MAULANA AZAD NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, BHOPAL M.P.

Environmental chemistry CHY107

ATMOSPHERE AND AIR POLLUTION

PREPARED BY
DR. RICHA DESHMUKH
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
SYLLABUS-UNIT-1
Atmosphere And Air Pollution
Structure of Atmosphere,
Reactions of Air in Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere
and Ionosphere,
Smog formation - causes, effects and control with reactions,
Classification and Effects of Air Pollutants (Oxides of S, C, N,
Hydrocarbons and Particulates), Ways of Monitoring,
Prevention and control of Air Pollution,
Greenhouse effect and Global warming - major sources,
effects and remedial measures,
Ozone layer - mechanism of ozone depletion,
Acid rain and their adverse effects,
Indoor Pollution - causes and effects,
Volatile Organic Compounds – origin and negative effects
ENVIRONMENT-
The environment is defined as the whole physical and biological system
surrounding man and other organisms along with various factors influencing
them.
ATMOSPHERE-
•The atmosphere is a mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth.
•It helps make life possible by providing us with air to breathe, shielding us from
harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the Sun, trapping heat to warm
the planet, and preventing extreme temperature differences between day and
night.

Composition of Atmosphere – Gases in the Atmosphere

Composition of Atmosphere – Gases in the Atmosphere
Gas Formula Volume (%)
Nitrogen N2 78.084
Oxygen O2 20.948
Argon Ar 0.934
Carbon dioxide CO2 0.0314
Neon Ne 0.00182
Helium He 0.000524
Krypton Kr 0.000114
Methane CH4 0.0002
Hydrogen H2 0.00005
Nitrous oxide N2O 0.00005
Xenon Xe 0.0000087
STRUCTURE OF ATMOSPHERE-
Our atmosphere is the mixture of gases surrounding the earth.
The properties of the Earth's atmosphere vary with altitude. Based on
these properties, the atmosphere may be regarded as having different layers
or zones.
There are five layers:
The troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere (which includes
the ionosphere), and exosphere.
The regions are defined by their thermal characteristics (temperature
changes), chemical composition, movement, and density.
The boundaries between these regions are called
the tropopause, stratopause, mesopause, and exobase.
STRUCTURE OF ATMOSPHERE
Troposphere
•It is the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere.
•The troposphere starts at the surface of the earth and goes up
to a height of 11 kms. For poles it is 8 kms and for equator it is
18 kms (equator). The main reason of higher height at the
equator is due to presence of hot convection currents that
push the gases upward.
•All kinds of weather changes occurs within this layer.
•This layer has water vapor and mature particles.
•Temperature decreases with increasing height of
atmosphere at the rate of 1 degree Celsius for every 165 m of
height. This is called Normal lapse rate.
•Tropopause, the transitional zone, separates Troposphere and
Stratosphere.
Stratosphere
•It is the second layer of the atmosphere found above the
troposphere.
•It extends up to a height of 50 km from the earth’s surface.
•This layer is very dry as it contains little water vapour.
•This layer provides some advantages for flight because it is
above stormy weather and has steady, strong, horizontal
winds.
•The ozone layer is found in this layer.
•The ozone layer absorbs UV rays and safeguards earth from
harmful radiation.
•Stratopause separates Stratosphere and Mesosphere.
Mesosphere
•The Mesosphere is found above the stratosphere.
•It is the coldest of the atmospheric layers.
•The mesosphere starts at 50 km above the surface of Earth and goes
up to 80 km.
•The temperature drops with altitude in this layer.
•By 80 km it reaches -100 degrees Celsius.
•Meteors burn up in this layer.
•The upper limit is called Mesopause which separates Mesosphere and
Thermosphere.

Thermosphere
•This layer is found above Mesopause from 80 to 400 km.
•Radio waves that are transmitted from the earth are reflected by this
layer.
•The temperature starts increasing again with increasing height in this
layer.
•Aurora and satellites occur in this layer.
Ionosphere
•The lower Thermosphere is called the Ionosphere.
•The ionosphere consists of electrically charged particles known as ions.
•This layer is defined as the layer of the atmosphere of Earth that is
ionized by cosmic and solar radiation.
•It is positioned between 80 and 400 km above the Mesopause.

Exosphere
•It is the outermost layer of the atmosphere.
•The zone where molecules and atoms escape into space is mentioned as
the exosphere.
•It extends from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km.
LAPSE RATE-
Lapse rate is defined as the rate of change of temperature with altitude.
If the temperature decreases with hight the lapse rate is positive.
If the temperature increases with hight the lapse rate is negative.
Reactions of Air in Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere
and Ionosphere:
1. Troposphere-
 In the troposphere, all the biological activities take place. It is
the lowest layer lying just above the surface of the Earth.
The reaction that takes place in the troposphere includes carbon
dioxide and water vapors.
When sunlight passes the troposphere, the carbon dioxide
molecule absorbs large amounts of energy in this region and
excitation takes place.
hv
CO2 CO2
The excited CO2 molecule collides with other molecules. These
molecule contains excess energies that are converted into heat
and rises the temperature of the atmosphere.
Water vapour also show the similar behavior in this region.
2. Stratosphere-
In the stratosphere, formation and dissociation of ozone takes
place. This reaction occurs in two steps.
The reactions of formation of ozone can be written as follows:
i. The UV radiations from the sun splits the dioxygen O2 into
two oxygen atoms.
O2 O+O
ii. Atoms then again react with dioxygen and result in the
formation of ozone.
O+O2 O3
The dissociation of ozone can be written as follows:
On absorbing UV radiation, ozone dissociates into dioxygen and
oxygen atoms. Heat is released during this reaction that warms
up the stratosphere.
In the stratosphere, photochemical decomposition of
freons takes place that results in the formation of chlorine
atoms.
CF2Cl2 CF2Cl+Cl
CFCl3 CFCl2+Cl

The ozone is destroyed due to these reactive chlorine

atoms and result in the formation of chlorine oxide and
dioxygen.
Cl+O3 ClO+O2

The chlorine oxide then reacts with oxygen atom to give

chlorine atom and dioxygen.
ClO+O Cl+O2
3.Mesosphere and thermosphere:
Due to some photochemical reactions, electrons and free
ions are released.
In the upper atmosphere, these free ions do not react with
other species.

NO NO + e-

O2 O2 + e-

He He + e-

O2 O+O
SUMMRY-
Carbon dioxide is formed in the troposphere
Formation of ozone takes place in the stratosphere,
chlorofluorocarbons are also formed in this layer
along with other reactions of chlorine.
In the mesosphere and thermosphere reaction of
ions like nitrogen oxide, helium, oxygen takes place.
SOLAR RADIATION-
Terrestrial life is dependent on radiant energy from the sun.
Solar radiation comprises electromagnetic spectrum that includes ultraviolet
(UV), visible (light) and infrared radiation
The UV region covers the wavelength range 100-400 nm. The UV radiation are
classified according to their wavelength into three types:
1. UVA (315-400 nm)
2. UVB (280-315 nm)
3. UVC (100-280 nm)
 They differ in their biological activity and the extent to which they can
penetrate the skin. The shorter the wavelength, the more harmful the UV
radiation.
As sunlight passes through the atmosphere, all UVC and most UVB is absorbed
by ozone layer.
UVA is not filtered as significantly by the atmosphere.
Wavelength ranges of Electromagnetic spectrum
.
Short-wavelength UVC is the most damaging type of UV
radiation. However, it is completely filtered by the atmosphere and
does not reach the earth's surface.
Medium-wavelength UVB is very biologically active but cannot
penetrate beyond the superficial skin layers. It is responsible for
delayed tanning and burning; in addition to these short-term effects
it enhances skin ageing and significantly promotes the development
of skin cancer. Most solar UVB is filtered by the atmosphere.
The relatively long-wavelength UVA accounts for approximately
95 per cent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. It can
not penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and is responsible
for the immediate tanning effect. Furthermore, it also contributes to
skin ageing and wrinkling. For a long time it was thought that UVA
could not cause any lasting damage.
OZONE LAYER-
The ozone layer or ozone shield is a region of Earth's stratosphere
that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation.
It acts like sunscreen, protecting the planet from the sun’s harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
The ozone layer is mainly found in the lower portion of the
stratosphere, from approximately 15 to 35 kilometers above Earth
surface.
It contains a high concentration of ozone (O3) in relation to other parts
of the atmosphere, although still small in relation to other gases in the
stratosphere. The ozone layer contains less than 10 parts per million of
ozone, while the average ozone concentration in Earth's atmosphere as a
whole is about 0.3 parts per million.
The ozone layer was discovered in 1913 by French physicists Charles
Fabry and Henri Buisson.
Absorption of UV radiation by ozone layer
IMPORTANCE OF OZONE LAYER
i. The ozone layer absorbs 97 to 99 percent of the Sun's medium-frequency
ultraviolet light (from about 200 nm to 315 nm wavelength), which
otherwise would potentially damage exposed life forms near the surface.
ii. The presence of Ozone layer is very important for all biotic component
including plants, animals and human being in the biosphere.
iii. Ozone layer is also known as earth’s umbrella to all of organism.
iv. The United Nations General Assembly has designated September 16 as
“The International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer”.
DOBSON UNIT-
The properties of ozone were explored in detail by the
British meteorologist G. M.B. Dobson, who developed a
simple spectrophotometer (the Dobsonmeter) that could be
used to measure stratospheric ozone from the ground.
Between 1928 and 1958, Dobson established a worldwide
network of ozone monitoring stations.
The "Dobson unit (DU)", a convenient measure of
the amount of ozone overhead, is named in his honor.
100 DU of ozone would form a one mm thick layer around
earth surface.
OZONE DEPLETION-
Ozone depletion is defined as the gradual thinning of the ozone layer
present in the lower portion of the earth’s stratosphere.

When Was It First Identified

In 1974, Mario Molina and Sherwood Rowland recognized the threats of
the ozone layer from compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
Their work received validation on May 11, 1985, when three English
scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica.
Their discovery is commonly known as the ‘ozone hole’ since the ozone
depletion is not uniform.
Later, ozone depletion was found to occur rapidly at the poles and, to
some extent, the equator.
Ozone Hole-
•Depletion of stratospheric ozone occurs over both hemispheres of the
Earth. However, this phenomenon is more pronounced in the Southern
Hemisphere (Antarctica) than in the Northern Hemisphere (Arctic).
•This is the case because the formation of the ozone hole is directly linked to
the stratosphere's temperature. Once temperatures drop below -78°C, polar
stratospheric clouds tend to form, which exacerbate ozone depletion.
•In the Antarctic, long presence of low temperatures in the stratosphere is
stimulating their formation, whereas the Arctic is characterised by larger
year-to-year meteorological variability.
•Generally, the ozone hole is defined as the area in which ozone column
values amount to 220 Dobson Units (DU) or less, marked by the thick contour
line and represented in blue colours in Figure. This is only apparent in the
Southern Hemisphere. Here, the largest historical extent of the ozone hole
28.4 million km² (Figures 1 and 2) occurred in September 2000. This area is
equivalent to more than six times the territory of the EU.
Maximum Ozone Hole extent over the southern Hemisphere
from the Year 1979 to 2022
Causes of Ozone Layer Depletion-
Ozone is a highly reactive gas comprising of three oxygen atoms. Both
ozone and oxygen are constantly formed, destroyed, and reformed in the
ozone layer as UV light breaks the bonds between atoms, creating free
oxygen atoms. Thus, the concentration of ozone fluctuates depending on
seasons and latitudes.
The two primary sources of ozone depletion are:
1. Man-made Sources
It is responsible for almost 90% of the total depletion. It occurs mainly due
to the excessive release of chlorine and bromine from ozone-depleting
substances (ODS) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon
tetrachloride (CCl4), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and methyl
bromide (CH3Br).

2. Natural Sources
Stratospheric winds are the natural causes of ozone depletion. Together,
they contribute not more than 1-2% of the total depletion of the ozone
layer. Their effect is temporary.
list of some main ozone-depleting compounds, along with their sources:
Ozone-Depleting Substances Sources
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Refrigerators, air conditioners, air
coolers, solvents, and dry-cleaning
agents

Halons Fire-extinguishers, electrical

equipment such as computer, and
military equipment in ships, aircraft,
and tanks

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) Solvent, degreasing agent,

refrigerant, fumigant, and fire-
extinguishers

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) Refrigerator, air-conditioner,

insulating foams, and aerosol
propellants

Methyl bromide (CH3Br) Fumigants and pesticides

How is Ozone Layer Depleted: Mechanism
Aerosols such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released from various
human-made sources make their way into the stratosphere by destroying the
troposphere and the ozone layer. The mechanism is given below:
CFCs are broken up by ultraviolet radiations (UV-A, UV-B, AND UV-C)
from the sun releasing chlorine. Once the chlorine is released, it reacts with
ozone (O3) to form chlorine monoxide (ClO) and oxygen (O2).
Cl + O3 = ClO + O2
When a molecule of chlorine monoxide (ClO) meets an oxygen atom, it
breaks up, releasing chlorine.
ClO + O = Cl + O2
The free radical of chlorine again reacts with other ozone molecules. It
destroys its structure, thus producing a catalytic cycle of chlorine.
Based on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, one chlorine
atom can destroy more than 100,000 ozone molecules, thus destroying them
more quickly than produced naturally.
In the stratosphere, photochemical decomposition of
freons takes place that results in the formation of chlorine
atoms.
CF2Cl2 CF2Cl+Cl
CFCl3 CFCl2+Cl

The ozone is destroyed due to these reactive chlorine

atoms and result in the formation of chlorine oxide and
dioxygen.
Cl+O3 ClO+O2

The chlorine oxide then reacts with oxygen atom to give

chlorine atom and dioxygen.
ClO+O Cl+O2
Harmful Effects
Some of the main consequences or impacts of ozone layer depletion on earth
are given below:
Damage to Human Heath: If the ozone layer is completely depleted,
humans will get directly exposed to intense UV light from the sun. Over
exposure to UV rays is responsible for skin cancer, cataracts, sunburns,
immune deficiency disorders, and rapid aging.
Affecting Growth of Plants: Many crops such as wheat, corn, oats, rice,
tomatoes, and cauliflower are vulnerable to intense UV light, causing a
reduction in their growth rate, flowering, and photosynthesis.
Skin and Eye Cancer in Animals: Like humans, animals exposed to UV
light for an extended period can cause skin and eye cancer.
Threat to Marine Life: The growth of certain marine planktons decreases
when exposed to high UV light. Since planktons appear at a higher level of
the food chain, the entire marine ecosystem gets disturbed. Also, severe
reproductive defects are found in the fishes, thus decreasing their
population.
Causing Chemical Degradation: Man-made chemicals such as plastics,
wood, fabrics, and rubber get degraded on exposure to UV light.
Solutions and Control Measures
In 1987, Montreal Protocol was proposed to stop the production, use, and
import of ozone-depleting substances to minimize their concentration in the
atmosphere. It was aimed at protecting the atmospheric ozone layer. It was a
landmark agreement to phase out all those substances that have been ratified
by all 197 United Nations (UN) member countries.
Some of the crucial ways to prevent ozone layer depletion are listed below:
1. Replacing halon-based fire extinguishers with other foam-based forms
2. Discouraging to buy refrigerators and air conditioners that use CFCs as a
refrigerant
3. Servicing old electrical equipment like air conditioners and air coolers
reduces the release of chlorofluorocarbons.
4. Discouraging the use of cleaning solvents containing CFCs or ammonia
and encouraging natural and eco-friendly cleaning products
5. Minimizing the use of personal vehicles and using public transport
reduces greenhouse gases that deplete the ozone layer.
6. Prohibiting the use of air pollutants such as nitrous oxide that decompose
ozone into nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and oxygen gas (O2)
7. Avoid the use of fossil fuels and increasing dependence on renewable
sources of energy.
SUMMRY AND CONCLUSION-
Ozone layer depletion is the depletion of the stratospheric ozone
layer of the earth.
Artificial sources producing ozone-depleting substances are the
leading cause of ozone-depletion
Its depletion causes an increased UV light to reach the earth’s
surface.
Increased UV light is the reason behind several health problems like
skin cancer, cataracts, sunburns, immune deficiency disorders, and
aging in humans and animals.
We should be well aware of the harmful effects and the agents that
cause ozone layer depletion and take appropriate measures to reduce
and avoid their use.
We should pledge to preserve nature and make it sustainable to
live.