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Environmental Pollution

 ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION may be defined as the "unfavourable


alteration of our surroundings". It changes the quality of our air, water
and land which interferes with the health of human beings and other
life on earth.
 Pollution is of different kinds depending on the nature of pollutant
generated from different sources.

 Ex: Industry, Automobiles, Thermal power plants, farming and nuclear


reactors generate different types of pollutants causing pollution to air,
water bodies and land.
Types of pollutants

 Biodegradable pollutants that degrade or decompose rapidly by


natural processes.

 Non-biodegradable pollutants that do not decompose or decompose


very slowly in the environment.
Different kinds of pollution that affect the environment are:
 Air pollution
 Water pollution
 Soil pollution
 Marine pollution
 Noise pollution
 Thermal pollution and
 Nuclear hazards
Air Pollution
“The contamination of air with dust, smoke, harmful substances and other harmful substances
which lead adverse effects on life and quality of life is called air pollution.” The main sources
of air pollution are:

 Fossil fuel burning


 Power plants
 Chemical industries
 Other common industries
 Cultivation activities
 Volcanic eruption
 Forest fires
 Decomposition of organic matter
 Natural gas emission
The air pollutants are of two types, that is , primary and secondary pollutants.

 Those pollutants which are directly added into environment are called primary pollutants, for
example : sulphur dioxide, sulphur trioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons,
ammonia, compound of fluorine and radioactive materials.
 The primary pollutants are converted into secondary
pollutants by reactions in the atmosphere.
 These include ; sulphuric acid, nitrogen monoxide,
carbonic acid, hydrofluoric acid, peroxyacetyl-nitrate
(PAN), ozone, aldehydes, ketones and peroxybenzol.
 Some Primary Air Pollutants
1. Carbon Monoxide: It is a colourless, odourless and
highly toxic gas, which is three times lighter than air and
soluble in water sources.
 Natural: These are volcanic eruptions, natural gas
emission and oxidation of methane in the atmosphere.
Human Activities: Burning of fuel in various types of
transportation (e.g., motor vehicles, railways and aircraft)
is the major source (75%) of CO in the atmosphere.
 Other sources are forest fires, combustion of fossil fuel and
agricultural products.
 Industries in which any type of fuel is burnt in air is also source
of CO. These include iron and steel, petroleum, cement, brick-
kilns, paper and pulps, etc.
 Incomplete combustion and dissociation of CO2 at high
temperature also produces CO.
Harmful Effects: Carbon monoxide is highly poisonous gas.

 It causes suffocation if inhaled.


 It binds blood haemoglobin more strongly than oxygen. Thus it
removes oxygen from normal respiration.
 The CO poisoning can be reversed by giving high pressure
oxygen.
 Inhaling of high concentration of CO results in headache,
fatigue, unconsciousness and eventually death if inhaled for
longer period.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOX):The gases nitric oxide (NO)
and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) are represented by NOx
 Natural: Bacterial action produces NOx mainly NO
 Human Activities: NOx are produced by combustion
of coal, oil, natural gas and gasoline. Both are
produced by the oxidation of nitrogenous compounds
present in fossil fuel.
 The burning of fuel in internal combustion engine also
produces NO. N2 + O2 = 2NO
 Nitrogen dioxide is produced when nitric oxide reacts
with oxygen. 2NO + O2 2NO2
 The residence time of NO and NO2 in the atmosphere
are 4 and 3 days respectively.
Harmful Effects
 Photochemical reactions convert NOx to HNO3, which is
carried down in either rainfall or as dust. This is called acid
rain.
Sulphur Oxides, SOX
 Natural: Most of sulphur dioxide is produced by volcanoes
(67%).It is also produced by oxidation of sulphur
containing gases produced by decomposition of organic
matter.
 Human Activities:SO2 is produced due to combustion of
coal (containing 1-9%S), crude oil and other fossil fuel in
power plants and petroleum industry, etc.
S + O2 SO2
2SO2 2SO3
Harmful Effects
Both SO2 and SO3 have pungent odour and are very
irritant and suffocating.
They form sulphate aerosols in atmosphere through
various reactions.
These aerosols cause severe respiratory troubles
particularly among older people.
SO2 is the major source of acid deposition in the
atmosphere.
Hydrocarbons
Natural: Large quantities of hydrocarbons are emitted
by different trees and plants in the atmosphere.
Paddy fields produce a significant amount of methane
in the atmosphere.
Anaerobic decomposition of organic matter by
bacteria in water sediments and in soils also produces
hydrocarbons.
Methane has a mean residence time of about 3  7
years in the atmosphere. 2CH2O CO2 + CH4
Human Activities: Automobiles are the major source
of hydrocarbon emission, Petroleum, coal, wood,
incinerators, refuse burning and solvent evaporator
also produce hydrocarbons.
Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)
 Includes a variety of particles and droplets (aerosols) that can be
suspended in atmosphere for short to long periods.

 Human sources for SPM include burning coal in power and


industrial units, burning diesel and other fuels in vehicles,
agriculture, unpaved roads, construction, etc.

 Health effects include nose and throat irritation, lung damage,


bronchitis, asthma, reproductive problems and cancer.

 Environmental Effects include reduced visibility and acid


deposition. Acid deposition may lead to damaged trees, soils and
aquatic life in lakes.
Photochemical smog
 it is a brownish smoke that frequently forms on clear, sunny
days over large cities with significant amounts of automobile
traffic.
 It is mainly due to chemical reactions among nitrogen oxides and
hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight.

 Health effects include breathing problems, cough, eye, nose


and throat irritation, heart diseases, reduced resistance to colds
and pneumonia.

 Environmental effects involve damage to plants and trees.


Additionally, Smog reduces visibility.
Lead
 is a solid and highly toxic metal. Its compounds are emitted into the atmosphere as particulate
matter.

 Human Sources: Paint, Smelters (metal refineries), lead manufacture, storage batteries, leaded
petrol, etc

 Health effects: Lead accumulates in the body and brain leading to nervous system damage and
mental retardation (especially in children), digestive and other health problems. Lead containing
chemicals are known to cause cancer in test animals.

 Environmental Effects: It can harm wildlife.

Chromium:
 It is a solid toxic metal emitted into the atmosphere as particulate matter.

 Human sources: Paint, Smelters, Chromium manufacture, Chromium plating.

 Health Effects: Perforation of nasal septum, chrome holes, etc.


HOW TO CONTROL AIR POLLUTION?

The atmosphere has several built-in self cleaning


processes such as dispersion, gravitational settling,
flocculation, absorption, rain-washout, etc to cleanse
the atmosphere. However, control of contaminants at
their source level is a desirable and effective method
through preventive or control technologies.
Source control: Some measures that can be adopted in this
direction are:
 Using unleaded petrol
 Using fuels with low sulphur and ash content
 Encouraging people to use public transport, walk or use a cycle as
opposed to private vehicles
 Ensure that houses, schools, restaurants and playgrounds are
not located on busy streets
 Plant trees along busy streets as they remove particulates, carbon
dioxide and absorb noise
 Industries and waste disposal sites should be situated outside the
city preferably on the downwind of the city.
 Catalytic converters should be used to help control emissions of
carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
Control measures in industrial centers
 Emission rates should be restricted to permissible
levels by each and every industry

 Incorporation of air pollution control equipment in


design of plant layout must be made mandatory

 Continuous monitoring of the atmosphere for


pollutants should be carried out to know the emission
levels.
EQUIPMENT USED TO CONTROL AIR POLLUTION

 Air pollution can be reduced by adopting the following approaches:


 Ensuring sufficient supply of oxygen to the combustion chamber and
adequate temperature so that the combustion is complete thereby
eliminating much of the smoke consisting of partly burnt ashes and
dust.

 To use mechanical devices such as scrubbers, cyclones, bag houses and


electro-static precipitators in manufacturing processes. The equipment
used to remove particulates from the exhaust gases of electric power
and industrial plants. Wet scrubber can additionally reduce sulphur
dioxide emissions.

 The air pollutants collected must be carefully disposed. The factory


fumes are dealt with chemical treatment.

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