general strategies to control pollution

1) critical pathway analysis 2) critical group monitoring 3) emission control strategies

to predict the movement of a potential pollutant in the environment to assess the severity and location of the pollutant that may occur

• if the pollutant is diluted or dispersed - if the pollutant is carried to locations where impacts would be acceptable

• if the pollutant is or becomes concentrated - if the pollutant is heading to important or sensitive locations

• state of matter • density • solubility in water or lipids • chemical stability

• wind and water currents • geology • PH • oxygen availability • temperatures

to monitor the dispersal of radioactive waste discharges, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants

• predicting the pollution pathways means environmental monitoring can focus on sites most at risk of pollution with no need for sampling sites that wont be polluted

to predict pollutant mobility and inform monitoring programs

to identify members of the public most at risk

members of the public which are most at risk to the pollutant due to their lifestyle

monitor exposure and assess potential risks before health impacts occur- if an unacceptable risk is identified then emissions can be controlled to reduce further exposure

• the severity of pollutants is affected by the location where the discharges are released • severity may increase if 1) marine discharges are where water currents will dilute and disperse emissions 2) emissions downwind of urban areas 3) discharges above a permeable rock above an aquifer 4) concentrations will increase in valleys

1) tidal timings- emissions into tidal rivers when the tide is coming in will be carried upstream, emissions, when tide is going out, will be carried out to sea where it will disperse 2) temp inversions- emissions during a temperature inversion are less likely to disperse so will become concentrated

1) polluter pays principle- when the individuals who caused the pollution have an obligation to prevent it when the cost of preventing the damage is less than the actual cost of the damage 2) the precautionary principle - assumes that waste will cause pollution if released until research proves that it is unlikely to do so, takes the approach that if a problem is not understood t is not an excuse not reduce responsibility

1) production prevention 2) release prevention 3) post release redemption 4) alternative processes

desulphurisation of fossil fuels before combustions

• catalytic converters of vehicle gas emissions

oill spill clean up methods

• electric vechiles over petrol or diseal - use of renewable energy over fossil fuels