1. Unit 9 Geography of Southern and Eastern Asia Web Quest
{G10a: Describe causes/effects of pollution on Yangtze/Ganges Rivers.}
{G10b: Describe causes/effects of air pollution/flooding in India/China.}

2. Wastewater Treatment and Landfill Ease Pollution of China’s Yangtze River
1. As a result of Chongqing’s booming megalopolis, the wastewater system lagged behind, what kind of pollution was released into the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers? Raw domestic and industrial sewage, and solid waste was disposed in unsanitary open sites or dumped illegally and randomly into the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, threatening the quality of the water supply.

3. The Ganges
4. What kind of pollution is found in the Ganges? The majority of the Ganges’ pollution is organic waste- sewage, trash, food, and human and animal remains.

4. The Ganges
5. How many gallons of waste flow into the Ganges each day and what are the effects of this waste on the river and the people? Some 300 million gallons of waste to into the Ganges each day, and the effects are stunning: recent water samples collected in Varanasi revealed fecal-coliform counts of about 50,000 bacteria per 100 millimeters of water. The result of this pollution is an array of water-borne diseases including cholera, hepatitis, typhoid and amoebic dysentery. An estimated 80% of all health problems and 1/3 of deaths in India are attributable to water-borne disease.

5. The Ganges
6. Why are human and animal remains dumped in the Ganges River and how do they threaten one’s health? The sacred practice of depositing human remains in the Ganges also poses health threats because of the partially cremated cadavers dumped in the river and those who cannot afford cremation simply dump the bodies into the river. The carcasses of thousands of dead cows, sacred to Hindus, are also dumped into the river.

6. The Ganges
7. Industrial pollutants have a great impact on health, what kind of industries are dumping toxic waste and what kind of hazardous waste are being dumped? Industries such as pharmaceutical companies, electronics plants, textile and paper industries, tanneries, fertilizer manufacturers, and oil refineries are dumping toxic, hazardous waste like hydrochloric acid, mercury and other heavy metals, bleaches and dyes, pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (highly toxic compounds that accumulate in animal and human tissue). Runoff from farms adds chemical fertilizers and pesticides such as DDT (banned in the US for toxic and carcinogenic effects on humans and wildlife).

7. First Ever Precise Data on Yangtze Water Quality
2. What are the effects of the polluted rivers entering the East China Sea? Where the river enters the East China Sea, the huge pollutant loads are expected to have devastating effects: each day, 1,500 tons of nitrogen is discharged, causing eutrophication and growth of blue-green algae in the coastal waters, while toxic metals such as arsenic and persistent organic compounds accumulate, entering the food chain of the productive shelf areas.

8. China Race to Improve Air Quality for 2008 Olympics
In a report issued by the European Satellite Agency; what was China known as having? China was named as having the world’s highest levels of nitrogen dioxide- a key smog gas originating from power plants, heavy industry and vehicle emissions.

9. China Race to Improve Air Quality for 2008 Olympics
5. Since 2000, name at least 3 things the Chinese have done to improve their air quality?
*They have exiled more than 1,000 heavy industrial and power-generated plants outside of the city.
*Unleaded fuel was banned and phased out
*The reliance on coal for energy has been reduced by the gradual introduction of natural gas for domestic and industrial use, and processed coal with reduced sulfur emissions.
*4,000 old polluting buses and 30,000 cabs were removed from service and replaced with vehicles meeting new, tougher standards for pollution controls.
*Declared that all construction should cease by the end of 2006 to prepare for the 2008 Olympics.
*The government is seeking to improve the city’s public transport and provide tax incentives for consumers to purchase cars with small engines.

10. China’s Air Pollution hit United States
1. What percentage of air pollution is carried across the ocean to Los Angeles? Nearly 25% of polluting matter above Los Angeles can be traced to Asia. Scientists have confirmed that the pollution is carried by air currents and they fear that china could one day account for 1/3 of all California’s air pollution.

11. China’s Air Pollution hit United States
2. 1/3 of Asia’s pollution is dust, what is the cause of this dust and how does it affect climate? The dust is increasing due to drought and deforestation, and fossil fuel consumption: sulfur, soot and trace metals. It affects climate by trapping heat, reflecting light or changing rainfall patterns.

12. China’s Air Pollution hit United States
3. What other factors cause Asia’s air pollution? Other factors that cause air pollution include coal-fired power plants which provided 2/3 of China’s energy, and a new coal-powered plant is built every week. Every year, the number of Chinese people who own cars is increasing by about 10%, with a corresponding increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

13. China Floods kill 57; 1.2 million flee
How many people have been affected by the flooding? At least 57 people have died, 7 are missing, more than 1.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes across 9 provinces.
2. What happened to the river’s embankment near Changzhou, Xinhau? A 130-ft. crack opened in the river’s embankment, and nearly 120,000 people fled to high ground in the town of Longhua when river water began to pour through the gap.

14. Over 500 Dead in China Floods
2. How is the impact of seasonal rains magnified? The impact of seasonal rains is magnified by environmental damage from decades of intensive farming and tree-cutting that have left denuded hillsides unable to trap rain.

15. Article: Air Pollution in South Asia
1. What kind of indoor and outdoor pollution does India have? Indoor air pollution is caused by burning wood, dung, and other biomass materials for cooking and heating. Outdoor air pollution is caused by emissions from vehicles, industries, and power stations, burning agricultural and other wastes, and burning wood, dung, and other biomass fuels.

16. Article: Air Pollution in South Asia
4. What are the negative results of indoor air pollution? The health of the poor is undermined b air pollution produced by indoor cookers. India has some 500,000 annual deaths from indoor air pollution, primarily women and children.