Environmental Pollution

Definition
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution can be defined as:
“the presence of materials in the air in such concentration, which are harmful to man and
his environment.” It is an undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological
characteristics of our land, air or water caused by excessive accumulation of pollutants
A pollutant is a waste material or any unwanted material present in the air, water or soil.
Broadly, we can classify these pollutants into two major categories. 
Types of Air Pollutants
There are two types of air pollutants: 
• Primary Air Pollutants 
• Secondary Air Pollutants
Primary Air Pollutants
The pollutants that directly cause air pollution are known as primary pollutants.
They are the direct emissions from some identifiable source. 
Example: Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides, fluorides,
particulate matter, chlorofluorocarbon, hydrocarbons, etc. 
Secondary Air Pollutants
The pollutants that are formed due to photochemical reactions in the atmosphere
from primary pollutants are known as secondary pollutants. For example, Smog
Photochemical smog, acid rain, etc. The air pollutant may be a gas or particulate
matter.
Carbon Monoxide
■ Incomplete oxidation of carbon or incomplete combustion of fossil fuels in automobiles
results in the production of carbon monoxide.

■ Natural CO formation occurs from photochemical reactions in the troposphere, volcanoes,

forest fires, etc.

■ Carboxyhemoglobin results from the combination of CO with heme iron. The affinity of CO

for hemoglobin is 240 times that of oxygen and severely impairs release of oxygen to the
tissues. 

■ Carbon monoxide has been termed the silent killer because it is an odorless and colorless gas,
and victims may quickly become hypoxic.

■ At very high levels, CO can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and elevated
carboxyhemoglobin, such as in smoking, results in erythremia.
 Lead
■ Sources of lead emissions vary from one area to another.
– At the national level, major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and
piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel.

– Other sources are waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The
highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.

– Volcanic activity and airborne soil are the primary natural sources of atmospheric lead.
Lead
■ As a result of EPA's regulatory efforts including the removal of lead from motor
vehicle gasoline, levels of lead in the air decreased by 98 percent between 1980
and 2014.
 Lead

■ Once taken into the body, lead distributes throughout the

body in the blood and is accumulated in the bones. 

■ Depending on the level of exposure, lead can adversely

affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system,
reproductive and developmental systems and the
cardiovascular system. 

■ Lead exposure also affects the oxygen carrying capacity of

the blood. 
Particulate Matter
■ It comprises of small suspended particles such as soot, dust, pesticides, etc., and
biological agents such as spores, pollen and dust mites. It causes respiratory ailments
such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.

■ Small particles are removed from the atmosphere by accretion to water droplets,
which grow in size until they are large enough to precipitate.

■ Larger particles are removed by direct washout by falling raindrops.

Particulate Matter

EPA groups particle pollution into two categories:

■ "Inhalable coarse particles," such as those found near roadways and dusty
industries, are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10 micrometers in
diameter.

■ "Fine particles," such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5 micrometers in
diameter and smaller. These particles can be directly emitted from sources such
as forest fires, or they can form when gases emitted from power plants,
industries and automobiles react in the air.
Particulate
Matter
Health Effects of Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Oxides
• It causes reddish brown haze (brown air) in traffic congested city air which
contributes to heart and lung problems.
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gases known as oxides

of nitrogen or nitrogen oxides (NOx).

• Although some is naturally occurring, NO2 primarily gets in the air from the
burning of fuel.
• Longer exposures to elevated concentrations of NO2 may contribute to the
development of asthma and potentially increase susceptibility to respiratory
infections.
Sulfur
Oxides
■ The largest source of SO2 in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by
power plants and other industrial facilities.

■ It causes chlorosis (loss of chlorophyll) and necrosis (localised death of tissues).

In human, it causes health problems such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.

Smaller sources of SO2 emissions include:

 industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore

 natural sources such as volcanoes

 Locomotives, ships and other vehicles and heavy equipment that burn fuel
with a high sulfur content.
Ground Level Ozone
■ Ozone is formed in the atmosphere when energetic ultraviolet (UV) radiation

dissociates molecules of oxygen, O2, into separate oxygen atoms.

■ Free oxygen atoms can recombine to form oxygen molecules but if a free oxygen

atom (O-2) collides with an oxygen molecule (O2), it joins up, forming ozone (O3).

■ Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children,
the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma.

■ Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation and
ecosystems.
Ozon
e
Acid Rain • Acid rain, also called acid precipitation or acid
deposition, precipitation possessing a pH of
about 5.2 or below
• primarily produced from the emission of SO2

and  NOx (the combination of NO and NO2) from

human activities, mostly the combustion of fossil
fuels.
• The phrase acid rain was first used in 1852 by
Scottish chemist Robert Angus Smith during his
investigation of rainwater chemistry near
industrial cities in England and Scotland. 
Photochemical smog
• Smog is a mixture of smoke and fog. It is formed in the atmosphere
under the influence of sunlight by the photochemical reactions of
hydrocarbons (VOCs), oxides of nitrogen and oxygen, resulting in the
formation of PAN (Peroxy Acetyl Nitrate).
• PAN damages the chlorophyll and thus reduces photosynthesis and
growth. It also causes acute irritation of eyes and throat. Visibility of the
surrounding is reduced due to smog.
• It is visible as a brown haze, and is most prominent during the morning
and afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm cities.
Great Smog of London
• lethal smog covered the city of London for five days (December 5–9) in 1952
• A high-pressure weather system had stalled over southern England and
caused a temperature inversion, in which a layer of warm air high above the
surface trapped the stagnant, cold air at ground level. 
• The temperature inversion prevented London’s sulfurous coal smoke from
rising with no wind to disperse the soot-laden smog. 
• This combination of smoke and fog brought the city to a near standstill and
resulted in thousands of deaths. Its consequences prompted the passing of the
Clean Air Act four years later.
Causes or Sources of Air Pollution
Air pollution can be caused by both man-made and natural causes. There are many
causes of air pollution. In fact, human activities contribute the most to environmental
pollution. 
1. Agricultural Activities: Spraying of insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers emit
harmful chemicals into the atmosphere and contaminate the air.
2. Factories and Industries: The harmful smoke or gases emitted by factories
contaminates the air since they are rich in carbon monoxide, organic compounds,
hydrocarbons and chemicals.
3. Burning of Fossil Fuels: The combustion of fossil fuels emits a large amount of
Sulphur dioxide, which pollutes the air. 
4. Automobiles: The gases emitted from the vehicle such as cars, trucks, jeeps,
buses, lorry, etc. pollute the environment. These are the major source of greenhouse
gases and also result in harmful diseases for the people who inhale this air.
Hydrocarbons, CO, CO2, Sulphur oxides are major constituents of automobile
exhausts.
5. Mining Activities: In the mining process, the minerals below the Earth are
extracted using large pipes. The dust and chemicals released during the process not
only pollute the air but also destroy the health of the workers.
6. Domestic Sources: Painting of walls, using wooden sticks as fuel, burning cow
dung, etc., are the basic usage in the home which lead to toxic smell in the air which
causes health hazards.
Harmful Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution can cause harmful health effects such as eye, nose, throat irritation,
headache, and allergic reaction in the short term.
Following are the important effects of air pollution: 
1. Diseases: Air pollution gives rise to several respiratory disorders and heart
diseases. Lung cancer, pneumonia and asthma have increased in the last few years
due to air pollution.
2. Acid Rain: The great monument Taj Mahal is affected due to acid rain. This acid
rain is caused due to the burning of fossil fuels which releases harmful gases such
as nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide into the air. The water droplets combine with
this pollutant to become acidic and fall as acid rain, which affects the ecosystem.
4. Ozone Layer Depletion: The hole in the ozone layer is caused by air pollutants.
Chemicals used as refrigerants such as chlorofluorocarbons, halons and
hydrochlorofluorocarbons are the major cause of depletion of the ozone layer. This
depletion allows harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun to enter the atmosphere and
causes skin diseases and eye problems among normal people.
5. Global Warming: It is caused due to the emission of gases from automobiles. This
creates an imbalance in the atmosphere, which leads to an increase in the temperature
of the Earth.
Prevention of Air Pollution

1. Air pollution can be prevented by less usage of automobiles. 

2. A large number of fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity. Therefore, we need
to switch off the electrical appliances when not in use. 
3. The use of alternative sources of energy like wind energy, solar energy, etc., should
be promoted. We should try to use solar cells, solar cookers, solar heaters, solar
dryers, etc., to prevent air pollution.
4. We need to plant more and more trees and reduce deforestation to prevent air
pollution.
Control of Vehicular Air Pollution
One of the major sources of air pollutants is automobile exhaust. Control of
vehicular air pollution may lead to eventual control of air pollutants. The following
steps should be followed or promoted in order to control vehicular air pollution:
1. Switching to public transport from personal vehicles
2. Phasing out older vehicles
3. Compulsory usage of unleaded petrol and, if possible, Compressed Natural Gas
(CNG)
4. Use of catalytic converters in vehicles