Chapter : 05

Dr. Md. Khabir Uddin

Professor Course No.: ENV. 107
Department of Environmental Sciences Faculty ID:kbu
Jahangirnagar University,
Savar, Dhaka-1342
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Email: khabir88@yahoo.com
khabir88@juniv.edu
 What is Pollution ?
“Pollution is the introduction of
undesirable substances into a natural environment that
causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the
ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms (plants,
animals and Human being).”

Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or

energy, such as noise, heat, or light.

Pollutants can be foreign substances or energies, or

naturally occurring.

Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint

source pollution. 2
 What is Pollutants ?
“A pollutant is a waste material that
pollutes air, water or soil.”

Three factors determine the severity of a

pollutant:

1.Chemical nature,
2.The concentration and
3.The persistence

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 Pollutants Classification
From an ecological perspective, pollutants can be
classified as:

1)Degradable or non persistent pollutants: these can

be rapidly broken by natural processes. (e.g. domestic
sewage)

2)Slowly degradable or persistent pollutants:

Pollutants that remain in the environment for many
years in an unchanged condition and take decades or
longer to degrade. (e.g. DDT, Pesticides)

1)Non degradable Pollutants: these cannot be degraded

by natural processes. Once they released into they
environment they are difficult to eradicate. (E.g. toxic
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elements, heavy metals)

 Environmental Pollution
The most appropriate definition of environmental
pollution is,

“The introduction of different harmful

pollutants into certain environment that make this
environment unhealthy to live in.”

Environmental pollution is happening in many parts of

the world, especially in form of air and water pollution.

The best example for air pollution are some of China's

cities, including capital Beijing, and the best example for
water pollution is India with its Ganges river pollution
problem.
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 Forms of Pollution
The major forms of pollution are listed below along
with the particular pollutants relevant to each of
them:

1.Air pollution
2.Water pollution
3.Soil contamination
4.Noise pollution
5.Radioactive contamination
6.Thermal pollution

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 Effects on Environment
Pollution has been found to be present widely in the
environment. There are a number of effects of this:

Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean acidification, the

ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans as CO 2
becomes dissolved.

The emission of greenhouse gases leads to global

warming which affects ecosystems in many ways.

Nitrogen oxides are removed from the air by rain and

fertilize land which can change the species composition of
ecosystems
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 (Cont……)
 Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants.
This will affect other organisms in the food web.

 Invasive species compete with native species and

reduce biodiversity. They can contribute debris and
biomolecules that can alter soil and chemical
compositions of an environment.

 Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight

received by plants to carry out photosynthesis and
leads to the production of tropospheric ozone which
damages plants.

 Sulphur dioxide and Nitrogen oxides can cause acid

rain which lowers the pH value of soil. 8
Air Pollution
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 What is Air Pollution ?
 Air pollution may be defined (Ahmmed, et al., 2010)
as,
“An atmospheric condition in which substances
(natural or man-made chemical compounds capable
of being airborne) are present at concentrations
high enough above their normal ambient level to
produce a measurable effect on man, animals,
vegetation, or materials.”

 A substance for air pollution refers to any natural or

manmade chemical elements or compounds capable
of being airborne.

 Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals,

particulate matter, or biological materials in the air.
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 What is Air Pollutants ?
“A Air pollutant is a waste material produced
from natural or anthropogenic processes that pollutes
air and may cause detrimental effects to the plants and
animals and to the humankind .”

 There are six major pollutants termed criteria

pollutants in the United States, namely PM10, PM2.5,
NOx, SO2, Pb and O3.

 These pollutants can harm the environment human

health, and can cause property damage.

 In overall there are hundreds of air pollutants.

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 Air Pollutants Classification
In general, following types of air pollutants are
common:

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 Air Pollution in Dhaka
 Air pollution has been getting worse

 PM10 is the most significant pollutant. Other

pollutants are Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg HC, CO, NO, SO2, O3

 Transport sector is one of the largest contributors

of human exposure to air pollution

 Other contributors: industries, bio-mass and refuse

burning, domestic and commercial fuel burning,
dust due to construction.

 Transport sector is the main contributor (50%-60%)

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 Sources of Air Pollutants
 Sources of air pollution refer to the various
locations, activities or factors which are responsible
for the releasing of pollutants in the atmosphere.

 These sources can be classified into two major

categories which are:

1) Anthropogenic Sources
2) Natural Sources

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 1. Anthropogenic Sources
Anthropogenic sources (human activity) mostly related to
burning different kinds of fuel:
"Stationary Sources" include smoke stacks of power
plants, manufacturing facilities (factories) and waste
incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of fuel-
burning heating devices.
"Mobile Sources" include motor vehicles, marine vessels,
aircraft and the effect of sound etc.
Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and
other solvents
Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane.
Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ
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warfare and rocketry
 2. Natural Sources
 Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land
with little or no vegetation.
 Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals,
for example cattle.
 Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's
crust.
 Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires.
 Vegetation, in some regions, emits environmentally
significant amounts of VOCs on warmer days. These
VOCs react with primary anthropogenic pollutants
specifically, NOX, SO2, and anthropogenic organic
carbon compound to produce a seasonal haze of
secondary pollutants.
 Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and
ash particulates. 16
 Health effects of Air
Pollution
 The World Health Organization (WHO) states that 2.4
million people die each year from causes directly
attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million of these
deaths attributable to indoor air pollution. (WHO,
2002)

 "Epidemiological (spread out diseace) studies

suggest that more than 500,000 Americans die each
year from cardiopulmonary disease linked to
breathing fine particle air pollution.

 A study by the University of Birmingham, UK has

shown a strong correlation between pneumonia
related deaths and air pollution from motor vehicles.
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 (Cont………………)
The major health effects experienced from the air
pollution includes the following:

Asthma is a chronic disease common among children and

adults can be triggered by pollutants present in the air,
such as smog.
Lung infections can occur when polluted air is inhaled.
Air pollution may influence the development of Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Air pollution can also lead to lung cancer.
Air pollution can result in blockage in the coronary artery
or blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. This
condition is diagnosed as Coronary Artery Disease.
High level of pollution in the air can also lead to heart
failure. 18
 National Ambient Air Quality
Standards for Bangladesh

Source: Department of Environment (DoE) of the

Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and WHO 19
 Control Measures
 Land use planning is likely to involve zoning and
transport infrastructure planning.

 Efforts to reduce pollution from mobile sources

includes:
a)Primary regulation (many developing countries have
permissive regulations),
b)Expanding regulation to new sources (such as transport
ships, farm equipment, and small gas-powered equipment
such as lawn trimmers, chainsaws, and snowmobiles),
c)Increased fuel efficiency (such as through the use of
hybrid vehicles),
d)Conversion to cleaner fuels (such as bioethanol,
biodiesel, or conversion to electric vehicles).
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 Control Devices
Particulate Control

 Mechanical collectors

 Electrostatic precipitators (ESP): is a particulate

collection device that removes particles from a
flowing air using the force of an induced electrostatic
charge. These are highly efficient filtration devices.

 Baghouses: designed to handle heavy dust loads.

 Particulate scrubbers: The term describes a variety

of devices that use pollutants from a furnace flue gas
or from other gas streams. 21
 (Contd……)
NOx Control VOC abatement
(reduction)
• Low NOx burners • Adsorption systems,
• Selective catalytic such as activated
reduction (SCR) carbon
• Selective non- • Flares (dispersion)
catalytic reduction • Thermal oxidizers
(SNCR) • Catalytic converters
• NOx scrubbers • Biofilters
• Exhaust gas • Absorption (scrubbing)
recirculation • Cryogenic (lowering
• Catalytic converter pressure and
(also for VOC temperature)
control) condensers 22
• Vapor recovery
 (Contd……)
Acid Gas/SO2 control

• Wet scrubbers, Dry scrubbers

• Flue gas desulfurization

Mercury control

• Sorbent Injection Technology

• Electro-Catalytic Oxidation (ECO)
• K-Fuel

Miscellaneous associated equipment

• Source capturing systems
• Continuous emissions monitoring systems 23
(CEMS)