BIOLOGY FORM 4 CHAPTER 9 - ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEM .POLLUTION.

BY 4 SCIENCE 2013 - YAP MEI JEAN - LOW YEN YEE TEACHER - MR. SHAIK ALAWDEEN

P O L L U T I O N

Air Pollution

Noise Pollution

Pollution

Water Pollution

Thermal Pollution

The condition when pollutants enter the air from various sources.
Sources: Factories that pump large amounts of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere. Exhaust fumes from motor vehicles contains soot, lead, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen. Open burning and forest fire that release excessive smokes with suspended solids and pollutant gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Coal-fired power stations that release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Quarries, cement factories and sawmills which emit dusts into the air.

Air Pollution

Effects
Formation of haze and excessive smokes in air that: -Decrease light penetration and cause the deposition of dust and carbon particles on the stomata of leaves. Photosynthesis would be affected and crop production of reduced. - Reduce visibility and may lead to the closure of airports.

-Coat the buildings and structures with layers of carbon and dirt thus increase the maintenance coats.
- Cause health problems such as bronchitis, rhinitis, eye irritation and conjunctivitis.

Acid Rain
Gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide combine with water vapour in the atmosphere, forming nitric acid and sulphuric acid which then fall as acid rain.

 The adverse effects of acid rains are:

- Soil becomes more acidic and less suitable for planting of crops. - Salts in the soil would be dissolved and carried into rivers and lakes. High level of certain salts such as aluminium salts may be poisonous to aquatic organisms. - Erosion of bridges, metal railings and also the limestone or marble structures. - Affected plans growth when chlorophylls and photosynthesis tissues are destroyed.

Trees badly damaged by acid rain.

Air Pollution Index(API)

API
0 50

A system adopted by Malaysia Government to indicate the level of air pollution based on its health impact
Descriptor
Good Moderate Unhealthy Very unhealthy

51 100 101 200 201 300

> 300

Hazardous

- The condition when pollutants enter the water sources such as lake, rivers and sea from various activities.

Sources: Domestic activities -The disposal of solid wastes like rubbish, detergents and sewage from housing areas. Industrial activities -Untreated waste toxic chemicals such as mercury, lead, zinc. -Radioactive waste substances. Agricultural practices -The run-off excessive use of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Shipping activities - Crude oil spills from tanker ships.

Leaching of inorganic fertilisers / input of untreated sewage / run off animal waste Increase in mineral nutrients into bodies of water Algae bloom (rapid growth of algae) Restricts the penetration of light into the water Death of other aquatic photosynthetic plants and algae Decomposition by bacteria (rapid growth of bacteria) Bacteria use up oxygen BOD level increase Aquatic organisms die

High BOD and the spread of water borne diseases. -The presence of organic materials in water promotes rapid growth of micro-organisms such as algae, bacteria, and protozoa. These lead to the increase of BOD (Biological/Biochemical Oxygen Demand). When dissolved oxygen in water is reduced, the life of the living aquatic organisms would be affected. Thus, the high BOD value indicates that the level of water pollution is high. Water polluted with pathogenic bacteria, protozoa and virus may spread infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery and hepatitis A.

Accumulation of toxic materials. -The illegal dumping of waste and the discharging of effluent from heavy industries are the main sources of toxic pollution in water resources. -Heavy metal ions such as arsenic, Cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc, and organic chemicals toxics such as DDT, benzene in water would accumulate in the benthic organisms and the producers, which would be passes up to the higher level of organisms via food chains. Bioaccumulation of these metal ions and toxic chemicals would cause devastating effects in human such as damage of body organs and gene mutation that would lead to cancer and leukaemia. Environment disaster Spillage of crude oil from tankers into the sea can cause major environment disaster. The layer of oil on the surface of sea would: -Prevent the light from penetrating into the sea water, thus the photosynthetic activities of aquatic plants are disturbed. -Reduce the exchange of oxygen between the air and the sea water, thus affect the organisms living in the water. -Poison certain animals when they come in contact with this oil. -Damaged animals fur and birds feathers when coated with oil, thus they could neither fly nor escape themselves from predators. They could not also keep their bodies warm buy will die by freezing to death.

Definition: The condition where the temperature of the surrounding increase when excess heat is released into the environment. Sources: Reflection of heat from glass buildings that increases the temperature of surrounding air. Factories that use water to cool down machineries release warm water into the rivers, lakes or seas. Nuclear reactors release hot water into the river, lakes or seas. Effects: Many aquatic organisms would die as they cannot tolerate the rise in the surrounding water temperature. The increase in the water temperature of as much as 5 above the normal water temperature would be fatal to aquatic organisms that only survive within a certain range of temperature. Increase in BOD value when the metabolic rate of aquatic organisms increases. Warm water contains less dissolved oxygen for the respiration of aquatic organisms such as the planktons, thus the food webs are distured when planktons die. Migrations of organisms occur when the food chains are affected and the ecosystem balance is disturbed.

Noise Pollution
Definition: The condition where the unwanted human-created around disrupts the environment or because harmful to human health and welfare. Sources: Trains Aeroplane Motor vehicles Factory machines Drilling machines and pilling in construction sites. Effects: Decrease in hearing sensitivity when someone is continuously exposed to the noise level at about 80 decibels (dB) and above, which will finally lead to deafness (since the safe noise level is < 55dB according to WHO and the noise at 140 dB damages the auditory organs). Development of health problems such as indigestion. ulcers, high blood pressure , coronary disease, depression and headaches.

Effects that according to noise level

Noise level (dB) 40 - 60 Noise types Normal conversation Safe for the ear. Effects

80 - 100

Food blender, lawn Annoying and continuous exposure leads mower, heavy traffics, temporary hearing damage. If not treated can tractors cause permanent damage.
Piling, drilling, rock concert Jet engine, shotgun Unprotected regular exposure cause permanent hearing loss. High potential for hearing loss.

> 100

> 125

Noise intensity of daily human activities