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Environmental Aspect and Impact
 ~Dr Dilip Ganguly

Environmental Aspect and Impact: The Basics

In the study of environment, it is essential to identify each possible environmental aspect and impact of it on our surroundings. The various environmental aspects each have a number of different impacts on the environment. Potential impacts must also be identified.

1. Commonly Used Definitions in the Study of Environmental Aspect and Impact
1.1. Environmental Impact Any change to the environment whether adverse or beneficial (wholly or partially) resulting from an organization's activities products or services.
1.2. Significant Impact The activity that results in substantial breach of statutory regulations under abnormal conditions.

Knowledge of environmental aspect and impact is necessary in order to have a thorough awareness of the world we live in.

Knowledge of environmental aspect and impact is necessary in order to have a thorough awareness of the world we live in


2. Identification of Environmental Aspect and Impact


Inputs and Outputs of a manufacturing process

3. Cause and Effect
Activity Spray Painting
Aspect Emissions of Solvent to air
Impact Global Warming plus Ozone Depletion

Activity At start up of spray painting
Aspect Emissions of Solvent  to water
Impact Water Pollution

Activity Spray on to the ground for 5 seconds
Aspect Contamination of land
Impact Land Pollution

4. Potential Environmental Impacts
Let us now list out a number of environmental aspects. We shall discuss each environmental aspect and impact that each has on the environment

4.1 Natural Resources
Possible Aspect Over consumption
Impact Depletion of minerals, raw materials, and energy sources

Possible Aspect Habitat destruction
Impact Depletion of living resources

4.2 Air
Possible Aspect CO2, CH4 fossil fuel combustion
Impact Global warming

Possible Aspect CFCs, halons, other chlorinated compounds
Impact Ozone layer depletion

Possible Aspect SO2 Nox NH3
Impact Acid precipitation

Possible Aspect Automobile, bus, truck emissions
Impact Rising ground level ozone

Possible Aspect Industrial emissions : evaporation
Impact Exposure to hazardous gases

Possible Aspect Energy installations
Impact Exposure to smoke

Possible Aspect Nuclear installation, wastes, natural sources
Impact Exposure to radioactivity

4.3 Land
Possible Aspect Hazardous or radioactive waste, air deposition
Impact Contamination

Possible Aspect Mining, construction, drainage
Impact Disturbance and soil erosion, loss of soil cover, water logging, disturbs groundwater, loss of habitats
 
4.4 Visual, Noise, Nuisance
Possible Aspect Construction
Impact Visual

Possible Aspect Production, processes, waters
Impact Dust

Possible Aspect Machinery, traffic
Impact Odor, noise, vibration

[The picture used in this article has been taken from the photo library of stock.xchng.]

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