Air pollution impacts causes and their harmful chemical agents and gasses produced by the industry and other activities on the atmosphere

1. AIR POLLUTION

2. INTRUDUCTION
• Pollution is something introduced into the environment that is dirty,
unclean or has a harmful effect.
• Air pollution may be described as contamination of the atmosphere by
gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes or by-products that can endanger human
health and welfare of plants and animals.
• Although some pollutants are released by natural sources like
volcanoes, coniferous forests, and hot springs, the effect of this
pollution is very small when compared to that caused by
emissions from industrial sources or any Human made cause

3. ATMOSPHERE AS A RESOURCE
Atmospheric
Composition
Nitrogen 78.08%
Oxygen 20.95%
Argon 0.93%
Carbon dioxide 0.04%

4. NATURAL SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION
There are many natural sources of air
quality degradation. Volcanoes spew out
ash, acid mists, hydrogen sulfide, Forest
fire and other toxic gases. Sea spray and
decaying vegetation are major sources of
reactive sulfur compounds in the air.

5. HUMAN-CAUSED AIR POLLUTION
THE AIR POLLUTION CAUSES DUE TO THE INTERFERENCE OF
HUMAN
IN THIS SECTION, WE WILL DEFINE SOME GENERAL CATEGORIES AND
SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION.
• Primary Air Pollutant
Harmful substance that
is emitted directly into the
atmosphere
• Secondary Air Pollutant
Harmful substance formed
in the atmosphere when a
primary air pollutant reacts
with substances normally
found in the atmosphere or
with other air pollutants

7. Sulfur Compounds
Natural sources of sulfur in the atmosphere include evaporation of sea spray, erosion of sulfate-
containing dust from arid soils, fumes from volcanoes and fumaroles, and biogenic emissions of
hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and organic sulfur-containing compounds, such as dimethyl sulfide, methyl
mercaptan, carbon disulfide, and carbonyl sulfide. Total yearly emissions of sulfur from all sources
amount to some 114 million metric tons
Sulfur dioxide is a colorless corrosive gas
that is directly damaging to both plants and
animals. Once in the atmosphere, it can be
further oxidized to sulfur trioxide (SO3),
which reacts with water vapor or dissolves in
water droplets to form sulfuric acid
(H2SO4), a major component of acid rain.

8. Carbon Oxides
The predominant form of carbon in the air is carbon dioxide (CO2). It is usually considered nontoxic, but
increasing atmospheric levels (about 0.5 percent per year) due to human activities is now causing global climate
change that may have disastrous effects on both human and natural communities. As, more than 90 percent of
the CO2 emitted each year is from respiration.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless,
nonirritating but highly toxic gas produced by
incomplete combustion of fuel (coal, oil,
charcoal, or gas), incineration of biomass or
solid waste, or partially anaerobic decomposition
of organic material. CO inhibits respiration in
animals by binding irreversibly to hemoglobin.
Land-clearing fires and cooking fires also are
major sources.

9. NITROGEN OXIDES
• highly reactive gases formed when nitrogen
in fuel or combustion air is heated to
temperatures above 650°C (1,200°F) in the
presence of oxygen.
• . The initial product, nitric oxide (NO),
oxidizes further in the atmosphere to
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a reddish brown gas
that gives photochemical smog its distinctive
color.
• Nitrogen oxides combine with water to make
nitric acid (HNO3), which is also a major
component of atmospheric acidification.

10. PARTICULATE MATERIAL
• An aerosol is any system of solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in a gaseous
medium. For convenience, we generally describe all atmospheric aerosols, whether
solid or liquid, as particulate material. This includes dust, ash, soot, lint, smoke,
pollen, spores, algal cells, and many other suspended materials. Diesel fumes also are
highly toxic because they contain both fine particulates and chemicals such as
benzene, dioxins, and mercury

11. METALS AND HALOGENS
• Many toxic metals are mined and used in manufacturing processes or occur as trace
elements in fuels, especially coal. These metals are released to the air in the form of
metal fumes or suspended particulates by fuel combustion, ore smelting, and disposal
of wastes.
• Lead is a metabolic poison and a neurotoxin that binds to essential enzymes and
cellular components and inactivates them.

12. PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS
• Photochemical oxidant are products
of secondary atmospheric reactions
driven by solar energy.
• One of the most important of these
reactions involves formation of
singlet (atomic) oxygen by splitting
nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
• This atomic oxygen then reacts with
another molecule of O2 to make
ozone (O3). Ozone formed in the
stratosphere provides a valuable
shield for the biosphere by absorbing
incoming ultraviolet radiation.

13. AIR TOXINS
• 'Air toxics' are a diverse range of air pollutants that are usually
present in ambient air in relatively low concentrations but have
characteristics such as toxicity or persistence that make them a
hazard to human, plant or animal health.
• Sources of air toxics include: motor vehicle emissions; the products of
burning fuels, including woodsmoke; industrial emissions; and
materials such as paints and adhesives in new buildings.
• A group of air toxics known as 'reactive organic compounds' play an
important role in the formation of ozone, an air pollutant that is toxic
to humans and is present in photochemical smog.

15. INDOOR AIR IS MORE DANGEROUS OF US
THAN OUTDOOR AIR
• We have spent a considerable amount of effort and money to control the major
outdoor air pollutants, but we have only recently become aware of the dangers of
indoor air pollutants.
• Lung cancer has now surpassed breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer deaths.
• “Green design” principles can make indoor spaces both healthier and more pleasant.
In the less-developed countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America where such organic
fuels as firewood, charcoal, dried dung, and agricultural wastes make up the majority
of household energy, smoky, poorly ventilated heating and cooking fires represent the
greatest source of indoor air pollution.

16. • The World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that 2.5 billion people— nearly
half the world’s population—are adversely
affected by pollution from this source.
Women and small children spend long
hours each day around open fires or
unventilated stoves in enclosed spaces.
• The levels of carbon monoxide,
particulates, aldehydes, and other toxic
chemicals can be 100 times higher than
would be legal for outdoor ambient
concentrations

17. OZONE DEPLETION IN STRATOSPHERE
• Ozone Protects earth from UV radiation
• Stratospheric ozone levels over the South Pole were dropping precipitously during
September and October every year as the sun reappears at the end of the long polar
winter. This ozone depletion has been occurring at least since the 1960s

18. OZONE DEPLETION IN STRATOSPHERE
• Ozone thinning/hole
• First identified in 1985 over
Antarctica
• Caused by
• human-produced bromine
and chlorine containing
chemicals
• Ex: CFCs

19. CONT……..
• chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halon gases, are the principal agents of ozone
depletion.
• Nontoxic, nonflammable, chemically inert, and cheaply produced, CFCs were
extremely useful as industrial gases and in Atmosphere Air pollutants evaporate from
warmer areas and then condense and precipitate in cooler regions.
• Eventually, this “grasshopper” redistribution leads to accumulation in the Arctic and
Antarctic. From the 1930s until the 1980s, CFCs were used all over the world and
widely dispersed through the atmosphere.

20. EFFECTS OF OZONE DEPLETION
• Higher levels of UV-
radiation hitting the
earth
• Eye cataracts
• Skin cancer (right)
• Weakened immunity
• May disrupt ecosystems
• May damage crops and
forests

21. ACID DEPOSITION
• Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions react with water vapor in the
atmosphere and form acids that return to the surface as either dry or wet deposition
• pH scale

22. Effects of Air Pollution
• Polluted air causes lung diseases
The World Health Organization estimates that some 5 to 6 million people die
prematurely every year from illnesses related to air pollution. Heart attacks,
respiratory diseases, and lung cancer all are significantly higher in people who
breathe dirty air, compared to matching groups in cleaner environments.
• Plants are susceptible to pollution damage
In the early days of industrialization,
fumes from furnaces, smelters, refineries, and
chemical plants often destroyed vegetation
and created desolate, barren landscapes
around mining and manufacturing centers.

23. MINIMUM RATE REQUIREMENT OF FRESH AIR IN
DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT
• Gymnasium - 80% m3/head/hour
• Hospital - 60%
• Residence – 50%
• Theoaters - 35%
• Restaurant and others – compulsory 25%
• School – 23%
An average adult gives about 0.017m3 of Co2 per hour during Respiration

24. EFFECTS OF ACID DEPOSITION
• Declining Aquatic Animal
Populations
• Thin-shelled eggs prevent
bird reproduction
• Because calcium is
unavailable in acidic soil
• Forest decline
• Ex: Black forest in Germany
(50% is destroyed)

25. BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS
• In cities throughout the world, some of the
oldest and most glorious buildings and
works of art are being destroyed by air
pollution. Smoke and soot coat buildings,
paintings, and textiles. Limestone and
marble are destroyed by atmospheric acids at
an alarming rate.
• On a more mundane level, air
pollution also damages
ordinary buildings and
structures. Corroding steel in
reinforced concrete weakens
buildings, roads, and bridges.
Paint and rubber deteriorate
due to oxidization.

26. AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
Fallowing method are fallowed to control the Air Pollution
• Conserve energy: carpool, bike, walk, use public transport, buy compact
fluorescent bulbs, and energy-efficient appliances.
• Don’t use polluting two-cycle gasoline engines if cleaner fourcycle models are
available for lawn mowers, boat motors, etc.
• Buy refrigerators and air conditioners designed for CFC alternatives. If you
have old appliances or other CFC sources, dispose of them responsibly.
• Plant a tree and care for it (every year).
• Write to your Congressional representatives and support a transition to an
energy-efficient economy.
• If green-pricing options are available in your area, buy renewable energy.
• If your home has a fireplace, install a high-efficiency, clean burning, two-
stage insert that conserves energy and reduces pollution up to 90 percent.

27. • Have your car tuned every 10,000 miles (16,000 km) and make sure that its antismog
equipment is working properly. Turn off your engine when waiting longer than one minute.
Start trips a little earlier and drive slower—it not only saves fuel but it’s safer, too.
• Use latex-based, low-volatile paint rather than oil-based (alkyd) paint.
• Avoid spray can products. Light charcoal fires with electric starters rather than petroleum
products
CONT……
• Don’t top off your fuel tank when you buy gasoline; stop when the automatic
mechanism turns off the pump. Don’t dump gasoline or used oil on the ground or
down the drain.
• Buy clothes that can be washed rather than dry-cleaned.

28. SMOKE CONTROL ACTION PLAN (SCAP)
AIM
To curb down the number of diesel driven vehicles
emitting black smoke
• Launched: August 2013
• 2 Main Components:
- Enforcement (road side checks and contraventions of
smoky vehicles by Police de L’Environnement)
- Sensitization campaign (TV and radio)

29. THE MOST EFFECTIVE STRATEGY FOR
CONTROLLING POLLUTION IS TO MINIMIZE
PRODUCTION
• Since most air pollution in the developed world is associated with
transportation and energy production, the most effective strategy
would be conservation: Reducing electricity consumption, insulating
homes and offices, and developing better public transportation could
all greatly reduce air pollution
• Alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, produce
energy with little or no pollution, and these and other technologies
are becoming economically competitive. In addition to conservation,
pollution can be controlled by technological innovation.

30. THE CLEAN AIR ACT
• Authorizes EPA to set
limits on amount of
specific air pollutants
permitted
• Focuses on 6 pollutants:
Lead, particulate matter, sulfur
dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, and ozone
• Act has led to decreases!

31. THANK YOU