, snow and other form of precipitation to produce
sulfuric and nitric acid called “Acid Rain”
► Most severe problem, can extensively change the
biology of small bodies of water, endangers the forest
and fresh water ecologies
► Heavily documented in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia,
Eastern Europe, China, India, and Central Asia
► Increased accumulation of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere from fuel combustion is altering the climate
and contributing to a condition called “greenhouse
effect”

(Yassi et al, 2001)

Indoor air pollution
► More than three billion people worldwide continue to
depend on solid fuels, including :
 Biomass fuels (wood, dung, agricultural residues)
 coal, for their energy needs
► Cooking and heating with solid fuels on open fires or
traditional stoves results in high levels of indoor air
pollution
► Indoor smoke contains a range of health-damaging
pollutants, such as small particles and carbon
monoxide, and particulate pollution levels may be
20 times higher than accepted guideline values
► Indoor air pollution is responsible for 2.7% of the
global burden of disease
(The World Health Report 2002)
Major Air Pollutants & their Impacts
► Suspended Particulate Matter
 Dust, smoke, and haze
► Carbon Monoxide (CO)
 Vehicle emissions (highly toxic)
 low levels can start or increase heart problems
 Medium concentrations causes headaches and fatigue.
 With increased concentration reflexes slow down and
drowsiness occurs.
 High levels of carbon monoxide causes death.
 People at greatest risk from carbon monoxide include:
► Pregnant women
► Infants, and
► Those with heart or respiratory diseases.
► Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
 Gasoline
 Paint solvents and
 Organic cleaning solutions
► Lead & other heavy metals
 Dangerous even at low concentrations
 Lead to reduced intelligence in children, brain damage
and death
 It accumulates in the body and damages body tissue.
► Ground Level Ozone
 Ozone in the upper atmosphere shields us from
ultraviolet radiation
 On ground level, it is highly toxic to both plants and
animals as it can damage lungs
 It can bring on coughing, asthma attacks and lower the
immune system.
► Fuel wood
 burning of fuel-wood and dung for cooking
 Cause suffocation
► How does air pollution affect us?
 Irritates eyes
 Suppress the immune system: Increased
susceptibility to infection
 Chronic respiratory diseases, such as
emphysema and bronchitis
 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
 Asthma, respiratory infections
 Cardiovascular disease
 Cancer
 Acidification of lakes and soils impacts on crop
productivity, forest growth, and biodiversity
 Ozone and sulphur dioxide is reducing crop
yields
► Nitrogen Oxides (NOX)
 Lung irritants, lead to acute
respiratory diseases
 over-sensitivity to pollen
and dust
► Sulphur Oxides (SOX)
 Converted to sulphuric acid
in the atmosphere
 Poisonous to both plants
and animals
 Irritates the respiratory
tract
 Asthma and emphysema
Air Pollution and
Health
 What can we do?
► Ride a bicycle to travel short distances
► Efficient public transport systems
► Introduction of petrol with low sulphur and no
lead
► Technology to accomplish tasks with less
energy
► Reduce harmful emissions from industries and
vehicles
► Efficient cars as they consume less fuel and so
produce fewer emissions
 Specific Measures
► Phasing out of two stroke rickshaws
► Setting up of computerized vehicle tuning centers
► Introduction of CNG as vehicular fuel (1.4 Million CNG
vehicles, 1,450 Stations, 29,167 conversions/month)
► Introduction of CNG buses
► Tax incentives for installing pollution control devices
► Environmental Protection Orders / closure of
pollution-causing industries
► Imposition of fines
► Awareness campaigns
► Initiation of dialogue with the Ministry of Health
 Pakistan Environmental
Protection Act (PEPA), 1997
► No person shall operate a motor vehicle,
from which air or noise pollutants are being
emitted in an excessive amount
► Quality Standards
 The Federal Agency shall be to take all necessary
measures for the:
► Protection
► Conservation
► Rehabilitationand
► Improvement of the environment
► Prevention and control of pollution, and
► Promotion of sustainable development
Legal / Institutional Measures
► Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance – 1983
► Environmental Protection Agencies – 1988-89
► Pakistan Environmental Protection Act – 1997
► Environmental Tribunal Procedures and Qualification
Rules – 2000
► Review of IEE/EIA Regulations – 2000
► Environmental Laboratories Certification Regulations –
2000
► National Environmental Quality Standards – 2001
► Self Monitoring Rules – 2001
► Industrial Pollution Charge Rules – 2001
 Government's Role
► In 1963, 1st series of clean air act passed
► In 1997 EPA identified some ways in which
people can help stop global warming
 Reduce home energy usage, unplug appliances
when not in use
 Energy efficient house
 Buy products those are reusable, recyclable, or
reduced packing
 Buy fuel smart car
 Insulate your home to save money & energy
 Plant tress
 Nurse’s Role
► Nurse’s can promote health by helping
to detect indoor pollutants and
informing people of existing or
potential dangers
► Assist with prevention or elimination of
these health hazards by ensuring that
the indoor environment is well
ventilated
 Review Of Environment And
Health Decision-Making
"Considering the risks, why aren't these
issues higher on policy agendas?"

Health and Environment Linkages

Initiative (HELI)
 Parameters Of The Review
► Driving forces in environment and health
decision making
► Barriers to better environment and health
decisions and policy
► Needs of policy-makers in countries
► Opportunities for international agencies
and partner countries to take action
together.
 Interactive Processes
► Knowledge sharing – knowledge
management
► Strengthen forums of ‘engagement’
between scientists, policymakers, and
civil society at all levels.
 International/National
Partnership
► International agencies (UNEP, WHO) and
institutions have 'convening' power that
can provide incentives to intersectoral
action and help overcome barriers.
► Direct financial support can also be
critical in stimulating interest and
cooperation.
 Alternatives to Household
Products containing Hazardous
Substance
► Drain Cleaner: flush with 1/4 cup baking
soda and vinegar. Avoid direct skin contact
and ventalate area.
► Ammonia based cleaners: vinegar and salt
water mix.
► Floor and Furniture polish: 1 part lemon oil,
2 parts olive/vegetable oil.
► Bleach: 1/2 cup white vinegar and baking
soda, do not inhale fumes.
► Oven Cleaners: baking soda and water,
avoid skin contact and breathing fumes.
Queries