VCE Environmental Science

Water discharge from Portland Aluminium

By now you should have all your information, including relevant data, about fluoride as a pollutant at Portland Aluminium. Your report should include the characteristics of fluoride, including strategies that reduce the risk of pollutants affecting human health and the environment as well as the direct and indirect effects on the health of humans and the environment.

“On completion of this unit the student should be able to describe the characteristics of pollutants and evaluate the management options for reducing the risk of a pollutant affecting the health of the environment and humans.”

It is important that you make an attempt to evaluate the management options that Portland Aluminium have implemented to reduce fluoride emissions at the smelter. Have they been successful? Could they  be improved? Compare emissions from Portland to other aluminium smelters – how do they measure up?

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While I am away at Professional Development on Monday and Tuesday you have plenty of work to do! Firstly you need to finish the short answer section of the 2005 exam we started this week – the questions about Environmental Management Systems and Ecotourism. Secondly, you need to take notes about Great Western Vineyards as a case study of EMS. Remember, careful evaluation requires qualitative and quantitative data to support your asessment. What are they doing well? How could they improve? What are the economic, social and environmental issues?

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Following our excursion to Portland Aluminium on Wednesday 6th August you will be required to complete a report considering the fluoride emissions of aluminium production. Make sure your report includes the following information:

• Have you identified where fluoride comes from and whether it is a point source or diffuse source?
• Is it a solid, liquid or gas pollutant?
• How is it transported through the environment?
• Does it bio-accumulate?
• What are the direct and indirect human health effects?
• What are the direct and indirect environmental effects?
• How have Portland Alcoa Aluminium reduced fluoride emissions and by what percentage?
• How does Portland Alcoa Aluminium monitor emissions and who do they report to?
• What requirements does this organisation impose upon PAA and what are the penalties for non-compliance?
• Using your knowledge of the characteristics of pollutants suggest ways in which the PAA could improve their environmental management to reduce risks associated with pollutants.
• Assess the credibility of primary data collected; compare data collected relating to the pollutant with relevant standards or protocols. 

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Images such as this can be very useful for Powerpoints and posters in your school-assessed coursework. But you must make sure that you have not breached copyright by reproducing the image in your own work. This image, and many other useful pictures, are available on Flickr. Just check the Creative Commons license that enables you to use the image acknowledging the artist or owner and if there are any restrictions.