Pollution Analysis & Control

8/9/2019 Pollution Analysis & Control

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Khalil Raza Bhatti 07ME40

4/23/2010

Pollution, Analysis & Control

Khalil Raza Bhatti 07ME40

Assignment No 1st

Submitted to Respected Sir,

Engr. Zaheerudin Memon Sahab


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2 Khalil Raza Bhatti 07ME40

ril

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Question No 1: Describe Air Atmospheric Pollutants, Their Characteristics, Harmful

Effects, Atmospheric Reaction Say Global Warming, Acid Rain, Green House Effect and

Ozone Gas?

Air pollution is a real public health and environmental problem that can lead to among otherthings global warming, acid rain, and the deterioration of the ozone layer. This chart names somecommon pollutants, their sources, and their effect on the environment.

Pollutant Sources Effects

Ozone. A gas that can be found intwo places. Near the ground (the

troposphere), it is a major part of

smog. The harmful ozone in thelower atmosphere should not be

confused with the protective layer

of ozone in the upper atmosphere(stratosphere), which screens out

harmful ultraviolet rays.

Ozone is not created directly, butis formed when nitrogen oxides

and volatile organic compounds

mix in sunlight. That is whyozone is mostly found in the

summer. Nitrogen oxides come

from burning gasoline, coal, orother fossil fuels. There are

many types of volatile organic

compounds, and they come from

sources ranging from factories to

trees.

Ozone near the ground can causea number of health problems.

Ozone can lead to more frequent

asthma attacks in people whohave asthma and can cause sore

throats, coughs, and breathing

difficulty. It may even lead topremature death. Ozone can also

hurt plants and crops.

Carbon monoxide. A gas that

comes from the burning of fossil

fuels, mostly in cars. It cannot beseen or smelled.

Carbon monoxide is released

when engines burn fossil fuels.

Emissions are higher whenengines are not tuned properly,and when fuel is not completely

burned. Cars emit a lot of thecarbon monoxide found

outdoors. Furnaces and heatersin the home can emit high

concentrations of carbonmonoxide, too, if they are not

properly maintained.

Carbon monoxide makes it hard

for body parts to get the oxygen

they need to run correctly.Exposure to carbon monoxidemakes people feel dizzy and

tired and gives them headaches.In high concentrations it is fatal.

Elderly people with heart diseaseare hospitalized more often when

they are exposed to higheramounts of carbon monoxide.

Nitrogen dioxide. A reddish-brown

gas that comes from the burning offossil fuels. It has a strong smell at

high levels.

Nitrogen dioxide mostly comes

from power plants and cars.Nitrogen dioxide is formed in

two wayswhen nitrogen in thefuel is burned, or when nitrogen

in the air reacts with oxygen at

very high temperatures. Nitrogen

dioxide can also react in theatmosphere to form ozone, acid

rain, and particles.

High levels of nitrogen dioxide

exposure can give people coughsand can make them feel short of

breath. People who are exposedto nitrogen dioxide for a long

time have a higher chance of

getting respiratory infections.

Nitrogen dioxide reacts in theatmosphere to form acid rain,

which can harm plants and

animals.


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Particulate matter. Solid or liquid

matter that is suspended in the air.

To remain in the air, particles

usually must be less than 0.1-mm

wide and can be as small as 0.00005

mm.

Particulate matter can be divided

into two typescoarse particles

and fine particles. Coarse

particles are formed from

sources like road dust, sea spray,

and construction. Fine particles

are formed when fuel is burnedin automobiles and power plants.

Particulate matter that is small

enough can enter the lungs and

cause health problems. Some of

these problems include more

frequent asthma attacks,

respiratory problems, and

premature death.

Sulfur dioxide. A corrosive gas thatcannot be seen or smelled at low

levels but can have a rotten eggsmell at high levels.

Sulfur dioxide mostly comesfrom the burning of coal or oil in

power plants. It also comes fromfactories that make chemicals,

paper, or fuel. Like nitrogen

dioxide, sulfur dioxide reacts inthe atmosphere to form acid rainand particles.

Sulfur dioxide exposure canaffect people who have asthma

or emphysema by making itmore difficult for them to

breathe. It can also irritate

people's eyes, noses, and throats.Sulfur dioxide can harm treesand crops, damage buildings,

and make it harder for people tosee long distances.

Lead. A blue-gray metal that is verytoxic and is found in a number of

forms and locations.

Outside, lead comes from cars inareas where unleaded gasoline is

not used. Lead can also comefrom power plants and other

industrial sources. Inside, leadpaint is an important source of

lead, especially in houses wherepaint is peeling. Lead in old

pipes can also be a source of

lead in drinking water.

High amounts of lead can bedangerous for small children and

can lead to lower IQs and kidneyproblems. For adults, exposure

to lead can increase the chanceof having heart attacks or

strokes.

Toxic air pollutants. A large

number of chemicals that are known

or suspected to cause cancer. Some

important pollutants in this categoryinclude arsenic, asbestos, benzene,

and dioxin.

Each toxic air pollutant comes

from a slightly different source,

but many are created in chemical

plants or are emitted when fossilfuels are burned. Some toxic air

pollutants, like asbestos and

formaldehyde, can be found in

building materials and can leadto indoor air problems. Many

toxic air pollutants can also enter

the food and water supplies.

Toxic air pollutants can cause

cancer. Some toxic air pollutants

can also cause birth defects.

Other effects depend on thepollutant, but can include skin

and eye irritation and breathing

problems.

Stratospheric ozone depleters.

Chemicals that can destroy theozone in the stratosphere. These

chemicals includechlorofluorocarbons (CFCs),

halons, and other compounds that

CFCs are used in air

conditioners and refrigerators,since they work well as coolants.

They can also be found inaerosol cans and fire

extinguishers. Other

If the ozone in the stratosphere is

destroyed, people are exposed tomore radiation from the sun

(ultraviolet radiation). This canlead to skin cancer and eye

problems. Higher ultraviolet


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include chlorine or bromine. stratospheric ozone depleters are

used as solvents in industry.

radiation can also harm plants

and animals.

Greenhouse gases. Gases that stay

in the air for a long time and warmup the planet by trapping sunlight.

This is called the greenhouse

effect because the gases act like

the glass in a greenhouse. Some of

the important greenhouse gases arecarbon dioxide, methane, and

nitrous oxide.

Carbon dioxide is the most

important greenhouse gas. Itcomes from the burning of fossil

fuels in cars, power plants,

houses, and industry. Methane is

released during the processing of

fossil fuels, and also comes fromnatural sources like cows and

rice paddies. Nitrous oxidecomes from industrial sources

and decaying plants.

The greenhouse effect can lead

to changes in the climate of theplanet. Some of these changes

might include more temperature

extremes, higher sea levels,

changes in forest composition,

and damage to land near thecoast. Human health might be

affected by diseases that arerelated to temperature or by

damage to land and water.

Atmospheric Reaction

Acid rain harms living things:

When an air pollutant, such as sulfuric acid

combines with the water droplets that

make up clouds, the water droplets become

acidic. When those droplets fall to the

ground as rain or snow, the acidity of the

water can have damaging effects on the

environment. When acid rain falls over an

area, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish,and other wildlife. Acid rain destroys the

leaves of plants. When acid rain infiltrates

into soils, it changes the chemistry of the

soil making it unfit for many living things

that rely on soil as a habitat or for nutrition.

Acid rain also changes the chemistry of the

lakes and streams that the rainwater flows

into, harming fish and other aquatic life.

Global warming harms living things:

Our planet is currently warming much more

rapidly than expected because of

additional greenhouse gasses that are

released into the atmosphere from air

pollution. When fuels are burned, some of

the pollutants released, such as carbon

dioxide, are greenhouses gasses. Through

the process of photosynthesis, plants

convert carbon dioxide into oxygen and use

the carbon to grow larger. However, the

amount of carbon dioxide released byburning fuels is far greater than plants can

convert. Cutting down forests exacerbates

the problem.

Global warming is changing climate globally

and is causing significant changes to various

regions of the world. For example:

Polar ice melt and permafrost melt

are causing changes in the habitat

and resources for plants and animals

living in polar ecosystems.

Ocean warming, rising sea levels,

increasing runoff, and coral diseases

are causing change in shallow marine

ecosystems such as coral reefs.

Less rainfall in the dry interiors of

continents due to global warming is

limiting water resources for plants

and animals.


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The thinning ozone layer harms living

things:

Air pollutants called chlorofluorocarbons(or

CFCs) destroy ozone molecules in the

stratosphere. This has left places in the

layer where the ozone is thin. These areas

of thin ozone are called ozone holes. The

ozone layer, located in the stratosphere

layer of Earths atmosphere, shields our

planet from the Suns ultraviolet

radiation. Ultraviolet radiation causes skincancer and damages plants and wildlife. In

recent decades the number of CFCs

released into the atmosphere has

decreased significantly due to an

agreement between the nations of the

world called the Montreal Protocol.

Although it takes a long time to see the

impact, the ozone holes might someday be

smaller.

Question No 2: Describe Land pollution and its

control in details?

Land Pollution:

Land pollution is basically about the

contamination of the land surface and soil of the

Earth. 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. Land pollution

includes visible litter and waste along with the

soil itself being polluted. The soil gets polluted by

the chemicals in pesticides and herbicides usedfor agricultural purposes along with waste matter

being littered in urban areas such as roads, parks,

and streets.

Land Pollution Comprises Of: Solid Waste and

Soil Pollution

Solid Waste: Semisolid or solid matter that are

created by human or animal activities, and which

are disposed because they are hazardous or

useless are known as solid waste. Most of thesolid wastes, like paper, plastic containers,

bottles, cans, and even used cars and electronic

goods are not biodegradable, which means they

do not get broken down through inorganic or

organic processes. Thus, when they accumulate

they pose a health threat to people, plus,

decaying wastes also attract household pests and

result in urban areas becoming unhealthy, dirty,

and unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it

also causes damage to terrestrial organisms,while also reducing the uses of the land for other,

more useful purposes.

Soil Pollution: Soil pollution is chiefly caused by

chemicals in pesticides, such as poisons that are

used to kill agricultural pests like insects and

herbicides that are used to get rid of weeds.

Hence, soil pollution results from:

Unhealthy methods of soil management. Harmful practices of irrigation methods.


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Land pollution is caused by farms because they

allow manure to collect, which leaches into the

nearby land areas. Chemicals that are used for

purposes like sheep dipping also cause serious

land pollution as do diesel oil spillages.

CONTROLS OF LAND

POLLUTIONHow can Land Pollution be prevented?

People should be educated and made

aware about the harmful effects oflittering

Items used for domestic purposes ought

to be reused or recycled

Personal litter should be disposed

properly

Organic waste matter should be disposed

in areas that are far away from residential

places

Inorganic matter such as paper, plastic,

glass and metals should be reclaimed andthen recycled

Reduction

We can reduce the amount of waste that is

produced by doing simple things like two-sided

copying on paper and backyard composting. This

will decrease the amount of waste that will be

disposed of in landfills. The Government can raise

awareness of the importance of reduction

through campaigns and advertisements and

encourage the public to participate actively in

reduction strategies like waste exchange

program. Reduction methods can have positive

environmental impacts like conserving resources.

Reuse

Another way to reduce the amount of waste

produced is by reusing a product. We are reusing

when we keep something and use them again for

either the same or other purposes. When we goshopping at supermarkets, we can bring our own

shopping bag to carry our groceries and cut down

on the use of plastic bags. We can also bring our

own lunchboxes to store our meals instead of

disposing plastic containers after we use it. These

are some simple ways that we can do to

contribute.

Recycle

Some of the waste materials that can be recycled

are used paper, newspapers, plastic and glass

bottles and aluminum cans. We should throw

these waste materials into the appropriate

recycling bins whenever we can, instead of

throwing it into the rubbish bin. Public awareness

can be raised and everyone can also take part

actively in recycling activities

Energy Recycling

We can also recycle energy sources by

incinerating waste and use the heat for energy.

Although many combustibles are recyclable,

there is often a higher total value (due to

processing costs) in burning the waste for energythan in recycling.

Incineration reduces the volume of refuse by up

to 90 percent, leaving behind only ash, and

resulting in less need for landfill space.


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Question No 3:

Describe NuclearPollution and its

control in detail?Nuclear Pollution or Waste

Nuclear power is the only large-scale

energy-producing technology which takes full

responsibility for all its wastes and fully coststhis into the product.

The amount of radioactive wastes is very

small relative to wastes produced by fossil fuel

electricity generation.

Used nuclear fuel may be treated as a

resource or simply as a waste.

Safe methods for the final disposal of

high-level radioactive waste are technically

proven; the international consensus is that thisshould be deep geological disposal.

All parts of the nuclear fuel cycle produce some

radioactive waste (radio waste) and the cost of

managing and disposing of this is part of the

electricity cost, i.e. it is internalised and paid for

by the electricity consumers.

At each stage of the fuel cycle there are proven

technologies to dispose of the radioactive wastes

safely. For low- and intermediate-level wastes

these are mostly being implemented. For high-

level wastes some countries await the

accumulation of enough of it to warrant building

geological repositories; others, have encountered

political delays.

The radioactivity of all nuclear waste decays with

time. Each radionuclidea

contained in the waste

has a half-life the time taken for half of its

atoms to decay and thus for it to lose half of its

radioactivity. Radionuclides with long half-lives

tend to be alpha and beta emitters making their

handling easier while those with short half-lives

tend to emit the more penetrating gamma rays.Eventually all radioactive wastes decay into non-

radioactive elements. The more radioactive an

isotope is, the faster it decays.

The main objective in managing and disposing of

radioactive (or other) waste is to protect people

and the environment. This means isolating or

diluting the waste so that the rate or

concentration of any radionuclides returned to

the biosphere is harmless. To achieve this,

practically all wastes are contained and managed

some clearly need deep and permanent burial.

From nuclear power generation, none is allowed

to cause harmful pollution.

All toxic wastes need to be dealt with safely, not

just radioactive wastes. In countries with nuclear

power, radioactive wastes comprise less than 1%

of total industrial toxic wastes (the balance of

which remains hazardous indefinitely).

Nuclear Pollution and

Its Controls

Sea-based approaches to the disposal of nuclear

waste make it hard for terrorists, rebels, or

criminals to steal for use in radiological weapons

or in nuclear bombs. The enormous volume of

water in the world's oceans also has a vastly

greater dilutive capacity than any single land site

in the event of unintended leaks. And seawater

itself contains a variety of radionuclides, so

treating it as a domain in which there is no

natural radioactivity runs counter to fact.


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Sub-Seabed Disposal in Stable Clay Formations

Burial in Subduction Faults

A second sub-seabed option has received almost

no attention but deserves careful consideration:

burying canisters of nuclear waste in Subduction

Faults that would carry the waste downward

toward the Earth's mantle. This approach

possesses the virtue of being very permanent--

the reverse of shooting the waste with rockets

into the Sun, except much more practical. As the

subduction fault would carry the canisters down

at a rate of, say, 10 cm per year, the chances ofany release of radionuclides into the biosphere

would become increasingly remote.

As with the stable clay approach, it would be

possible to bore deep holes into the subduction

faults in order to get the waste as deep as

possible, even though the danger of leakage

upward to the seafloor appears to be minimal.

Radionuclides are heavier than water, so there is

also no reason why they should migrate upward

to the ocean's surface, especially since there is noevidence that bottom-dwelling marine species

are concentrated upward into a food pyramid

that leads to the surface.

Engineered Island Disposal

The notion of burying nuclear waste on remote,

unpopulated islands has been investigated, but

one must question how thoroughly. The Yucca

Mountain Project Website lists the reasons why

this option was not pursued: 1) risks of ocean

transport, especially bad weather; 2) earthquake

and volcanic activity; 3) penetration of island

foundations by seawater and fresh water, leading

to leakage; and 4) the opposition of nearby

countries.

Objection #1 (risks of ocean transport) does not

deter the shipment of nuclear waste now, and it

can be reduced by various technical and

procedural means, including monitoring by an

authorized international body. Engineered Island

disposal is an option that deserves more

research, especially since the human-made island

approach has tended to be overlooked thus far.

Seawater Uranium Cycling

The presence of uranium in seawater at 3 parts

per billion suggests a fourth and final sea-based

nuclear waste solution. Technology already exists

to separate this uranium from seawater, but

currently its cost far exceeds the cost of

conventional uranium mining. Nonetheless, the

potential for such seawater uranium extraction

holds considerable interest for countries like

Japan where other sources of energy are lacking.

One way to lower the cost would be to combine

the extraction of uranium with related activities.The most obvious would be to extract other

valuable minerals such as gold at the same time.

A second such activity would consist of

performing the extraction of uranium and other

minerals using the water flowing through an

Oceanic Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) plant,

which in turn would make OTEC technology more

economically attractive.

While many people might feel consternation at

the image of simply pouring radionuclides intothe water, a correct scientific view shows this

image to be very misleading. The gigantic volume

of the ocean and the careful dispersal carried out

in accordance with international monitoring

would make SUC an admirably safe method. It

would also provide incentives for the

development and deployment of seawater

uranium extraction, while lessening the

environmental impact of opening new uranium

mines on land.

Conclusion

While objections can--and surely will--be raised

to each of these sea-based approaches to nuclear

waste disposal, it is much harder to oppose them

as a bundle. Even though they compete with

each other, they also support each other in terms

of reinforcing the general concept of carefully

investigating methods of sea-based disposal.

Relying, as we now do, on dozens of nuclear

countries each to develop and maintain secure


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geological disposal sites for nuclear waste is a

thoughtless and dangerous approach. The

ultimate goal should be to devise a nuclear waste

solution (not necessarily a sea-based one) that

will win international acceptance and become

the long-term one for all High-Level Waste, and

perhaps for Low-Level Waste as well.

Question No 4: Describe Major environmental

issues of Pakistan and their remedies?

Pakistan Environment - current issues

Environment - current issues: water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff;

limited natural fresh water resources; most of the population does not have access to potable water;

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Definition: This entry lists the most pressing and important environmental problems. The following terms

and abbreviations are used throughout the entry:

Acidification - the lowering of soil and water pH due to acid precipitation and deposition usually through

precipitation; this process disrupts ecosystem nutrient flows and may kill freshwater fish and plants

dependent on more neutral or alkaline conditions (see acid rain).

Acid rain - characterized as containing harmful levels of sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide; acid rain is

damaging and potentially deadly to the earth's fragile ecosystems; acidity is measured using the pH scale

where 7 is neutral, values greater than 7 are considered alkaline, and values below 5.6 are considered acid

precipitation; note - a pH of 2.4 (the acidity of vinegar) has been measured in rainfall in New England.

Aerosol - a collection of airborne particles dispersed in a gas, smoke, or fog.

Afforestation - converting a bare or agricultural space by planting trees and plants; reforestation involves

replanting trees on areas that have been cut or destroyed by fire.

Asbestos - a naturally occurring soft fibrous mineral commonly used in fireproofing materials and

considered to be highly carcinogenic in particulate form.

Biodiversity - also biological diversity; the relative number of species, diverse in form and function, at the

genetic, organism, community, and ecosystem level; loss of biodiversity reduces an ecosystem's ability torecover from natural or man-induced disruption.

Bio-indicators - a plant or animal species whose presence, abundance, and health reveal the general

condition of its habitat.

Biomass - the total weight or volume of living matter in a given area or volume.

Carbon cycle - the term used to describe the exchange of carbon (in various forms, e.g., as carbon dioxide)

between the atmosphere, ocean, terrestrial biosphere, and geological deposits.

Catchments - assemblages used to capture and retain rainwater and runoff; an important water

management technique in areas with limited freshwater resources, such as Gibraltar.

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane) - a colorless, odorless insecticide that has toxic effects on most


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animals; the use of DDT was banned in the US in 1972.

Defoliants - chemicals which cause plants to lose their leaves artificially; often used in agricultural

practices for weed control, and may have detrimental impacts on human and ecosystem health.

Deforestation - the destruction of vast areas of forest (e.g., unsustainable forestry practices, agricultural

and range land clearing, and the over exploitation of wood products for use as fuel) without planting new

growth.

Desertification - the spread of desert-like conditions in arid or semi-arid areas, due to overgrazing, loss of

agriculturally productive soils, or climate change.

Dredging - the practice of deepening an existing waterway; also, a technique used for collecting bottom-

dwelling marine organisms (e.g., shellfish) or harvesting coral, often causing significant destruction of reef

and ocean-floor ecosystems.

Drift-net fishing - done with a net, miles in extent, that is generally anchored to a boat and left to floatwith the tide; often results in an over harvesting and waste of large populations of non-commercial marine

species (by-catch) by its effect of "sweeping the ocean clean."

Ecosystems - ecological units comprised of complex communities of organisms and their specific

environments.

Effluents - waste materials, such as smoke, sewage, or industrial waste which are released into the

environment, subsequently polluting it.

Endangered species - a species that is threatened with extinction either by direct hunting or habitat

destruction.

Freshwater - water with very low soluble mineral content; sources include lakes, streams, rivers, glaciers,

and underground aquifers.Greenhouse gas - a gas that "traps" infrared radiation in the lower atmosphere causing surface warming;

water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, hydrofluorocarbons, and ozone are the primary

greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere.

Groundwater - water sources found below the surface of the earth often in naturally occurring reservoirs

in permeable rock strata; the source for wells and natural springs.

Highlands Water Project - a series of dams constructed jointly by Lesotho and South Africa to redirect

Lesotho's abundant water supply into a rapidly growing area in South Africa; while it is the largest

infrastructure project in southern Africa, it is also the most costly and controversial; objections to the

project include claims that it forces people from their homes, submerges farmlands, and squanders

economic resources.

Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) - represents the 145,000 Inuits of Russia, Alaska, Canada, and

Greenland in international environmental issues; a General Assembly convenes every three years to

determine the focus of the ICC; the most current concerns are long-range transport of pollutants,

sustainable development, and climate change.

Metallurgical plants - industries which specialize in the science, technology, and processing of metals;

these plants produce highly concentrated and toxic wastes which can contribute to pollution of ground

water and air when not properly disposed.

Noxious substances - injurious, very harmful to living beings.

Overgrazing - the grazing of animals on plant material faster than it can naturally regrow leading to the

permanent loss of plant cover, a common effect of too many animals grazing limited range land.


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Ozone shield - a layer of the atmosphere composed of ozone gas (O3) that resides approximately 25 miles

above the Earth's surface and absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation that can be harmful to living organisms.

Poaching - the illegal killing of animals or fish, a great concern with respect to endangered or threatened

species.

Pollution - the contamination of a healthy environment by man-made waste.

Potable water - water that is drinkable, safe to be consumed.

Salivation - the process through which fresh (drinkable) water becomes salt (undrinkable) water; hence,

desalination is the reverse process; also involves the accumulation of salts in topsoil caused by evaporation

of excessive irrigation water, a process that can eventually render soil incapable of supporting crops.

Siltation - occurs when water channels and reservoirs become clotted with silt and mud, a side effect of

deforestation and soil erosion.

Slash-and-burn agriculture - a rotating cultivation technique in which trees are cut down and burned inorder to clear land for temporary agriculture; the land is used until its productivity declines at which point

a new plot is selected and the process repeats; this practice is sustainable while population levels are low

and time is permitted for regrowth of natural vegetation; conversely, where these conditions do not exist,

the practice can have disastrous consequences for the environment .

Soil degradation - damage to the land's productive capacity because of poor agricultural practices such as

the excessive use of pesticides or fertilizers, soil compaction from heavy equipment, or erosion of topsoil,

eventually resulting in reduced ability to produce agricultural products.

Soil erosion - the removal of soil by the action of water or wind, compounded by poor agricultural

practices, deforestation, overgrazing, and desertification.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation - a portion of the electromagnetic energy emitted by the sun and naturallyfiltered in the upper atmosphere by the ozone layer; UV radiation can be harmful to living organisms and

has been linked to increasing rates of skin cancer in humans.

Water-born diseases - those in which bacteria survive in, and are transmitted through, water; always a

serious threat in areas with an untreated water supply.

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