Sustaining Natural Resources and

Environmental Quality

Environmental hazards – causes and

solutions. Biological hazards – AIDS, Malaria,
Chemical hazards- BPA, PCB, Phthalates,
Mercury, Nuclear hazards- Risk and
Module-3 evaluation of hazards. Water footprint; virtual
water, blue revolution. Water quality
management and its conservation. Solid and
hazardous waste – types and waste
management methods.

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 Sustaining Natural Resources and Environmental quality

 Environmental hazards:
Biological, Chemical, Nuclear; Risk
and evaluation of hazards;

 Water quality management & its

conservation;
Water footprint and virtual water
Are Baby Bottles and Food Cans Blue revolution
Safe to Use?

 Solid waste management

 Climate disruption and ozone

depletion
Kyoto protocol,
Carbon sequestration methods
Montreal Protocol

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Number of deaths per year in the world from various causes

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 World’s seven deadliest infectious diseases: Global outlook by WHO
The world’s seven deadliest infectious diseases kill 11.3 million people per year—
most of them are poor people in less developed countries

This averages about 31,000 mostly preventable deaths every day.

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Zika Virus

6
 What major health hazards do we face?
We face health hazards from

Biological, Chemical, Natural and Cultural factors, and from

the lifestyle choices we make.

We Face Many Types of Hazards; All of us take risks every day.

Examples include
 Choosing to drive or ride in a car through heavy traffic
 Talking on a phone or texting while driving
 Eating foods with a high cholesterol or fat content- contributes to heart
attacks, which kill far more people each year than any other risk
 Drinking alcohol
 Smoking or being in an enclosed space with a smoker
 Lying out in the sun or going to a tanning parlour, which increases the
risk of getting skin cancer
 The major five types of hazards by We suffer harm
The key questions are how serious are the risks we face?
• Biological hazards from more than 1,400 pathogens that can
infect humans.
Pathogen is an organism that can cause disease in another
organism.
Ex. bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa and fungi.
• Chemical hazards from harmful chemicals in air, water, soil,
food, and human-made products.
• Natural hazards such as fire, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions,
floods, and storms.
• Cultural hazards such as unsafe working conditions, unsafe
highways, criminal assault, and poverty.
• Lifestyle choices such as smoking, making poor food choices,
drinking too much alcohol, and having unsafe sex.
 Natural hazards
Beyond Mumbai, two major tropical storms leave trail of destruction from
Hong Kong to Houston
30-08-2017
 Biological Hazards
What types of biological hazards do we face?
The most serious biological hazards we face are infectious diseases such as
AIDS, tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, Flu and malaria.
1.Infectious disease is caused when a pathogen such as a bacterium, virus, or
parasite invades the body and multiplies in its cells and tissues.
Some examples are flu, malaria, tuberculosis, and measles.
2.Bacterial disease such as tuberculosis spreads as the bacteria multiply.
3.Viral disease such as flu or HIV spreads as viruses take over a cell’s genetic
mechanisms to copy themselves.
4.Transmissible disease (contagious or communicable disease) is an infectious
disease that can be transmitted from one person to another.
Examples are flu, tuberculosis, and measles.
5. Non-transmissible disease is caused by other than a living organism and does
not spread from one person to another and tend to develop slowly & have multiple
causes. e.g Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) diseases,
Most of cancers, asthma, diabetes, and malnutrition.
As average life expectancy increases, people are more likely to suffer and die
from non-transmissible diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and
cancers.
 Pathways on which infectious disease organisms
can enter the human body.
There are number of pathways on which infectious disease organisms can enter
the human body.
Diseases can then be spread through air, water, food, and body fluids (feces,
urine, blood), and mucus droplets sprayed by sneezing and coughing.

Epidemic: A large-scale outbreak of an infectious disease in an area or a country.

A global epidemic such as tuberculosis or AIDS is called a pandemic.
 AIDS/HIV?
• Human immunodeficiency virus
• HIV is a retrovirus because it is RNA rather than DNA-based.
• HIV can infect a number of cells, but its main target is a lymphocyte
• Affects - the immune system.
• Break down of the body’s immune system so that it cannot fight off
“opportunistic infections”.

• The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic;

• The global spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome
(AIDS), caused by infection with the human immuno deficiency virus
(HIV), is a major global health threat.

• The virus is transmitted from one person to another through

 Unsafe sex
 The sharing of hypodermic needles by drug users
 Infected mothers who pass the virus on to their children before
or during birth
 Entry of infected fluid into the body
 WAYS SOMEONE CAN GET HIV

Mother to baby through breast

feeding.
Sexual fluids

Mother to baby during

pregnancy or delivery

Blood (infected needles

or blood
13 transfusions)
 WAYS HIV IS NOT TRANSMITTED
Coughing/being in the same room
Sharing the toilet
Touching/shaking hands
Eating from the same dish
Sharing clothes
Mosquitoes
Water
Urine
Saliva
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HIV IS NOT TRANSMITTED BY:
Shaking hands, hugging, dry kissing, sneezing, coughing, mosquito bite, toilet sharing,
sharing of telephones, travelling together, sharing cups, living in same room, playing.
 Malaria

How Do You Differentiate Between Dengue Fever

& Malaria Fever?
 What Is malaria?
 Malaria is a life threatening disease which is
transmitted to humans through the bites of infected
female Anopheles mosquitoes.

A mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by

Protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium

Transmitted only by Anopheles Mosquitoes

(>60 species!)
 Transmission

Anopheles
 MALARIA
• 40% of the world’s population lives in endemic
areas
• 3-500 million clinical cases per year
• 1.5-2.7 million deaths (90% Africa)
• increasing problem (re-emerging disease)
• resurgence in some areas
• drug resistance ( mortality)
• causative agent = Plasmodium species
• protozoan parasite
• member of Apicomplexa
• 4 species infecting humans
• transmitted by Anopheles Mosquitoes
The Global Burden of Malaria

 1.5 – 2.7 million deaths annually

 Over 1 billion clinical episodes
 300 – 500 million people infected
 Every 10 - 30 seconds a child dies of malaria
Who are affected?
Where is malaria a problem?
Why these areas?
Why do you think these areas have high levels
of malaria? What do they have in common?
 Why is malaria a problem?
• Malaria has a significant economic
impact on countries with high levels
of malaria transmission.
• In affected countries the disease
accounts for:
– 40% of public health drug
expenditure
– 30-50% of in patient hospital
admissions
– up to 60% of outpatient health
clinic visits
ADULT AND CHILD MALARIA MORTALITY IN
INDIA

• India had over 200,000 - malaria deaths

(55,000 child, 30,000 at ages 5-14, 120,000 ages 15-69) in
2005

• WHO - total of 5,000 child and 10,000 adult malaria deaths

in India and 100,000 adult malaria deaths worldwide
Half of the malaria deaths were in a few
high-malaria states in eastern India

~100

* Malaria death rates, India 2005, standardized to population aged 0-69

 Chemical Hazards

The drug Thalidomide (Distaval)

was licensed in Britain as an
antiemetic in 1958 & withdrawn in
late 1961.

Between 1959 and 1962 approx.

Are Baby Bottles and Food Cans 2,000 babies were born with
Safe to Use?
deformities due to the drug, and
only 466 survived.
 What types of chemical hazards do we face?
There is growing concern about chemicals in the environment that can
cause

 Cancers and birth defects, and

 Disrupt the human immune, nervous and endocrine systems.

I. Chemicals Cause Cancers, Mutations, and Birth Defects

i. Carcinogens ii. Mutagens iii.Teratogens

II. Chemicals May Affect Our Immune and Nervous Systems

Arsenic, methyl mercury & dioxins can weaken human immune system.
Neurotoxins, can harm the human nervous system of brain, spinal cord and
peripheral nerves. e.g. PCBs, arsenic, lead, and certain pesticides.

III. Toxic Chemicals affecting Children’s:

Bisphenol A (BPA), Melamine- baby formula containing melamine

Some Chemicals Can Cause Cancers, Mutations and Birth Defects
A toxic chemical is one that can cause temporary or permanent harm or death
to humans and animals.

In 2004, the EPA listed as the top five toxic substances in terms of human and
environmental health.
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Vinyl chloride (used to make PVC plastics),
polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)

1. Arsenic
Arsenic pollution of ground water is a natural occurring high concentration of
arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater
In Bangladesh and West Bengal causing various types of abnormalities.

 2007 study reports: Over 137 million people in more than 70 countries
(including USA) are affected by arsenic poisoning of drinking water.

Approximately 20 incidents of groundwater arsenic contamination reported from all

over world
Four major incidents were in Asia in Thailand, Taiwan, Nepal and China.
South American countries: Argentina and Chile have also been affected.
 Arsenic pollution - Bangladesh and West Bengal = Abnormalities

West Bengal in 1978 Bangladesh in 1993

 Three major types of potentially toxic agents.

I. Carcinogens II. mutagens III.Teratogens

I. Carcinogens
The first major type of toxic agent is Carcinogens.

Carcinogens are chemicals, types of radiation, or certain viruses that can

cause or promote cancer.

Cancer: Disease in which malignant cells multiply uncontrollably and

create tumors that can damage the body and often lead to premature
death.

Examples of carcinogens:
Arsenic, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Gamma radiation,
PCBs, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, Vinyl chloride.
Radon, Certain chemicals in tobacco smoke (Benzopyrene)
 II. Mutagens
The second major type of toxic agent is mutagens,

It includes chemicals or forms of radiation that cause or increase the

frequency of mutations, or changes, in the DNA molecules found in cells.

Most mutations cause no harm but some can lead to cancers and other
disorders.

For example,
 Nitrous acid (HNO2), formed by the digestion of nitrite (NO2–)

 preservatives in foods, can cause mutations linked to increases in

stomach cancer in people who consume large amounts of processed
foods and wine containing such preservatives.

Harmful mutations occurring in reproductive cells can be passed on to

offspring and to future generations.
 III.Teratogens

Teratogens are chemicals that cause harm or birth defects to a foetus or

embryo.

 Ethyl alcohol is a teratogen.

Drinking during pregnancy can lead to off-spring with low birth weight and a number
of physical, developmental, behavioural, and mental problems.

Other teratogens are

Dust, Benzene, Formaldehyde, Lead,
Mercury PCBs, Phthalates, Vinyl chloride.

Thalidomide
PCBs- polychlorinated biphenyls: chlorine-containing organic compounds

Between 2001 and 2006, birth defects in Chinese infants soared by nearly 40%.
Officials link this to the country’s growing pollution, especially from coal-burning
power plants and industries.
 Teratogens: Thalidomide
Thalidomide (Distaval) was developed by German pharmaceutical company
Grünenthal. 1st October 1957.

It is a sedative drug introduced in the late 1950s that was used to treat morning
sickness and aid sleep. It was sold from 1957 until 1961,

Between 1959 and 1962 approximately 2,000 babies were born with deformities
due to the drug, and only 466 survived.

Thalidomide: S-isomer Sedative - Teratogenic

R-isomer Sedative - No teratogenic.
Effect = catastrophic deformations of the baby –
best seen as limb abnormalities.
 Teratogens: PCBs- polychlorinated biphenyl compounds
PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are a class of more than 200 chlorine-containing organic
compounds that are very stable and non-flammable.

 They exist as oily liquids or solids under certain conditions,

 Can enter the air as a vapour and travel long distances in the air and be deposited
far away from where they were released.
 Can enter to air, water, and soil during their manufacture, use, and disposal, from
accidental spills and leaks.

PCBs can also be biologically magnified in food chains and webs, as DDT.

As a result, PCBs are now found almost every where—in soil, air, lakes, rivers, fish, birds,
your body and even the bodies of polar bears in the Arctic.
PCBs are even present in the milk of some nursing mothers.

Between 1929 and 1977, PCBs were widely used as

Lubricants, Hydraulic fluids and
Insulators in electrical transformers and capacitors.
Ingredients in paints, fire retardants in fabrics, preservatives, adhesives and
pesticides.

1996 study related fetal exposure to PCBs in the womb to learning disabilities in children.
 Mercury and its compounds
Mercury and its compounds are all toxic.

Long-term exposure to high levels of mercury can permanently damage the

human nervous system, kidneys and lungs.

Fairly low levels of mercury can also harm foetuses & cause birth defects.

Methyl Mercury- Minamata Disease

Humans are exposed to mercury in three ways.

i. We may inhale vaporized elemental mercury (Hg) or particles of inorganic

mercury salts - HgS and HgCl2.

Ii. We may eat fish contaminated with highly toxic methyl mercury (CH3Hg+).

iii. Consuming high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), widely used as a

sweetener in beverages and food products.
Number of ways to prevent or control inputs of
mercury into the environment

mostly coal-burning
power plants and
incinerators
Hazardous Chemicals in Medical Devices
PHTHALATES
What are phthalates?

• Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften

and increase the flexibility of plastic and vinyl.
• Polyvinyl chloride is made softer and more flexible by
the addition of phthalates.
• Phthalates are used in hundreds of consumer
products.
• Phthalates are used in cosmetics and personal care
products, including perfume, hair spray, soap,
shampoo, nail polish, and skin moisturizers
Common Phthalates, Their Primary Functions and Products in Which They
Are Used
DEHP (Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthlate)
Primarily used as a plasticizer for PVC
Dolls, shoes, raincoats, clothing, medical devices (plastic tubing
and intravenous storage bags), furniture, automobile upholstery,
and floor tiles

DINP (Diisononyl phthalate)

Primarily used as a plasticizer for PVC
Teethers, rattles, balls, spoons, toys, gloves, drinking straws,
rubber, adhesives, ink, sealant, paints and lacquers, food and
food related uses, clothes, shoes, car and public transport interior

DBP (Dibutyl phthalate)

Used as a plasticizer for PVC, poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) and rubber.
Also used as solvent and fixative in paint and cosmetics.
Latex adhesives, sealants, car care products, cosmetics, some
inks and dyes, insecticides, food wrapping materials, home
furnishing, paint, clothing and pharmaceutical coating
 Lead and its hazardous
Lead Is a Highly Toxic Pollutant:

Lead (Pb) is a pollutant that is found in air, water, soil, plants, and animals.

Because it is a chemical element, lead does not break down in the environment.
This indestructible and potent neurotoxin can harm the nervous system,
especially in young children.

The major source for Lead Poisoning:

 Peeling lead-based paint found in 38 million houses built before 1978 in U.S
 Lead can also leach from water pipes and
 Faucets (Exposed plumbing Fitting) containing lead parts or
 Lead solder (alloy used to join small pieces of metal together).
 Lead smelters ( Melting or fusion to extract a metal from its ore)
 Waste incinerators
 Exhaust fumes of vehicles burning leaded gasoline.
 Are Baby Bottles and Food Cans Safe to Use?
Bisphenol A (BPA)
It is a chemical building block in certain hardened plastics (especially
shatter-proof polycarbonate).
These are used in a variety of products including
baby bottles and sipping cups, reusable water bottles,
sports drink and juice bottles, microwave dishes, food storage
containers.
BPA is also used in the plastic resins that line nearly all food and soft drink cans.
It is a concern that bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen mimic, can leach out of
polycarbonate baby bottles, especially when they are warmed, microwaved, or
used to hold acidic juices.

Bisphenol A can act as hormone disruptors and may have a number of harmful
health effects on humans, especially children.

Melamine- baby formula containing melamine

Common chemical recently blamed for health
problems in children is melamine which is added
to some - Industrialized food products and to
cleaning products and building materials.
Estimating human exposure to chemicals and measuring the effects of that
exposure are very difficult
 How can we evaluate chemical hazards?
Scientists use live laboratory animals, case reports of poisonings, and
epidemiological studies to estimate the toxicity of chemicals, but these methods
have limitations.

Estimate the Harmful Effects of Chemicals

 Scientists Use Live Laboratory Animals & Non-Animal Tests
 Epidemiological studies
 Case Reports of poisonings – Case Study
Live Laboratory Animals & Non-Animal Tests to Estimate Toxicity

Chemicals vary widely in their toxicity.

Some poisons can cause serious harm or death after single exposure at very
low dosages.

Others cause such harm only at dosages so huge that it is nearly impossible
to get enough into the body to cause injury or death.
 Risk assessment
Risk assessment is the process of using statistical methods to estimate
harmfulness with a particular hazard can cause to human health or to the
environment.

It helps us to estimate the probability of a risk, compare it with the probability of

other risks, and establish priorities for avoiding or managing risks.

Risk management involves deciding whether or how to reduce a particular risk to

a certain level and at what cost.

Risk assessment and risk management are used to estimate the seriousness
of various risks and how to reduce such risks.
 Prolonged smoking and exposure to air pollutants

Difference between normal human lungs (left) and the lungs of a person who
died of emphysema (right). The major cause is prolonged smoking and
exposure to air pollutants.

Passive smoking or breathing second hand smoke, poses health hazards for
children and adults. Children who grow up living with smokers are more likely
to develop allergies and asthma.

Among adults, non-smoking spouses of smokers have a 30% higher risk

of both heart attack and lung cancer than spouses of non-smokers have.
Nuclear Hazards

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Radioactive substance are present in Nature

Undergo natural radioactive decay in which

unstable isotopes spontaneously give out fast
moving particles, high energy radiation or both,
at a fixed rate until a new isotope is formed

Energy: either gamma rays or Ionization

Particles

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 Penetration power of ionization radiations
emitted by radioisotopes

Beta – wood or few millimeters of aluminum

sheet
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 Effects of Radioactivity
• Radiation affects all living organisms
• Causes harmful changes in the body cells and also in
the genetic level
i) Genetic damage: Induces mutation in DNA-affects
genes and chromosomes.
-damage is often seen in offspring and may be
transmitted up to several generations
ii) Somatic damage: Includes burns, miscarriages,
eye cataracts and cancer for bone, thyroid, breast,
lungs and skin

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Genetic effects are damages to genes and
chromosomes that affect future generations.

Somatic effects are cell damages that pass on to

succeeding cell generations.

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• Damage is depends on the penetration level of the radiation
• α-particles has less penetration power than β- particle
• Radio isotopes enter into the environment during mining of
Uranium
• Radio isotopes enter in to humans by water (contamination of
underground bodies) & food (Radioactivity in the earth’s crust
enters the crops grown there)
• Radioactive Iodine (I131)- thyroid gland - Cancer
• Radioactive Strontium (Sr90)—bones – Leukemia or cancer of
bone marrow

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Acute exposure is sudden exposure to higher levels of
radiation over a short period of time.
Radiation leakage accidents:
- Radiation treatment labs
- Nuclear plants

Chronic exposure is continuous exposure to low levels

of radiation over a long period of time

- Handling nuclear waste

- Soil contaminants
- Water contaminants

No radiation exposure is completely risk free

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Water Footprints, Virtual Water
and Water conservation
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 Water footprints:(WF)
Water footprints:
The measure of the volume of fresh water that we use directly
and indirectly to keep us alive and to support our lifestyles.

Water footprint is the amount of water we use in and around our home, school
or office throughout the day.

It includes
The water we use directly (e.g., from a tap).
Water it took to produce the food we eat,
The products we buy,
The energy we consume and
Even the water we save when we recycle.

You may not drink, feel or see this virtual water, but it actually makes up the
majority of your water footprint.

Water footprints can be calculated for

individuals, households, businesses and countries.
 Water footprints:(WF)
According to the American Waterworks Association, each day the
average Americans directly uses about 260 litres (69 gallons) of water —
enough water to fill about 1.7 typical bathtubs of water (each containing
about 151 litres, or 40 gallons, of water).

In the United States, this water is used mostly for

Flushing toilets (27%), Washing clothes (22%),
Taking showers (17%), Running faucets (16%),
Wasted by water leaks (14%).

By contrast, the world’s poorest people each use less than 19 liters (5
gallons) of water a day, on average.

We use much larger amounts of water indirectly, because water is

used to provide us with food and other consumer products.
 The water footprint concept
► The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks
at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer.

► Water use is measured in terms of:

- water volumes consumed (evaporated or otherwise not
returned)
- polluted per unit of time.

► Geographically explicit.

► A Water Footprint can be calculated for:

 process
 product
 consumer
 group of consumers (e.g. municipality, province, state)
 producer (e.g. a public organization, private enterprise)
 Why Do Water Footprints Matter?
Freshwater is vital to life & as the world’s population grows- use of it.

Globally, the increase is due in part to more people drinking and bathing, but as
developing countries like China and India grow more prosperous, more people are
consuming more water-intensive food, electricity and consumer goods.

This puts pressure on water resources, which is a concern in the arid parts of the
US and the rest of the world where food is grown, goods are manufactured and
water is already in short supply.

By the year 2030, experts predict that global demand for water will outstrip supply
by 40 percent.

Impacts from climate change may

increase the likelihood of changes to the water cycle,
leading to prolonged periods of drought (and, conversely,
more extreme rainfall).
Reduced water supplies could add to water insecurity both in the US and
in other countries.
 Water Footprints calculation
Water footprints help individuals, businesses and countries because
- reveal water use patterns, from the individual level and all
the way to the national level.

They shine a light on the water used in all the processes involved in
manufacturing and producing our goods and services.

A water footprint also accounts for

The amount of water contaminated during manufacturing
and production because that water is made unusable and is
essentially, taken out of the system.

The water footprint gives everyone –

From individuals to business managers to public officials – a
solid frame of reference that

It helps us all be more efficient and sustainable with our water use
and appreciate the role of water in our lives.
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 Water footprint of a product
What Makes a Blue, Green or Grey Water Footprint?

A water footprint is measured in terms of the volume of water

consumed, evaporated and polluted.

The Water Footprint Network, whose research provides data that drive our
calculator, splits water footprints into three corresponding categories:

Blue Water Footprint:

The amount of surface and groundwater required (evaporated or used
directly) to make a product.

Green Water Footprint:

The amount of rainwater required (evaporated or used directly) to
make a product.

Grey Water Footprint:

The amount of freshwater required to mix and dilute pollutants
enough to maintain water quality according to certain standards (like the ones
established in the US Clean Water Act) as a result of making a product.
 Water footprint of a product

Green water footprint

► volume of rainwater
evaporated.

Blue water footprint

► volume of surface or
groundwater
evaporated.

Grey water footprint

► volume of polluted water.
 0.16 1. 07 Cotton seed oil,
Production chain 0.47
Cotton seed oil 1. 00 refined

cotton Cotton seed

Hulling/ 0.51 Cotton seed
extraction 0.33 cake

0 .63
0 .18 0.10
0.20
Cotton linters
Harvesting
Cotton plant Seed-cotton Ginning
0 .05
0 .35 0 .10
Garnetted stock
0 .82

1.00 Cotton, not Carding/

Cotton lint 1.00 carded or combed Spinning

0. 95 Cotton, carded or
0.99 combed (yarn)

Knitting/
weaving
0. 95 0.05
0.99 0.10

Grey fabric Yarn waste

W et processing

1. 00
1. 00

Fabric
Legend
Finishing

0 .35 Product fraction 1. 00

1. 00

0 .82 Value fraction Final textile

This is a global average and aggregate number. Policy decisions should be taken on the basis of:
1. Actual water footprint of certain coffee at the precise production location.
2. Ratio green/blue/grey water footprint.
3. Local impacts of the water footprint based on local vulnerability and scarcity.
 Virtual water
Water that is not directly consumed but is used to produce
food and other products is called virtual water.
It makes up a large part of our water footprints, especially in more-
developed countries.

Examples of the amounts of virtual water used for producing and delivering
products.

These values can vary, depending on how much of the supply chain is
included, but they give us a rough estimate of the size of our water footprints.

Producing and delivering a typical hamburger, for example, takes about 2,400
liters (630 gallons) of water—most of which is used to grow the grain that is
fed to cattle. This water would fill about 16 bathtubs.

Similarly, according to the Coca Cola Company, it takes about 500 liters (132
gallons)—roughly 3 bathtubs of water—to make a 2-liter (0.5-gallon) bottle of
soda, if you include the water used to grow and harvest ingredients such as
sugar cane.
 Virtual water
Some countries, makes sense to save real water
By importing virtual water through food imports, instead of producing
all of their food domestically.

Such countries include Egypt and other Middle Eastern nations in dry climates
with little water.

Five countries— Netherlands, Jordan, United Kingdom, Japan & South Korea.
Depend on virtual water imports for more than 62% of their water needs.
Virtual water: Comparison of different products
These values can vary, depending on how much of
the supply chain is included, but they give us a
rough estimate of the size of our water footprints.

Because of global trade, the virtual water used to

produce and transport the wheat in a loaf of bread
or the coffee beans used to make a cup of coffee.

For some countries, it makes sense to save real

water by importing virtual water through food
imports, Instead of producing all of their food
domestically.

Such countries include Egypt and other Middle

Eastern nations in dry climates with little water.

About 70% of the world’s water is used for

irrigation, because it takes about 1,000 metric tons
(900 tons) of water to produce 1 metric ton (0.9
ton) of grain.
 Virtual water
Large exporters of virtual water is mostly in the form of wheat, corn, soybeans,
and other foods—are the European Union, the United States, Brazil, and
Australia.

U.S. corn crop is now being converted to ethanol to “feed” cars instead of
people and livestock.
The government of India
foresees a programme
named “Blue Revolution”
to unlock the inactive
potential in fisheries
sector.

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 World population
continues to expand
Per capita food
consumption
continues to rise
Consumers continue to
demand improved
taste, convenience,
nutrition and health

•India will experience slow improvement and will remain 3rd of all
malnourished children in the developing world

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 The Blue Revolution:
Why India Needs to Do Better at Farming the Seas

 The so-called Blue Revolution, taking food production off the land and
into the waters of the globe, is already well advanced.

 Aquaculture is the fastest growing source of food in the world at the

moment.

 We stand astride the moment when aquaculture production is finally

overtaking the “wild fishery” as the largest source of protein from the sea.

 Wild Fishery as the primary alternative source for meat and other animal
products.

Securing Aquaculture’s Future in India

101
 Movement aimed at increasing drastically the global
food production using aquaculture.

 Aquaculture: refers to all forms of active culturing of

aquatic animals and plants, occurring in marine,
brackish or freshwaters.

 Encourage fish farming.

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Fish farming (hatchery)
Genetically engineered fish
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Water Conservation

Water should be conserved.

Do you agree?
 Water conservation
Water: Most precious & indispensable resource needs to be conserved.
 Water conservation
Water: Most precious & indispensable resource needs to be conserved.
 Water conservation
• The process of saving water for future utilization is known as water
conservation.

• WATER- “ The Source of Life”

Water: Most precious & indispensable resource needs to be
conserved.

 There are some places where a barrel of water costs more than a
barrel of oil.

• Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of

waste water for different purposes such as
Cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.

Water conservation can be defined as:

• A reduction in water use accomplished by implementation of water
conservation measures
• Improved water management practices that reduce or enhance the
beneficial use of water.
Water conservation and watershed management
Important sectors of human activity, which require water,
 Irrigation
 Industries
 Live stock management
 Thermal power generation
 Domestic requirements
 Hydroelectric generation,
 Fisheries navigation and recreational activities

Water efficiency is a tool of water

conservation. That results in
more efficient water usage and
thus reduces water demand.
 Water conservation
The goals of water conservation efforts include as follows:

Sustainability:
To ensure availability for future generations.
• The three principles of sustainability can guide us in using water more
sustainably during this century.

 Scientists hope to use solar energy to desalinate water and

increase supplies.

 Recycling more water will also help us to reduce water waste.

 Preserving biodiversity by avoiding disruption of aquatic systems

and their adjacent terrestrial systems is a key factor in maintaining
water supplies and water quality.
 Water conservation: Commercial applications
• Many water-saving devices (Low-flush toilets) that are useful in
homes can also be useful for business water saving.
• Other water-saving technology for businesses includes:
Waterless urinals.

• Waterless car washes

• Utilization of Lake Water and or Sea Water for Cooling Towers

• Water-saving steam sterilizers, for use in hospitals and health

care facilities.

• One of the method of water conservation is rain water

harvesting.
Conservation of our water resources
• Stop wastage of water
– Stop leakage in taps
– Reduce the flow of water in the taps
– Close taps when not using.

• Change agricultural methods

– Organic pesticides and fertilizers
– Drip irrigation

• Build several small reservoirs

– Instead of one big dam

• Soil management – Afforestation/ reforestation

• Treat waste water
• Rain water harvesting in urban areas
• Reduce water evaporation losses
• Industries should be made to treat their effluents before mixing
with water bodies.
• Pricing water – water cost should be paid by the consumer?
112
 How does human activities interfere
with the water cycle
Global
warming,
deforest pollution

Ground
Soil
water
pollution
extraction
&
Pollution Dams/reservoir

113
Environmental Impacts of Big Dams

114
 Water conservation practices
Decreasing run-off losses
Infiltration into the soil can reduce loss

 Contour cultivation
 Conservation bench terracing
 Water spreading – channeling, lagoon- leveling
 Chemical wetting agents
 Surface crop residue
 Chemical conditioners – Gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O)
 In Sodic soils – HPAN (hydrolysed polyacrylonitrile)
improve permeability
 Water-storage structures – ponds, dug-outs
Water conservation practices
• Reducing evaporation losses
Some methods available
• Use of asphalt sheets below the soil
• Super slurper – copolymer of acrylonitrile and
starch retains 35-40% of moisture
• Planting trees on the edges of fields
• Storing water in soil
– Some water is stored in soil in the root zone. If
the land is left fallow for some time that water
will become available
Water conservation practices
• Reducing irrigation losses
– Covered canals to reduce seepage
– Irrigation in early morning or evening
– Sprinklers
– Use of less water requiring hybrid varieties
– Drip irrigation

• Reuse
– Treated water can be reused
– Water from washings bath tubs etc (grey water)
for watering gardens
Water conservation practices
Stop wastage
• Close taps
• Repair leaks
• Use small capacity flush
Increase block pricing
• Put a charge on water
Introduce proper laws
Educate people
Rainwater Harvesting
 Rainwater Harvesting

• What is it and why do we need it?

• Why are some of the cities like

Chennai or Mumbai facing water
problems?

• Because of less rainfall?

 Comparison of rainfall in 5 Indian cities
35.0
Rainfall in inches

30.0
Mumbai
25.0

20.0

15.0 Chennai
Calcutta
10.0
Delhi
5.0
Bangaloru
0.0

September

November

December
January

February

August

October
March

June

July
April

May

Months
Bangaloru gets 37”annually but the rainfall is more spread
out. Delhi = 32.1” Mumbai=120” Calcutta=62.3”
Chennai = 50”
Flood and Drought
 Rainwater harvesting

• It is a technique of increasing the recharge

of groundwater by capturing and storing
rainwater

• This is done by construction of special

water harvesting structures like dug wells,
percolation pits, lagoons, check dams etc.
 Rainwater harvesting
• Obectives
– Reduce run off loss
– Avoid flooding of roads
– Meet the increasing demands of water
– Raise the water table
– Reduce groundwater contamination
– Supplement groundwater supplies during
lean season
 Rainwater harvesting

Methods of rainwater harvesting are

1. Storing in tanks or reservoirs above or below

ground
2. Constructing pits, dug wells, lagoons trenches
or check dams on rivers and streams
3. By recharging groundwater
Roof-top rainwater harvesting
Traditional rainwater harvesting
• What were the good deeds of Samrat Asoka?
• In ancient India there were lakes and ponds in every
village constructed by kings
• In Rajasthan underground tanks and embankments
were found
• In Himalayan regions bamboo pipes were used to
draw water from streams
• Collecting rain water from roof-tops is one of the
oldest techniques in India – modernized
• In villages lake cut ponds were made. In Tamilnadu,
they had separate such ponds for bathing, washing
and drinking.
 What is Watershed?
• Watershed – a delineated area with well
defined topographical boundary

• The land area from which water drains to

a drainage channel – stream, river etc.

• Also called as catchment area, drainage

basin, river basin etc.

• Watersheds have a well defined boundary

and one water outlet.
 Importance of watershed

• Food production – Irrigation

• Power generation – hydroelectric power
• Transportation (water line)
Watershed Management
 Watershed degradation
• Watershed is degraded due to improper
land management
– overgrazing
– mining
– deforestation
– construction activities and industrialization
– shifting cultivation
– fires
– soil erosion
– and ignorance of local people
 Watershed Management
• It is defined as

“Rational utilization of land and water

resources for optimum production
causing minimum damage to the natural
resources”
 Watershed Management -
Objectives
• To restore watershed through proper land use
– soil conservation and moisture retention

• To make watershed available for domestic

water supply, irrigation, hydropower
generation in a sustainable manner

• To minimize the risks of floods, drought and

landslides

• To develop rural areas in the region to improve

their economy
 Watershed Management Practices
• Water harvesting - Proper storage of water
• Afforestation and Agroforestry
• -Helps to prevent soil erosion and retention of
moisture
- In high rainfall areas woody trees reduce runoff –
done in Dehradun
• Mechanical measures
- Terracing
- no-till farming
- contour cropping
- strip cropping etc
Watershed Management Practices

• Scientific mining - Planting some soil

binding plants to minimize destruction to
watershed

• Public participation
– Farmers and tribes are key to the
success of watershed management
– So, people’s cooperation should be
encouraged.
– NGO are encouraged – they work either
with or without local people’s
cooperation
139
Solid Waste -Problems

140
 General Composition of Solid Waste

% may vary depend upon the country, city and

region 141
 Type of solid waste

Biodegradable Non Biodegradable

Can be degraded Can’t be degraded

by microorganisms by microorganisms
(Food waste, egg shells, leaves) (Polymers, metal, bottles)

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Management of Solid Waste

147
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149
• Machine From Japan Turns Office
Waste Into Toilet Paper

150
 Waste disposal

Methods of Discarding Wastes

1. Sanitary Landfill

2. Composting

3. Incineration

151
What is a Sanitary Landfill?
Sanitary landfills are sites where waste is
isolated from the environment until it is safe.

152
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Composting: Method of treating municipal solid waste
A biological process in which the organic portion of refuse is
allowed to decompose under carefully controlled conditions.
Microbes metabolize the organic waste material and reduce its
volume by as much as 50 percent. The stabilized product is called
compost or humus. 156
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 August 31, 2017

Kenya Becomes Latest Country to Ban Plastic Bags

Will Kenya's war on plastic be successful this time?

162
In Kenya, Selling or Importing Plastic Bags Will Cost You $19,000 — or Jail

163
Kenya has imposed the world's strictest law against plastic bags, even
carrying one is banned

164
Reading Assignment:
Role of an individual in prevention of pollution

165
 Pollution Case Studies
o Donora Air pollution – Oct 1948

o Arsenic Pollution – From 1978

o Bhopal Gas Tragedy – 3rd Dec 1984

o Love Canal Tragedy – Between 1942-1953

o Chernobyl – April 26th 1986

o London Smog – 9th Dec 1952

 Donora Air pollution
 Pennsylvania, USA – 1948
 20 people died when inversion occurred
 What is inversion?
– it is a meteorological phenomenon
Normally,
 The air near the surface of earth is warmer than the
layers above.
 What happens if the opposite happens?
 Cold gases are trapped below layers of hot gases
– This is inversion or temperature inversion
168
 Donora Air pollution
 Donora is a small place in a valley near to a river
 Inversion occurred due to cold breeze from the river
 The area contained ZINC SMELTER & SULFURIC ACID
PLANT
 The gaseous pollutants like Sulfuric acid, Nitrogen dioxide,
Fluorine etc., got trapped in the fog
 6000 people fell ill and 20 died
 Even ten years after, mortality rates were significantly higher
 Arsenic Pollution

 WB in 1978 and
Bangladesh in 1993

 Ground water is
polluted by arsenic
 Arsenic Pollution
 Initially thought to be due to
changing geological conditions

 Later found to be due to use of

Lead arsenate and copper
arsenite as pesticides

 Arsenic poisoning kills by

inhibition of essential metabolic
enzymes, leading to death from
multi-system organ failure
 Bhopal Gas Tragedy
 3rd Dec1984
 Union Carbide produces pesticide Carbaryl
(carbamate)
 Methyl isocyanate (MIC) was stored
 Accidental entry of water into the reaction mixture
was the cause of explosion
 5100 people were killed, 2600 due to direct exposure
and others due to after effects –within 3 days
 2,50,000 got exposed.
Facts:
 Safety systems were not maintained properly & were
not in working condition
 MIC was stored in a big tank instead of small drums
173
 Love Canal Tragedy
 Near Niagara falls
 Love canal was built by a man called
William Love
 Used to dump steel drums of
chemical waste
 After dumping the canal was filled
with clay and was sold to city Board
of Education
 Small children in that area started
getting burns
 The drums started leaking, 26
hazardous chemicals dissolved in
sewers
 Later the chemicals were pumped out
and the land was filled with clay,
people in that area were relocated
 Chernobyl – April 26th, 1986
 Accident in nuclear power station occurred due to
improper shutting of the plant in Ukraine
 Temperature increased to 2000 degrees centigrade
 2 Explosions occurred
 1000 tone steel concrete lid blew off and radioactive
materials sprayed over the area
 Contained I-131, Cs-134 & Cs-137
 First day 31 died, 239 were hospitalized
 Later cases found: Thyroid cancer and leukemia,
ulcerating skin, nausea, anemia, Blood abnormalities
 Agriculture was damaged
 Flora and fauna damaged
 London smog
On 9 December 1952, in London
 Being very cold, most houses kept fires burning, with coal as
the major fuel.
 The smoke from these fires mixed with the fog and was unable
to disperse, resulting in a smog which persisted for 4 days.
 The pH of air during the Great London Smog was as low as 1.6.
 During this period some 4000 more people died than would
expected at this time of the year.
 Most of these additional deaths were due to respiratory
disorders.
 Coal containing high sulfur content releases sulfur dioxide
when burnt. The sulfur dioxide dissolved in moisture caused
the low pH.
177