Transcript Pollution takes its toll on marathon field

Pollution takes its toll on marathon field


Twenty-two people were sent to hospital yesterday, two
remaining in critical condition last night, after taking part in
Hong Kong's biggest marathon amid the worst air pollution
since September.
Many of the record 40,000 runners complained the "choking"
air affected their performance in the 10th annual Standard
Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, half-marathon and 10km
events.
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROBLEMS,
CONSEQUENCES,
AND INTERRELATIONS
Global Warming
Biodiversity
Loss from
Deforestation
Deforestation
Biodiversity
Loss from
Wetlands
Destruction
Pollution
Toxic,
Carcinogenic,
Endocrine,
Immune System
Disrupting…
Nutrient (sewage, fertilizers)
Overload
Images showing the changes in
chlorophyll concentration during
the period of red tide.
Red tide in Hong Kong
Heavy Metals: E-waste
Nuclear
Power
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
October 1999 (average)
Historically, the Antarctic ozone hole
is largest during October. This image
shows the data from the Total Ozone
Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)
Earth Probe, for the month of
October 1999.
September 17th 2001
Satellite data show the area of the 2001
Antarctic ozone hole peaked at a size
roughly equal to that of recent years
about the same area as North America.
Researchers have observed a levellingoff of the hole size and predict a slow
recovery.
Carrying Capacity
 The
maximum number of individuals of a
species that can be sustained by an
environment without decreasing the
capacity of the environment to sustain that
same amount in the future.
Compartments and
Pollution/Extraction
 Air:
emissions, GHGs, ozone loss,
abrading, offgassing, noise
 Water: Nutrient BOD, chemical emissions,
pharmaceuticals, underground leaking, air
fallout
 Land: landfill, hazardous and nuclear
waste, abrading, soil erosion
 Biosphere (life): habitat destruction, alien
species, exploitation, global warming,
pollutants
HK Alien Species
Mikania micrantha
Water
Dragon
Fire Ants
Consequences
 Human
Health
 Human Wealth
 Nature’s Health
Human Health
 Toxins:
heavy metals,organic compounds,
particulates, oxides.
 Carcinogens
 Radiation
 Noise
 UV radiation
 Global warming>>disease increase
 Stress
Human Wealth
 Resource
depletion: renewable and
nonrenewable resources
 Environmental degradation: ecosystem
services
 Economic and social disruptions
Nature’s Health

Pollution: birth rate, death rate, distribution, growth
rate abundance
 Loss of space and habitat destruction
 Biogeochemical balance upset
 Ecological balance upset by biodiversity loss
Interrelationships Of Environmental
Problems
 Sources,
sinks and flows
 Point and area origins
 Space and time dimensions
 Synergistic and cumulative affects
Environmental impact of
petrochemical industry
 Air:
noxious and toxic emissions from
refining, processing plants
 Water: factory emissions to water bodies
 Land: landfill disposal of waste solids &
sludge; accidental spills during transport &
storage
 Human:toxicity and disruption of lifestyle
Environmental impact of
metal industry
 Air:
particulate, gas emissions during
forging, working, fabrication
 Water: discharge of pickling liquors & other
waste disposal; heavy metals
 Land: slag, waste products from
processing
 Human:toxicity
Environmental impact of
mining industry
 Air:
particulates from surface mining &
transportation; noxious & toxic fumes from
smelting
 Water: runoff from mines and waste
disposal
 Land: dumping of tailings & processed
wastes; disruption of agriculture, forestry,
recreation
 Human: heavy metals, particulates
Environmental impact of food
industry
 Air:
noxious fumes from food processing
 Water: sewage with high organic content
 Land: uncomposted organics and other
wastes to landfill
Environmental impact of
agriculture industry
 Air:
drift of agricultural chemicals
(pesticides, herbicides, fungicides,
fertilizers), pollen, & dust
 Water: runoff of agrochemicals to surface
waters; percolation to groundwater; silting
of water
 Land: erosion, depletion of organic
material & organisms
 Human: toxicity of chemical; loss of soil
Environmental impact of pulp
& paper industry

Air: noxious fumes
 Water: emissions of mercury, chlorines,
organics; silt from deforestation; loss of habitat
 Land: destruction of habitat by clear-cutting;
erosion
 Human: mercury contaminated seafood
Wastes generated from manufacture of common
products

Plastics: organic chlorine compounds, organic solvents
 Pesticides; organic chlorine compounds, organic phosphate
compounds
 Medicines: organic solvents and residues, heavy metals
 Paints: heavy metals, pigments, solvents, organic residues
 Petroleum products: oil, phenols, organic compounds, heavy
metals, ammonia, salt acids, caustics
 Metals: heavy metals, fluorides, cyanides, acid and alkaline
cleaners, solvents, pigments, abrasives, plating salts, oils,
phenols
 Leather; heavy metals, organic solvents
 Textiles: heavy metals, dyes, organic chlorine, compounds,
solvents.
Product, Material, &
Energy Flow in an
Industry
Materials
Processing
Product
Assembly
Social Infrastructure:
Gov’t, industry assoc.s,
Distribution
NGOs, etc.
Resource
Extraction
Recycling
Material &
Energy Inputs
Parts
Manufacture
Pollution
Outputs
Physical Infrastructure:
roads, sewers, land use,
electricity, etc.
Materials
Collection
Consumption