Air Pollution

Control
 PURE AIR
❖78.1% N2
❖20.9% O2
❖0.9% Ar
❖0.04% CO2
❖0.002% Ne
❖0.0005% He
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS

0.1% air

little mixing

well-mixed
80% air
4 Strata based on Temp Profile
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
➢global wind patterns - differential warming
and cooling of eart as it rotates (sun)
➢local winds - differential temperatures
between land and water masses
ex: sea breeze
-progressive warming
of the land during a
sunny day
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
air stability -
measure of
verticar air
movement

• wind - horizontal movement + dispersion of air pollutants

• adiabatic lapse rates - warming and cooling at 1 degC/100 m
• prevailing lapse rates - actual T-elevation measurements
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• superadiabatic lapse rate - characterized by
great deal of vertical air movement and
turbulence
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• subadiabatic lapse rate - dampen out
vertical movement; limited vertical mixing
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• inversion - vertical movement is almost nil

night time
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• serious air pollutions accompanied by
✓inversions
✓fog “tiny droplets of water”
-converts SO32- to H2SO4; screens the sunlight
 METEOROLOGY OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• EXAMPLE
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
• Particulates - includes dusts, fumes, mists,
smoke, spray
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Dust
❖ entrained by gases
directly from material
handled/procesed
❖direct offspring of a
parent material
undergoing a mechanical cement dust 100 um
operation
❖entrained materials used
in mechanical operation
(sandblasting)
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
• fume, 0.03 - 0.3 um
➢frequently metallic oxides formed by
condensation of vapors by sublimation,
distillation, calcination
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
• mist, 0.5 - 0.3 um
➢entrained liquid
particle formed by
condensation of
vapors or chemical
reaction

oil mist (metalworking process)

 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
• smoke, 0.05 - 1 um
➢entrained solid
particles from
incomplete
combustion of
carbonaceous
materials
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
• spray
➢liquid particle
formed from
atomization of a
parent liquid
➢settle under gravity
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Measurement of Particulates
• Total suspended
particulate (TSP)
refers to the totality
of small solid
matter
-primary contributor high-volume
sampler
to air pollution (gravimetric)
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Example
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Respirable Particulates

PM10- small enough to

enter the thoracic region of
human respiratory tract;
smaller than 10µm
PM10 sampler (centrifugal)
PM2.5 - smaller than 2.5µm;
so small and light they tend
to stay longer in the air
WHO exposure limits
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gaseous pollutants
Unit: ppm (vol/vol),µg/m3,
• Substances that are
gases at normal T&P µg = MW x 100 x ppm
m3 24.5
• Vapors that are L or S
• CO, HC’s, H2S, NO, O3 +
oxidants, SOx, CO2, CH4
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Example

Gaseous pollutants
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gas Measurement Techniques
• Wet chemistry method – use of a bubbler and wet
chemical techniques

SO2 + H2O2 = H2SO4

then titration

Gaseous pollutants
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gas Measurement Techniques
• Colorimetric (pararosaniline) method – use of a bubbler
and wet chemical techniques

SO2 + TCM (tetrachloromercurate)

= complex

Gaseous pollutants
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gas Measurement Techniques
• Emerging techniques

Gaseous pollutants
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gas Measurement Techniques
Emerging techniques

❖ Non-Dispersive Infrared Photometry (NDIR)

-preferential absorption of infrared radiation by a constituent,
e.g., carbon monoxide (CO)
-difference between the amounts of energy reaching the
detector via the reference cell and that via the sample cell
would be proportional to the CO concentration

Chemiluminescence Technique
-pollutant reacted with a specific reactant (in large excess)
the product molecules formed would be at a higher state of
excitation and subsequently release light (energy)
-intensity of the emitted light would be directly proportional to
the concentration of the pollutant

Gaseous pollutants
 AIR POLLUTANTS
CHARACTERIZATION
Gas Measurement Techniques
Emerging techniques

❖ Conductometric Technique
-change in conductivity of the sample (when absorbed in a
suitable liquid) would be proportional to the concentration of
the pollutant

❖ Coulometric Technique:
-reacting the gaseous sample with an KI or KBr solution in an
electrolytic cell
-current proportional to oxidants present

Electrochemical Technique:
-consist of a semi-permeable membrane, an electrolyte film, a
sensing electrode and a reference electrode immersed in the
electrolyte; voltage difference

Gaseous pollutants
 HOMEWORK#1 02/20/2019

• ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
1. The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999
(RA8479) – salient features and agency
mandates
2. DAO 2013-26 – AT LEAST 5 SENTENCES
3. IRR – REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8749 – AT
LEAST 10 SENTENCES
4. MONTREAL PROTOCOL
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
QUIZ:

• True/False: The darker the smoke, the

more pollution it brings.
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
Measurement of Smoke
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
Measurement of Smoke

• Optical scattering – amount of light

reflected by particle ~ concentration
CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
Visibility – reduction in visibility is ne of the
obvious effects of air pollutants

Loss of visibility – condition when it is just

possible to identify a large object in bright
daylight, or
- Just possible to see a moderately bright
light at night
- Vague…, but defines limits of visibility
 CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
Visibility

Small particulates – with the most effective

reduction in visibility
✓Adsorbs light
✓Scatters the light – reduces contrast
between light and darker objects
 CHARACTERIZATION OF AIR
POLLUTION EMISSIONS
Visibility

Approximate expression for visibility:

Limit of visibility

*Lv, km = 1.2 x 103 *for atmospheres <70% MC

C, µg/m3
Particulate
concentration
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
1. Natural sources - smoke particles from forest fires, HC’s
from terpenes, H2S from amino acids break down

2. People-made sources
➢Stationary combustion processes – oil and coal
combustion

➢Transportation sources – smoke, CO, NOx, HC’s,

smoke, Pb particles

➢Industrial process
➢Solid waste disposal – backyard burning, incinerators,
landfills
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• HOMEWORK #2
1. Enumerate and discuss the 4 most
difficult problems encountered relating air
pollution to health.
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• HOMEWORK
SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTANTS

0.1 µm

Particulates
➢ H2SO4
droplets
➢ Pb particles
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• SO2
-Irritant, restricts air flow, slows action of cilia
Highly soluble mucous membrane
(adsorption to tiny particles)
Deep lung
SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• Sulfur, NOx, Acid Rain
fuels

High-T combustion

❖ Aquatic effect
❖ Pollution across political
boundaries
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• Photochemical smog
✓Primary pollutants
✓Secondary pollutants

Ozone, aldehydes, organic acids, epoxy compounds

 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Photochemical smog
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
• Ozone depletion
ODS: CFCl3, CF2Cl2 (Montreal 1987)

Polar vortex
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Global Warming
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Global Warming
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Homework #3: Read and discuss Gaia hypothesis
in at least 5 sentences.
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Indoor Air quality – a ventilation factor
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Indoor Air quality – a ventilation factor

➢ Secondary smoke (high CO, particulates)

➢ Sleepy driver syndrome

➢ Radon – naturally emitted gas entering homes

through basements, water, building
materials (natural decay chain)

Lung
cancer
Po, Pb, Bi
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Indoor Air quality – a ventilation factor
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Indoor Air quality – a ventilation factor
 SOURCES OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
Indoor Air quality – a ventilation factor
 Reading Assignment
• Homework#4: CONTROL OF AIR
POLLUTANTS

• For 02/25/2019