Pollution has been a great threat to society for a long time. In COVID, the pollution was reduced to almost 75% but has again started to increase. Nowadays the pollution table has crossed its limits. Every country in the world is tensed and scared about the consequences of this rising disaster. ‘
Environmental engineers have taken steps to develop techniques and technologies to reduce the spread of this calamity. They are also trying their best to manage waste. For example, Paul Anastal who is known as the Father of Green Chemistry worked on the chemicals and made them free from these hazardous substances.
TECHNIQUES:
Many successful techniques have been implemented by the engineers and many are yet to come.
First of all, scrubbers have been put up in the chimneys of the factories. This helps to reduce air pollution and the scrubber absorbs all the sulphur and carbon compounds. These have been a huge success for the power plants. Catalytic converters have been put up in cars to reduce the emission of harmful gases like nitrogen dioxide into the air. Techniques like Direct air capture in which the carbon dioxide will be captured from the air and restored will be seen shortly.
Soil vapour extraction has been put up which removes volatile contaminants from the soil and makes the soil healthy. For example, cow dung is used as a source of fuel in villages. This shows us how we can produce energy from organic matter. In waste management, the engineers have come up with an idea to make a bag that is completely disposable and looks like it is made of plastic. Landfill gas recovery has been put up to make renewable energy from landfills which will help the coming generations.
TECHNOLOGIES:
The better use of technologies helps to get rid of the pollution and it effectively helps in managing waste. Several technologists have contributed to this movement. One of the main technologies is the water membrane filtration. It is used to contaminate hazardous substances and give pure water. It is used in water purifiers. Phytoremediation has been a hot topic in terms of soil remediation. In this technology, the plant degrades the contaminants from the soil. It is effective for cleaning pesticides from the soil, often used in low-pollution areas.
In terms of waste management, Waste to Energy (WTE) programs have been launched by the government. In this solid waste is converted into energy. It reduces landfills and produces renewable energy. Composting systems have been implemented in every city. All the organic waste collected from the houses is transformed into manure which is a boon for the soil. A landfill gas system has been a perfect way to use methane gas and turn it into energy. It reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.
These are some of the initiatives taken by environmental engineers to tackle pollution and waste management. They are doing their best to find an alternative to plastic bags. We should also help them by planting trees and segregating our waste. Remember the initiatives you take today will help the coming generations.
Author – Utkarsh Goel
Bishop Cotton School, Shimla
