Post Graduate Diploma in
Environmental Management
Block –VI
Environmental Management
Unit - 12
Environmental management -
ENVIRONNEMENT QUALITY
MANAGEMENT
• What is Environmental Management ?
• Monitoring of environmental quality.
• Tools for maintaining the environmental quality.
Environmental Management Plan (EMP),
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS),
Environmental Auditing (EA),
Environmental Management System(EMS) and
Environmental standards by ISO.
3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MATTERS
3.3 MEASURING AND MONITORING THE
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY: PARAMETERS
AND STANDARDS
Why it is important ?
What are the parameters?
What are the limits (Standards)?
3.3.1 Air
Parameters monitored in Ambient Air-India (NAMP)
Criteria pollutants viz. PM10, SO2, NO2 monitored at all (424) locations
Ammonia, CO, O3, PM2.5 and Lead monitored at few locations;
Following parameters needs to be monitored:
PM 2.5
Benzo(a)pyrene
Carbon monoxide
Ozone
Benzene
Metals
Carbon dioxide:
Carbon monoxide:
Sulphur Oxides:
Nitrogen oxides:
Photochemical Oxidants:
Ozone:
Chlorine:
Particulates:
Lead:
Aeroallergens:
Health Effects (Major Influence):
Premature Mortality (PM, and possiblyfor SOx)
Hospital Admissions (O3, PM)
Angina (CO)
Immune System Dysfunction (NO2)
Neurobehavioral Deficits (Pb)
Increased Blood Pressure (Pb)
New Generation Monitors
Source Emission Monitoring
Indoor Pollution Monitoring
Role of CPCB/SPCBs
Pollution Control Boards at national levels and various
organizations at international levels have set some
standard concentration/quantity of almost all the
parameters which should be maintained in air, water and
soil atmosphere. If the quantity varies significantly from the
set standards, the environmental commodity is said to be
poor or bed in terms of quality. In India, the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution
Control Boards (SPCBs) are responsible for maintaining
the environmental quality by periodically monitoring the
concentration/quantity of parameters of different natural
resources under different acts passed by Indian
Parliament.
The water quality monitoring is performed with following
objectives:
For rational planning of pollution control strategies and their
prioritisation;
To assess nature and extent of pollution control needed in
different water bodies or their part;
To evaluate effectiveness of pollution control measures
already is existence;
To evaluate water quality trend over a period of time;
To assess assimilative capacity of a water body thereby
reducing cost on pollution control;
To understand the environmental fate of different pollutants.
To assess the fitness of water for different uses.
3.3.2 Water
What is monitoring ?
(1) to check and sometimes to adjust for quality or fidelity,
(2) to watch, observe or check, especially for a special purpose,
(3) to keep track of, regulate or control (as a process for the operation of a
machine).
Note that both (1) and (3) involve adjustment, regulation, or control, which
fit well with the various types of monitoring information.
A distinction can be made between different monitoring activities:
Survey: short term observation(s) on water quality (in present
context) to fulfill definite objective(s);
Surveillance: a continued programme of surveys systematically
undertaken to provide a series of observations in definite time period;
Monitoring: continuous surveillance undertaken to fulfill set of
objectives.
Water monitoring in India
Central Pollution Control Board started national
water quality monitoring in 1978 under Global
Environmental Monitoring System (GEMS), Water
Programme.
The present network comprises of about 870
stations on rivers, lunatic water bodies and
subsurface waters.
The Central Pollution Control Board in India has
classified water resources of the country according
to their uses for setting water quality objectives for
different water bodies.
3.3.3 Soil
Soil quality indicatorsSoil scientists are working to develop quantitativeindicators of soil quality, similar to those used tomeasure air and water quality. The followingminimum dataset has been proposed by Doran andParkin (1996) for soil quality measurement: texture,depth of soil, infiltration, bulk density, water holdingcapacity, soil organic matter, salt, pH, electricalconductivity, microbial biomass C and N, potentiallymineralizable N, and soil respiration.
Soil quality and agriculture
A soil’s potential for producing crops is largely determined by
the environment that the soil provides for root growth. Soil
attributes, such as the capacity to store water, acidity, depth,
and density determine how well roots may develop. Changes
in these soil attributes directly affect the health of the plant, for
example, bulk density, a measure of the compactness of a
soil. Heavy farm equipments, erosion, and the loss of soil
organic matter can lead to increases in bulk density. These
changes in soil quality affect the health and productivity of the
plant, and can lead to lower yields and/or higher costs of
production.
What is Noise Pollution ?
Noise is generally regarded as an unwanted sound
or sound, which produces unpleasant effects on the
ears. Noise is produced by household gadgets,
vehicles on the road, jet planes, loud speakers etc.
Noise produces severe adverse effects on the
quality of mans surrounding and is, therefore,
considered to be polluting the environment. It is the
loudness and duration of the noise which is
disturbing and causes physical discomfort and
damage to hearing.
3.3.4 Noise
Sources of Noise Pollution
Effects of Noise Pollution
Hearing
The immediate and acute effect of noise pollution is impairment of
hearing. Damage to the eardrum can be caused by impulsive loud
sounds or by prolonged exposure to noise. Long exposure to loud noise
may result in hearing loss which may become permanent.
Effects on general health
Apart from hearing impairment, the first effects are anxiety and stress
reaction and in extreme cases fright. The physiological manifestations
are:
Increase in the rate of heart-beat, increased cholesterol and blood
pressure.
•Constriction of blood vessels
•Digestive spasms and stomach disorders
•Dilation of the pupil of the eye
•It interferes with proper communication, peace of mind and behavior
•It causes headache, irritability and nervousness, feeling of fatigue and
decreases work efficiency.
•Noise also affects the developing embryo in mother’s uterus.
Control of Noise Pollution
•Construction of sound proof rooms for noisy machines in
industries.
Use of horns with jarring sounds to be banned.
•Noise producing industries, aerodromes, and railway
stations to be shifted away from the inhabited areas.
• Proper law should be enforced to check the misuse of
loudspeakers and public announcements systems.
•To enforce silence zones near schools / colleges, hospitals
etc.
•Growing green plants/trees along roadside to reduce noise
pollution as they absorb sound.
•Loud speakers are banned from 10pm to 6am. India
enacted Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
and noise pollution has been declared an offence.
3.3.5 Radiation
Sources of Radiation Pollution
The sources of radiation pollution involve any process that
emanates radiation in the environment. While there are many
causes of radiation pollution (including research and medical
procedures and wastes, nuclear power plants, TVs,
computers, radio waves, cell-phones, etc.), the most common
ones that can pose moderate to serious health risks include:
Nuclear explosions and detonations of nuclear weapons
Defense weapon production
Nuclear waste handling and disposal
Mining of radioactive ores (such as uranium ores)
Nuclear accidents