CHONG BOON SECONDARY SCHOOLLower Sec Geography

Secondary Two

Unit 16 : Understanding Pollution

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Thinking Questions

1.Are Humans really the most polluting animals on planet Earth?

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Unit Objectives

1.Identify the types of pollution.

2.Identify the causes of pollution.

3.Identify the extent of pollution.

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Types of Pollution

1. Air Pollution

2. Noise Pollution

3. Water Pollution

4. Land Pollution

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Air Pollution

•Air that is contaminated with dust, ash or harmful gases.

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Noise Pollution

•Loud sounds that cause physical discomfort to humans.

•Caused by aircrafts, cars, trains and even ships.

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Water Pollution

•Water that is unfavourable for human use and harmful to aquatic life.

•Contaminated by chemicals, mud, dirt or ash.

* Aquatic = water-based

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Land Pollution

•Caused when garbage (domestic or industrial) is dumped indiscriminately in open dumps, drains and along roadsides.

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Causes of Pollution – Land

•Dumping of untreated waste materials.

•Industrial waste (toxic) are dumped onto open land, making it derelict.

•Dumping of garbage and raw sewage also causes land pollution.

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Causes of Pollution – Water• Industrial waste dumped into rivers, lakes or the sea

• Leads to leaking of possibly toxic chemicals.• Mercury, zinc and lead are dumped and they cannot be broken down.• Animals eat the chemicals and become poisoned.

• Farming practices• Chemical fertilizers / pesticides / herbicides

• Leak into the groundwater and also washed with surface runoff• Enters the water system and contaminates the water supply.

• Landfill Seepage• Chemicals leaking from landfill sites that are not properly managed.

• Oil Spill• Tankers and Oil rigs caught in accidents suffer from such oil spills.

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•Factories and Industries•Electric Power Generators•Forest Fires•Motor Transport•Nuclear accidents

COPYCauses of Pollution – Air

Factories and Industries

Forest Fires --- Haze

Electric Power Generators

Motor Transport

Nuclear accidents

Noise Pollution

•Human created sound that disrupts the environment.

•Human activities like industries, heavy machines, vehicles, recreational tools.

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Effects of Noise Pollution

•Hearing and cardiovascular health•Affects the ears and hearing•Creates stress, causing heart problems in the long term.

•Loud noise is able to create a physical pain reaction on the human body.

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How to reduce Noise Pollution?

• Restrictions by law• Implement strict laws that control the level of noise produced.

• Guidelines• National Environment Agency (NEA) sets guidelines for noise generated by construction sites.

• 1030pm cut off time for open-air performances in residential areas.

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Extent of Pollution

1. Local Scale

2. Regional Scale

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Local Scale• River Contamination

• Reduction of water supply.• Illness due to consumption of contaminated water

• Air Pollution due to excessive burning • Short-term allergies due to exposure to large amounts

of pollutants• Long term medical effects due to exposure to traffic

emissions.

• Continuous noise exposure• Construction noise over time leads to hearing

impairment• Loud music from neighbours lead to discomfort.

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Regional Scale

•Air Pollution• Large scale slash and burn farming in Indonesia and Malaysia leads to the haze that affects all countries in the region.

•Water pollution • Pollution of large rivers that cross national boundaries lead to pollution that is regional.

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Let’s do a recap exercise

•Complete the exercise in 10 minutes

•Good Luck!•You can use your notes if you need help.