Environment And Ecology Part 4 – Free PDF Download -

Table of Contents

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, claims the ministry of environment, forest and climate change

About HCFC- 141 b:

It is a chemical used by foam manufacturers.
It is used mainly as a blowing agent in the production of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams.
It is one of the most potent ozone depleting chemical after Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Background

On 31 December 2019, as part of the move towards environment friendly technologies, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) also brought out a Gazette notification prohibiting the issuance of import licence for HCFC-141b from 1 January 2020 under Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2019 issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

What are HCFCs?

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are a large group of compounds, whose structure is very close to that of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), but including one or more hydrogen atoms
Under normal conditions, HCFCs are gases or liquids which evaporate easily.
They are generally fairly stable and unreactive
HCFCs do not usually dissolve in water, but do dissolve in organic (carbon containing) solvents.
HCFCs are chemically similar to Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs), Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Halons and therefore display some similar properties, though they are much less stable and persistent.
HCFCs are also part of a group of chemicals known as the volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

HFO stands for hydrofluoro olefin.

Q) Which of the following statements is/are correct about Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)?

Under normal conditions, HCFCs are gases or liquids which evaporate easily.
They are generally fairly stable and unreactive.
They are water soluble.

Select the correct answer using code given below:

2 only
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3

Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal for enactment of Recycling of Ships Bill, 2019 and accession to the Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.

Q) Consider the following statements about Hong Kong convention:

It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2009
The Convention is aimed at recycling of ships.

Which of the above give statements is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

What is Hong Kong convention?

It was adopted at a diplomatic conference held in Hong Kong, China in 2009 It was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2009
The Convention is aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and to the environment.
The Convention is yet to come into force because it has not been ratified by 15 nations, representing 40 per cent of the world merchant shipping by gross tonnage (capacity) and a maximum annual ship recycling volume of not less than 3 per cent of the combined tonnage of the countries.

International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL)

The Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO.
It includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships – both accidental pollution and that from routine operations.
All ships flagged under countries that are signatories to MARPOL are subject to its requirements, regardless of where they sail and member nations are responsible for vessels registered on their national ship registry.

Smog Tower

Delhi gets its first smog tower
Smog towers are structures designed to work as largescale air
They are usually fitted with multiple layers of air filters, which clean the air of pollutants as it passes through them. After the cleaning, the tower releases clean air.
The filters installed in the tower will use carbon nanofibers

The tower will focus on reducing particulate matter load.

Delhi Pollution: Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

(GRAP) was notified in January 2017, for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in Delhi and NCR.
Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) enforces Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
EPCA under Environment Protection Act, 1986 was constituted with the objective of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing and controlling the environmental pollution in the National Capital

WAYU (Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit)

It is an air pollution control device which can purify air in an area of 500m2
It was developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) as a part of Technology Development Project being funded by Department of Science and
The device mainly works on two principles: Wind generation for dilution of air pollutants and Active Pollutants removal.
SAMEER app has been launched wherein air quality information is available to public along with provision for registering complaints against air polluting activities

Q) Consider the following statements about Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP):

Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) enforces Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
EPCA was constituted under Environment Protection Act, 1986. Which of the above give statements is/are correct?

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2

Heavy metals contaminating rivers

Central Water Commission (CWC) has released a report on heavy metals contaminating Indian rivers
Iron emerged as the most common contaminant
Arsenic and zinc are the two toxic metals whose concentration is always found within the limits
Other major contaminants found in the samples were lead, nickel, chromium, cadmium and copper.
The main sources of heavy metal pollution are mining, milling, plating and surface finishing industries that discharge a variety of toxic metals into the
The presence of metals in drinking water to some extent is unavoidable and certain metals, in trace amounts, are required for good health. However, when present above safe limits, they are associated with a range of disorders.

Long-term exposure to the heavy metals may result in physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes that mimic Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis.

What are heavy metals?

Metals with relatively high densities, atomic weights, or atomic numbers. A density of more than 5 g/cm3 is sometimes quoted as a commonly used criterion.

Arsenic in Groundwater

Recently, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) released report on Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in India.
21 states across the country have pockets with arsenic levels higher than the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) stipulated permissible limit of 0.01 miligram per litre (mg/l).
The states along the Ganga-Brahmaputra Meghna (GBM) river basin Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam are the worst affected
Drinking of arsenic-rich water results in skin cancer, cancers of the bladder, kidney and lung, diseases of the blood vessels (Blackfoot disease) and reproductive disorders.
Regular extraction of ground water for irrigation deposits arsenic in soil and consequently its uptake by the crops. Also, paddy farms flooded with contaminated water eventually causes accumulation of arsenic in the food crops

About CGWB

CGWB (established in 1970) is a subordinate office of Ministry of Water Resources entrusted with the responsibilities of providing scientific inputs for management, exploration, monitoring, assessment, augmentation and regulation of ground water resources of the country