5.1 Nature of pollution

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5.1 Nature of pollution
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Pollution

• The contamination of air, water, or soil by
  substances that are harmful to living organisms.
• Pollution can occur naturally,(ex. through
  volcanic eruptions), or unnaturally (ex. the
  spilling of oil and disposal or industrial waste)
• Two Types of Pollution Point source pollution
  and non-point source

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Point Source Pollution

• Point source Pollution that can be traced back
  to a single origin or source (ex. sewage
  treatment plant discharge).
• Point source pollution has a localized impact is
  easier to manage.
• Can be challenging because it is more scattered
  and can be very numerous

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Non-Point Source Pollution

• Non-point source Pollution which cannot be
  traced back to a single origin or source (ex.
  storm water runoff, water runoff from urban areas
  and failed septic systems).
• More difficult to identify and manage
• Hard to assign responsibility

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Point source or non-point source?
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Sources of Pollution

• Fossil fuels - release greenhouse gases, can
  contribute to respiratory problems and acid rain
• Domestic waste - food waste, sewage, rubbish
  (glass, plastics, paper, wood, metals)
• Industrial waste - heavy metals, heat (in air
  and/or water), acids
• Agricultural waste - fertilizers, animal waste,
  and pesticides contaminate water sources

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Non-point source pollution
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Sources of Pollution

• Combustion of Fossil Fuels
• Domestic
• Industrial Waste
• Agriculture Systems

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The Era of Fossil Fuels

• Fossil fuels petroleum, natural gas and coal
• Currently 90 of current US energy from fossil
  fuels
• Expected oil production peak2020-2030
• Consumption of energy currently increasing
• Projected world oil production will be exhausted
  by 2100
• Produces significant and diverse pollution
  problems
• Greenhouse gases
• Gaseous sulfur and nitrogen oxides
• Land-based disturbances

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What is crude oil?

• Crude oil is a liquid mixture of thousands of
  organic chemicals found underground.
• Result of decaying organic matter over thousands
  of years (fossil fuel)
• Found all over the world and varies tremendously
  in its density, sulfur and metals content

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Oil Refinery and the BP oil rig
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The Refinery
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World oil reserves
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Coal

• Coal provides 25 of worlds commercial energy
  22 of U.S. energy
• Advantages
• Worlds most abundant fossil fuel
• Cheap
• Disadvantages
• Dangerous to mine,
• Harms land, water and air
• Causes smog, acid rain and global warming

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World Coal Reserves
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Health impacts

• 131 million Americans live in areas with smog
  pollution
• Over 45,000 lives are cut short by air pollution
• It is estimated that every year 60,000 children
  may be born at significantly increased risk of
  neurological defects due to mothers eating
  mercury contaminated fish.

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Mercury Contamination
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Oil Spills

• 31,000 gallons of spilled oil into waterways each
  day
• Between 1973 and 1993 there were 200,000 oil
  spills in the U.S. waters spilling more than 230
  million gallons of oil

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Land Destruction

• Mountaintop removal in west Virginia (for coal)
• Tens of thousands of coal bed methane wells in
  Powder river basin in Wyoming.

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Global Warming

• Only 4 of world population produces 25 of the
  carbon dioxide pollution
• Projected that the Earths surface temperature
  will increase between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees F by
  2100 if no major efforts are taken to reduce
  carbon emissions