Chapter -6

AIR POLLUTION

by :-Temesgen Takele
 AIR POLLUTION
 Air pollution may be defined as any atmospheric condition in
which certain substances are present in such concentrations
that they can produce undesirable effects on the environment.
• When substances, which have been emitted into the
atmosphere exist over and above the normal concentration ,
and is dispersed throughout the atmosphere, they have a direct
and indirect influence on living things. This is called pollution.
 The substances dispersed in the atmosphere are called
pollutants.
• Air pollutants are generally defined as those substances, which
alter the composition of the natural atmosphere.
 Definition continued---
 Air pollutants are any visible or invisible particles or gases
present in air that is not part of the normal composition of the
air.
 Generally all substances changing the natural composition of
air are considered pollutants.

• When pollutants are present in the atmosphere in such

quantities and duration as may tend to be harmful, they
adversely affect the health of humans, animals, plants, or
microbial life; damage materials, or interfere with the natural
ecosystem.
 Introduction

 Atmosphere- thin layer of life-sustaining gases surrounding the

earth.
 The atmosphere is the vast gaseous envelope of air that surrounds the
Earth.
 The atmosphere contains a complex system of gases and suspended
particles that behave in many ways like fluids.
 Many of its constituents are derived from the Earth by way of
chemical and biochemical reactions.
 Troposphere-Layer in the atmosphere found from the surface to
approximately 11 kilometers of altitude.
 This layer contains about 75 % of the total mass of the atmosphere
where the majority of our weather occurs.
 Maximum air temperature occurs near the Earth's surface in this layer.
It is the atmosphere's inner-most layer, contains the air we breath,
with 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen; 1% argon, 0.036% carbon
dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.
• Stratosphere- Atmospheric layer found at an
average altitude of 20 to 50 kilometers above the
Earth's surface.
• Within the stratosphere exists the ozone layer. In
this layer ozone is continuously formed and
destroyed naturally at approximately equal rates
in the stratosphere;
• ozone layer filters out approximately 95% of the
sun's harmful UV radiation;
• Ozone in upper atmosphere is necessary for UV
light filtration;
• Ozone in lower atmosphere is a harm-full
pollutant.
 Classification of air Pollutants
Air pollutants are classified into two major groups as:
• Primary Air Pollutant: Air pollutants that enter the
atmosphere directly.
• It is released directly into the air by anthropogenic or biogenic
processes e.g., sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen
sulfide, nitric oxide, ammonia, hydrocarbon species, dust
smokes etc., which are emitted from the sources.

• Secondary Air pollutant: Atmospheric pollutants that are

created chemically in the atmosphere when primary pollutants
and other components of the air react.
 Classification---
 It is formed in the air or atmosphere by the reaction of one or
more compounds (e.g., photochemical smog); primary
pollutants may react with each other or react with other
constituents in the atmosphere. e.g., sulfur trioxide,
photochemical ozone, aerosols, ketones, various sulphates and
nitrate salts, which are created by chemical changes occurring
in the atmosphere.
 According to the “physical state” air pollutants can be also
classified as:
• Gaseous pollutants, and
• Particulate matters
 Sources of Air Pollutants
 Sources of air pollutants are divided into those which derived
from natural causes and those which are brought about by
human activities/causes. These are called:

• Natural sources, and

• Anthropogenic sources
 I Natural sources
• Natural sources include:
– Volcanic emissions
– Forest fires
– Pollen scattering
– Sandstorms
– Sand being blown up from the earth’s surface by winds
– Ozone which subsided from the stratosphere to the
troposphere
 II Anthropogenic Sources
• Anthropogenic sources can be further classified into
the following categories:
• Industrial sources
• Domestic
• Commercial
• Agricultural, and
• Transportation related sources
 1 particulate matter
 In general the term particulate matter refers to all
atmospheric substances that are not gases.
 They can be suspended droplets or solid particles or
mixture of the two.
• Particulate matter includes dust, smokes, and other
tiny bits of solid materials that are released into and
move around in the air.
 Cont--

 Particulates are produced by many sources

including :-
– burning of wood, diesel and other fuels,
– by exhaust from trucks, automobile and buses,
– incineration of garbage,
– agricultural activities such as mixing and application of
fertilizers and pesticides,
– road construction, industrial processes such as steel
making, mining operations, etc.
 Particulate---
• Particulate matter produces a haze that can cause
visibility problems. It also dirties and damages
buildings and clothes.
• Smaller particulates, which float in the air, can be
inhaled deeply and, with elevated concentrations over
an extended period of time, can cause lung damage
and bronchitis.
• Particulate pollution can cause eye, nose and throat
irritation, and other health problems.
 Particulate----
 Particulates may be further classified as follows:

I Dust: composed of Fine solid particles. Dust consists

particles of the size ranging from 0.01 to 1m.
• These particles are formed by natural disintegration
of rock and crushing, grinding and attribution of
solid materials
– sand from sandblasting
– Sawdust from woodwork
– Dust storm
– Cement
• They have large settling velocities and are removed
from the air by gravity.
 Particulate--
II Fog: condensed water vapor in the air at or near
ground level or suspension of liquid particles.
• It is sufficiently dense to obscure vision.
III Mist: small liquid droplets in air. These liquid
droplets are produced by particles of spray liquids and
by condensation of vapors in air.
 for example, the formation of sulfuric acid mist,
herbicide and pesticide
 Particulate--
IV Smoke: particulates consist of solids or mixture of
solids and liquid particles formed from incomplete
combustion of organic matter.
 Cigarette smoke
 Smoke from burning of fossil fuel
 Garbage
 Dry leaves
 Particulate--

V Smog: a mixture of fog and smoke or other air

born pollutants such as exhaust fume.
 Photochemical smog
 Industrial Smog: Form of air pollution that
develops in urban areas. This type of air pollution
consists of a combination of sulfur dioxide,
suspended droplets of sulfuric acid, and a variety
of suspended solid particles.
 Smoke

Smog

Fog

Mist
Dust
 2 Gaseous Pollutants
I Oxides of sulfur: The oxide emitted by pollution
sources is sulfur dioxide (SO2).
• It is oxidized slowly in clean air to sulfur trioxide
(SO3), which rapidly combines with moisture in
the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid.
– Sulfur dioxide is formed when sulfurous components
contained within fossil fuels like coal and oil develop
when they are oxidized during the combustion process.
– Causes acid precipitation, irritation of eyes and results
tear and redness
II Nitrogen Oxides(No ) x

• Primarily NO and NO2 are formed in

appreciable quantity in the atmosphere.
– Gases produced by the chemical interactions
between atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen at high
temperature and by fuel combustion
– NO2 is produced by the oxidation of nitric oxide
by ozone
– Problems
• Greenhouse gases
• Cause difficulty breathing
 Carbon Monoxide
• Most abundant air pollutant
• Produced by incomplete combustion owing to:
– insufficient O2
– low temperature
– short residence time
– poor mixing
• Major source (~77%) is motor vehicle exhaust
 III CO--
 CO is a highly poisonous gas, which develops from the
incomplete combustion of fuels with the major emission
source being automobile exhaust gas.
• Colorless and odorless

 When inhaled, binds to hemoglobin in blood to form

carboxyhemoglobin, reducing the oxygen carrying capacity

• Brain function reduced, heart rate increased at lower levels

 Ozone(Oᴣ)
• Tropospheric Ozone
– Man- made pollutant in the lower atmosphere
– Secondary air pollutant
– Component of photochemical smog
• Stratospheric Ozone
– Essential component that screens out UV radiation
in the upper atmosphere
– Man- made pollutants (ex: CFCs) can destroy it
 Ozone Depletion in Stratosphere
• Ozone Protects earth from UV radiation
– Part of the electromagnetic spectrum with
wavelengths just shorter than visible light
 Controlling Air Pollution
 Some preventive measures to reduce air
pollution are:-
 planting more trees
 Make more use of transport
 Service vehicle regularly
 Factories and power plants should be set up far
from residential area
 Using wet scrubber or electro-static filter
 The regulation of clean air act
 Smokestacks with
electrostatic precipitator

Without Electrostatic
precipitator

With Electrostatic
precipitator
 Smokestacks with scrubbers
 Particulate material can
also be controlled by
proper excavating
techniques