Shri Krishna Public School

Biology Investigatory Project

Topic: Pollution

Name: Yukti Chouhan

Class: 12
 Certificate
This is to certify that, I Yukti Chouhan of class 12 of Shri Krishna
Public School has successfully completed the Biology Investigatory
Project as prescribed by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
for the academic year 2022-2023.

Date: Principal’s Signature:

Sign of Internal Examinee:

Sign of External Examinee:

 Acknowledgement
I would extend my heartiest thanks to my Biology Teacher for providing me
with all the support I required all the times. I would like to gratefully thank
my parents for providing me with all the facilities and a favourable
environment at home. I would also like to thank my friends who have given me
support and helped me in finalising the project in the given time frame.

THANK YOU
 Index
Introduction 4-5
What are Pollutants 6
Types of Pollutants 7
Cost of Pollution 8
Types of Pollution 9-14
Major causes of Pollution 15-16
Effects of Pollution 17
Prevention measures to control Pollution 18
Conclusion 19-21
Bibliography 22
 Introduction
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are
called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be created by human
activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water,
and land.

Many things that are useful to people produce pollution. Cars spew pollutants from
their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to create electricity pollutes the air. Industries and
homes generate garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Pesticides—
chemical poisons used to kill weeds and insects—seep into waterways and harm wildlife.

All living things—from one-celled microbes to blue whales—depend on Earth’s supply of air and
water. When these resources are polluted, all forms of life are threatened.

Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more polluted than the countryside,
pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides and other
chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a
huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage
Patch.

Air and water currents carry pollution. Ocean currents and migrating fish carry marine pollutants far
and wide.
 What are pollutants?
Any substance which causes pollution is called a pollutant. A Pollutant may thus include
any chemical or geochemical (dust, sediment, grit etc.) substance, biotic component or its
product, or physical factor (heat) that is released intentionally by man into the
environment in such a concentration that may have adverse harmful or unpleasant
effects.

A Pollutant has also been defined as “any solid, liquid or gaseous substance present in
such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to the environment.” Pollutants are
the residues of things we use and throw away. There are many sources of such pollutants.
The lakes and rivers are polluted by water from chemical and other factories, and the air
by gases of automobile exhausts, industries, thermal power plants etc.

There has been a serious concern all over the world about the rivers turning murky, fish
rotting on sea shores, tree withering, cities choking with foul air, toxic chemicals being
cycled into food stuffs and disease epidemics appearing so frequently.
 Types of Pollutants:
The various principal pollutants which pollute air, water and land are as follows:
(1) Deposited matter. Smoke, tar, dust, etc.
(2) Gases. Oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO,), sulphur (SO,), carbon monoxide, halogens, (chlorine, bromine, iodine)

(3) Acids droplets. Sulphuric acid, nitric acid etc.

(4) Fluorides

(5) Metals. Mercury, lead, iron, zinc, nickel, tin, cadmium, chromium etc.

(6) Agrochemicals. Biocides (like pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, bactericides, weedicides etc. and fertilisers.

(7) Complex organic oxidants. Benzene, ether, acetic acid, benzpyrenes etc.

(8) Photochemical oxidants. Photochemical smog, ozone, peroxyacety nitrate (PAN), peroxybenzoil nitrate, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes,
ethylene etc.

(9) Solid domestic wastes

(10) Radioactive waste

(11) Noise
 Cost of Pollution:
Cost of pollution can be evaluated in the following ways:

(1) Medical care of health due to diseases as tuberculosis, typhoid, lung cancer etc.

(2) Loss of resources by unnecessary wasteful exploitation

(3) Pollution control involving money, funds, manpower etc. for disposal, of pollutants and for
control devices developed.

(4) Corrosion of metals as iron, steel, copper, brass, nickel, zinc, leads etc.

(5) Damage to crop production, and

(6) Damage to buildings (including historical monuments) and textiles.

 Types of Pollution
• Air Pollution:

Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from the exhaust pipes of large trucks or
factories, for example. More often, however, air pollution is invisible.
Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. It can make people’s eyes burn and make them
have difficulty breathing. It can also increase the risk of lung cancer.
Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly. When volcanoes erupt, they eject volcanic ash and
gases into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash can discolor the sky for months. After the eruption of the Indonesian
volcano of Krakatoa in 1883, ash darkened the sky around the world.
Volcanic gases, such as sulfur dioxide, can kill nearby residents and make the soil infertile for years. Mount
Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, famously erupted in 79, killing hundreds of residents of the nearby towns of Pompeii
and Herculaneum. Most victims of Vesuvius were not killed by lava or landslides caused by the eruption. They were
choked, or asphyxiated, by deadly volcanic gases.
Most air pollution is not natural, however. It comes from burning fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas.
When gasoline is burned to power cars and trucks, it produces carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas. The gas
is harmful in high concentrations, or amounts. City traffic produces highly concentrated carbon monoxide.
Cars and factories produce other common pollutants, including nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons.
These chemicals react with sunlight to produce smog, a thick fog or haze of air pollution
Greenhouse gases are another source of air pollution. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane occur naturally in
the atmosphere. In fact, they are necessary for life on Earth. They absorb sunlight reflected from Earth, preventing it from
escaping into space. By trapping heat in the atmosphere, they keep Earth warm enough for people to live. This is called
the greenhouse effect.

Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The melting ice is causing sea levels to rise at a rate of two millimeters
(0.09 inches) per year. The rising seas will eventually flood low-lying coastal regions. Entire nations, such as the islands of
Maldives, are threatened by this climate change.

People and governments can respond quickly and effectively to reduce air pollution. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs) are a dangerous form of air pollution that governments worked to reduce in the 1980s and 1990s. CFCs are found in
gases that cool refrigerators, in foam products, and in aerosol cans.

CFCs damage the ozone layer, a region in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The ozone layer protects Earth by absorbing much of the
sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. When people are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation, they are more likely to develop skin
cancer, eye diseases, and other illnesses.
• Water Pollution:

Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has garbage floating in it. Some polluted water looks clean,
but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t see or smell.

Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and swimming. Some people who drink polluted water are exposed
to hazardous chemicals that may make them sick years later. Others consume bacteria and other
tiny aquatic organisms that cause disease. The United Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every day from
drinking dirty water.

There are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for example, can leak into oceans and
lakes from natural underground sources. These sites are called petroleum seeps. The world’s
largest petroleum seep is the Coal Oil Point Seep, off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The Coal Oil
Point Seep releases so much oil that tar balls wash up on nearby beaches. Tar balls are small, sticky pieces of
pollution that eventually decompose in the ocean.

Human activity also contributes to water pollution. Chemicals and oils from factories are sometimes dumped or
seep into waterways. These chemicals are called runoff. Chemicals in runoff can create a toxic environment for
aquatic life. Runoff can also help create a fertile environment for cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.
Cyanobacteria reproduce rapidly, creating a harmful algal bloom (HAB). Harmful algal blooms prevent
organisms such as plants and fish from living in the ocean. They are associated with “dead zones” in the world’s
lakes and rivers, places where little life exists below surface water.

Mining and drilling can also contribute to water pollution. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major contributor to
pollution of rivers and streams near coal mines.
Sewage that has not been properly treated is a common source of water pollution. Many cities around the world have poor sewage
systems and sewage treatment plants.

A major source of water pollution is fertilizer used in agriculture. Fertilizer is material added to soil to make plants grow larger and
faster. Fertilizers usually contain large amounts of the elements nitrogen and phosphorus, which help plants grow. Rainwater
washes fertilizer into streams and lakes. There, the nitrogen and phosphorus cause cyanobacteria to form harmful algal blooms.

Heat can pollute water. Power plants, for example, produce a huge amount of heat. Power plants are often located on rivers so
they can use the water as a coolant. Cool water circulates through the plant, absorbing heat. The heated water is then returned to
the river. Aquatic creatures are sensitive to changes in temperature. Some fish, for example, can only live in cold water. Warmer
river temperatures prevent fish eggs from hatching. Warmer river water also contributes to harmful algal blooms.

Garbage also fouls the ocean. Many plastic bottles and other pieces of trash are thrown overboard from boats. The wind blows
trash out to sea. Ocean currents carry plastics and other floating trash to certain places on the globe, where it cannot escape.
• Land Pollution:

Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also harm the land. Mining sometimes leaves the
soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals.

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals, and
sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When people consume
the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases.

A pesticide called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was once commonly used to kill insects, especially
mosquitoes. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria, which kills a million people
every year. Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for his understanding of how DDT
can control insects and other pests. DDT is responsible for reducing malaria in places such as Taiwan and Sri
Lanka.

In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring, which discussed the dangers of
DDT. She argued that it could contribute to cancer in humans. She also explained how it was destroying bird eggs,
which caused the number of bald eagles, brown pelicans, and ospreys to drop. In 1972, the United States banned
the use of DDT. Many other countries also banned it. But DDT didn’t disappear entirely. Today, many
governments support the use of DDT because it remains the most effective way to combat malaria.

Trash is another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars, plastic products, and junked
cars and appliances mar the landscape. Litter makes it difficult for plants and other producers in the food web to
create nutrients. Animals can die if they mistakenly eat plastic.
Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them. Pollutants from the landfill leak into
the earth in which they are buried. Plants that grow in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the
plants also become contaminated. So do the predators that consume the herbivores. This process, where a chemical
builds up in each level of the food web, is called bioaccumulation.

Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies. There, the aquatic food web (from
microscopic algae to fish to predators such as sharks or eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals.

Some cities incinerate, or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it, but it can release dangerous heavy
metals and chemicals into the air. So while trash incinerators can help with the problem of land pollution, they
sometimes add to the problem of air pollution.
 Major Causes of Pollution in the World
While pollution is caused by natural as well as man-made sources, it is the man-made pollution which is
adding to the severity of this issue and threatening the existence of life on the planet. To a large extent,
environmental pollution can be attributed to various human activities, such as transportation, industrial
production, construction, mining, agriculture, etc. These activities, which are technically referred to as the
anthropogenic causes of pollution, have been polluting the environment since ages. However, the rate at
which pollution is happening today, we are left with no option but to take a serious note of it.

Air Pollution:
Air pollution is one of the major environmental problems in the world. The United States, which constitutes
for approximately 5 percent of the world population, alone produces 25 percent of the total carbon dioxide
in the world. Among the leading causes of air pollution, human transportation is by far the most prominent.
Millions of vehicles dump tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere every single day.
Other than these vehicles, industrial plants, which release various harmful gases by burning fossil fuels, have a
major share in polluting the air. It may come as a surprise for many, but agricultural activities, such as
clearance of land for agriculture and use of pesticides, also contribute to this form of pollution to a significant
extent.
Water Pollution:
Water pollution is a broad concept which encompasses the pollution of inland water sources as well as ocean bodies on the planet.
While inland water sources have been turned into virtual dumping sites owing to industrial pollution, ocean bodies bear the brunt
of marine transportation and oil spills. The amount of sewage waste generated by a single household may not seem much, but if we
take into consideration the fact that there are millions of households, things become serious. A significant proportion of waste
produced in these homes is directed to water sources without being subjected to proper treatment. Other than sewage, fertilizers
and pesticides used in agriculture also contaminate water. They make their way to water sources through surface runoff during
precipitation. As for ocean pollution causes, oil spills have a major role to play. The rising number of oil spills over the last few
years is in fact a serious concern.

Land Pollution:
Land pollution, also known as soil pollution, is actually the process wherein soil is contaminated due to the introduction of some
harmful chemical substances in it. Among the various human activities which contribute to land pollution, agriculture and mining
are perhaps the most prominent ones. When it comes to soil pollution, the list of contaminants includes Chlorinated
Hydrocarbons (CFH), chromium, cadmium, lead, zinc, etc. Other than the practice of agriculture and mining, dumping of
industrial and domestic waste in the soil also pollutes it.
The harmful chemicals, which are suspended in the air, get dissolved in rainwater and pollute the soil when they come to the
Earth’s surface in the form of acid rain. Similarly, surface runoff transports contaminants from one place to another and adds to
land pollution. Owing to the interrelationship between these forms of pollution, one can’t afford to ignore their causes and effects.
While many people are of the opinion that pollution is only caused due to chemical substances, the fact is that even energy in
excess can cause pollution. Noise pollution and thermal pollution are the best examples of the same. If you are still not able to
understand the seriousness of the issue, maybe a closer look at its harmful effects will come as an eye opener for you.
 Effects of Pollution
1.Pollution changes the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of land, air, and
water.
2.Pollution harms human life and the life of other species by many diseases like skin
cancer, heart diseases, hearing loss, aggressive behaviour in animals, etc.
3.Global warming, ozone depletion, climatic changes, etc., caused due to pollution,
adversely affect the environment.
4.It also degrades living conditions while wasting or depleting raw material resources.
5.Pollution impacts the natural flora and fauna residing in the soil and spoils the natural
vegetation due to the increase of salinity of the soil
6.The country’s cultural heritage is also impacted, and it is becoming increasingly difficult
to preserve all historical monuments from acid rain.
7.Some hazardous wastes or toxic by-products and chemicals are termed hazardous
pollutants as they have toxic characteristics that the environment cannot assimilate.
8.Pollution thus causes risks to human health, environmental quality and damages natural
and man-made resources.
 Prevention Measures to Control Pollution
1.Keep your surroundings clean; waste should be placed in bins.

2.Exhaust from automobiles and workshop machinery should be controlled.

3.Public transport should be used rather than private transport.

4.Wastage of water should be avoided by repairing and replacement of taps/knobs.

5.Industrial waste containing various harmful chemicals should be pretreated and sent to the drainage system.

6.Plastic usage can be reduced to avoid soil pollution.

7.Control of land loss and soil erosion can be attempted through restoring forest and grass cover.

8.Crop rotation or mixed cropping can improve the fertility of the land.

9.Sound pollution can be restricted by implementing strict rules like banning the use of loudspeakers or public part systems at night.

10.Reduce the usage of electronic gadgets such as cell phones, computers, air-conditioners, fridges, etc.

11.Walk or cycle where it is safe to do so working is free, cycling can help to keep you fit. Observe world environmental day
on 5th5th June.

12.The planting of trees will help to absorb excess carbon dioxide.

 Conclusion
1. Air Pollution
Air pollution is a huge problem not only in India but the whole world,
various organizations do their bit to make sure that plans are made to
restrict air pollution, but unfortunately those plans never get executed
rightly. That is why even after knowing that the air is getting polluted
every day, the organizations around the world are unable to provide a
good solution to it. As a human being, we must contribute, that is why, we
need to gather and make sure that all the places, suffering from air
pollution, should get organized in a manner so that air pollution should
not exist. Everyone should participate in schemes like Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan which will not only reduce the air pollution in the country but
will also reduce various other kinds of pollution.
2. Water Pollution

Water pollution have the capabilities to disrupt life on our planet to a great extent.
Congress has passed laws to try to combat water pollution thus acknowledging the fact
that water pollution is, indeed, a seriousissue. But the government alone cannot solve
the entire problem. It is ultimately up to us, to be informed, responsible and
involved when it comes to the problems we face with our water. We must become
familiar with our local water resources and learn about ways for disposing harmful
household wastes so they don’t end up in sewage treatment plants that can’t handle
them or landfills not designed to receive hazardous materials. In our yards, we must
determine whether additional nutrients are needed before fertilizers are applied, and
look for alternatives where fertilizers might run off into surface waters. We have to
preserve existing trees and plant new trees and shrubs to help prevent soil erosion
and promote infiltration of water into the soil. Around our houses, we must keep
litter, pet waste, leaves, and grass clippings out of gutters and storm drains.
3. Land Pollution

In response to my hypothesis 'I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD START TO

RECYCLE MORE EFFICIENTLY,AS THE HUMAN POPULATION
DRAMATICALLY INCREASES AND MORE RESOURCES ARE NEEDED TO
SATISFY THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS'. I believe that my hypothesis is correct as
the human population is growing dramatically and as a human being, we want a lot of
'wants and needs, therefore resulting in more manufacturing of new products.
Recycling is an efficient method to reduce waste and it should be taken more into
action.
I believe that we as humans have the biggest part in land pollution. We
have the power to save our planet from it before it gets worse. We also
have the power to destroy our planet with land pollution though. We
have many ways to stop land pollution from occurring. Humans are the
main cause of land pollution because we are the most dominant species
on the planet.
 Bibliography
• eschooltoday.com/pollution/air-pollution/effects-of-air-
pollution.html
• Pollution in India-
http://www.gits4u.com/envo4.htm
• Websites of the State Pollution Boards in India-
1. http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/384409/20120914/top-ten-
mileage-cars-india-fuel-efficient.htm
2. http://www.slideshare.net/samuelkrobinson/reduce-carbon-
today-vehicle-pollution-prevention