Category 13 · Environment & Ecology

Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution

22 micro topics in Environment & Ecology for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Effects of Modern Agriculture, Housing, Power Generation, River Valley Projects, Mining, Transportation and Tourism on the Environment; Classification of Pollutants and Pollution Indicator Species; and 20 more.

13.1

Effects of Modern Agriculture, Housing, Power Generation, River Valley Projects, Mining, Transportation and Tourism on the Environment

Economic development has put heavy pressure on the environment through seven key activities. Modern agriculture, with high-yielding varieties, heavy irrigation, fertilisers and pesticides, has raised food output but also caused soil degradation, groundwater depletion, water pollution,…
13.2

Classification of Pollutants and Pollution Indicator Species

A pollutant is any substance, energy or organism added to the environment in amounts that harm living things or ecosystems. Pollutants are classified in several ways. By origin they are natural (volcanic ash, dust storms) or…
13.3

Mining and Its Environmental Impact: Direct and Indirect

Mining is the extraction of minerals, coal, ores and construction materials from the Earth. Methods include surface mining (open-cast or strip mining, quarrying), underground mining, placer mining of river and beach deposits and offshore or seabed…
13.4

Sensitivity of Select Ecosystems to Mining

Ecosystems differ in how well they tolerate mining. Forests, especially primary and tropical forests that hold rich biodiversity and tribal livelihoods, lose habitat, soil and carbon and take decades to recover. Mountains and hills, such as…
13.5

International and Indian Laws Regulating Mining Impact; Sustainable Mining

Mining is regulated by a mix of international and Indian laws. Internationally, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) and the International Seabed Authority govern mining of the seabed beyond national…
13.6

Causes and Harmful Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution is the presence in the atmosphere of gases, particles or biological material in concentrations that harm human health, living things, materials or climate. Natural sources include volcanic eruptions, dust storms, forest fires and pollen,…
13.7

Top Ten Air Pollutant Gases and Control Measures

There is no single official list of "top ten" air pollutant gases, but ten gases are repeatedly named in syllabi and by regulators: carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ground-level…
13.8

Smog, Ozone Depletion and Acid Rain

Smog, ozone depletion and acid rain are three major atmospheric problems. Smog is of two kinds: classical or London smog, a cold, damp mix of smoke and sulphur dioxide that caused the Great Smog of London…
13.9

Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) and Fly Ash

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) is the mixture of tiny solid and liquid particles floating in air. Respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) refers to the part small enough to be breathed deep into the lungs, in Indian…
13.10

Bharat Stage Emission Norms

Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms are the standards set by the Government of India to limit the air pollutants released from the exhaust of motor vehicles and engines, modelled on the European (Euro) norms. They are…
13.11

National Air Quality Index and Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index

The National Air Quality Index (AQI) was launched on 17 September 2014 by the Central Pollution Control Board, under the Swachh Bharat campaign, to give citizens a simple, colour-coded measure of air quality. It turns the…
13.12

Marine Pollution: Sources and Effects

Marine pollution is the entry into the sea of substances or energy that harm marine life, human health, fisheries and amenities. About four-fifths of it comes from land-based activities: untreated sewage, industrial effluent, agricultural runoff with…
13.13

Dead Zones and Ocean Acidification

Dead zones are areas of coastal or open water where dissolved oxygen has fallen so low, below about 2 milligrams per litre (hypoxia), that most marine animals cannot survive. They are mainly caused by nutrient pollution…
13.14

Oil Spills, Ocean Trash and Debris, Microplastics

An oil spill is the release of liquid petroleum into the sea, most often from tanker accidents, ship collisions, pipeline and offshore well failures, and illegal tank washing. Oil spreads as a slick, coats seabirds and…
13.15

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011

The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 was issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on 6 January 2011 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to replace the CRZ Notification of 1991. It aims to…
13.16

Noise Pollution: Causes, Levels and Health Effects

Noise is unwanted or harmful sound. Sound is measured in decibels (dB), a logarithmic scale in which an increase of 10 dB means about ten times more sound intensity and is heard as roughly twice as…
13.17

Biological Pollution: Sources and Effects

Biological pollution is the harmful introduction or spread of living organisms, their parts or products into environments where they do not naturally occur or where they upset natural balance. The main forms are invasive alien species,…
13.18

Radioactive Pollution: Sources and Effects

Radioactive pollution is the presence of radioactive substances or ionising radiation in the environment at levels that can harm living things. Natural sources include cosmic rays, radioactive minerals in rocks and soil such as uranium and…
13.19

Thermal Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control

Thermal pollution is the human-caused rise or fall in the temperature of a natural water body, usually warming, that harms aquatic life and water quality. The main cause is discharge of heated cooling water from thermal…
13.20

Respiratory Irritants and Toxic Chemicals in Air Pollution

Air contains many chemicals that irritate or poison the respiratory system and body. Respiratory irritants include sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde and acid mists, along with fine particles; they inflame the nose, throat…
13.21

Bottom Trawling and Its Impact on Deep-Sea Fishing

Bottom trawling is a fishing method in which a large net, held open by weighted boards and fitted with heavy ground gear, is dragged along or just above the sea floor to catch fish and shrimp…
13.22

Mobile Tower Radiation and Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Concerns

Mobile phones and towers communicate using radio-frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF), a form of non-ionising radiation that, unlike X-rays and gamma rays, does not have enough energy to break chemical bonds or damage DNA directly. The main…

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Frequently asked questions

Which topics are in Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution?

Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution has 22 micro topics in Environment & Ecology: Effects of Modern Agriculture, Housing, Power Generation, River Valley Projects, Mining, Transportation and Tourism on the Environment; Classification of Pollutants and Pollution Indicator Species; Mining and Its Environmental Impact: Direct and Indirect; Sensitivity of Select Ecosystems to Mining; International and Indian Laws Regulating Mining Impact; Sustainable Mining; Causes and Harmful Effects of Air Pollution; Top Ten Air Pollutant Gases and Control Measures; Smog, Ozone Depletion and Acid Rain; Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) and Fly Ash; Bharat Stage Emission Norms; National Air Quality Index and Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index; Marine Pollution: Sources and Effects; Dead Zones and Ocean Acidification; Oil Spills, Ocean Trash and Debris, Microplastics; Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011; Noise Pollution: Causes, Levels and Health Effects; Biological Pollution: Sources and Effects; Radioactive Pollution: Sources and Effects; Thermal Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control; Respiratory Irritants and Toxic Chemicals in Air Pollution; Bottom Trawling and Its Impact on Deep-Sea Fishing; Mobile Tower Radiation and Electromagnetic Field (EMF) Concerns.

Is Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution important for UPSC Prelims?

Air, Marine, Noise and Other Pollution is a part of the UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 22 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.