Chapter55-EnvironmentalPollutionControlENVIRONMENTALPOLLUTIONCONTROLANDPREVENTIONJerrySpiegelandLucienY.MaystreOverthecourseofthetwentiethcentury,growingrecognitionoftheenvironmentalandpublichealthimpactsassociatedwithanthropogenicactivities(discussedinthechapterEnvironmentalHealthHazards)haspromptedthedevelopmentandapplicationofmethodsandtechnologiestoreducetheeffectsofpollution.Inthiscontext,governmentshaveadoptedregulatoryandotherpolicymeasures(discussedinthechapterEnvironmentalPolicy)tominimizenegativeeffectsandensurethatenvironmentalqualitystandardsareachieved.Theobjectiveofthischapteristoprovideanorientationtothemethodsthatareappliedtocontrolandpreventenvironmentalpollution.Thebasicprinciplesfollowedforeliminatingnegativeimpactsonthequalityofwater,airorlandwillbeintroduced;theshiftingemphasisfromcontroltopreventionwillbeconsidered;andthelimitationsofbuildingsolutionsforindividualenvironmentalmediawillbeexamined.Itisnotenough,forexample,toprotectairbyremovingtracemetalsfromafluegasonlytotransferthesecontaminantstolandthroughimpropersolidwastemanagementpractices.Integratedmultimediasolutionsarerequired.ThePollutionControlApproachTheenvironmentalconsequencesofrapidindustrializationhaveresultedincountlessincidentsofland,airandwaterresourcessitesbeingcontaminatedwithtoxicmaterialsandotherpollutants,threateninghumansandecosystemswithserioushealthrisks.Moreextensiveandintensiveuseofmaterialsandenergyhascreatedcumulativepressuresonthequalityoflocal,regionalandglobalecosystems.Beforetherewasaconcertedefforttorestricttheimpactofpollution,environmentalmanagementextendedlittlebeyondlaissez-fairetolerance,temperedbydisposalofwastestoavoiddisruptivelocalnuisanceconceivedofinashort-termperspective.Theneedforremediationwasrecognized,byexception,ininstanceswheredamagewasdeterminedtobeunacceptable.Asthepaceofindustrialactivityintensifiedandtheunderstandingofcumulativeeffectsgrew,apollutioncontrolparadigmbecamethedominantapproachtoenvironmentalmanagement.Twospecificconceptsservedasthebasisforthecontrolapproach:·theassimilativecapacityconcept,whichassertstheexistenceofaspecifiedlevelofemissionsintotheenvironmentwhichdoesnotleadtounacceptableenvironmentalorhumanhealtheffects·theprincipleofcontrolconcept,whichassumesthatenvironmentaldamagecanbeavoidedbycontrollingthemanner,timeandrateatwhichpollutantsentertheenvironmentUnderthepollutioncontrolapproach,attemptstoprotecttheenvironmenthaveespeciallyreliedonisolatingcontaminantsfromtheenvironmentandusingend-of-pipefiltersandscrubbers.Thesesolutionshavetendedtofocusonmedia-specificenvironmentalqualityobjectivesoremissionlimits,andhavebeenprimarilydirectedatpointsourcedischargesintospecificenvironmentalmedia(air,water,soil).ApplyingPollutionControlTechnologiesApplicationofpollutioncontrolmethodshasdemonstratedconsiderableeffectivenessincontrollingpollutionproblems-particularlythoseofalocalcharacter.Applicationofappropriatetechnologiesisbasedonasystematicanalysisofthesourceandnatureoftheemissionordischargeinquestion,ofitsinteractionwiththeecosystemandtheambientpollutionproblemtobeaddressed,andthedevelopmentofappropriatetechnologiestomitigateandmonitorpollutionimpacts.Intheirarticleonairpollutioncontrol,DietrichSchwelaandBereniceGoelzerexplaintheimportanceandimplicationsoftakingacomprehensiveapproachtoassessmentandcontrolofpointsourcesandnon...
