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GS Paper: GS3-18.Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

  • What is Computer Tomography?

    The first computed tomography image – a CT scan – of the human brain was made 50 years ago, on Oct. 1, 1971.

    A few months back, almost all of us have heard about the High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan being conducted on our relatives for diagnosing the damage of lungs caused due to the Wuhan Virus.

    About Computer Tomography (CT)

    • A CT scan is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to get detailed images of the body noninvasively for diagnostic purposes.
    • The multiple X-ray measurements taken from different angles are then processed on a computer using reconstruction algorithms to produce tomographic (cross-sectional) images (virtual “slices”) of a body.

    How does it work?

    • They use a narrow X-ray beam that circles around one part of your body. This provides a series of images from many different angles.
    • A computer uses this information to create a cross-sectional picture. Like one piece in a loaf of bread, this two-dimensional (2D) scan shows a “slice” of the inside of your body.
    • This process is repeated to produce a number of slices.
    • The computer stacks these scans one on top of the other to create a detailed image of your organs, bones, or blood vessels.
    • For example, a surgeon may use this type of scan to look at all sides of a tumor to prepare for an operation.

    Its development

    • Since its development in the 1970s, CT has proven to be a versatile imaging technique.
    • While CT is most prominently used in diagnostic medicine, it also may be used to form images of non-living objects.
    • The 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to South African-American physicist Allan M. Cormack and British electrical engineer Godfrey N. Hounsfield “for the development of computer-assisted tomography”.

    Threats

    • CT scans use X-rays, which produce ionizing radiation.
    • Such radiation may damage your DNA and lead to cancer.
    • The risk increases with every CT scan we get.
    • Ionizing radiation may be more harmful in children.

     

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  • Species in news: Adi Cascade

    Making of check dams on streams and removal of boulders may wipe out the local population of Adi cascade frogs (Amolops adicola), a recently discovered species in Arunachal Pradesh, scientists claimed.

    About Adi cascade

    • The species was discovered while revisiting a century-old Adi expedition in 2018 and named after the land of the Adi tribe where the frogs dwell, particularly post-monsoon.
    • The call of the frog is quite unique with continuous notes almost like a cricket.
    • They are delivered at very short intervals, not long call groups — giving an impression of being continuous: A typical call lasts 485.2 milliseconds.
    • The species is predominantly found in open riverine landscapes and human-inhabited rural areas.
    • Males were mostly observed on tree saplings, fern fronds, and banana plants in and around the cultivated land.
    • Locally known as Juri (stream) Tatik (frog) — is considered a local delicacy.

    What are Cascade Frogs?

    • The nomenclature ‘cascade frogs’ draws on their preference for small waterfalls.
    • Cascade frogs, in general, depend on the flow of water.
    • Both adults and tadpoles of Adi cascade frogs, the species in question, are particularly adapted to fast flowing sections of stream.

    Rich biodiversity of Arunachal

    • Arunachal, a biodiversity hotspot, is home to many endemics, endangered and threatened species as well as to indigenous people who depend on its biological resources.
    • The Forest Survey of India in 2019 estimated that Arunachal had 66,688 sq km of forests — 79.6 per cent of the state’s area.
    • Global Forest Watch, however, estimated the forests cover at 74 per cent of its total land area.

     

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  • Probe shows use of toxic material in firecrackers: Supreme Court

    The Supreme Court has said a preliminary enquiry by the CBI into the firecracker industry, including in Tamil Nadu, revealed rampant violation of its ban on use of toxic ingredients like Barium and its salts.

    Air Pollution created by firecrackers

    • Firing crackers increase the concentration of dust and pollutants in the air.
    • After firing, the fine dust particles get settled on the surrounding surfaces which are packed with chemicals like copper, zinc, sodium, lead, magnesium, cadmium and pollutants like oxides of sulphur and nitrogen.
    • These invisible yet harmful particles affect the environment and in turn, put our health at stake.

    Harmful elements used

    • Copper: Irritates the respiratory tract.
    • Cadmium: Leads to anemia by reducing the capacity of blood to carry oxygen.
    • Zinc: Can cause metal fume fever and induces vomiting.
    • Lead: Harms the nervous system.
    • Magnesium: Metal fume fever is caused by Magnesium fumes.
    • Sodium: It is a highly reactive element and caused burns when it is combined with moisture.

    Why is the issue in news now?

    Ans. Barium content

    • A chemical analysis of the samples of finished and semi-finished firecrackers and raw materials taken from the manufacturers showed Barium content.
    • The court stated that loose quantities of Barium were purchased from the market.
    • Also, firecracker covers did not show the manufacture or expiry dates.

    Issues with Barium

    • Barium nitrate, which emits green flames when a cracker is lit, is a metal oxide that increases both air and noise pollution.
    • There is is no clarity on whether barium nitrate can actually be used or not.

    Alternatives: Green Crackers

    • The new CSIR-NEERI formulation for green crackers has NO barium nitrate — one of the key ingredients of traditional firecrackers.
    • These crackers have been named “safe water releaser (SWAS)”, “safe minimal aluminium (SAFAL)” and “safe thermite cracker (STAR)”.
    • The three crackers release water vapour or air as a dust suppressant and diluent for gaseous emissions.
    • These products can only be manufactured by those who have signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with CSIR-NEERI.
    • The green crackers are sold with a unique logo on the box, and will also have a QR code with production and emission details.

     

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  • Wastewater Treatment in India

    Sewage treatment plants (STPs) in India are able to treat a little more than a third of the sewage generated per day, according to the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

    What is Wastewater?

    Wastewater is used water from any combination of domestic, industrial, commercial or agricultural activities, surface runoff/ stormwater, and any sewer inflow or sewer infiltration.

    In everyday usage, wastewater is commonly a synonym for:

    • Sewage also called domestic wastewater or municipal wastewater which is wastewater that is produced by a community of people.
    • Industrial wastewater, water-borne waste generated from a variety of industrial processes, such as manufacturing operations, mineral extraction, power generation, or water and wastewater treatment.
    • Cooling water, released with potential thermal pollution after use to condense steam or reduce machinery temperatures by conduction or evaporation
    • Leachate, precipitation containing pollutants dissolved while percolating through ores, raw materials, products, or solid waste
    • Return flow, carrying suspended soil, pesticide residues, or dissolved minerals and nutrients from irrigated cropland
    • Surface runoff, the flow of water occurring on the ground surface when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other sources, can no longer sufficiently rapidly infiltrate in the soil.
    • Urban runoff, including water used for outdoor cleaning activity and landscape irrigation in densely populated areas created by urbanization
    • Agricultural wastewater, generated from confined animal operations

    Wastewater in India

    • India generated 72,368 MLD (million litres per day) whereas the installed capacity of STPs was 31,841 MLD (43.9 per cent), according to the report.

    Treatment facilities available

    • Of this installed capacity, developed and operationalized capacity was 26,869 MLD (84 per cent).
    • Of the total operationalised capacity, 20,235 MLD (75 per cent) was the actual utilised capacity.
    • In other words, out of total 72,368 MLD sewage generated every day, only 20,235 MLD is treated.

    Skewed distribution

    • Five states and Union Territories (UT) — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka — account for 60 per cent of the total installed treatment capacity of the country.
    • These, along with five other states and UTs — Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan — alone constitute 86 per cent of the total installed capacity.
    • Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya and Nagaland have not installed sewage treatment plants.
    • There are states like Bihar which do have a small installed capacity of STPs. But on the operational front, they score a zero.
    • Chandigarh ranks first in terms of total sewage generated to what is actually treated. It generates 188 MLD of sewage and has an operational capacity to treat 271 MLD.

    Major issue: Reuse of sewage

    • The reuse of treated sewage is an issue which hasn’t assumed much importance in the policy planning of many state governments.
    • Treated sewage water can be reused for horticulture, irrigation, washing activities (road, vehicles and trains), fire-fighting, industrial cooling, toilet flushing and gardening.
    • The proportion of the reuse of treated sewage is maximum in Haryana (80 per cent) followed by Puducherry (55 per cent), Delhi (50 per cent), Chandigarh (35 per cent), Tamil Nadu (25 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (20 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (5 per cent).

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  • WHO tightens Global Air Quality norms

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) in its first-ever update since 2005 has tightened global air pollution standards.

    Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) 2021

    • WHO announces limits for six pollutant categories —particulate matter (PM) 2.5 and 10, ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) sulphur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO).

    Air quality standards in India

    • India aligns with the WHO guidelines only in the case of ozone and carbon monoxide, as these have not changed. But both NO2 and SO2 guidelines are tighter than the current Indian standard.
    • The move doesn’t immediately impact India as the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) don’t meet the WHO’s existing standards.
    • The government has a dedicated National Clean Air Programme that aims for a 20% to 30% reduction in particulate matter concentrations by 2024 in 122 cities, keeping 2017 as the base year.

    Significance of WHO’s AQG

    Ans. It sets the stage for eventual shifts in policy

    • WHO move sets the stage for eventual shifts in policy in the government towards evolving newer stricter standards.
    • This will soon become part of policy discussions — much like climate targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions keep getting stricter over time.
    • Once cities and States are set targets for meeting pollution emission standards, it could lead to overall changes in national standards.

    Challenges for India

    • The current challenge in India is to meet its national ambient air quality standards in all the regions.
    • The hard lockdown phases during the pandemic have demonstrated the dramatic reduction that is possible when local pollution and regional influences can be minimised.
    • This has shown that if local action is strengthened and scaled up at speed across the region, significant reduction to meet a much tighter target is possible.
    • The influence of geo-climatic attributes is quite pronounced in all regions of India, which further aggravates the local build-up of pollution.
    • This is further worsened due to the rapid proliferation of pollution sources and weak air quality management systems.
    • India may require a more nuanced regional approach to maximise benefits and sustain air quality gains.

    Conclusion

    • Air pollution is a threat to health in all countries, but it hits people in low- and middle-income countries the hardest.
    • WHO’s new Air Quality Guidelines are an evidence-based and practical tool for improving the quality of the air on which all life depends.

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  • Rhino Horn Reverification Exercises

    Assam will mark World Rhino Day — September 22 — with a special ceremony by burning a stockpile of nearly 2,500 horns of the one-horned rhinoceros.

    Rhino Horn Reverification

    • The public ceremony — scheduled at Bokakhat in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) has been publicized as a “milestone towards rhino conservation” aimed at “busting myths about rhino horns”.
    • It’s a loud and clear message to the poachers and smugglers that such items have no value.
    • Thus the case for the destruction of horns — a process that is in compliance with Section 39(3)(c) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972.

    Why are Rhinos poached for horns?

    • Ground rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers, and also as an aphrodisiac.
    • In Vietnam, possessing a rhino horn is considered a status symbol.
    • Due to demand in these countries, poaching pressure on rhinos is ever persistent against which one cannot let the guard down.

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only.
    2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only.
    3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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    Back2Basics: Indian Rhino

    • The Indian rhinoceros also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros is a rhinoceros native to the Indian subcontinent.
    • It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and Schedule I animal in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
    • It once ranged across the entire northern part of the Indian Subcontinent, along the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra River basins, from Pakistan to the Indian-Myanmar border.
    • Poaching for rhinoceros horn became the single most important reason for the decline of the Indian rhino.

  • [pib] Kovalam & Eden Beaches gets Blue Fag Certification

     

    The international eco-label “Blue Flag”, has accorded the Blue Flag Certification for 2 new beaches this year –Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry beaches.

    With this India now has 10 International Blue Flag beaches.

    Which are the other 8 beaches?

    1. Shivrajpur (Dwarka-Gujarat)
    2. Ghoghla (Diu)
    3. Kasarkod (Karnataka) [NOT Kasargod which is in Kerala] and
    4. Padubidri (Karnataka)
    5. Kappad (Kerala)
    6. Rushikonda (AP)
    7. Golden Beach (Odisha) and
    8. Radhanagar (A&N Islands)

    Blue Flag Beaches

    • The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’ and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
    • The certification is accorded by the Denmark-based Foundation for Environment Education.
    • It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001 when South Africa joined.
    • It has 33 stringent criteria under four major heads for the beaches, that is, (i) Environmental Education and Information (ii) Bathing Water Quality (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services.

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  • Species in news: Sea Cucumber

    In a swift operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at Mandapam, Tamil Nadu seized two tonnes of sea cucumber, a banned marine species.

    Sea Cucumbers

    • Sea cucumbers are part of a larger animal group called echinoderms, which also contains starfish and sea urchins.
    • Their body shape is similar to a cucumber, but they have small tentacle-like tube feet that are used for locomotion and feeding.
    • One way that sea cucumbers can confuse or harm predators is by propelling their own toxic internal organs from their bodies in the direction of an attacker.
    • The organs grow back, and it may save them from being eaten.
    • They are found in virtually all marine environments throughout the world, from shallow to deep-sea environments.
    • They are benthic, meaning they live on the ocean floor. However, their larvae are planktonic, meaning they float in the ocean with the currents.

    Conservation status

    • Sea cucumber in India is treated as an endangered species listed under schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
    • It is primarily smuggled from Tamil Nadu to Sri Lanka in fishing vessels from Ramanathapuram and Tuticorin districts.

    (IUCN status is not available for this species)

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  • IISc finds alternative for single-use plastics

    Researchers from the Department of Material Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru (IISc) have found a way to make a substitute for single-use plastic that can, in principle help mitigate the problem of accumulating plastic waste in the environment.

    What is the new material?

    • IISc has developed polymers using non-edible oil and cellulose extracted from agricultural stubble.
    • These polymers can be moulded into sheets having properties suitable for making bags, cutlery or containers.
    • The material so made is bio-degradable, leak-proof and non-toxic.

    Key features

    • In order to obtain sheets with properties like flexibility suitable for making different articles, the researchers played with the proportions of cellulose to non-edible oil.
    • The more cellulose they added, and less non-edible oil, the stiffer was the material, so that it was more suitable to making tumblers and cutlery.
    • The greater the proportion of oil, the more flexible was the material and it could be moulded into sheets for making bags.

    Why needed?

    Ans. Plastic waste menace in India

    • According to a report by Central Pollution Control Board of India, for the year 2018-2019, 3.3 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated by Indians.
    • The bad news is that this may well be an under-estimation of the problem.
    • Another alarming statistic is that of all the plastic waste produced in the world, 79% enters the environment.
    • Only 9% of all plastic waste is recycled.
    • Accumulation of plastic waste is detrimental to the environment and when this waste finds its way into the sea, there can be major harm to aquatic ecosystems, too.

    Agricultural stubble

    • While plastic waste causes one type of pollution, agricultural stubble burning is responsible for air pollution in several States.
    • In Delhi, for example, the air quality index dips to indicate “severe” or “hazardous” level of pollution every winter, and this is due in part to the burning of agricultural stubble in the surrounding regions.

    Try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

    Which of the following statements are correct regarding the general difference between plant and animal cells?

    1. Plant cells have cellulose cell walls whilst animal cells do not.
    2. Plant cells do not have plasma membranes unlike animal cells which do.
    3. Mature plant cell has one large vacuole whilst animal cell has many small vacuoles.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 and 2 only

    (b) 2 and 3 only

    (c) 1 and 3 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

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  • How are Humboldts different from other penguins?

    Last week, Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo announced the addition of two new Humboldt penguin chicks this year.

    Humboldt Penguins

    • Humboldt penguins are medium-sized species among at least 17 species.
    • The exact number of distinct species is debated, but it is generally agreed that there are between 17 and 19 species.
    • The largest, the Emperor penguin, stands at over 4 ft tall while the Little penguin has a maximum height of 1 ft. Humboldt penguins have an average height of just over 2 ft.
    • The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus Humboldt) belongs to a genus that is commonly known as the ‘banded’ group.’

    Relation with the Humboldt Oceanic Current

    • Humboldt penguins are endemic to the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru.
    • They are so named because their habitat is located near the Humboldt Current, a large oceanic upwelling characterized by cold waters.

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