MODULE 4:

POLLUTION
• Pollution is the contamination of the environment
by humans adding any substance or energy.
• Heavy metals, gases, oil, sewage, noise, heat,
radiation and pesticides are common pollutants
that can affect the environment adversely.
• A pollutant is any matter or energy introduced by
human activities that produces harmful effects on
resident populations thus altering community
structure.
 Biological magnification is the increase
in concentration of a substance in
successive members of a food chain.
• Toxic substances may accumulate in
members of higher trophic levels as a
result of biomagnification.
• The movement on compounds
(molecules) through trophic
levels is called trophic transfer.
• Toxic substances, like
nutrients, can be transferred
through trophic levels.
• Water pollution occurs when
toxic substances enter water
bodies such as oceans, lakes
and rivers leading to the
degradation of water quality
and rendering it toxic to
human health and the
environment.
 1. Domestic Wastes
• includes wastes coming from
houses and different commercial
establishments. These wastes
usually contain nitrates and
phosphates that are usually
responsible for eutrophication.
• sewage water carries
pathogens, other harmful
bacteria, and chemicals that
can cause serious health
problems leading to diseases.
 2. Industrial Wastes
• contains large amounts of toxic chemicals.
Heavy water pollution occurs when
untreated industrial waste is irresponsibly
discharged into water bodies.

• industrial chemical wastes discharged

can accumulate within the living
tissues of aquatic organisms living in
those areas and threatens human
health through the food chain.
 3. Agricultural Wastes
• wastes such as fertilizers,
farm animal wastes, and
sediments contribute to the
pollution of water since they
contain nitrates and
phosphates which are carried
away by water runoff
resulting to eutrophication.
1. Eutrophication- refers to the phenomenon in which enrichment of nutrients
leads to the increase of algal population in a water body, thereby affecting the aquatic life.
 2. Diseases- consuming polluted water can cause typhoid,
cholera, hepatitis, methemoglobinemia, and various other diseases.

Methemoglobinemia
Cholera
Typhoid Fever
• Air pollution occurs
when there is a release
of air pollutants in the
atmosphere and can
bring global effects and
is harmful to human
health.
 • Industrial chimneys and
1. Industrial Pollutants
powerhouses -CO, CO2, SO2,
H2S, and hydrocarbons
• Phosphate fertilizer manufacturing
plants-fluorine compounds
(HF, F2, SiF4, H2SiF6)

• Other chemical industries-

hydrochloric acid, chlorine, oxides
of nitrogen, Zn, Pb, As, oxides of
Cu, and SO2, CO, and H2S.
 2. Automobiles
• the most significant contributor
to air pollution

• usage of petrol and diesel releases

the three volatile organic
compounds (VOC)- benzene,
toluene, and xylene.
 3. Burning of Fuels

• found to produce two-thirds of

sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere,
resulting to acid rain.
Sulfur Dioxide and Acid Rain
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a
colorless gas produced by
combustion of fossil fuels at
power plants and certain
industrial sources.
• It along with nitrogen oxides
results in acid rain.
• The impact of acid rain in
Europe has been sever and is
most noticed in forests of the
northeastern US.
 4. Agricultural Activities

• associated with the

burning of forest areas
and grasslands to
provide pastures and
croplands for production.
1. Photochemical Smog
2. Greenhouse • The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon;
however, the enhanced greenhouse effect
Effect occurs due to elevated air pollutants.
• defined as the
presence of pollutants
or contaminants in
soil, in high enough
concentrations to
pose a risk to human
health and the
environment.
 1. Mining Activities

2. Waste and Sewage

Generation Disposal

3. Agricultural and Livestock

Activities
 Impact on Ecosystem Services of
Soil Pollution from Agriculture

Effects of
Soil Acidification and Crop Loss
Pollution

Human Health Risks Associated

with Soil Pollution
 Impact on Ecosystem Services of Soil
Pollution from Agriculture

▪ Affecting natural
Agricultural wastes resources, specifically
that are released into soil and groundwater
the environment poses bodies, crop productivity,
a severe threat to the and living organisms,
environment, such as: including humans.
▪ Contaminating areas of
land
Acidification and Crop Loss
 Human Health Risks

Long term impacts of

soil pollution are still
vague. However, efforts
through more research
are still in progress to
better understand the
impacts of toxic
pollutants on human
health.
Solid and Hazardous
Wastes
Lesson 4.3
 Ecological Solid Waste Management
Discarded
household and
commercial
waste
Nonhazardous
Other non-
institutional
hazardous/non-
toxic solid waste and industrial
waste

Act of 2000 (RA 9003)

Solid
Waste

Agricultural Street
waste sweepings

Construction
debris
 (1) waste identified or listed as a
hazardous waste of a solid, liquid,
contained gaseous or semisolid form
which may cause or contribute to an
increase in mortality or in severe or
Solid Waste incapacitating reversible illness, or
acute/chronic effect on the health of
persons and other organisms;
(2) infectious waste from hospitals such as equipment,
instruments, utensils, and fomites of a disposable
nature from patients who are suspected of having or
have been diagnosed as having infectious diseases
and must, therefore, be isolated as required by public
health agencies, laboratory wastes such as
pathological specimens and disposable fomites that
may harbor or transmit pathogenic organisms, and
surgical operating room pathologic specimens and
disposable fomites attendant to that, and similar
disposable materials from outpatient areas and
emergency rooms;

Solid Waste
 (3) Waste resulting from mining
Solid Waste activities, including contaminated
soil and debris.
Source: What A Waste: Solid Waste Management in Asia. Hoornweg, Daniel with Laura Thomas. 1999. Working
Paper Series Nr. 1. Urban Development Sector Unit. East Asia and Pacific Region. Page 5.
 a.) substances that are without any safe
commercial, industrial, agricultural or
economic usage and are shipped,
transported or brought from the country
or origin for dumping or disposal into or in
transit through an part of the territory of
the Philippines;
Hazardous b.) by-products, side-products, process
residues, spent reaction media,
Waste contaminated plant or equipment or other
substances from manufacturing
operations and as consumer discards of
manufactured products which products
which present unreasonable risk and/or
injury to health and safety and to the
environment.
(Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear
Waste Control Act of 1990 R.A. 6969)
 toxic chemicals and substances , residues from medical hospital facilities

debris from toxic paints and solvents

industrial wastes wastes coming from agricultural activities

Hazardous
Waste non-degradable

may be solid, liquid, or gas that brings a detrimental

effect on human health and the environment and
non-degradable
400 Annually
million metric tons
hazardous waste
 Developing countries have used more
hazardous waste for production and
consumption (chemicals and

Sources
materials) than in developed
countries.

Most industries in developing countries

use outdated and banned technologies
that operate poorly and produce
hazardous wastes.

Hazardous Wastes