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Agro-chemical and their effects :

• Use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides has increased manifold for enhancing crop production. 
• Pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc, are being increasingly used. 
• These are toxic to non-target organisms that are important components of the soil ecosystem.
• Increasing amounts of artificial fertilizers causes eutrophication.

• The need to reduce our garbage generation should be a prime goal. 
• Reduction in use of plastics and use of eco-friendly packaging.
• Carrying cloth or other natural fiber carry bags when we go shopping. 
• Refusing polythene bags.

All solid wastes are categorized into thee types: 

• Bio-degradable. 
• Recyclable.
• Non-biodegradable. 

(a) All the garbage generated is sorted first. 

(b) Recyclable material to be separated and send for recycles. 

(c) Biodegradable wastes can be put into deep pits in the ground and be left for natural breakdown. 

(d) Only Non-biodegradable wastes are left and required to be disposed.

(i) Shortage of space for huge garbage‘s. 

(ii) Danger of seepage of chemicals, polluting the ground water resources.

• Solid wastes refer to everything that goes out in trash. 
• Municipal solid wastes are wastes from homes, offices, stores, schools, hospitals etc. It comprises paper, food wastes, plastics, glass, metals rubber, leathers, textiles etc. 
• Open damp of these wastes serve as the breeding ground for rats and flies. 
• Sanitary landfills were adopted as substitute for open-burning dumps.

Sanitary landfills: 

• Wastes are dumped in a depression or trench after compaction and covered with dirt everyday. 

Presence of large amount of nutrients in water also causes excessive growth of Planktonic (free floating) algae, called algal bloom.

Increase in concentration of the toxicant at successive trophic level is called biological magnification or biomagnifications. 

• Toxic substance accumulated by an organism cannot be metabolized or excreted. 
• The accumulated toxic passed to the next trophic level. 
• This phenomenon is well known for mercury and DDT.

Ecological sanitation is a sustainable system for handling human excreta, using dry composting toilets.

This is a practical, hygienic, efficient and cost-effective solution to human waste disposal.

With this composting method human excreta can be recycled into are source (as natural fertilizer).

'EcoSan‘ toilets are being used in Kerala and Srilanka.

The treatment is done in two stages:

• The conventional sedimentation, filtering and chorine treatment are given. 
• The biologist developed a series of six connected marshes over 60 hectares of marshland. 
• Appropriate plants, algae, fungi and bacteria were seeded into this area, which neutralize, absorb and assimilate the pollutant. 
• The water flows through the marshes, it get purified naturally.
• The marshes also constitute a sanctuary, with high level of biodiversity in the form of fishes, animals and birds that now reside there.

Effects on aquatic life: 

a. It causes high mortality rate of aquatic animals. 

b. The excessive nutrients facilitate algal growth causing algal bloom.

Geological Repositories – A deep geological repository is a nuclear waste repository excavated deep within a stable geologic environment. It is suited to provide a high level of long-term isolation and containment without future maintenance. In India at Tarapur and Kalpakkam, a wet storage facility of Spent Fuel is the main mode of storage.

1. May kill beneficial bacteria and soil organisms. 

2. Can cause eutrophication in water bodies. 

3. Afreet aquatic animals and their productivity. 

4. Pesticide containing water, even in trace quantities is unfit for human consumption. 

5. Particles (aerosols) and residues of these chemicals cause air pollution. 

6. Inhalation of contaminated air can cause respiratory problems. 

7. Consumption can lead to poisoning, side effects and after effects. 

8. Chemicals can cause skin rashes and irritation of eyes.

9. Many of these chemicals are reported to be carcinogenic. 

10. They can trigger hormonal disorders and neurotoxicity. 

11. Beneficial insects and animals can be affected.

UV rays may penetrate deep into the skin and can lead to premature skin aging and wrinkling of skin; suppression of the immune system, skin cancer (melanoma) and chronic effects leading to eye damage. DNA damage can result from free radicals and reactive oxygen and . photons can damage the DNA itself.

Biological methods of Wastewater treatment:

1. Bioremediation of wastewater includes the aerobic treatment (oxidation ponds and aeration lagoons) and anaerobic treatment (anaerobic bioreactors and anaerobic lagoons). 

2. Phytoremediation of wastewater includes constructed wetlands, Root Zone Wastewater Treatment (RZWT), and Decentralized Waste Water Treatment System (DEWATS) 

Slash and burn agriculture.

Difficulty in laying down pipelines to deliver CNG.

Non-assurance of uninterrupted supply.

CO₂ and Methane. CO₂ levels are increasing due to burning of fossil fuels, leading to Global Warming.

Amit because he is concerned about environment and people‘s health. Strict vigilance by Govt.authorities should impose heavy fine, if pollution control measuresare not followed by factories.

i. Algal bloom pollutes water and deteriorates the water quality by depleting the oxygen content. This turns the water toxic and increases its BOD. 

ii. Algal blooms lead to death of aquatic organisms due to oxygen depletion.

(a) It disturbs calcium metabolism in birds due to accumulation of DDT and causes the thinning of egg shell. It affects the premature breaking of egg.

(b) Bio magnification.

Dobson  unit.

(a) Leads to species enrichment

• No biomass burning and minimal use of fossil fuels.
• Vehicles – use of minimum pollution vehicles fitted with catalytic converters.
• Smoking – No tobacco smoking and implementation of Kitchen chimneys
• Noise – Not using TV and other gadgets at louder pitch.
• Tree plantation -1 will plant trees around school, house and also in other places.
• Wastes -1 will dispose of waste property after segregation.

Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award. 

Chipko movement 

Joint Forest Management (JFM). 

The phenomeon is eutrophication. More nutrients in water, aquatic life increases organic remains deposited on lake bottom, lake grows shallower and warmer, gradually transforms into land due to deposition of silt and organic debris. Cultural or Accelerated eutrophication Natural ageing is Eutrophication.

(a) UV radiations acts upon CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons), releasing Cl atoms (in the stratosphere) the Cl atoms degrade ozone.

(b) Ageing of skin / skin cancer, inflammation of cornea / snowblindness / cataract / permanently damaged cornea.

Detailed Answer: 

(a) The main cause of depletion of ozone layer is the increase in ozone degradation by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

(b) It effects caused by zone depletion in human body are : 

(i) It allows/UV B radiation  to enter the atmosphere. 

(ii) Causes inflammation of  cornea (snow blindness) cataract. etc. 

(iii) Causes ageing of skin, damage the skin cell and may even cause cancer.

(a) Chlorofluorocarbon.

(b) CFC move upward and reach stratosphere UV-rays act on them releasing Cl atom due to which ozone degrades releasing molecular oxygen.

‘a’–High BOD due to sewage discharge. 

‘b’–Increase in dissolved oxygen due to sewage decomposition. 

Micro-organisms involved in biodegradation of organic matter consume a lot of oxygen, therefore, there is a sharp decline in dissolved oxygen. When the sewage is completely degraded, oxygen concentration again increases.

High BOD of a water body indicates growth of more number of micro-organisms in water. This results in bad quality of water. Bad water quality will lead to death of aquatic creatures and hence more polluting potential. Whereas lower BOD of water body indicates less number of microorganisms in water. There is good quality of water in which aquatic life flourishes and there is less polluting potential.

The amount of oxygen required for microbial breakdown of biodegradable organic matter is called BOD.

As BOD refers to the amount of oxygen consumed if all the organic matter in one liter of water were oxidised by bacteria. Thus, greater the BOD, lesser will be the dissolved oxygen in sewage discharge.

The fuel was CNG or compressed natural gas. 

CNG is considered better because of the following reasons:

i. CNG burns more efficiently unlike diesel or petrol. 

ii. Very little of it is left unburnt. 

iii. It cannot be adulterated. 

iv. It is cheaper than petrol or diesel.

• At home – Kitchen wastes, food-left overs, old torn clothes, papers, carry bags, cotton, broken articles (glass, crockery), leather, plastic, cans etc.,
• At school – Pencil, pencil peels, rubbers, pens, chalk, paper, food, grit etc.,
• At trips – Food, carry bags, food wrappers, water bottles, cups, spoons, plate, faeces and urination in open air.
• Wastes which can be reduced – Biodegradable wastes e.g. papers, rags, food, leather articles, others which are recyclable ones in house or locality itself.
• Which cannot be reduced – Glass, tin, metals, plastics, polythene. They are recycled and reused. Also as land fills. So non biodegradable are to be sold to rag pickers.

Pollution is any undesirable change in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the environment due to natural causes and human activities.

(i) Bishnois – 

are group of followers of Guru Janbeshwar Maharaj, a small community inhabiting a village near Jodhpur in Rajasthan. They are known for peaceful co-existence with nature. In 1731, once when king of Jodhpur, asked his fellow people to arrange wood for new palace, they reached Bishnois village. Effort of cutting trees was thwarted by Bishnois. A Bishnois women Amrita Devi hugged the trees and daring King’s men to cut her before cutting the trees. But, kings men cut the tree down along with her. Her 3 daughters and 100 other Bishnois followed her and all lost their lives saving trees. Now there is Amrita Devi Bishnoi Wildlife Protection Award given to individuals or communities from rural area who show courage and dedication to protect wildlife and trees.

(ii) Chipko movement – 

of Garhwal Himalayas. In 1974, local women showed extreme courage by hugging trees and protecting them from the axe of contractors.

(iii) Appiko movement – 

Conservation, plantation and Rational use is their belief.

(iv) Joint Forest Management (JFM) – 

Government of India in 1980s introduced concept of JFM so as to work closely with local communities for protecting and managing forests. In return their service, they were rewarded with various benefits and forest were conserved in. sustainable manner. Communities got benefit of various forest products like fruits, gum, rubber, medicine etc.

(d) September 16th

(c) Troposhere

Air pollutants can be 

• discharge of dusts or particulate matter (PM: 2.5 and 10)
• discharge of gases (SO_x , NO_x , CO and CO₂ )

(a) Montreal Protocol

Silvopasture

(b) Bioremediation

Pollutants from anthropogenic activities like effluents from the industries and homes can radically accelerate the aging process. This phenomenon is known as Cultural or Accelerated Eutrophication

Eutrophication can be controlled by reducing the use of fertilizers in agricultural lands, checking the runoff from fields, planting vegetations along the stream beds there by the nutrients will be up taken by plants.

When run-off from land containing nutrients reaches water bodies like lakes, it results in dense growth of plant life. This phenomenon is called Eutrophication.

(a) Sesbania and Acacia

Correct Answer is: (b) China

The decline in the thickness of the ozone layer over restricted area is called Ozone hole.

The decline in the thickness of the ozone layer over restricted area is called Ozone hole. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) damages the ozone layer to a great extent.

Destruction of ecosystems: Ecosystems, especially aquatic systems, can be severely affected or destroyed by water pollution.Water pollutants affect existing niches and habitats and the survival of organisms. Soil fertility is affected and the system becomes uninhabitable.

Namami Gange (National Mission for Clean Ganga) Programme is an Integrated Conservation Mission approved as the ‘Flagship Programme’ of the Union Government in June 2014 with a budget outlay of 20,000 crores to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of River Ganga.

1. Regulate or control of pollutant(s) discharge at the point of generation.

2. Wastewater can be pretreated by scientific methods before discharge to municipal treatment sources.

3. Setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP).

4. Regulate or restrict the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. 

5. Public awareness and peoples’ involvement is essential.