CY 1201 Environmental Science and Engineering

8/6/2019 CY 1201 Environmental Science and Engineering

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NOORUL ISLAM COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

FIFTH SEMESTER (CY-1201)

Environmental science and engineering

UNIT 1

1. Define Environmental studies

“Environmental Studies is the process of recognizing values and

clarifying concepts in order to develop skills & attitudes necessary to

understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among man, his

culture and his biophysical surroundings.

2. What is ‘Natural Resource’?

The resources can also be explained as “anything which is useful to

man or can be transformed into a useful product”.

Thus air, water, mineral, forest wildlife as well as human beings are

some of the resources.

3. What is ‘biotic’ and ‘abiotic resources’?

All living organisms such as plants, animals, microbes and human

beings are considered to be biotic resources.

4. What is ‘Social Forestry’?

This programme is in fact for poor, which aims at intensification of

nursery operation at villagers level for multipurpose species (for fire

woods, fodder, fruits, etc) by involving villagers and school children.

5. What is ‘Deforestation’?

The destruction of forest cover by the activities of man and domestic

animals is called deforestation.

6. How the mining and dam construction activity affects the tribal people?

Made them as environmental refugees.



7. What is flood? How it occurs?

Whenever the magnitude of flow of water exceeds the

carrying capacity of the channel within its banks, the excess water

overflows on to the plains and causes floods.8. What is ‘Drought’?

As a situation occurring in an area when the mean annual rainfall is

less than 15% of the normal rainfall.

9. What are the benefits of dams?

To generate electricity, for navigation & recreation.

To develop fish and other aquaculture.

10. What is “Over grazing”?

Overgrazing is literally “eating away foresee vegetation without

giving it a chance to regenerate”. Overgrazing is one of the reason

for deforestation activities.

11. What is ‘Water logging’?

Surfaces waterlogged land is “that land where the water is at

or near the surface and water stands for most of the year.

11. What is ‘Salinity of the soil’?

Irrigation water not absorbed by the soil, evaporates and leaving

behind a thin crust of dissolved salts in the topsoil. This

accumulation of salts is called Salinity (Salinization) of the soil.

12. What is renewable resource? Mention few examples.

Renewable energy resources, as the name itself denotes can be

renewed again and again; either by fostering their growth with

efficient management or they may be available in nature

permanently without depletion.

Examples: Solar energy, Geothermal energy



13. What is non –renewable resource? Give examples

The non-renewable energy resources are those resources which can

not be regenerated- that have no inherent capacity to maintainthemselves.

Example: Coal, oil, natural gas.

14. What is ‘Solar Energy’?

The energy that we get from the sun is called solar energy.

15. What is ‘Wind Energy’?

Energy recovered from the force of the wind is called wind energy.

16. Write a short notes on ‘Geothermal Energy’

The internal heat of the earth used for power generation is called

geothermal energy.

17. Write short notes on ‘Tidal Energy’?

The incessant motion of the sea surface by the wave action can also

be converted into electric power is called tidal energy.

18. Write a short notes on ‘Biomass Energy’

Biomass is the materials originating from photosynthesis.

19. What is land degradation?

Land degradation refers “deterioration of soil or loss of productive

capacity of soil or loss of fertility of the soil”.

21 How the land degradation can be controlled?

Land degradation can be controlled by

Afforestation

Reforestation

Better agricultural practices.



22. What is afforestation?

Afforestation is a process in which a large scale tree planting is

carried out in open land and barren hills.

23.

What is ‘Soil erosion’?Loss or removal of the superficial layer of the soil by the action of

water, wind or by the activities of man is termed as ‘Soil erosion’.

24. What is desertification?

The loss of productivity of soil as a consequence of degradation or

pervasive dryness is called desertification.

25. Define ‘Sustainable development’

Sustainable development can be defined as “progress that meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs”



UNIT 2

1. Define ‘Ecosystem’ and ‘Ecology’.

An ecosystem is one which resulting from the interaction of all the

living and non- living factors of any particular environment. The

study of ecosystem is known as the ecology.

2. Write the structure of an ecosystem

1. Abiotic components

2. Biotic components

3. Movements of energy & mineral nutrients.

3. What is producer?

The plants producing carbohydrates from co2 through

photosynthesis process are called producer (autotrophic) organisms.

4. What is consumer?

Consumers are organisms feeding on other organisms.

5. What is Decomposer?

The microscopic heterotrophic organisms are commonly known as

decomposers.

6. What is Energy flow?

The flow of energy from producer level to top consumer level is

called energy flow.

7. write a short note on’ Food Chain’

Food chain is the transfer of food energy from the producer (plant)

through a series of organisms with repeated eating and being eaten.8. Write a short note on ‘Food web’.

In an ecosystem, various food chains are inter connected with each

other to form a net work called food web.



9. Define ‘Ecological Pyramid’

The graphic representation of the numbers, biomass and

energy of the successive trophic levels of an ecosystem is

called food pyramid or ecological pyramid.10. Define ‘bio-diversity’.

Bio means ‘life’ and diversity means ‘variety’, hence, biodiversity

refers wide variety of life on the earth.

11. Define ‘Genetic diversity’.

This diversity in the genetic make up of a species is referred as

genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is the diversity within a species.

12. Define species diversity’.

Diversity between species is “species diversity”.

13. Define ‘Ecosystem diversity’

The diversity at the ecological or habitat level is called ecosystem

diversity.

14. Write a short note on ‘Consumptive value’ of biodiversity.

The bioresource makes a direct contribution to human welfare

without passing through a market.

15. Write a short note on’ Productive value’ of biodiversity

Biodiversity components which is commercial harvested or is a

source for a commercially harvestable product and the materials pass

through a market.

16. Write a short note on ‘Social Value’ of biodiversity.

Social value of biodiversity refers to the manner in which bio

resources are used to the society.

17. Write a short note on ‘Ethical Value’ of biodiversity.

Moral and ethical values differ from place to place and culture to

culture.



18. Write a short note on ‘Aesthetic Value’ of biodiversity

In some cases, the beautiful nature of plant and animals insists us to

protect the biodiversity. Most people react more aesthetically

towards that are appealing visually or for some other reasons.19. Write a short note on ‘ Biodiversity of Tamilnadu’

The data of biodiversity of Tamilnadu indicates that the float

diversity data base contained details about 5,547 species. There were

about 595 fresh water fauna in the state.

20. What is Wildlife?

An ecologist includes both the naturally-occurring animals (fauna)

as well as plants (flora) in wild life.

21 Write a short account on ‘Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

The Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve (GoMBR) is the first marine

biosphere reserves in the South-East Asian region.

22. What is Red Data Book?

The Red Data Book is the book which categories species at the

threshold of risk according to the severity of the threat.

23. Write the Hot-spot regions of India.

a. Eastern Himalayas and

b. The Western Ghats

24. What is ‘Hot-spots of Biodiversity’?

The hot spots are the regions which possess the endemic species.

25. What is Endangered Species?

The endangered species otherwise known as “threatened Species”.

26. What is Endemic Species?

Endemic species can be defined as “those species which are

confined only to a particular locality”.

27. What is ENVIS?

Environment Information System (ENVIS).



UNIT - 3

1. Define ‘pollution’ and ‘pollutant’.

Addition of any toxic materials/effects into the environment which

change the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of our

resources is known as pollution. The toxic substance which

adversely changes the environment is known as pollutants.

2. What are the different types of pollution?

a. Air pollution

b. Water pollution

c. Soil/Land pollution

d. Marine pollution

e. Noise (Sound) pollution

f. Thermal pollution and

g. Nuclear Hazard/pollution

3. What are the effects of air pollution?

“Global warming”

“Depletion of ozone”

“Acid rain”

“Smog”

4.

How can you control/minimize air pollution?

1) By treatment process

2) Utilization of alternate energy



5. What is water pollution?

Contamination of fresh water of the addition of unwanted toxic

substances is known as ‘ground water pollution’ or simply ‘water

pollution’.6. What is ‘sewage’ and ‘Effluent’?

Waste water release from the domestic, commercial, municipal,

hotels, hospitals, institution. Etc. are grouped as sewage. The

discharge of waste water from the various industries are termed as

effluents, which is common in and industrial complex.

7. Write few reasons for ‘water pollution’.

Untreated sewage and effluent

Population explosion & failure of monsoon

Industrialization, Mining and mineral processing.

8. How the waste water can be managed?

1) Chemical treatment

2) Recycling

3) Indirect reuse

4) Direct reuse

9. What is ‘soil pollution’?

Degradation of soil and land due to industrial, agricultural and by

other human activities is called soil and land pollution.

10. What are the effects of soil pollution?

• Loss in soil fertility

• Health problems

11. What is ‘marine pollution’?

“Dumping of waste and oil spillage in the oceans cause thread to

marine ecosystem is called marine pollution”.



11. What is noise pollution?

‘Excess sound created by human activities is called noise pollution”.

12. What is thermal pollution?

Thermal pollution is the “addition of excess of undesirable heat of water that makes it harmful to aquatic life and cause significant

changes of normal activities of aquatic communities”.

13. Define ‘Bio-degradable’ and ‘non- biodegradable wastes’

If the pollutants are rapidly decomposed then they are said to be

“bio-degradable pollutants” like sewage and effluents.

Instead, if the pollutants don’t degrade or degrade very slowly then

they are said to be “non-degradable pollutants” like mercury and

plastics.

14. What is composting?

The decomposition and stabilization of solid wastes taken place by

biochemical bacteriological process under the controlled conditions

is called composting.

15. Write a short account on ‘solid waste’.

“The material arising from human and animal activities and is being

discarded as useless stuff”.

16. What is “Tsunami”?

An earthquake is a sudden vibration caused on the earth’s surface

due to the sudden release of energy stored in the rocks beneath the

earth surface.

Some times, the earthquake occur deep under the sea in

oceanic trenches, the stronger of them generate powerful seismic sea

waves called tsunami.

Tsunami is a Japanese word which in English means”Harbour

Wave”. ’Tsu’ means ‘Harbour’; ‘nami’ means ‘wave’.



UNIT – 4

1.

What is water conservation?Saving of water for future utilization is known as conservation.

2. Mention few water conservation techniques?

1. Artificial recharge of groundwater

2. ‘Minimum use of all available water’.

3. What is Rain water Harvesting?

Rain Water Harvesting is the one of the water conservation method,

by which the rain water is collected and stored in the ground during

rainy season.

4. Write a short note on ‘Watershed management’?

A watershed, also called a drainage basin is a region from which

water drains into a stream, lake, reservoir or other body of surface

water.

5. Write short note on ‘Environmental Ethics’.

The term ‘Environmental Ethics’ literally means conscious efforts to

protect an environment and to maintain its stability from the

hazardous chemical pollutants found in the industrial effluents.

5. Mention few ‘Environmental Issuses’

Population explosion

Green house effect and global warning.

Acid rainfall and oil spillage.

6. What is ‘global Warming’?

The rise of earth’s surface temperature due to intense green house

effect is called global warming.



7. What is ‘Green House Effect’?

The atmospheric constituents does not freely allow these earth

reflected heat into the outer space, instead, they trap the heart energy

and send back to the earth’s surface. This effect is called green houseeffect.

8. What are the green house gases?

• CH4

• CO2

• CFC

• NO

• SO2

9. What is ‘Acid rain’?

Sulphur oxide, Nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons are concentrated in

the atmosphere due to industrial activities. The acid developed in the

atmosphere is then reaches the earth surface in the form of rainfall.

Called acid rain.

10. Write a short account on ‘Ozone Hole’

The ozone concentration in the stratosphere is becomes thinner and

thinner, After some time, in some area the ozone layer may

disappear and a hole will develop in the ozone layer, called ozone-

hole.

11. Write a short note on ‘Nuclear Accidents of Chernobyl’.

On April 26, 1986, a series of explosions took place in one of the

reactors in the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine-then part of the

Soviet Union. 1, 25,000 people have died and 3.5 million people

have become ill because of the accident.



11. Write a short note on ’Tragedy of Hiroshima& Nagasaki’.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are two Japanese sea-ports which were

bombed on 6th

and 9th

August, 1945 during Second World War The

Hiroshima bomb claimed 1,90,000 human lives, the Nagasaki death-toll was 73,884.

12. What is waste land?

Any land which is not being used in accordance with its full

potential or capacity is called a wasteland

13. Plastics are not safe for environment-why?

Plastics-an increasingly common component of municipal waste-are

difficult to recycle or incinerate safely because they are seldom

biodegradable and their combustion creates several toxic gases.

14. What is E-Waste?

E-waste comprises all types f waste from electronic and electrical

equipment. E-waste contains over 1000 chemicals, many of which

are toxic and which may cause environmental pollution. It contains

lead in Cadmium in chips and cathode ray tube, PVC in cables.

15. Write a short note on ‘Environment Protection Act’.

On 23rd

MAY 1986 A COMPREHENSIVE Environmental

(protection) Act, also known as the Umberlla Act, was enacted to

protect environment.

15. Write a short note on ‘Air Act’

For preserving air quality and control of air pollution this Act was

introduced on 29th

March 1981.This Act empowers the state Board

to lay down the standards for emission into the atmosphere from

industries, automobiles or any other sources.

16. Write a short note on ‘water Act’



The Water Act was enacted on 23rd

March 1974, paving way for

establishing Pollution control Boards (PCBs) at the Centre and

states.

17. Write short notes on ‘wildlife protection Act’

The wildlife Act was enacted on 9th

September 1972 to protect

wildlife animals and birds.

18. Write a short note on ‘Forest Conservation Act’

With a view to check further deforestation, on 27th

December 1980,

the Forest (conservation) Act was encated.

19. Mention a few important issues involved in enforcement of environment

legislation.

1) Pollution control equipment has often been ineffective.

2) Subsidized charges for energy

3) Monitoring of pollution is often costly or impossible



UNIT – 5

1. Write a short note on ‘Human Right’

Human rights are internationally drawn standards, rules or values

which regulate the conduct states towards their citizens and others.

2. Write a short note on ‘Value Education’

Value education is crucial to the retention of national identify and to

a peaceful and harmonious society.

3. What is AIDS?

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease caused

by Human Immuno deficiency Viruses (HIV).

4. How is can be prevented?

Preventing of AIDS

1. Men /Women to avoid sexual relations before marriage.

2. After marriage sex relations to be only between husband and wift

3. For safer sex use condom

5. What type of disease commonly affects the children?

• Malnutrition

• Pneumonia

• Diarrhea

• Measles and

• Malaria



6. How the Children Health/ Welfare can be protected?

• Immunizing children against childhood diseases such as

measles

• Encouraging breast- feeding.

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