Page 221 - Materials Chemistry, Second Edition

4.4 Method of Impact Categories (Environmental Problem Fields) 205

Table 4.5 Temporal occurrence of the environmental problems.

Environmental Scientific Entering public
problem field discovery consciousness
(impact category)

Resource depletion Approximately 1965–1970 First oil crisis of 1973
Limits to growth a
Greenhouse effect Approximately 1975–1980 UN world conference in Rio de Janeiro 1992;
(Climate change) b ‘Agenda 21’
c
Stratospheric ozone Rowland and Molina 1974; Prohibition of CFC (‘freons’) in sprays (USA,
depletion Discovery of the Antarctic ‘ozone approximately 1978) ; e
d
hole’ around 1985 Convention of Vienna (1985) and Protocol of
Montreal (1987) f
g
Toxic endangering Knowledge of poisons is age-old Chemical laws in US (TSCA) and France around
of humans (human 1975, EEC 1977, FRG 1981; EU: REACH 2006
toxicity)
Toxic damage of Rachel Carson ‘Silent Spring’ 1962 h For example, DDT law, FRG 1972
organisms,
ecotoxicity
Summer smog Approximately 1950, Los Angeles i Catalyst regulation in California, approximately 1975
Acidification First phase (direct harm of acid International forest damage conferences around
gases): second half of the nineteenth 1900 (Stoklasa, 1923, loc. cit.)
century (St¨ ockert, Stoklasa) j
Second phase (indirect impacts, esp. Article in the ‘Spiegel’ covering ‘The Dying Forest’
in forests) approximately 1970 1980;
Acidification of remote Swedish lakes
Eutrophication Massive growth of algae in lakes, Measures of restoration starting about 1970;
1960s; oxygen loss by BOD
Detergents without Phosphate starting 1990
Annoyances (smell, Everyday life experience, dating is Noise perceived as environmental problem No. 1
k
noise) difficult (especially traffic noise )
Hard radiation l Since the use of nuclear energy, Consciousness of endangering since the beginning
m
military (1945) and civilian (1950s); of military use; civil nuclear power esp. since 1986
Disaster of Chernobyl 1986
Waste Starting approximately 1960 Early LCAs around 1970 n
a Meadows et al. (1972).
b
Recently ‘climate disruption’ has been proposed.
c Molina and Rowland (1974); Rowland and Molina (1975).
d
McIntyre (1989).
e UBA (1979).
f
Deutscher Bundestag (1988).
g USA (1976).
h USA (1976).
i McCabe (1952).
j Stoklasa (1923).
k Including noise by aeroplanes near airports.
l High energy per particle or photon (α, β, γ and h ).
m
Not however in the research phase: Marie Curie died from leukaemia from impacts of her
experiments.
n
See Chapter 1.