This document provides information about air pollution including: - Definitions of air pollution and air pollutants. - Common air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and ozone and their health effects such as lung and respiratory irritation. - Natural and human-caused sources of air pollution like vehicle exhaust, factories, mining operations, and natural events. - Ways to minimize air pollution like improving emissions from factories and vehicles, using cleaner fuels, and increasing green spaces. The document discusses the composition of the atmosphere and national air quality standards. It also outlines health impacts of various pollutants and effects on plants, materials and visibility.

1. TEAM MEMBERS
09-220 Akshay Iyer
09-221 Rohit Iyer
09-240 Gaurav Pande
09-241 Abhijit Patil
09-251 Lalit Sawant
09-256 Swapnil Singhavi

2. AIR POLLUTION

3. Definition
Air pollution may be defined as the presence
in the air (outdoor atmosphere) of one or
more contaminants or combinations
thereof in such quantities and of such
durations as may be or tend to be
injurious to human, animal or plant life,
or property, or which unreasonably
interferes with the comfortable
enjoyment of life or property or
conduct of business.

4. Air Pollutants
DEFINITION:-
• It is a substance or an effect dwelling
temporarily or permanently in the air.
• It adversely alters the environment by
interfering with health, comfort, or the food
chain property values of people.
• Pollutants can be solid (large or sub-
molecular), liquid or gaseous.

5. Air Pollutant
Anthropogenic sources have changed the
composition of global air by less than 0.01%.
even a small change can have
a significant adverse effect on the climate,
ecosystem and species on the planet.
e.g.
acid rain,
ozone in the lower atmosphere,
and photochemical smog.

6. Causes of Air pollution
Following are causes:
• Combustion engine
exhaust
• Factories
• Petroleum refineries
• Pesticides
• Radioactive fallout
• Mining operations
• Natural calamity

7. What causes Air pollution?
• Combustion engine exhaust-
Exhausts from vehicles like cars,
trucks, planes etc.
• Factories-
Burning of oil, coal, fossil fuels
etc.
• Petroleum refineries-
Release hydrocarbons and
various particulates

8. • Pesticides-
Pesticides, insecticides,
herbicides.
• Radioactive fallouts-
Radioactive dust of heavy
metals.
• Mining operations-
Releases variety of particles
• Natural calamity-
Volcanoes, earthquake etc.

9. Composition of
dry atmosphere, by volume
ppmv: parts per million by volume
Gas Volume
Nitrogen (N2) 780,840 ppmv (78.084%)
Oxygen (O2) 209,460 ppmv (20.946%)
Argon (Ar) 9,340 ppmv (0.9340%)
Carbon dioxide
375 ppmv
(CO2)
Neon (Ne) 18.18 ppmv
Helium (He) 5.24 ppmv
Methane (CH4) 1.745 ppmv
Krypton (Kr) 1.14 ppmv
Hydrogen (H2) 0.55 ppmv
Not included in above dry atmosphere:
Water vapor
typically 1%
(highly variable)
Mean Atmospheric Water Vapor.
Source for figures above: NASA. Carbon dioxide and methane updated (to 1998) by IPCC TAR table 6.1 [1]. The NASA total was 17 ppmv
over 100%, and CO2 was increased here by 15 ppmv. To normalize, N 2 should be reduced by about 25 ppmv and O2 by about 7 ppmv.
Minor components of air not listed above include:
Gas Volume
nitrous
0.5 ppmv
oxide
xenon 0.09 ppmv
ozone 0.0 to 0.07 ppmv
nitrogen
0.02 ppmv
dioxide
iodine 0.01 ppmv
carbon
trace
monoxide

14. National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Pollutant Primary Stds. Averaging Times Secondary
Stds.
1
Carbon Monoxide 9 ppm (10 8-hour None
3
mg/m )
1
35 ppm 1-hour None
3
(40 mg/m )
3
Lead 1.5 µg/m Quarterly Average Same as
Primary
Nitrogen Dioxide 0.053 ppm Annual (Arithmetic Same as
3
(100 µg/m ) Mean) Primary
Particulate Matter 50 µg/m 3 Annual2 (Arith. Same as
(PM10) Mean) Primary
3 1
150 ug/m 24-hour
3 3
Particulate Matter 15.0 µg/m Annual (Arith. Same as
(PM2.5) Mean) Primary
3 4
65 ug/m 24-hour
5
Ozone 0.08 ppm 8-hour Same as
Primary
Sulfur Oxides 0.03 ppm Annual (Arith. Mean) -------
1
0.14 ppm 24-hour -------
1
------- 3-hour 0.5 ppm
3
(1300 ug/m )
1
Not to be exceeded more than once per year.
2
To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the weighted annual mean PM10 concentration at
3
each monitor within an area must not exceed 50 ug/m .
3
To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the weighted annual mean PM2.5 concentrations
3
from single or multiple community-oriented monitors must not exceed 15.0 ug/m .
4
To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the 98th percentile of 24-hour concentrations at
3
each population-oriented monitor within an area must not exceed 65 ug/m .
5
To attain this standard, the 3-year average of the fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average
ozone concentrations measured at each monitor within an area over each year must not exceed
0.08 ppm.

15. Index PSI Cautionary
Value Descriptor
General Statements
Health
Effects
Up to 50 Good None for the None required.
general population.
50 to 100 Moderate Few or none for None required.
the general
population.
100 to Unhealthful Mild aggravation of Persons with
200 symptoms among existing heart or
susceptible people, respiratory
with irritation ailments should
symptoms in the reduce physical
healthy population. exertion and
outdoor activity.
General population
should reduce
vigorous outdoor
activity.
200 to Very Significant Elderly and
300 Unhealthful aggravation of persons with
symptoms and existing heart or
decreased exercise lung disease
tolerance in should stay
persons with heart indoors and reduce
or lung disease; physical activity.
widespread General population
symptoms in the should avoid
healthy population. vigorous outdoor
activity.
Over 300 Hazardous Early onset of Elderly and
certain diseases in persons with
addition to existing diseases
significant should stay
aggravation of indoors and avoid
symptoms and physical exertion.

19. Health Effects of Nitrogen
Oxides
• Short-term exposure at concentrations greater than
3 parts per million (ppm) can measurably decrease
lung function.
• Concentrations less than 3 ppm can irritate lungs.
• Concentrations as low as 0.1 ppm cause lung
irritation and measurable decreases in lung function
in asthmatics.
• Long-term lower level exposures can destroy lung
tissue, leading to emphysema.
• Children may also be especially sensitive to the
effects of nitrogen oxides.

20. Other Effects
• Seriously injures vegetation at certain
concentrations. Effects include:
– Bleaching or killing plant tissue.
– Causing leaves to fall
– Reducing growth rate
– Deteriorate fabrics and fade dyes
– Reduce capability

21. Sulfur Dioxide
Ninety-five percent of pollution related sulfur
oxide emissions are in the form of sulfur
dioxide (SO2), a heavy, colorless gas with an
odor like a struck match.
This gas combines easily with water vapor,
forming aerosols of sulfurous acid (H2SO3), a
colorless, mildly corrosive liquid.
This liquid may then combine with oxygen in
the air, forming the even more irritating and
corrosive sulfuric acid (H2SO4).

22. Health Effects of Sulfur Oxides
• Sulfur dioxide not only has a bad odor, it can
irritate the respiratory system.
• Exposure to high concentrations for short
periods of time can constrict the bronchi and
increase mucous flow, making breathing
difficult.
• Children, the elderly, those with chronic lung
disease, and asthmatics are especially
susceptible to these effects.

23. Sulfur oxides Effects on Plants
• Sulfur dioxide easily injures many plant species and
varieties, both native and cultivated. Some of the
most sensitive plants include various commercially
valuable pines, legumes, red and black oaks, white
ash, alfalfa and blackberry. The effects include:
• Visible injury to the most sensitive plants at
exposures as low as 0.12 ppm for 8 hours.
• Visible injury to many other plant types of
intermediate sensitivity at exposures of 0.30 ppm for
8 hours.
• Positive benefits from low levels, in a very few
species growing on sulfur deficient soils.

24. Other Effects
• Increases in sulfur dioxide concentrations
accelerate the corrosion of metals, probably
through the formation of acids. (SO2 is a
major precursor to acidic deposition.)
• Increased SO2 also contributes to impaired
visibility.
• Sulfur oxides may also damage stone and
masonry, paint, various fibers, paper, leather,
and electrical components

25. Effects of SO2
Sulfur dioxide tends to have more toxic
effects when acidic pollutants, liquid or solid
aerosols, and particulates are also present.
(In the past, thousands of excess deaths
occurred in areas where SO2 concentrations
exceeded 1 ppm for a few days and other
pollutants were also high.)

26. Health Effects of Ozone
• Ozone acts as a powerful respiratory irritant
at the levels frequently found in most of the
nation's urban areas during summer months.
• Ozone exposure may lead to:
– Shortness of breath.
– Chest pain when inhaling deeply.
– Wheezing and coughing.
Long-term, repeated exposure to high levels
of ozone may lead to large reductions in
lung function, inflammation of the lung
lining, and increased respiratory
discomfort.

28. Ways to minimize Air Pollution
We can prevent Air pollution or control Air
-pollution.
There are following techniques used:
• Preventive techniques
• Controlling techniques

29. Ways to minimize Air pollution
• Improving air quality through factories:
 Usage of taller chimneys
 Use airbeds to soak up the heavy metals
 Condense the air coming out so that heat
required for chemical reaction is not
available
 Make changes in the production cycle

30. • Minimizing air pollution through vehicles:
 Usage of cleaner fuels
 Proper maintenance of the vehicle
 Usage of public vehicle instead of private
vehicle, whenever possible
 Use bicycle or walk to reach the
destination

31. • Domestic practices:
 Use of a fuel with a high calorific value
 Use of a fuel which yields less by products
 Selecting a proper appliance
Based on-
• Amount of oxygen taken up
• Combustibility
 Plant more trees

32. THANK YOU