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Air Pollution - Doc 1
Air Pollution - Doc 1
Air Pollution - Doc 1
has at the other end thrown up a lot of unwanted waste and heaps of
industrial products into air and on the land and water, which neither the
producer, nor the consumer wants. These wastes are piling up and have
already become unmanageable. Over the years, pollution has seeped into
the very fibre of human society all over the world. The air we breathe in,
the water we drink and the food we eat contain same kind of poisonous
chemicals which adversely affect the living and non-living things on the
1. Definition
dust, smoke, fumes, fog, or mist. Natural particulates are pattern grains,
materials, ranging in size from 100 m to 0.1 m and less. Most particulates in
urban air have sizes in the range of 0.1 to 10 m (1 microns = 0.001 mm).
The finest and the smallest particles are one which cause significant
cadmium, lead, nickel and mercury may constitute the greatest health
hazard. Many of the trace metals are toxic and are concentrated in the
affect the respiratory system and some of the adverse effects of these
(iii) Dust
particles settle to the ground as dusts fall, but particles 5 mor smaller tend
(iv) Fumes
(v) Mist
water vapour in the atmosphere are rather large ranging from 500 - 50 m in
size. The particles may coalesce. If the mist is made up of water droplets
(vi) Smoke
particles is less than 1 m. The size of coal smoke particles range from 0.2
(vii) Flyash
(viii) Soot
carbonaceous materials.
(ix) Plume Behaviour
(x) Smog
under the influence of sunlight giving rise to dangerous proxy acetyl nitrate
and O3.
cracking of rubber.
The fog from burning coal covers urban area at night or on cold days
especially among the elderly and those who have histories of chronic
Nitrogen 78.09 %
Argon 0.93 %
Others 0.01 %
4. Air Pollutants
emissions into the atmosphere may become serious air pollutants when
The factors that contribute to the creation of air pollution are natural
and man-made.
Natural factors
that restrict the normal dilution of contaminant emissions. Also there are
particulates from nature’s forest fires, dust storms and volcanic eruptions.
Man-made factors
from :
industrial air pollution, typical of the big cities where a great deal of coal
and other fossil full are burnt, or as photochemical air pollution, which
results when the sun’s rays combine with gaseous emissions to produce
sulphur oxides released by burning fossil fuels (i.e. coal and oil), they are
Secondary pollutants
result of some reaction with matter already in the atmosphere, the resultant
that utilize energy from the sun’s rays. As an examples, oxygen atoms may
be split off from nitrogen oxides to combine with oxygen in the atmosphere
may combine with water in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid, a very
Particulate pollutants
These are finally divided solid or liquid particles larger than a single
small molecule (about 0.0002 micron in diameter) but smaller than about
500 microns (1m is 1/1000 mm). Particles in this size range have a life time
due to gravitational pull because of their size and are broadly referred to as
settleable particles.
Gaseous Pollutants
gas rather than a solid or liquid. These gaseous pollutant emitted from
that one present under normal air conditions. Gaseous’ pollutants may be
pollutants).
Inorganic gases
Except for very simple carbon components, carbon monoxide and carbon
The sulphur oxides (SO2, SO3) and hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) resulting
from burning of coal, oil and diesel fuels and the processing of petroleum
The most common primary pollutant forms artificial chlorine gas and
tetrafluoride (Si Fu) and gaseous hydrogen fluoride (HF). These emissions
Organic gases
compounds that contain carbon and hydrogen and may contain other
These are the organic gases containing only H & C. The principal
photochemical reactions.
indicate that the four principal sources of air pollution are therefore,
disposal. Process industries are industries that process raw materials into
processing plant. Solid waste disposal produces air pollution from open
and disease have concentrated on the human organ system - the eyes and
the respiratory system, since these two systems are most effected by air
pollution. No lasting damage to the eye has been reported but reduction in
have caused acute injury and death unlike air pollution effect on human
collapse.
leaf tissues. Chronic injury as differing from acute injury, is injury resulting
from long term exposure to lower levels of pollutants and often shown up as
a colour change and with dark brown, black purple or red spots appearing.
Growth alternates are a hidden injury not always readily detected by may
action, which is more physical than chemical or the damage may be due to
added moisture which produces sulphuric acid that destroys the leather.
pollutants.
engine turned to help keep down pollution levels. Wherever possible, lead
well as particulates get collected on rain and settle down (below cloud
level) falling rain dues the wash out. Rain out is the process whose
control factors are considered at the time when an industry is designed and
built, but in most cases air pollution control is an afterthought and ways and
control equipment.
particulate matter from gas streams, various types of control equipment are
available. But to select the required equipment, certain basic data must be
available.
(D) Nature of the gas phase (for solubility and corrosive effects).
particulates required.
contaminates are :
1. Cyclone separator
2. Electrostatic precipitators
3. Fabric filters
4. Wet scrubbers
2. Thermal incinerator
3. Adsorbers
Choice of equipment
3. Efficiency required
etc.
reactivity, etc.