The environmental impact
The environmental impact is the alteration, positive or negative, produces by the human action on the environment and even on the own human health.
From the point of view of the product, the industrial processes needed for the obtaining of a certain product, originate direct negative impacts. It is considered that 80% of these environmental impacts related with the product is determined during the phase of design of the same ones.
Therefore, working the phase of design of the products, significant reductions of environmental impact can be gotten.
Finally, it is necessary to distinguish between the ASPECT or cause of the environmental alteration and the IMPACT or the alteration in if.
The environmental impact and its cause
More common environmental impacts and their main causes.
Contamination of the water
Cause
- Poured water with toxic substances.
- Poured of residual waters.
- Poured to high temperatures.
Effect
- Eutrofization (1)
- Decrease biodiversity
Contamination of the floor
Cause
- Uncontrolled deposition of residuals.
- Escapes and accidents.
Effect
- Underground and superficial water contamination.
- Lost of the biodiversity.
Natural resources exhaustion
Cause
- Irrational consumption of natural resources (Matter prevails, energy, dilutes, floor).
Effect
- Lost of the biodiversity.
- Exhaustion resources.
- Contamination.
- Deforestation.
Atmospheric Contamination
Local effects
Cause
- Source of noise, vibrations, scents coming from different activities.
Effect
- From nuisances to irreversible damages.
All these impacts can alter negatively the environment, an of course, the human health.
What is…?
The eutrofization
Massive contribution of inorganic nutritious in an aquatic ecosystem, especially the phosphates and nitrates. The more common origin of these nutrients are usually those urban poured (organic waste, detergents…), and agricultural or cattle poured and especially the fertilizers used. When an aquatic ecosystem leaves loading of nutritious, the water is muddled, the algae grows, the oxygen wears out, and the biodiversity weakens.
The acid rain
Rain similar to the normal one but with a smaller PH that affects directly to the leaves of the plants, buildings, and aquatic ecosystems… the contamination originated can arrive to the human organism by breathing. It is caused mainly by the combustion of fossil hydrocarbons (SO2, NOx, NH3) that arrives to the atmosphere and are absorbed by the rain.
The smog
It takes place in some cities when the combination of certain climatological circumstances and some concrete pollutants concur at the same time. Two types can be found:
- Industrial smog that nowadays is associated with the traffic smooth
- the photochemical smog that worsens in places with dry, warm and sunny climate, and especially in summer.
