Sustainable_Construction

P2.2. Explain four different forms of global pollution arising from construction projects. Air pollution Construction is one of the most industries which produces air pollution. This is an issue which has been known over years, however in our country; very little has been done to decrease the amount of pollution which is being generated be the construction industry. Air pollution is affecting the whole atmosphere by contaminating and disturbing the natural composition of the air. Air pollution can be done in various ways in the construction industry, and can be in any form such as gasses; including carbon dioxide or any vapors which may leave` permanent damage to the natural cycle of the environment. Construction air pollution comes from a wide variety of sources. Some of the most excessive sources include: * Building construction; * Demolition; * Vehicle or manufacturing exhaust; * Using machinery on-site. Air pollution may affect many aspects of the natural environment, the damage which will be caused by the pollution will depend by the concentration of the pollution in the area. Ozone weakening by CFCs CFC is an acronym for Chlorofluorocarbons; these are chemicals which are manmade any were used often for HVAC purposes, including: * Refrigerators; * Air conditioning; * Foam products; * Aerosols. CFCs have been replaced with substances which harm less the environment, however the damage has already been made as it is known that the ozone layer has been damaged with substances which were used during the years, but CFCs have been major participants of this issue. Global Warming Global warming also known as the greenhouse effect is when the temperature rises because the sun’s heat and light is trapped in the earth’s atmosphere.  This effect occurs the same way as the heat is trapped in a closed car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter when it is outside.  This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows, but it can’t get back out.  This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth.  The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can’t get out.  As a result, the temperature rises. The main reason for global warming is pollution. And one of the most polluting industries is the construction. This is due to the fact that a very large amount of CO2 is dispersed into the atmosphere. The construction industry emits CO2 by different means, including: * Operation of machinery and plant; * Transporting materials on-site; * Demolition of buildings. Global warming affects agriculture as crops will be able to be grown in areas that are currently too cold to support them. However, more pests and diseases may offset any benefits higher temperatures may have. Water resources will also be affected. Some reservoirs may dry up if temperature increases, especially if rainfall also decreases. Rising sea levels may pollute fresh groundwater supplies with salt water. Global warming will also affect human health. There may be more heat-related illnesses in hotter summers, and increased breathing problems as higher temperatures increase air pollution in cities, reducing air quality. The malaria mosquito may also be able to spread to other regions of the world where it is currently too cold to survive and breed. Acid Rain Acid Rain is another issue which is formed by means of pollution that is produced from burning fossil fuels, this includes pollution that come from vehicles mainly from construction plant. Acid Rain can damage Soil, Trees, Water and Lakes, Buildings and Health. Construction is a major factor which affects pollution which creates acid rain. Acid rain can damage soil by destroying many vital substances and washing away the nutrients which it needs to grow vegetation. Not only these nutrients are destroyed when acid rain falls into the soil, but the soil is contaminated. When the soil is contaminated, vegetation may still grow but if animals try to eat from them these may suffer from poisoning. Lake and natural valleys may also be damaged by becoming more acidic the fish find it more difficult to reproduce successfully. It is not only the acid in the water that kills them, but also poisonous minerals like aluminum that are washed out of the surrounding ground into the water. The birds that eat the fish also begin to suffer as the harmful minerals build up inside When breading polluted air, resulting from the dry precipitration the very fine particulates can easily enter our lungs, where they can cause breathing problems, and over time even lead to cancer. Drinking water which is contaminated with chemicals released by acid rain is also very harmful to animals and even to humans. P2.3. Explain how four different forms of local pollution arising from construction projects may harm the local environment. Air pollution Construction activities that contribute to air pollution include: land clearing, operation of diesel engines, demolition, burning, and working with toxic materials. All construction sites generate high levels of dust including: * Concrete; * Cement; * Wood; * Stone; * Silica, and this can carry for large distances over a long period of time. Construction dust is classified as PM10 - particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter, invisible to the naked eye. Research has shown that PM10 penetrate deeply into the lungs and cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory illness, asthma, bronchitis and even cancer. Another major source of PM10 on construction sites comes from the diesel engine exhausts of vehicles and heavy equipment. This is known as diesel particulate matter (DPM) and consists of soot, sulphates and silicates, all of which readily combine with other toxins in the atmosphere, increasing the health risks of particle inhalation. Diesel is also responsible for emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. Noxious vapours from oils, glues, thinners, paints, treated woods, plastics, cleaners and other hazardous chemicals that are widely used on construction sites, also contribute to air pollution. Noise pollution Noise pollution refers to undesirable types and levels of noises caused by construction activity that does disrupt the standard of living in any affected areas. Construction noise pollution can come from several procedures, which include: * Traffic which the construction project generates; * Plant used for the completion of the project; * Communication between members of the on-site team; * Manufacturing plants and materials for the project; * Construction and demolition process. Some of noise pollution can be temporary while other sources are much more permanent. Excessive noise is not only annoying and distracting, but can lead to hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance and extreme stress. Research has shown that high noise levels disturb the natural cycles of animals and reduces their usable habitat. Dust pollution All construction sites generate very high levels of dust from various materials used, which include: * Stone; * Concrete; * Cement; * Wood. Most of it invisible to the naked eye, but known to contribute to a wide range of health problems, including respiratory illness, asthma, bronchitis and even cancer. The engine exhausts of vehicles and heavy equipment pump a selection of soot, sulphates and silicates into the atmosphere, along with carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. And noxious vapours from oils, glues, thinners, paints, treated woods, plastics, cleaners and other hazardous chemicals widely used in construction add further to the cocktail of air pollutants present on any site. Water pollution from sites is another significant concern. Surface water mixed with diesel and oil, solvents, cleaners and other harmful chemicals, as well as construction debris and dirt, filters into waterways and poisons wells. Ground Water Pollution Ground water is water that lies beneath the land, it is also known as the water table. The water table is a valuable source of potable water, in fact here in Malta the water table is pumped as this is the water that was filtrated through the soil and natural rock. This is type of water is good as it is very pure and lacks in impurities because of its natural filtration. In Malta the water table is very delicate as rain is minimal as so it is important to preserve this water source. Another life threatening factor for our water table is contamination. Contamination is one of the issues that our water table has to handle. There are various types of contaminations which can be done to our water table, however the construction industry is one of the main reasons that this can be contemned. Many materials used in the construction industry are very dangerous, these include: * Diesel; * Oil; * Paint; * Solvents; * Cleaning products; * Debris; * Dirt; * Cement; * And other chemicals. If ground water is contemned, it is more difficult to realize; because ground water lies beneath the ground co it is covered and we cannot see it. It is also more difficult to treat than surface water. Often the process of cleaning the ground water consists of pumping the contemned ground water, treating it and replacing it in its original place, or if the contamination is minimal chemicals such as salt and chlorine may be poured to the contemned part, however the last solution is not preferred as this can damage the surrounding elements. We have to remember that since groundwater is part of the hydrologic cycle, contaminants in other parts of the cycle, such as the atmosphere or surface water, can eventually be transferred into our groundwater supplies. M2.1a-Assess the potential environmental impact of a proposed construction project on the local natural environment community and individual construction firms. The Coastal Geomorphological Changes at Ghadira Beach (Mellieha Bay), Malta: Scoping Study Report has been done in the 2009 to make decisions upon an issue which rose; this issue included the construction of the new highway as part of the ten T program which connects the South and the North of the island with a continuous highway. This project included the upgrade of the road located near the Ghadira bay; however its location had to be moved in order to make sure that the new planned road would be more efficient than the present road. This project created various concerns as many thought that it could harm the surrounding natural environment. In the report we can see how the behavior of the existing buildings which were constructed in the past thirty to forty years have had a negative impact on the natural fauna of the beach. This created major objections not only from the people safeguarding the natural environment but also people which depend upon the tourist industry, as this beach is a good attraction for tourism. The impact of the present constructed buildings was carefully studied as to make sure that the beach is preserved and not damaged. The results which came from the studies were quite shocking as the previously constructed buildings have had a very negative effect on the beach. The negative effects have effected parts of the bay and included: * Loss of sediment which occurred due to wave refrection; * Fossilization of part of the sand dune which formed a border between the road and the Ghadira reserve. This report also outlines the possibility to maintain the current position of the road, however this would also effect the natural environment as the upgrade which the road would need to make sure that the traffic flow is increased and be efficient would be involving major works. The works done to the current road can decrease the size of the beach, this can even result in the loss of all the beach area. This is due to the rising of the sea level, and if the road is widened, this could affect the beach as it is practically compressed between two strong elements (the road and the sea level). The report also highlights the possibility of removing the road just behind the beach as to create more space for the beach. This would restore the sediment change of the beach and the dunes, as to make a more natural situation for the dunes. This may also damage the natural environment as water level would rise without any obstacle, so the natural fauna would be also damaged. This report also proposes further research on ways which can be adapted to decrees the negative effect which the water level can leave to the surrounding environment, these include: * Beach nourishment and installation; * Redevelopment of hard points. These also should require: * A bathymetric survey * Sampling of the bedside and seaside * Biotype mapping * Monitoring of hydrodynamic process * Numerical modeling * Topographical data collection and * Assessment on flooding risks Bibliography Construction and the built environment (Simon Topliss and Mike Hurst) 2010 www.epa.gov http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk http://www.eugcc-cleanergy.net