Environmental hazards - air, water, soil, radioisotopes based hazards

1. ENVIRONMENTAL
HAZARDS
Guided by- Dr. Mrs. Shubhangi Pharande Presented by- Ms. Sai Bapat
M Pharm Q A Dept
Hazards and Safety Management (Unit 1)
DR. D Y PATIL COLLEGE OF PHARMACY, AKURDI

2. Environmental hazards
The extreme events or substances in the Earth and its ecological system that may cause
adverse consequences for humans and things they value and nature, are known as
environmental hazards.
Types of hazards-:
1. Chemical hazards – toxic wastes, carcinogen
2. Physical hazards – cosmic rays, lightning
3. Biological hazards – pandemics, rabies
4. Psychosocial hazards – stress, depression
 Hazards based on air, water, soil and radioisotopes.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commo
ns/thumb/b/b9/GHS-pictogram-
pollu.svg/1200px-GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg.png

3. Air based hazards
Air pollution i.e. presence of chemicals and compounds in air, which lowers the quality of
air or cause changes to quality of life.
 SOURCES- Pesticides, Refineries, Chemical industries, Forest fires, Transportation,
Energy production.
Air pollutants- It is a substance or effect dwelling temporarily or permanently in the air,
which adversely alters the environment by interfering with the health, the comfort or the
food chain, or by interfering with the property values of people.
1. Primary air pollutants: Secondary air pollutants:
CO, Volcanoes, natural gas emissions,
CO2, Fossil fuel combustion, increasing
global temperature.
Nitrogens - Fuel combustion in
automobiles and industries.
Photochemical Smog - ozone

4.  Exposure- Contact with contaminated air, food, water, dust, soil.
 Effects On Humans-
• Short term effects including illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis, irritation to the
nose, throat, eyes or skin, headache, dizziness, and nausea.
• Long term effects last for years or for an entire lifetime and can even lead to person's
death. It includes heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory disease Also causes
damage to people's nerves brain, kidney's and other organs.
 Environmental effects-
• Acid rain- SO2 & NO in air + H2O & 02
• Ozone layer depletion – increased conc. CFC
• Global warming

5.  Control measures-
researchgate.net/figure/Mitigation-measures-to-reduce-air-pollution-
exposure_fig1_347318371

6. Water based hazards
 It is water pollution or contamination of water bodies. Alteration of physical, chemical,
biological characteristics of water, making it unsuitable for use.
 Sources- Industrial wastes,
Domestic sewage,
Thermal and radioactive waste
 Effects- 1. Effect on humans - diseases
2. Effect on environment
3. Physical effects – small suspended particles make water turbid
4. Chemical nutrient effects- toxic metals, nitrates phosphates, acid alkali toxins
change the pH of water
5. Micro-organisms effect – cholera, bacillary dysentery
 Control measures- Water treatments - osmosis
Sanitation
Erosion and sediment control from construction sites

7. Soil Based Hazards
 Soil pollution is contamination of soil with presence of toxic substances.
 Sources- 1. Natural pollutants – Landslides, hurricanes
2. Manmade pollutants – urbanization, mining, industrial waste, domestic
waste, radioactive waste, agriculture
Pollutants found in contaminated soil-
 Effects-
1. Effect on plants and animals – Affects food chain
2. Effect on environment- Decreases crop yield
https://byjus.com/chemistry/soil-pollution/

8.  Control measures-
1. Excavation and subsequent transportation of polluted soils to remote, uninhabited
locations.
2. Extraction of pollutants via thermal remediation – the temperature is raised in order to
force the contaminants into the vapour phase, after which they can be collected through
vapour extraction.
3. Bioremediation or phytoremediation involves the use of microorganisms and plants
for the decontamination of soil.
4. Myco-remediation involves the use of fungi for the accumulation of heavy metal
contaminants.

9. Hazards based on Radioisotopes
 Radioactive pollution caused by the emissions of hazardous ionizing radiation
(radioactive decay) like beta or alpha particles, gamma rays or neurons in the
environment where they exist
 Sources-
1.Nuclear accidents from nuclear energy generation plants
2. The use of nuclear weapons as weapons of mass destruction
3. Use of radioisotopes
4. Mining- major
5. Spillage of radioactive materials
6. Tests on radiation
7. Cosmic rays

10.  Effects - 1 Genetic mutation
2 Diseases- cancer, leukemia, anemia, hemorrhage
3 Soil infertility
 Control measures-
1. Proper method of disposing radioactive waste
2. Proper labelling
3. Banning nuclear test
4. Alternative energy sources
5. Proper storage
6. Reusing

11. MCQ’S
1. What is the most dangerous type of air pollution?
a) Nitrogen dioxide
b) Sulfur dioxide
c) Carbon monoxide
d) Particulate matter.
2. Acid rain is caused by which of the following pollutants?
a) Sulfur dioxide.
b) Carbon monoxide
c) Methane
d) Nitrogen oxide
3. Which of the following is a primary source of air pollution?
a) Oil deposits
b) Trees and vegetation
c) Burning of fossil fuels.
d) Natural gas

12. 4. Which of the following is a major agricultural practice that contributes to environmental
degradation or soil pollution?
a) Crop rotation
b) Organic farming
c) Overuse of fertilizer.
d) Reduced irrigation
5. Which of the following pollutants is a major contributor to ozone depletion?
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Methane
c) Nitrous oxide
d) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

13. 6. What is a common source of hazardous waste?
a) Human waste
b) Medical waste.
c) Agricultural waste
d) Natural disasters
7. What is the primary contributor to water pollution?
a) Oil spills
b) Marine debris
c) Sewage and waste discharge.
d) Industrial runoff
8. What is a common health effect of exposure to air pollution?
a) Respiratory infections.
b) Skin cancer
c) Cardiovascular disease
d) Osteoporosis

14. 9. What are the two primary types of air pollutants?
a) Primary pollutants and secondary pollutants.
b) Gaseous pollutants and particulate matter
c) Organic pollutants and inorganic pollutants
d) Natural pollutants and human-made pollutants
10. Which of the following pollutants can cause acid rain?
a) Nitrogen oxides
b) Sulfur dioxide.
c) Carbon monoxide
d) Lead

15. 11. Which of the following diseases is caused due to consumption of contaminated water?
a) Malaria
b) Cholera.
c) Tuberculosis
d) Dengue fever
12. Which of the following industries contributes the most to soil pollution?
a) Textile
b) Mining.
c) Pharmaceutical
d) Food processing
13.Which of the following is method of water purification that involves passing water through a membrane to remove impurities?
a) Chlorination
b) Boiling
c) Reverse osmosis.
d) Filtration

16. 14. Myco-remdiation involves the use of -
a) All micro-organisms
b) bacteria
c) fungi
d) plants
15. What is the natural pollutant of soil pollution?
a) Mining
b) Landslides.
c) Industrial waste
d) Domestic waste