Air Pollution Monitoring

Dr Aamir Amanat
Department of Environmental Sciences
The University of Lahore
Contact Email; aamir.ali@envs.uol.edu.pk
Introduction
• Air pollution is a widespread
environmental problem
because it occurs at many
scales:
• Indoor
• Local
• Regional
• Global
• Regional and global air pollution is
difficult to control because the
polluters are often very distant from
those damaged by the emissions. (a) Smog in Beijing, China. Particulates and other pollutants greatly
reduce visibility. (b) A satellite image of smog covering Beijing.
 Damages and Recovery
• Each year in the Pakistan, air pollution causes billions of dollars of
damage in:
• Health care costs
• Crop and livestock losses
• Weathering of buildings
• Cleaning costs to clothes
• Air quality has worsened since the 1970s.
• Indoor air quality may be more of a threat to many humans because
we spend so much time indoors.
 Descriptor Index Risk Message
Value
Criteria Pollutants Good 0 - 50 No message

• The six basic criteria pollutants Moderate 51 - 100 Unusually sensitive

are individuals (ozone)
• particulate matter Unhealthy for 101 - 150 Identifiable groups at
• sulfur dioxide (SO2) Sensitive Groups risk – different groups
for different pollutants
• nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
• ozone (O3), lead (Pb)
Unhealthy 151 - 200 General public at risk;
• and carbon monoxide (CO) groups at greater risk
• Criteria pollutants have two
main sources:
• Burning of fossil fuels Very Unhealthy 201 - 300 General public at
• Industrial processes greater risk; groups at
greatest risk
 Air Pollutants Sources
• Transportation is the largest source of carbon monoxide, volatile organic
compounds, and nitrogen oxides.
• Stationary fuel combustion is the largest source of sulfur oxides, which cause
acid rain.
• Industrial processes besides fuel burning are the largest source of
particulates.
• Fossil fuel burning is the source of many of the pollutants we breath, which is
why many environmentalists prefer renewable energy sources, such as solar
or wind.
Pakistan Air Quality Monitoring
 Particulates
• Usually classified by size, but size varies greatly.
• Coarse particulates usually associated with direct emissions.
• Finer particulates usually associated with secondarily produced
particles.
• Particulates are the single most damaging air pollutant to lungs.
• Particulates can also absorb toxic chemicals.
• Particulate air pollution has decreased in the last few decades in
wealthier nations.
Fine Particulates Can
Penetrate Lungs

Figure 16.04 Anatomy of the lung.

Fine particulates can penetrate deep
into the bronchioles and alveoli,
where oxygen and carbon dioxide are
exchanged.
Particulate Control

Figure 16.5 (a) A typical cyclone collector for particulates. (b) A typical baghouse
filter for particulate pollution.
Courtesy of U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Sulfur Oxides
• Sulfur oxides (SOx) are produced by burning sulfur-containing fossil
fuels, especially coal.
• For overall damage to humans and the environment, SOx may be the
most serious local and regional air pollutant.
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is directly toxic to living things.
• Sulfur dioxide is also the main cause of acid rain.
 Acid Rain
• Acid precipitation has pH values lower
than the average 5.6 of normal rain.
• Acid rain and dry acid deposition damage
both the physical and biological
environments.
• Physical damage includes:
• Paint discoloration
• Corrosion of metals
• Dissolution of marble, mortar,
and other lime-containing
building materials
• Biological damage affects both forests and
Figure 16.09 Acid rain damage.
lakes.
Reducing Sulfur Oxides
• The most effective and cheapest way to reduce sulfur oxide air
pollution is input reduction.
• Switching to low-sulfur coal can reduce emissions between 30% and
90%.
• Washing high-sulfur coal prior to combustion reduces emissions
effectively.
• Using scrubbers to remove sulfur oxides after fuel combustion creates
several problems:
• Cost
• Sludge disposal
• High water demand
Smog and Photochemical Pollutants
• Photochemical pollution is produced when sunlight
initiates chemical reactions between various nitrogen
oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and
other components of air.
• Photochemicals are secondary pollutants—produced
by reactions among other air pollutants.
Smog and Photochemical Pollutants
• Ozone (O3) is the most abundant secondary pollutant and may be
responsible for about 90% of all air pollution damage to crops.
• Ground-level ozone forms the primary constituent of smog.
• Stratospheric ozone protects the Earth from ultraviolet radiation.
Reducing Photochemical Pollution
• NOx and VOCs are produced primarily by fossil fuel
combustion.
• Altering the combustion process can reduce NOx.
• Unfortunately, in vehicles, the practices that minimize VOCs,
and most other emissions, tend to maximize NOx emissions.
 Carbon Monoxide
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas
that interferes with the ability of red blood cells to transport
oxygen.
• Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion
of:
• Fossil fuels
• Wood
• Tobacco
• Ways to reduce vehicle emission pollution include:
• Precombustion (reformulated fuels)
• Postcombustion (catalytic converters)
• Alternative engine design
Economic Solutions
• The atmosphere, like most commons, will be polluted as long as
polluters gain many benefits while paying few of the costs of
damage.
• Emission offsets use market forces to find efficient ways to
reduce air pollution but they imply a “right to pollute.”
• Gasoline, coal, BTU, and other “green” taxes are more efficient
through fostering “input reduction” solutions by using less of the
polluting resource.