The final chapter applies chemical principles to understanding environmental systems and challenges. Students examine the chemistry of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, along with pollution sources, effects, and control strategies. Topics include acid rain, ozone depletion, greenhouse effect, and water treatment. This chapter emphasizes chemistry’s role in both creating and solving environmental problems, encouraging students to consider the ethical dimensions of chemical applications and their responsibility as scientifically informed citizens.

Environmental Chemistry – Plus One Chemistry Chapter 14 (SCERT Kerala Board)

Let me provide you with simplified notes on Environmental Chemistry from the SCERT Kerala Board syllabus.

Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is the undesirable change in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of our air, land, and water that harmfully affects humans, other organisms, and natural processes.

Types of Environmental Pollution

1. Air Pollution

Major air pollutants:

• Carbon oxides (CO, CO₂)
• Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ)
• Sulfur oxides (SOₓ)
• Particulate matter (PM)
• Hydrocarbons
• Photochemical oxidants

Sources:

• Fossil fuel burning
• Industrial processes
• Automobile emissions
• Mining operations

Effects:

• Respiratory diseases
• Global warming (greenhouse effect)
• Acid rain
• Smog formation
• Ozone depletion

2. Water Pollution

Major water pollutants:

• Pathogens (bacteria, viruses)
• Organic wastes
• Chemical pollutants (pesticides, fertilizers)
• Heavy metals (mercury, lead, cadmium)
• Thermal pollution

Sources:

• Industrial effluents
• Domestic sewage
• Agricultural runoff
• Oil spills

Effects:

• Waterborne diseases
• Eutrophication
• Biomagnification
• Disruption of aquatic ecosystems

3. Soil Pollution

Major soil pollutants:

• Pesticides and herbicides
• Industrial wastes
• Urban wastes
• Heavy metals

Effects:

• Reduced soil fertility
• Bioaccumulation in food chains
• Groundwater contamination

Green Chemistry

Green chemistry aims to design chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances.

Principles of Green Chemistry:

1. Prevention of waste
2. Atom economy (designing syntheses to maximize incorporation of materials)
3. Less hazardous chemical syntheses
4. Designing safer chemicals
5. Safer solvents and auxiliaries
6. Design for energy efficiency
7. Use of renewable feedstocks
8. Reduce derivatives
9. Catalysis
10. Design for degradation
11. Real-time analysis for pollution prevention
12. Inherently safer chemistry for accident prevention

Strategies for Environmental Protection

1. Waste Management:
   • 3R principle: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
   • Proper disposal of hazardous wastes
   • Waste segregation
2. Treatment Methods:
   • Wastewater treatment (primary, secondary, tertiary)
   • Air pollution control (electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers, catalytic converters)
   • Bioremediation
3. International Efforts:
   • Montreal Protocol (ozone layer protection)
   • Kyoto Protocol (greenhouse gas reduction)
   • Paris Agreement (climate change mitigation)

Water Quality Parameters

1. Physical parameters:
   • pH, turbidity, color, odor, temperature
2. Chemical parameters:
   • Dissolved oxygen (DO)
   • Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
   • Chemical oxygen demand (COD)
   • Total dissolved solids (TDS)
3. Biological parameters:
   • Coliform count
   • Presence of pathogens

Atmospheric Chemistry

1. Tropospheric chemistry:
   • Formation of photochemical smog
   • Acid rain formation (SOₓ + NOₓ + H₂O → H₂SO₄ + HNO₃)
2. Stratospheric chemistry:
   • Ozone layer depletion mechanisms
   • Role of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

This chapter connects chemical principles to environmental issues and emphasizes the importance of sustainable practices in protecting our environment.

Complete Chapter-wise Hsslive Plus One Chemistry Notes

Our HSSLive Plus One Chemistry Notes cover all chapters with key focus areas to help you organize your study effectively:

1. Chapter 1 Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry
2. Chapter 2 Structure of Atom
3. Chapter 3 Classification of Elements and Periodicity in Properties
4. Chapter 4 Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure
5. Chapter 5 States of Matter
6. Chapter 6 Thermodynamics
7. Chapter 7 Equilibrium
8. Chapter 8 Redox Reactions
9. Chapter 9 Hydrogen
10. Chapter 10 The s Block Elements
11. Chapter 11 The p Block Elements
12. Chapter 12 Organic Chemistry: Some Basic Principles and Techniques
13. Chapter 13 Hydrocarbons
14. Chapter 14 Environmental Chemistry