AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution is the release of foreign material or gas in the

atmosphere which causes damage or harm to man, vegetation,
animals or the environment.

1. Air pollutants.

The substances causing air pollution are called air pollutants and
are classified into the following:

Types of Air Pollutants

There are two types of air pollutants:

a) Primary Pollutants
Pollutants that are formed and emitted directly from particular
sources are called primary pollutants.

Example: Sulphur-dioxide emitted from factories is a primary

pollutant.

b) Secondary Pollutants
The pollutants formed by the reaction of two or more primary
pollutants are known as secondary pollutants. Secondary pollutants
are harder to control because they have different ways of
synthesizing and the formation are not well understood. They form
naturally in the environment and cause problems like
photochemical smog.

Example: Smog, formed by the mixing of smoke and fog, is a

secondary pollutant.

They can also be classified into two other types:

a) Gaseous Pollutants
The particles that pollute the air by being suspended in their
gaseous state in the atmosphere can be defined as gaseous
pollutants.

Example: CO2 ,SO2 , Nitrogen Oxides(NO2,NO3)

b) Particulate pollutants
Particulate pollutants are the substances that are present in their
solid or liquid state in the atmosphere. They are larger as compared
to the gaseous state of the gaseous pollutants although most of
them may not be visible to the naked eye.

Example: Fire Smokes, Aerosols, various metals, etc

2. Sources of air pollution

 mobile sources – such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and
trains
 stationary sources – such as power plants, oil refineries,
industrial facilities, and factories
 area sources – such as agricultural areas, cities, and wood
burning fireplaces
 natural sources – such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, and
volcanoes

3. Primary air pollutants and their harmful effects.

The harmful effects of some primary air pollutants are given below.

a) Nitrogen oxides (NOx) –

 Elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide can cause damage to the human respiratory tract
and increase a person's vulnerability to, and the severity of, respiratory infections and
asthma.
 High levels of nitrogen dioxide are also harmful to vegetation—damaging foliage,
decreasing growth or reducing crop yields.
 Nitrogen dioxide can fade and discolour furnishings and fabrics, reduce visibility, and
react with surfaces.
b) Sulphur dioxide (SO2) –
 When sulfur dioxide combines with water and air, it forms sulfuric acid, which is the
main component of acid rain.
 Sulfur dioxide irritates the respiratory tract and increases the risk of tract infections. It
causes coughing, mucus secretion and aggravates conditions such as asthma and
chronic bronchitis.

c) Carbon monoxide (CO) –

 Carbon monoxide has serious health impacts on humans and animals.
 When inhaled, the carbon monoxide bonds to the haemoglobin in the blood in place
of oxygen to become carboxyhaemoglobin. This reduces the oxygen-carrying
capacity of the red blood cells and decreases the supply of oxygen to tissues and
organs, especially the heart and brain.

d) Hydrocarbons –
 Hydrocarbon has low surface tension and a low viscosity,
therefore it penetrates deep into the lungs. This leads to a
severe necrotizing pneumonia. The chemicals may also
destroy surfactant, airway epithelium, alveolar septae, and
pulmonary capillaries, leading to inflammation, atelectasis,
and fever.

e) Particulate matter –
 Created by both natural and man-made causes, particulates
impact the earth’s climate, precipitation levels and can have
substantial negative effects on human health.
 Particulates are the deadliest form of air pollution because of
the ability for them to deeply penetrate the lungs and blood
streams unfiltered.

4. Secondary air pollutants and their effects.

Secondary pollutants are pollutants which form in
the atmosphere. These pollutants are not emitted directly from a
source (like vehicles or power plants). Instead, they form as a
result of the pollutants emitted from these sources reacting with
molecules in the atmosphere to form a new pollutant. Some
important secondary air pollutants are:

a) Photochemical smog
Photochemical smog is a type of smog produced
when ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with nitrogen
oxides in the atmosphere. It is visible as a brown haze, and is most
prominent during the morning and afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm
cities. Cities that experience this smog daily include Los Angeles, Sydney, Mexico
City, Beijing, and many more.

Formation - Photochemical smog forms from a complex process, however the

source of it is quite apparent. The largest contributor is automobiles, while coal-
fired power plants and some other power plants also produce the
necessary pollutants to facilitate its production. Due to its
abundance in areas of warmer temperatures, photochemical smog
is most common in the summer.

Effects - Photochemical smog has many adverse effects. When combined with
hydrocarbons, the chemicals contained within it form molecules that cause
eye irritation. Radicals in the air interfere with the nitrogen cycle by
preventing the destruction of ground level ozone. Other effects include reduced
visibility and respiratory ailments.

Ways to reduce photochemical smog –

 Driving less can reduce photochemical smog formation. By driving less, the
less gas goes into the atmosphere. The more gas from many vehicles
contribute to the formation of photochemical smog. Sharing cars or using
public transportation instead of private cars.
 Another way is decreasing human reliance on fossil fuels and the way that
can be done is by reducing the demand for electricity. Turning everything off
that is not necessary to be on can help because burning coal is what
produces electricity.
b) Acid rain
Acid rain, or acid deposition, is a broad term that includes any form
of precipitation with acidic components, such as sulfuric or nitric
acid that fall to the ground from the atmosphere in wet or dry forms.
This can include rain, snow, fog, hail or even dust that is acidic.

Formation - Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins

when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are
released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the
atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and
other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.

Effects - The harmful effects of acid rain are:

 Being acidic, if it is mixed with sea or ocean water can harm

aquatic animals and can cause severe death.
 It can cause skin cancer in humans.
 Due to acid rain, many historical monument also gets
destroyed.
 It can cause plant burning.
 If used for drinking propose can harm the health and may
cause severe death.

Ways to reduce acid rain - A great way to reduce acid rain is to

produce energy without using fossil fuels. Instead, people can use
renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
Renewable energy sources help reduce acid rain because they
produce much less pollution. These energy sources can be used to
power machinery and produce electricity.