ENVIRONMENTAL

POLLUTION IN LAHORE

When everything’s working the way it should be, all the living organisms within the environment, including humans, are healthy and thriving.Pollution is the result of unnatural elements entering the environment. Unfortunately, humans are usually at fault.Environmental issues in Pakistan have been disturbing the balance between economic development and environmental protection. As a great problem for the nature and nation of Pakistan and As Pakistan is a large importer of both exhaustible and renewable natural resources and a large consumer of Fossil fuels, the Ministry of Environment of Government of Pakistan takes responsibility to conserve and protect the environment.

AIR POLLUTIONWHAT IS AIR

POLLUTION?Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemical, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural or built environment.

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION?•POINT SOURCES:Can be tracked back to one particular origin Volcano eruption Smoke sacks, refinery emissions chemicals

•NON-POINT SOURCES:Tend to be wide spread with many regions contributing to the air pollution. burning, forest fire, fuel wood vehicles tree pollen dust storms Suspended particles, ground level ozone

POINT SOURCES

• Volcano eruption• Smoke sacks, refinery

emissions• chemicals

NON-POINT SOURCE

• burning, forest fire, fuel wood• vehicles• tree pollen• dust storms• Suspended particles, ground level ozone

WHAT IS WATER POLLUTION?

Any chemical biological or physical change in water quality that has a harmful effect on living organisms or make water unstable for desired usage.

WATER POLLUTION

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF WATER POLLUTION?

•POINT SOURCES:Can be tracked back to one particular origin Industrial plants (power, chemical, waste

treatment) Drain pipes, sewer lines, underground mines.

•NON-POINT SOURCES:Tend to be wide spread with many regions contributing to the water pollution. Agriculture runoff Strom water runoff

POINT SOURCES

• MINICIPLE SEWAGE• LEACHING AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE• GARBAGE• HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS• ORGANIC WASTE • INORGANIC WASTE

NON-POINT SOURCE

• AGRICULTURE• RAIN WAATER RUNOFF

LAND POLLUTIONWHAT IS LAND

POLLUTION?Land pollution basically is about contaminating the land surface of the earth through dumping urban waste matter indiscriminately, dumping of industrial waste, mineral exploitation, and misusing the soil by harmful agricultural practices. 

WHAT ARE THE SOURCES OF LAND POLLUTION?

•POINT SOURCES:Can be tracked back to one particular origin Industrial waste disposal Sewage disposal Solid waste

•NON-POINT SOURCES:Tend to be wide spread with many regions contributing to the land pollution. Water logging and salinity Farms garbage

POINT SOURCES

• Industrial waste disposal• Sewage disposal• Solid waste

NON-POINT SOURCE

• Water logging and salinity• Farms garbage• Coal ash• Pesticides and herbicides• Oil and fuel dumping

ENVIRONMENTIMPACT OF AIR,LAND AND WATER

POLLUTION ON ENVIRONMENT

Most of the pollution on land comes from litter. People toss away garbage instead of disposing of it properly, which clogs up the

land, attracts pests such as insects and rodents, and even harms the soil and the

critters that live there if it contains chemicals. If garbage kills the plants in an area by

covering them up, it affects the food chain, since green plants are the start of every

chain. It also affects the air quality, since plants help clean the air.

LAND POLLUTION

LAND POLLUTION

AIR POLUTIONWhile there are some natural sources of air pollution, the majority of air pollutants come from things we do ourselves—or things people have invented, such as the combustion engine.Airborne pollutants make it tough to breathe and can even cause diseases like cancer. One problem is the way winds criss-cross the globe, picking up pollutants and carrying them all over the world. This is how areas far away from where the actual pollution is created can become affected, too. Air pollution is not just a local concern.

AIR POLUTION

WATER POLLUTION

When sewage, oil, chemicals, and other pollutants enter the water cycle, it can be devastating and even deadly. Sediments that collect in the water from trash or chemicals in the water prevent fishes from filtering oxygen through their gills, and they can suffocate. When the dissolved oxygen in the water drops below a certain level (two to five parts per million gallons of water), many types of fish and aquatic animals can’t survive. Aquatic plants also are “choked” and die, disrupting the food chains.

WATER POLLUTION

Air

Pollution

Effects On Human Health

Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects.

•Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions.

•Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys.

GAS EFFECTS•Carbon Monoxide This gas prevents the uptake of oxygen by the blood. This can lead to a significant reduction in the supply of oxygen to the heart.

•Carbon Monoxide (CO) Causes Headaches, reduced mental alertness, heart attack, cardiovascular diseases, impaired fetal development, death.

• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Susceptibility to respiratory infections, irritation of the lung and respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing).

Effects On Human Health

Water Pollution

Pakistan ranks at number 80 among 122 nations regarding drinking water

quality Water pollution is one of the major threats to public health in Pakistan. Ingestion of poorly treated water can cause Diarrhoea, Cholera, Stomach infections and Typhoid.

Dirty or polluted water is the preferred breeding ground for mosquitoes and other pests. Mosquito bites adversely affect human health and can cause diseases such as Malaria , Filariasis, Dengue.

•Increased incidence of tumours, ulcers due to nitrate pollution.•Increased incidence of skin disorders due to contact with pollutants.Increased incidence of constipation, diarrhea and infections to intestine.•'Blue baby' disease caused by methane globinemia •Loss of memory power and reduced mental sharpness.•Water borne diseases like jaundice, hepatitis, gasteroenteritis will be more prevalent due to water pollution.•Reduced bone development and muscular development.

CHEMICALS IN WATER Pesticides: affect and damage the nervous system and can cause cancer.

Lead: affects the central nervous system.

Arsenic: Arsenic poisoning through water can cause liver and nervous system damage, vascular diseases and also skin cancer.

Other heavy metals: Heavy metals cause damage to the nervous system and the kidney, and other metabolic disruptions.

Plumes (Hand Disease)

Skin Lesions

Foot Disease

Effects On Human Health

Land Pollution

Land pollution human activities that pollute soil include the application of herbicides, use of pesticides and insecticides, inappropriate disposal of garbage and urban over-development. Other Health effective cateories are:

Heavy Metals: Heavy metals create the most severe pollution problem for soils. Metals such as mercury and lead are deposited on the soil and become a permanent part of the soil composition. These metals affect neurological development and cause brain damage, kidney damage and liver toxicity. Headaches, skin irritation, fatigue and upset stomach are common health conditions that may develop.

Agricultural Chemicals: Chemicals are continuously being added to the soil in the form of pesticides and fertilizers. These products create a number of health problems, including cancer and infertility.Other Contaminants:Other sources of contaminants include acid rain, which brings chemicals into the soil. Conditions such as respiratory diseases, nervous system disorders and kidney disease.

Soil bacteria causes disease

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Environmental law is a complex and interlocking body of international  treaties (conventions), statues, regulations, and common law , or national legislation (where applicable) that operates to regulate the interaction of humanity and the natural environment, toward the purpose of reducing the impacts of human activity Environmental law draws from and is influenced by principles of environmentalism , including ecology, conservation, stewardship , responsibility and sustainability. Pollution control laws generally are intended (often with varying degrees of emphasis) to protect and preserve both the natural environment and human health. Resource conservation and management laws generally balance (again, often with varying degrees of emphasis) the benefits of preservation and economic exploitation of resources. From an economic perspective environmental laws may be understood as concerned with the prevention of present and future externalities, and preservation of common sources from individual exhaustion. The limitations and expenses that such laws may impose on commerce, and the often unquantifiable (non-monetized) benefit of environmental protection, have generated and continue to generate significant controversy.

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS

Pakistan’s Environmental Policy is based on participatory approach to achieving objectives of sustainable development through legally, administratively and technically sound institutions. The Federal Environment Ministry was established in Pakistan in 1975 as follow up a Stockholm Declaration of 1972. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on September 3, 1997, and by the Senate of Pakistan on November 7, 1997. The Act received the assent of the President of Pakistan on December 3, 1997 and was enacted on 6th December 1997, repealing the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance, 1983. The PEPA’ 1997 provides the framework for implementation of NCS, establishment of provincial sustainable development Funds, Protection and conservation of species, conservation of renewable resources, establishment of Environmental Tribunals and appointment of Environmental Magistrates, Initial Environmental Examination (IEE), and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997

National Environmental Quality Standards (self-monitoring and Reporting by Industries) Rules, 2001

Provincial Sustainable Development Fund (Procedure) Rules, 2001

Pakistan Sustainable Development Fund (Utilization) Rules, 2001 Provincial Sustainable Development Fund (Utilization) Rules,

2003 Pollution Charge for Industry (Calculation and Collection) Rules,

2001 Environmental Tribunal Rules, 1999 Environmental Tribunal Procedures and Qualifications Rules,

2000 Environmental Samples Rules, 2001 Hazardous Substances Rules, 2000 Hazardous Substances Rules, 2003

RULES

ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS

Contamination of Soil

The soil is important natural resources on earth. It is the medium used for growing crops which provide us with the necessary foods. The contamination which alters natural composition of soil affects the food chain and thereby, the entire ecosystem. Use of chemical fertilizers is a major cause of contamination of soil. Making use of organic fertilizers not only protects the soil from getting damaged, but also leads to the production of crops with fewer amounts of toxic chemicals. Using organic fertilizers also provides wholesome nutrition to the plants/crops which in turn benefits the consumers. Contamination of soil is one of the important environmental problems and issues which need to be dealt with a lot of care and responsibility.

Following a vegetarian lifestyle can solve many of our environmental issues. Human beings have become so habitual to a non-vegetarian diet, they consider it quite natural. Now that the disastrous effects of indulging in meat-eating have been confirmed by United Nations and many different research organizations, we should rethink about what we consume. The greenhouse gases generated in order to produce food for a meat-eater are 7 times greater than those generated for a vegan diet. The above-mentioned stats reveal only the economic losses that result from meat-eating. The extinction of several animal species is the irreparable damage caused by this eating habit. Pollution and other environmental problems caused by automobile and industries seem negligible if compared with that resulting from meat-eating. Animal cruelty is another aspect associated with meat-eating which, no matter how important can’t be dealt in the context of information presented in this article.

GENETIC EROSION

The foods that we consume, originate mostly from hybrid varieties of crops. Conservation of the natural/locally found crop varieties is important from the point of conserving biodiversity. It is necessary to take proper steps in this direction i.e. to conserve these local varieties. It has been found that local varieties are far more nutritious than those created by the method of hybridization. The hybrid varieties are created keeping in mind a certain objective i.e. of increasing the yield, making the crop resistant to pests, etc. However, in the process of adding these characteristics, we lose out on the original genetic make up of these crops. Steps should therefore, be taken to conserve their local crop varieties.

Water Pollution

This problem has prevailed for so many years and still we aren’t able to find satisfactory solution to water pollution. The indiscipline or lack of concerns about disposal of industrial waster is an important factor responsible for water pollution. Improvement in the recycling process is the possible solution for this problem. Implementing the strict guidelines set by the local governing bodies pertaining to waste water disposal should solve the problem to a great extent.

Hazardous Waste Disposal

The disposal of hazardous waste materials have a long-term effect on the environment. Plants, animals and human beings are all affected by this waste disposal. Different types of hazardous waste materials include pesticides, carcinogens, paints, solvents, teratogenic compounds, etc. Proper treatment of these wastes before disposal is the solution to this problem.

Depletion of Ozone Layer

The ozone layer protects living beings on earth from ultraviolet rays of sun. This layer is becoming thinner day-by-day due to pollutants like nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, particulate matter and carbon monoxide. Apart from the depletion of ozone layer, these emissions of gases also cause several health problems. Keeping a check on these emissions is the solution to protect the ozone layer.

The topic of environmental problems and solutions is quite complicated and difficult to understand given the complexity/interrelations of different components of the ecosystem. It is however, the attitude/approach of human beings towards using the natural resources that is going to influence environment to a great extent. The knowledge of environmental ethics should also help in the conservation.