1. 5.1 Nature of pollution

2. Pollution
The contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms.
Pollution can occur naturally,(ex. through volcanic eruptions), or unnaturally (ex. the spilling of oil and disposal or industrial waste)
Two Types of Pollution: Point source pollution and non-point source

3. Point Source Pollution
Point source: Pollution that can be traced back to a single origin or source (ex. sewage treatment plant discharge).
Point source pollution has a localized impact is easier to manage.
Can be challenging because it is more scattered and can be very numerous

4. Non-Point Source Pollution
Non-point source: Pollution which cannot be traced back to a single origin or source (ex. storm water runoff, water runoff from urban areas and failed septic systems).
More difficult to identify and manage
Hard to assign responsibility

5. Point source or non-point source?

6. Sources of Pollution
Fossil fuels - release greenhouse gases, can contribute to respiratory problems and acid rain
Domestic waste - food waste, sewage, rubbish (glass, plastics, paper, wood, metals)
Industrial waste - heavy metals, heat (in air and/or water), acids
Agricultural waste - fertilizers, animal waste, and pesticides contaminate water sources

7. Non-point source pollution

8. Sources of Pollution Combustion of Fossil Fuels Domestic
Industrial Waste
Agriculture Systems

9. The Era of Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels: petroleum, natural gas and coal
Currently 90% of current US energy from fossil fuels
Expected oil production peak:
Consumption of energy currently increasing
Projected world oil production will be exhausted by 2100
Produces significant and diverse pollution problems
Greenhouse gases
Gaseous sulfur and nitrogen oxides
Land-based disturbances

10. What is crude oil?
Crude oil is a liquid mixture of thousands of organic chemicals found underground.
Result of decaying organic matter over thousands of years (fossil fuel)
Found all over the world and varies tremendously in its density, sulfur and metals content

11. Oil Refinery and the BP oil rig

12. The Refinery

13. World oil reserves

14. Coal
Coal provides 25% of world’s commercial energy; 22% of U.S. energy
Advantages:
Worlds most abundant fossil fuel
Cheap
Disadvantages:
Dangerous to mine,
Harms land, water and air
Causes smog, acid rain and global warming

15. World Coal Reserves

16. Health impacts 131 million Americans live in areas with smog pollution
Over 45,000 lives are cut short by air pollution
It is estimated that every year 60,000 children may be born at significantly increased risk of neurological defects due to mothers eating mercury contaminated fish.

17. Mercury Contamination

18. Oil Spills 31,000 gallons of spilled oil into waterways each day
Between 1973 and 1993 there were 200,000 oil spills in the U.S. waters spilling more than 230 million gallons of oil

19. Land Destruction Mountaintop removal in west Virginia (for coal)
Tens of thousands of coal bed methane wells in Powder river basin in Wyoming.

20. Global Warming
Only 4% of world population produces 25% of the carbon dioxide pollution
Projected that the Earth’s surface temperature will increase between 2.5 and 10.4 degrees F by 2100 if no major efforts are taken to reduce carbon emissions