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Environmental problems connected with the industrial society
are often due to the large linear flow of resources from raw material to the
dump.
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The classical factory is apoint source of pollutants, in the
worst case a "hot spot".
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Large population centers are sources of pollution
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Extraction, transport and use of oil causes considerable
environmental impact.
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Where agriculture is intensive, as in the southern part of
the Baltic Sea region, the environmental impact is considerable.
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In the northern part of the Baltic Sea region the wood and
paper industry is a matter of environmental concern.
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The industrialized countries causes large material flows.
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Increased consumption by individual causes diffuse, nn-point,
polluton.
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Houses and homes produce all types of pollution; gaseous,
liquid and solid.
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To estimate the extent of a product's environmental impact a
Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) model is used that includes all releases to air,
water and soil as well as the environmental impact of co-products.
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Persistent Organic Pollutants, POP, stay in the environment
a long time, they are usually fat-soluble.
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POPs typically originate from various technical purposes, or
as by products in the chemical industry, or are biocides, or are metabolites
from the latter three types.
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Halogenated or chlorinated organic pollutants are more or
less stable compounds. They include DDT, PCB and freons.
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Several types POPs are found in many food stuffs as meat,
milk, butter, cheese and fish.
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Measurements show that the pesticide content in the Baltic
Sea is decreasing by 5-9% annually.
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PCBs, polychlorinated bphenyls, are among the most toxic
environmental polltants. 12 of the most toxic are to be phsed-out.
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The pulp and paper industry used to be a large polluter of
chlorinated compounds. However, new bleaching methods and recycling of waste
water has made the industry on of the most environmentally successful.
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DDT is a highly persistent lipophilic pesticide that
accumulates in food chains and may causes severe problems in the neura
systems of top predators.
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DDT was banned in the 1970s but is still used in some
places.
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Herbicides are chemicals that kill plants. Modern herbicides
are degraded in the environment.
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Dioxins are the most toxic compound made by humans. They are
formed during processes involving chlorine as pesticide production and in
industrial waste incineration, metal smelting, bleaching of pulp.
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Volatile organic compounds (VOC) are hydrocarbons emitted
because of incomplete combustion. Traffic accounts for 90% of the emissions.
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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) have toxic,
carinogenic and mutagenic features. They are either liquid or soild and come
usually from incomplete combustion of organic matter.
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All chemicals introduced to the market today need to be
registered and accepted by the Chemicals Inspectorate.
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Existing substances need also to be registered.
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Each substance has to undergo risk assessment
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Consumers not only cause environmental impact they also
offer a way to remedy the impact. The consumers choice of environmental
friendly products have been important in the work for improving the
environment.
