Step 6: Determine Environmental Aspects and Impacts
Impacts
The environmental "impact" is the potential or actual effect on the environment caused by an aspect of an activity. The effect can include things like air pollution, resource depletion, or habitat damage.
Any impact or change to the environment resulting from an organization's activities, products, or services must be analyzed to determine what can be done to mitigate those impacts. At a minimum, the EMS should include a list of the organization's most significant environmental impacts. Examples of the impacts related to the aspects listed in the previous section include the following:
- Emissions to Air: Increases in air pollution, which can harm human health and contribute to climate change.
- Releases to Water: Contamination of local water bodies, potentially harming aquatic life and affecting drinking water quality.
- Releases to Land: Contamination of soil, which can harm plant growth and pose risks to human health through groundwater pollution.
- Use of Natural Resources: Depletion of limited resources like freshwater and raw materials, reducing availability for future use.
- Use of Energy: Release of greenhouse gas emissions, especially when energy comes from nonrenewable sources like coal or oil.
- Generation of Waste: Increased landfill use and pollution, and may result in the release of harmful substances if not properly managed.
The examples below illustrate the relationship between activities, their related aspects, and the impacts that may affect the environment.
Manufacturing
- Activity: Metal casting and forging
- Aspect: Emissions from production processes, such as air pollutants from machinery.
- Impact: Contributes to air pollution, acid rain, and respiratory health issues in nearby communities.
- Activity: Chemical mixing and reaction processes
- Aspect: Waste generation, including hazardous materials from fabrication.
- Impact: Leads to soil and groundwater contamination, harming ecosystems and wildlife.
- Activity: Assembly line operations and equipment powering
- Aspect: High energy consumption for operations like heating and powering equipment.
- Impact: Increases greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global climate change.
Construction
- Activity: Excavation and earthmoving
- Aspect: Dust and particulate emissions affecting air quality during site preparation.
- Impact: Reduces visibility, irritates respiratory systems, and settles on vegetation, stunting growth.
- Activity: Concrete pouring and fuel handling
- Aspect: Soil and water contamination from runoff and spills of fuels or materials.
- Impact: Poison aquatic life and disrupts food chains in local water bodies.
- Activity: Material sourcing and transport
- Aspect: Resource depletion through excessive use of aggregates and timber.
- Impact: Causes deforestation, habitat loss, and accelerated biodiversity decline.
Agriculture
- Activity: Plowing and harvesting
- Aspect: Soil erosion and degradation from intensive tillage and monocropping.
- Impact: Reduces soil fertility over time, leading to desertification and lower crop yields.
- Activity: Crop irrigation systems
- Aspect: Water overuse for irrigation leading to aquifer depletion.
- Impact: Lowers water tables, causing land subsidence and saltwater intrusion in coastal areas.
- Activity: Pesticide application
- Aspect: Pesticide runoff polluting waterways and harming biodiversity.
- Impact: Kills non-target species like bees and fish, disrupting pollination and aquatic ecosystems.
Healthcare
- Activity: Medical procedure waste handling
- Aspect: Generation of biohazardous and medical waste requiring specialized disposal.
- Impact: If improperly managed, releases pathogens into the environment, spreading diseases.
- Activity: Building climate control systems
- Aspect: Energy-intensive operations, such as HVAC systems in hospitals.
- Impact: Elevates carbon footprint, contributing to urban heat islands and global warming.
- Activity: Instrument cleaning and sterilization
- Aspect: Water consumption for sterilization and sanitation processes.
- Impact: Strains local water resources, potentially leading to shortages in water-scarce regions.
Oil and Gas
- Activity: Gas flaring at wellheads
- Aspect: Greenhouse gas emissions from flaring and venting during extraction.
- Impact: Intensifies atmospheric warming, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events.
- Activity: Drilling and pipeline transport
- Aspect: Risk of oil spills contaminating marine or soil environments.
- Impact: Suffocates marine life, destroys habitats, and persists in ecosystems for decades.
- Activity: Fracking fluid injection
- Aspect: High freshwater use in hydraulic fracturing operations.
- Impact: Depletes groundwater supplies, affecting drinking water availability for communities.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-2. The effects of company's activities on the environment are called environmental _____.
You forgot to answer the question!