Industrial Revolution's Impact On The Environment
                     INDUSTRIAL 
REVOLUTION'S 
IMPACT ON THE 
ENVIRONMENT 
Introduction
The phase of transitioning from an agrarian and handicraft economy to 
one dominated by industry and machine production in modern history is 
known as the Industrial Revolution.
This phase started in the 18th century in Britain and spread throughout 
the world from there. 
Source: Industrial Revolution
Three Features
1. Technology
2. Socio-economic
3. Cultural
Source: People Matters
Technology
Impact of Technology:
• The use of new basic materials, mainly iron and steel
• The use of new energy sources, including both fuels and motive power, such 
as coal, the steam engine, electricity, petroleum, and the internal-combustion 
engine
• Invention of new machines
• Factory system
• Application of science to the industry
Non-Technology
• Agricultural Improvements
• Economic changes with respect to the land 
availability
• Political changes for economic power boost
• Cultural Transformations with skilful labour
Source: Food Business News
First Industrial Revolution
• The Industrial Revolution was largely limited to Britain from 1760 to 1830.
• The British, aware of their advantage, prohibited the export of equipment, 
skilled labor, and manufacturing techniques.
• The British monopoly could not last indefinitely, particularly when some 
Britons saw lucrative industrial opportunities abroad and continental 
European businessmen sought British know-how for their own countries. 
Source: Daily Sun
Second Industrial Revolution
• Despite significant similarities with the "old," evidence for a "new" Industrial 
Revolution emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Modern industry started to exploit many previously untapped natural and 
synthetic resources, including lighter metals, new alloys, and synthetic goods 
such as plastics, as well as new energy sources.
• The automated factory was born as a result of these advances in machinery, 
equipment, and computers.
• While some industries were almost entirely mechanized in the early to mid- Source: Daily Sun
nineteenth century, automated operation, as compared to the assembly line, 
only became significant in the mid 20th century. 
Important technological developments
By the 1830s, major technological advances had been made in the following 
areas:
• Textiles – Steam or water-powered mechanized cotton spinning increased a worker's 
productivity by a factor of 500. The power loom increased a worker's productivity by a 
factor of more than 40.
• Steam power – The performance of steam engines improved to the point that they 
used one-fifth to one-tenth the amount of fuel. 
• Iron production – The use of coke instead of charcoal significantly reduced the cost of 
pig iron and wrought iron production. Coke also provided for larger blast furnaces, 
resulting in cost savings.
• Invention of machine tools – The first machine tools are invented. The screw cutting 
lathe, cylinder boring machine, and milling machine were among them. 
Source: Britannica
Chemicals
• During the Industrial Revolution, large-scale chemical 
manufacturing was a significant development.
• The lead chamber method, invented by Englishman John Roebuck 
(James Watt's first partner) in 1746, was the first to produce 
sulphuric acid.
• By replacing the comparatively costly glass vessels with larger, less 
expensive chambers made of riveted sheets of lead, he was able 
to significantly increase the size of production.
Source: food navigator
• Rather than producing a small amount each time, he was able to 
produce about 100 pounds (50 kg) in each chamber, a tenfold 
increase. 
Railways
• The widespread introduction of inexpensive puddled iron after 1800, the 
invention of the rolling mill for making rails, and the development of the 
high-pressure steam engine, all about 1800, made railways feasible.
• The construction of major railways linking larger cities and towns started 
in the 1830s, but it didn't pick up steam until the very end of the first 
Industrial Revolution.
Standards Of Living
• Children's life expectancy rose significantly during the Industrial 
Revolution. From 1730 to 1749, 74.5 percent of children born in 
London died before reaching the age of five, compared to 31.8 
percent in 1810–1829.
• Prior to the industrial revolution, water was supplied by gravity and 
pumped by water wheels. Wood was the most popular material for 
pipes. The widespread piping of water to horse watering troughs 
and households was made possible by steam-powered pumps and 
Source: Rethinking the Future
iron pipes. 
Urbanization
• Since the late 18th century, the rise of modern manufacturing has 
resulted in rapid urbanization and the emergence of new great 
cities, first in Europe and then in other regions, as new 
opportunities attracted large numbers of people from rural areas to 
urban areas.
• Just 3% of the world's population lived in cities in 1800, compared 
to nearly 50% today[138] (the beginning of the 21st century). 
Manchester had a population of 10,000 in 1717, but had grown to 
2.3 million by 1911.
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