Environmental Pollution and Health- Educating lay persons

Environmental Pollution and Health: An Educational PowerPoint for Laymen.

1. Environmental Pollution and Health Sony Peter Department of Biochemistry PMS College of Dental Science and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

2. Contents Introduction Definition Water Pollution Air Pollution Noise Pollution Radioactive pollution Recent scenario in Kerala

3. Introduction E nvironment constitutes the non-living (air, water, land, energy etc.) as well as the living (biological and social) systems surrounding man.

4. A healthy environment is required for a healthy life which is however, not really possible or practicable. This is mainly because of the atmospheric (climatic) changes and environmental pollution .

5. Definition Environmental pollution may be regarded as the addition of foreign materials/contaminants to air, water or land (natural environment) which adversely affects the quality of life . Pollution may be caused by physical, chemical or biological processes.

6. The chances of contracting infections are high and for persons with respiratory disorders or pre-asthmatic condition, hospital visits will double in a year.,” said pulmonologist Dr Ramesh Nair.

7. WATER POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION LAND POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTION RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION TYPES OF POLLUTION

8. WATER POLLUTION Water is the most predominant constituent of living matter . Pollution of water occurs due to waste disposal from industries, agriculture and municipalities. The pollutants may be organic, inorganic, sediments, radioactive, thermal etc.,

9. ORGANIC POLLUTANTS The organic pollutants include agents carrying water borne diseases oxygen demanding wastes organic chemicals . 1. Water-borne disease agents Several pathogenic organisms find their entry into water and cause diseases. The water borne disease include typhoid, paratyphoid, cholera, amoebiasis, giardiasis and infectious hepatitis .

10. These diseases can be prevented by disinfection techniques employed for the treatment of water.

11. 2. Oxygen demanding wastes Sewage, and wastes from industries and agriculture provide good nutrients for algae. As the algae grow utilizing the wastes, oxygen depletion occurs. This phenomenon of water deoxygenation is technically referred to as eutrophication .

12. 3. Organic chemicals The organic chemical pollutants of water include pesticides and several synthetic compounds ( detergents, paints, plastics, pharmaceuticals, food additives etc.)

13. INORGANIC POLLUTANTS Heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, aluminium, arsenic etc.) are the most dangerous among the inorganic pollutants. Lead = petrol, gasoline, paints, cigarettes, news papers, lead pipes and xerox copies The principal target of lead toxicity is central nervous system . Mercury = plastic, paints, electrical apparatus, fungicides Chronic manifestations of Hg include emotional changes, loss of memory and neuropsychiatric disturbances. In addition, deposition of mercuric salts may cause renal failure. Cadmium = smelters,  fossil fuels such as coal , plastics and nickel-cadmium batteries causes fragile bones, anemia, bone marrow disorders and kidney damage. Aluminium = cooking vessels, building materials, food additives and cosmetics. Alzheimer’s disease, anemia and osteomalacia. Arsenic = insecticides and fungicides coagulation of proteins and blockage of ATP generation

14. AIR POLLUTION The major components of air include nitrogen (78.1%), oxygen (20.93%) and carbon dioxide (0.03%), along with water vapour and suspended particles. The major chemical constituents of air pollution are sulfur dioxide, oxides of carbon (CO2 and CO), oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulates. Sulfur dioxide = burning of coal and oil emit. P rimarily affects respiratory system. Dipalmitoyl lecithin, the phospholipid acting as the lung surfactant, gets affected. L ung cancer. Atmospheric SO2 when dissolved in rainwater becomes very acidic (acid rain) damaging soil, plants and vegetables. Carbon monoxide = Automobiles, aircrafts, rail engines and burning of coal in factories. I ncrease in CO level, headache, dizziness and loss of consciousness occur. Death may be inevitable in persons exposed to above 750 ppm of CO. Carbon dioxide = Deforestation, burning of coal, oils etc., elevate atmospheric CO2. Nitrogen dioxide = Nitrogen dioxide along with SO2 contributes to acid rain .

15. Soil Pollution Soil contamination or soil pollution = caused by the presence of xenobiotic chemicals, industrial activity, agricultural chemicals or improper disposal of waste. "e-waste" from old electronics.

16. NOISE POLLUTION A noise above 150 decibels is uncomfortable. Headache, increased blood pressure, irritability, neuromuscular tension, confusion, disturbed vision and digestion, depression and loss of hearing.

17. The health hazards of radioactive pollution include gene mutations, cancer, destruction of living cells etc.

18. 1. Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Ukraine 1986. 2. Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Japan 2011 3. Kyshtym Nuclear Disaster Russia 1957 4. Windscale Fire Nuclear Disaster Sellafield, UK 1957 5. Three Mile Island Nuclear Accident Pennsylvania USA 1979

19. Recent pollutants identified in Kerala e-Waste Masks