Download - Environment Preservation

7/27/2019 Environment Preservation

1/7

Environment Preservation

It is established fact that man and nature are interdependent for theirsurvival, and man through his action has brought about serious changes /distortions in the relationship. Inter-linkages between ecosystems and

natural and human interactions create the matrix which needs to bedelineated for evolving strategies for developing future human settlements,not only for human beings but for all living organisms.

Environment - includes water, air and land and the interrelationshipsthat exists amongst them and human beings and micro organisms andproperty. It is nothing but the sum total of physical, chemical and biologicalcharacteristics which affect the living organisms.

The natural resources should be preserved for the future through theSustainable development, which is nothing but the development for thepresent without encroachment of the future resources. It is the process in

which the exploitation of resources and direction of investments are madeconsistent with future as well as the present needs i.e. development whichdoes not lead to the exhaustion of resources.

The population of the world has tripled in this century alone. Evengreater is the increase in scale and intensity of human activity. All thesedevelopments have damaged and deteriorated the ecological systems andnatural resources. There is an urgent need to provide a healthy environmentfor the future generations and for that extremely necessary is to abatepollution. The developments have created many environmental problems.The effects of pollution cannot be understood at this stage.

Seven vital areas covered under environment are:-

1) Air quality,2) Water resources,3) Soil resources,4) Solid waste management,5) Energy,6) Forest resources, &7) Bio-diversity.

The composition of clean and dry air at or near sea is as follows: Constituents % by

volume(Approx.)

Nitrogen 78.084Oxygen 20.948Argon 0.934Hydrogen 0.00005Carbon dioxide 0.0314Methane 0.0002Other gases minute

quantity.

1


2/7

Pollution is the presence in the environment, of any environmental pollutant,that directly or indirectly affects the quality of environment, thus affectingthe quality of life.

Environmental pollutant means any solid, liquid or gaseous substancepresent in such concentration as may be or tends to be injurious to theenvironment.

Types of pollution are:- Air pollution, Water pollution, Land/ soil pollution, & Noise pollution.

Air pollution is defined as the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one ormore contaminants or combinations thereof in such concentrations /quantities and for such duration as may be or tend to be injurious to human,plant, animal life or property or which unreasonably interferes with the

comforts of life or conduct of business. In short it is the existence of anyunwanted physical, chemical, biological or radio-active material in theambient air and changes the normal composition of the air.

The various types of air pollutants are:-Particulate matter - Suspended particulate matter, Respirable particulate

matter, dust fall, etc.Sulphur containing compounds like SO2, H2S, SO3, H2SO4, etc.,Organic compounds,Carbon monoxide,Nitrogen compounds like NO, NO2, NO3, HNO3, etc.,

Halogen compounds,Radio active compounds,Biological material - air borne bacteria and viruses.

The possible effects of air pollutants are stated below:-

Pollutants Effects

* Particulate matter Respiratory diseases, soiling effect, erosion ofproperty, reduced

photosynthesis.* Sulphur dioxide Suffocation, irritation of throat and eyes,

respiratory diseases,destruction of sensitive crops & yield reduction , andcorrosion of

property.* Nitrogen oxides irritation, bronchitis, oedema of lungs.* Carbon monoxide Reduced oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

Water pollution is the waste water generated due to industrial and domesticactivity, which does not have any apparent value. Types of water pollutantsare:

1. Organic pollutants,2. Inorganic pollutants,3. Suspended solids,4. Physical pollutants like heat, etc.

2


3/7

Soil / land pollution - occurs due to dumping of waste water or hazardoussubstances or garbage due to industrial / mining / domestic activity on soil,or due to excessive use of pesticides in agriculture. Due to this thecharacteristics of soil is changed, which is harmful to the plants and micro-organisms.

Hazardous substance - means any substance or preparation, which byreason of its chemical or physicochemical properties or handling, is liable tocause harm to human beings, other living creatures, plant, micro-organisms,property or the environment.

Noise pollution is the unwanted / undesirable sound which occurs due toIndustrial / construction / transportation activities / movement of heavymachineries. It is generally not a pollution, but a nuisance if above 80 dB(A).

Social and psychological hazards due to noise are communityannoyance, sleep interference, reduced working efficiency, impairment ofmental and creative performance, etc.

Health hazards due to noise are continual ringing in ears calledtinnitus, for which there is no cure, dizziness, sleeplessness, stress andstrain, headache tiredness, high blood pressure, muscle tension, etc.

The evidence for environmental effects of various types of pollutionsinclude:

Loss of biodiversity (species depletion and extinction)

Atmospheric effects (global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, acidrain and poor air quality),

Water pollution (Acid rain, sewage, chemical or other waste

contamination of rivers, lakes, groundwater and the oceans), Land contamination (land-filling, illegal dumping of toxic industrial waste,

industrial spillage), etc.

The general control measures include avoid / prevent pollution atsource, reduce waste, Apply best available control technology to controlpollution, explore recycling the wastes, reusing the waste as raw material /resource, etc.

Legislative measures for Environmental protection:

Ever since the pre-independence period, both at State and Central

government levels, to prevent and control different components ofenvironment, there have been several legislative measures. However, realawareness about environmental protection at global level was recognized atthe U.N. Conference on Human Environment held at Stockholm (Sweden) on5th June 1972. In this conference, the participants took keen interest andinitiative to take appropriate steps for protection and improvement ofhuman environment. Government has also initiated the measures likeinvolving public in decision making through the process of Public hearing,and apply the Polluter pay principle (3P), Fiscal incentives, Educationprogram, Information campaign and many others.

The major acts and rules for environmental protection in India are:1. The Water ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act- 1974 and Rules-

1975,

3


4/7

2. The Water ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act- 1977 andRules- 1978,

3. The Air ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act - 1981 and Rules - 1982,4. The Environment ( Protection ) Act- 1986 and Rules - 1986,5. Manufacture, Storage & Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules 1989,6. The Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness & Response)

Rules 1996,

7. Bio-medical waste (Management and Handling) Rules 1998,8. Fly Ash Notification - 1999,9. Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000,10. Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules

2000,11. The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules

2000,12. The Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2001,13. Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification - 2006,14. The Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling and

Transboundary movement) Rules- 2008,15. The Plastic waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2011,16. The Public Liability Insurance Act - 1991 and Rules - 1991,17. The Environment Tribunal Act 1995,18. The National Green Tribunal Act 2010, etc.

Statutory requirements of MoEF / GPCB for industry :

1. Environment Clearance (EC):

The industry has to obtain Environment clearance certificate from StateEnvironment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) / Ministry of Environment& Forest (MoEF) depending upon the category as per EIA Notification 2006.

2. No Objection Certificate (NOC) / Consent to Establish (CTE):

The industry has to obtain the NOC / CTE from G.P.C.B. after gettingthe EC. After getting that industry can proceed for construction and otherworks.

3. Consolidated Consent and Authorization (CCA) under Water Act, Air Actand Hazardous Waste Rules:

Industry has to apply for the CCA from G.P.C.B. They may requireinstalling effluent treatment plant to achieve the prescribed standards ofeffluent discharge for that industry. They may also require installing the air

pollution control equipments to achieve the emission standards prescribedfor that industry. They may also require handling the Hazardous wastes asper prescribed norms. G.P.C.B. may inspect and collect samples. Based onthat, they may refuse or grant the CCA.

4. Water Cess:

The industry has to submit the returns of water consumption undervarious categories according to the type of water consumption and has topay the Water cess as per the rates specified.

5. Environment Auditing :

Every industry has to get the Environment Audit done by the Schedule I / II auditor depending upon the type of industry and has to submit thereport to GPCB every year.

4


5/7

6. Periodic reporting and return submission under various Acts and Rules :

The industry has to furnish various reports and returns from time to timeto GPCB / CPCB / MoEF / Forest & Env. Dept. as required under the variousActs, Rules, EC, NOC (CTE), CCA.

Environment pollution contribution of Thermal power station, and its controlmeasures.

To generate 210 MW electrical energy, the coal based thermal powerstation consumes about 3000 Tons/day of coal producing about 1200 Tons/day of ash and other gases. The coal handling also generates the coal dust.The total amount of pollutants from the thermal power plants, if allowed toenter into our atmosphere without any control, would pose a serious threatto ecological balance, climate and environment. The gas based powerstations use Natural Gas instead of coal, which leads to lesser environmentalpollution as there is no dusting and Sulphur-dioxide problem is almost Nil.

In coal / lignite based thermal power plants, Particulate matter(Suspended as well as Respirable), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Oxides of Nitrogen(NOx) are the major emissions resulting from the fuel combustion during thepower generation. The other air pollutants include CO, aerosols from thecooling towers and heat releases.

The coal dust dispersion in the ambient air from the coal handlingprocess can be controlled by water sprinkling before / during unloading,sprinkling of water during transfer of coal, sprinkling of water at stacked coaland through dust extraction / dust suppression systems.

To control the particulate matter emissions into the atmosphere, the

following instruments / procedures can be generally used:1. Grit collector,2. Cyclone separator,3. Wet collector,4. Mechanical dust collector5. Fabric filter, &6. Electrostatic Precipitators

Advantages of Electrostatic precipitators (ESPs):1. Used for the particulate matter removal from the gas stream,2. Capacity to handle large volumes of gas,3. High collection efficiencies even for sub-micron size particles,

4. Low energy consumption,5. Ability to operate with relatively high temperature gases,6. Can collect dust in both dry and wet conditions,7. Low operating cost,8. Long life,9. Can be built into multiple units.

Electrostatic precipitation is a physical process by which particlessuspended in gas stream are charged electrically and under the influence ofthe electric field they are separated from the gas stream. Normally in coal /lignite based thermal power stations, ESPs are used to control the

particulate matter. In addition to this, low ash coal is also used. Massive treeplantation is also carried out in and around the power station and ash dyketo control the dusting. Tall stacks (Chimneys) are provided for betterdispersion / dilution of the gases and pollutants.

5


6/7

The water pollutants include Boiler blowdown, Cooling towerblowdown, Ash handling plant overflow / leakages, D.M. plants wastes, Floorwashings, Maintenance of boilers / other units, Domestic waste, etc.

The liquid wastes are collected, treated as per the requirement in theNeutralizing pits and Effluent / Sewage Treatment Plant and reused in theplant or discharged after meeting the GPCB norms.

The solid wastes include ash, sludge from the treatment plants, etc.which need to be disposed of in a safe manner without any impact onenvironment. The ash collected from the various hoppers is either sent forutilization and / or disposed of into the ash dyke.

The Hazardous Waste include used oil / residue containing oil, used Ionexchange resin at DM plant, Asbestos containing material, empty containersof hazardous material, etc. These wastes shall be properly stored withoutany adverse effect on the environment.

The hazardous wastes like Used oil and empty containers ofhazardous material is given to MOEF / CPCB registered party, waste

containing oil and Used Ion exchange resin is disposed off for incineration atapproved common waste disposal facility (TSDF) and the asbestoscontaining waste is disposed of at landfill site of approved common wastedisposal facility (TSDF).

Noise generation occurs due to use of various high capacity auxiliariesin the plant. However, the noise is controlled through regular maintenanceof equipments, providing casings on high noise equipments, providingseparate cabins for employees working in high noise areas and also byenforcing the use of PPEs like ear plugs and ear muffs by the employeesworking in high noise area.

General Impacts of power generation on Environment.

* Environmental pollution.* Resource depletion.* Displacement of population.* Health hazards.* Drastic change in land use pattern.* Loss of forests.* Corrosion of structures, buildings, etc.* Reduction in the yield of crops.

However, the impact of power station on environment depends to

a large extent on its location with respect to human settlements,meteorological conditions, ambient air quality, water bodies, agricultural andforests lands.

Limits of G.P.C.B. as per C C and A for power stations :

Standards for Stack emission:

Particulate matter - 150 mg / Nm3

Sulphur Dioxide - 100 ppm

Oxides of Nitrogen - 50 ppm

Standards for Ambient Air Quality: Suspended Particulate matter - 200 micrograms / m3

Oxides of Sulphur - 80 micrograms / m3

6


7/7

Oxides of Nitrogen - 80 micrograms / m3

Respirable Particulate matter - 100 micrograms / m3

Standards for Ambient Noise:

Noise level during day time (6.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs) - 75 dB (A)Noise level during night time (21.00 hrs to 6.00 hrs) - 70 dB (A)

General Standards for effluents: pH - 6.5 to 8.5

Temperature - 40 deg. C

Colour (Pt. Co. Scale) - 100 Units

Suspended Solids - 100 mg/L

Oil and Grease - 10 mg/L

Ammonical Nitrogen - 50 mg/L

Hexavalent Chromium - 0.1 mg/L

Total Chromium - 0.2 mg/L

Biochemical Oxygen Demand - 30 mg/L

Chemical Oxygen Demand- 100 mg/L

Chlorides - 600 mg/L

Sulphates - 1000 mg/L

Total Dissolved Solids - 2100 mg/L

Bio - assay test - 90% survival of fish after 96hours in 100 % effluent.

Standards for sewage:

Suspended Solids - 30 mg/L

Biochemical Oxygen Demand - 20 mg/L

Residual Chlorine - minimum 0.5 mg/L

7