ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Technology, Environment & Society

Course Title: AIR POLLUTION
Course code: Hum 4249
Teacher’s name: Benadjih Oiriddine Abdou
03/22/2023
 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Objectives
At the end of this topic, students should be able to:
Define the following
Pollution,
Air Pollution,
Pollutants,
List the various types of pollution,
State the various types of air pollutants,
Explain the causes of air pollution,
Analyze the impact of air pollution, and
Apply the solution for preventing air pollution

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Introduction
What is pollution?
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that
cause adverse change. 
Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light. 
Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances or
naturally occurring contaminants.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Types of pollution
There are several types of pollution. They include:
Air Pollution,
Water Pollution,
Noise Pollution,
Littering (spilling of oil into the ocean),
Soil Pollution (by lead and heavy metals),
Radio active Pollution,
Thermal Pollution, and
Visual Pollution.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air Pollution
It consists of gases, liquids and solids particles present in the atmosphere in high
enough levels to harm humans, other living organs or materials.
Any atmospheric condition in which certain substances are present in such a high
concentration that they can produce undesirable effects on man and his
surrounding environment.
Any visible or invisible particle found in the air that is not part of the original or
composition of the air.
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are detrimental to
human health and the planet as a whole.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air Pollution

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Pollutants
Pollutants are the contaminants that get introduced into the natural
environment, beyond permitted limits, and cause deleterious effects to the
inhabitants in a visible way.
 Air pollutants can be divided into three groups:
Criteria Pollutants,
Air toxic, and
Biological Pollutants.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Criteria Pollutants
Criteria pollutants or 'Criteria air pollutants' is a term used internationally to
describe air pollutants that have been regulated and used as indicators of air quality.
The include:
Carbon Monoxide
Lead or Volatile Organic Components
Nitrogen Oxides
Ozone or Ground-Level Ozone
Particle Matter
Sulfur Monoxide

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air toxic
Hundreds of specific substances are considered hazardous when present in trace
amounts in the air.
These pollutants are called air toxics.
Many of them cause genetic mutations or cancer; some cause other types of health
problems, such as adverse effects on brain tissue or fetal development.
Although the total emissions and the number of sources of air toxics are small
compared with those for criteria pollutants, these pollutants can pose an immediate
health risk to exposed individuals and other environmental problems.
Most air toxics are organic chemicals, comprising molecules that contain carbon,
hydrogen an other atoms.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air toxic
They include but not limited to the following:
Arsenic,
Asbestos,
Benzene,
Beryllium compounds,
Chlorine,
Mercury compounds,
Nickel compounds, etc

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Biological Pollutants
'Biological pollutants' are another class of pollutants.
They arise from sources such as microbiological contamination such as,
Moulds,
The skin of animals and humans and
The remains and dropping of pests such as cockroaches.
Biological pollutants can be airborne and can have a significant impact on indoor
air quality.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Causes of Air Pollution

Air pollution is caused by the presence in the atmosphere of toxic substances.
They are mainly produced by human activities.
Even though sometimes it can result from natural phenomena such as:
Volcanic eruptions,
Dust storms and wildfires, and
Depleting the air quality.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Causes of Air Pollution

Combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport,
producing air pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide
Emissions from industries and factories, releasing large amount of carbon
monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air
Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers
that emit harmful chemicals
Waste production, mostly because of methane generation in landfills

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects of Air Pollution

It is impossible to describe the whole extent of potential and actual damage
caused by all forms of air pollution. But here are the main consequences:
Effects on the environment,
Effects on Global Warming, and
Effects on Human Health.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects on the environment

Air pollution has a major impact on the process of plant evolution by preventing
photosynthesis in many cases, with serious consequences for the purification of
the air we breathe.

It also contributes to the formation of acid rain, atmospheric precipitations in the

form of rain, frost, snow or fog, which are released during the combustion of
fossil fuels and transformed by contact with water steam in the atmosphere.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects on Global Warming

On top of that, air pollution is a major contributor to global warming and climate
change.
In fact, the abundance of carbon dioxide in the air is one of the causes of the
greenhouse effect.
Normally, the presence of greenhouse gases should be beneficial for the planet
because they absorb the infra-red radiation produced by the surface of the earth.
But the excessive concentration of these gases in the atmosphere is the cause of the
recent climate change.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Effects on Human Health  

Our continual exposure to air pollutants is responsible for the deterioration of
human health.
Air pollution is indeed a significant risk factor for human health conditions,
causing:
Allergies,
Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases,
As well as lung damage among others.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air pollution prevention  

It must be acknowledged that a significant damage has been done on our
environment as a result of air pollution.
However, there are some scientifically accepted ways to prevent, control and
eventually reduce the air pollution by the applying the following:
1. Renewable fuel and clean energy production
2. Energy conservation and efficiency
3. Eco-friendly transportation
4. Green building

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air pollution prevention  

1. Renewable fuel and clean energy production
The most basic solution for air pollution is to move away from fossil fuels, replacing them
with alternative energies like solar, wind and geothermal.
2. Energy conservation and efficiency
Producing clean energy is crucial.
But equally important is to reduce our consumption of energy by adopting responsible habits
and using more efficient devices.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air pollution prevention  

3. Eco-friendly transportation
Shifting to electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles, and promoting shared mobility (i.e
carpooling, and public transports) could reduce air pollution.
4. Green building
From planning to demolition, green building aims to create environmentally responsible and
resource-efficient structures to reduce their carbon footprint.

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

Air pollution prevention  

In addition, monitoring air pollution levels has become very important to detect
pollution peaks, better control air pollution and eventually improve air quality.
How is air quality measured?
With measuring devices using laser-based technologies, flame ionization, etc.
These devices are, for instance, located close to the traffic, far from the traffic
and close to industrial zones. All the collected data are compiled into a value
scale, called the Air Quality Index (AQI).

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 ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
A subsidiary organ of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

THE END

ANY QUESTIONS

THANK YOU
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