Managing the Issues (AQA A Level Geography)

• Air pollution is the second highest risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (modifiable habits such as lack of activity, diet etc. is the highest)
• Unfortunately, air pollution is beyond the control of most individuals and it becomes necessary for local, national and regional level policy-makers working in energy, transport, waste management, urban planning sectors to take action

Examples of Successful Policies 

• All pollutants from point or non-point sources threaten waterways and pose risks to health
• Urban waste water collection, treatment and monitoring is mandatory in HDEs
• LDEs and EMEs water processing is highly variable 
• IGO and NGO investment is helping to secure water quality and supply - Water Aid etc. 
• Combined sewerage systems collect surface and foul water and waster water treatment involves four stages:
  • Preliminary treatment:
    • Screens and grit chambers; large non-organic solids settle at the bottom of the tank through gravity
    • Screens large solids, removes grit and gravel
  • Primary treatment:
    
    • Settling tanks - to settle large, suspended, organic matter
    • Slow agitation, allows the suspended, organic solids, to settle to the bottom of the tank for transfer to secondary treatment
    • Larger organic matter is sent for biosolid processing where water is removed and then reprocessed for fertiliser
    • Primary treatment only gives wastewater a small degree of cleaning
  • Secondary treatment:
    • Consists of trickling filter beds, activated sludge beds and chemical lagoons
    • Used when pathogens and faecal matter are in high concentrations
  • Tertiary (advanced) treatment:
    • Harmful nutrients are removed - specific pollutants are targeted 
    • Pharmaceuticals, viruses, bacteria, and protozoa are removed at a high rate to produce potable water
    • Clean water is returned to streams and rivers
• Other strategies include:
  • Regulations on the type and amount of fertilisers and pesticides used
  • Improvements to drainage systems that allows for the break down of pollutants in rainwater, in the soil
  • Education - government campaigns on usage and wastage of water (not leaving the tap on whilst cleaning teeth), not disposing of oil or wet wipes down the toilet
  • Laws and legislations - the UK and EU have strict laws for water to ensure that domestic, industrial and agricultural processes to not pollute waterways
  • Re-use of domestic greywater  - easier to treat and recycle as it hasn't been in contact with faecal matter. Cannot be drunk, but used for flushing toilets, wash clothes and water the garden
  • Maintenance of current treatment plants and upgrade of water pipes

• Water quality in LDE example - Mumbai, India
• Approximately 77% of households have poor water quality
• Levels of nitrates and dissolved solids exceed safe limits
• Toxic chemicals such as arsenic and lead, along with bacteria and protozoa are contributing to increased water contamination and water borne diseases such as cholera, jaundice, typhoid and diarrhoea

• Urban dereliction is when areas of cities are abandoned and the buildings become dilapidated
• The solutions to dereliction are regeneration and use of brownfield sites
• UK cities have a sizeable supply of brownfield land that can be utilised and returned to use
• Town centre mixed developments blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional and entertainment uses
• Cultural and heritage quarters, where the cultural quarter has a presence of cultural consumption, activity, and production (making goods and products)
• Sometimes linked with a heritage quarter and its focus on historical industries
• Both areas attract tourists and people into a place and help areas to develop a unique 'sense of place'

Positives and Negatives of Building on Brownfield Sites