Managing pollution Flashcards
Chapter 10
What are scrubbers
systems that treat industrially-emitted gases with a substance that extracts the pollutants from the exhaust gas as is passes through a chamber
What are wet scrubbers
passes exhaust gas through mist or liquid, but becomes heavy and is produced in large volumes so presents difficulties with disposal and storage
what are dry scrubbers
developed to overcome the difficulties of using wet scrubbers, passes gas through a dry medium that chemically reacts with the pollutant to change its composition
What are electrostatic precipitators
Uses electrostatic principles to remove dust and other particles from exhaust gas
What is bioremediation
the process of using organisms to clean up contaminated soil or groundwater
What are VOCs
organic compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature
have been blamed largely on vehicle fuel and natural gas
How can local environmental effects be managed?
by government regulations and by developing individual management plans for polluting facilities
How can regional environmental effects be managed?
Controlled by developing consistent standards supported by guidelines and codes of practice
How can global environmental effects be managed?
Require international cooperation, such as conventions and agreements, to control the problem. Obtaining the support of many countries can be difficult.
What are ways of reducing emissions?
- Avoiding or eliminating the production of the pollutant
- Minimising the amount of the pollutant produced
- Treating the emissions at the source
- Safely disposing of the pollutants
- Remediating of cleaning up polluted areas
Evaluate “Avoiding or eliminating production of the pollutant”
it is an effective way of protecting health and the environment
evaluate “Minimising the amount of pollutant produced”
- an ongoing effect of good pollution-control legislation
- To meet environmental standards, manufacturers may need to substitute materials that are less toxic in their industrial processes
evaluate “Treating the emissions at the source and treating industrial emissions”
treating waste before it is released ensure that effluent is less harmful to health and the environment than it would otherwise be
evaluate “Safely disposing of the pollutants”
Can be used if pollutants can’t be avoided and cannot be released into the environment as they may cause issues.
evaluate “Remediating or cleaning up polluted areas”
- Cleaning up polluted sites can be expensive
- cleaning up sites needs to be done carefully to avoid further environmental damage
What was Australia’s Governments agreement in the paris agreement?
Achieving a 26% to 28% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.
What regulations are in place in Victoria for the environment against pollution?
- the Victorian Environment Protection Act 1970
- The National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs)
Monitoring emissions contributes to the ability to:
- track emissions from a range of sources over time
- evaluate the success of pollutant reduction strategies
- inform environmental planning and management decisions
What are some examples of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
- LED lighting
- high-efficiency heating
- rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels
- Capture, transport and storage of CO2
