Book Description

Developmental activities such as construction, transportation and manufacturing not only deplete the natural resources but also produce large amount of wastes that leads to pollution of air, water, soil, and oceans; global warming and acid rains. Untreated or improperly treated waste is a major cause of pollution of rivers and environmental degradation causing ill health and loss of crop productivity. Pollution is occurring on a vast and unprecedented scale around the globe. Trends point in two ominous directions: rst, toward large and growing releases of certain chemicals—principally from burning fossil fuels—that are now signicantly altering the natural systems on a global scale; and second, toward steady increases in the use and release to the environment of innumerable biocidal products and toxic substances. To address the serious pollution challenges of decades ahead, several large-scale social and technological transitions are needed. Today's pollution is integrally related to economic production, modern technology, life-styles, the sizes of human and animal populations, and a host of other factors. It is unlikely to yield except to broad macro transitions that have multiple social benets. These transitions include shifting away from fossil fuels and waste intensive technologies, bringing our most sophisticated science to bear, altering prices and other economic incentives, perceiving pollution as transboundary and global, and progressing to a stable world population. This book discusses the major causes of pollution, their effects on our environment and the various measures that can be taken to control such pollution. My sincere thanks to my mentors in Loyola College, Anna University, National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML) and National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL), CSIR for their constant encouragement in my research work.