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EXCESSIVE BURNING OF FOSSIL FUEL A THREAT TO

ENVIRONMENT
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Introduction:

Coal, oil and natural gas are the three different forms of fossil fuels that are widely used. They
are formed by the process of anaerobic decomposition of organic matter under the surface of the
earth for millions of years. Large-scale use of fossil fuels started since the Industrial Revolution.
Today, these are the most cheap sources of energy available for the use of both personal as well
as commercial purposes. Petroleum is used to fuel our vehicles while coal and natural gas are
used to produce electricity for our homes and offices. Statistics show that almost three-fourth of
the demands of the energy in the world is fulfilled by fossil fuels.
The presence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere makes our planet warmer than any other
planet of the solar system. This is because it traps the heat obtained from sunlight and do not let
it go beyond the atmosphere. Burning fossil fuels releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into
the air. When there is a significant rise in the percentage of carbon dioxide in the air, the amount
of heat captured by the carbon dioxide gas also increases. This in turn leads to overall rise in the
surface temperature of the earth which is also known as global warming.
Evidence obtained from various research studies suggest that since the middle of the nineteenth
century, carbon dioxide content in the atmospheric air has increased at least, 25 percent. This is
mainly because of excessive use of fossil fuels all across the globe. For this reason, in the last
150 years, the temperature of the earth has already gone up more than 1 degree Fahrenheit. It is
estimated that the temperature is going to increase further in the next hundred years. Thus our
planet will be much hotter in the next century.
This can adversely affect the climate of the earth. It is believed that there will be drastic changes
in the weather conditions in various parts of the world. Droughts and floods will occur more
frequently in many inland areas that have extreme weather. We can see its negative effect on the
agriculture. The glaciers of the earth will be melting at a much faster pace. As a result, the areas
which are located near the water bodies like, the coastal regions and the banks of the river, are
likely to get submerged under water. Many deltas, islands, thickly populated cities will get
covered by water. Combustion of fossil fuels not only gives out carbon dioxide into the air, it
also releases various types of gases like carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, etc. that cause
air pollution. When in air, these gases undergo some chemical changes and get converted into
harmful acidic substances like sulfuric acid and carbonic acid. Then these substances return to
the surface of the earth in the form of acid rain which has a huge impact on the entire
environmental conditions. The acid rain causes harm to the soil and plant life and pollutes water.

Literature review:

Fossil fuels or mineral fuels are hydrocarbon fuels found within the top layer of the Earth’s crust.
They range from highly volatile materials, such as methane, to liquid petroleum, to solids
composed of almost pure carbon, such as anthracite coal. The term "fossil fuels" is based on the
widely accepted theory that they were formed from the fossilized remains of dead plants and
animals,[1] during exposure to heat and pressure in the Earth's crust over hundreds of millions of
years.[2] This process of formation is known as the biogenic theory. An opposing theory, called
the abiogenic theory, maintains that the more volatile hydrocarbons, especially natural gas, were
produced from nonliving materials. Fossil fuels are of great importance because they can be
burned (oxidized to carbon dioxide and water), producing significant amounts of energy. They
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are also the main source of raw materials for the petrochemical industry. The Energy Information
Administration estimated that in 2005, 86 percent of primary energy production in the world
came from burning fossil fuels.[3] The remaining sources of energy were hydroelectricity at 6.3
percent, nuclear power at 6.0 percent, and other sources (geothermal, solar, wind, wood, and
waste) at 0.9 percent. Fossil fuels are considered non-renewable resources because they take
millions of years to develop and reserves are being depleted much faster than new ones are being
formed. Concerns about fossil fuel supplies have been among the reasons for regional and global
tensions and conflicts. The production and excessive use of fossil fuels have also raised
environmental concerns. For example, it has been estimated that the burning of fossil fuels
produces around 6.3 billion metric tons (or 6.3 gigatons) of carbon dioxide per year, but natural
processes can absorb only about half that amount.[4] It is argued that excessive production of
carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, contributes to global warming. A global movement toward the
generation of renewable energy is therefore under way to help meet increased energy needs.

Environmental effects:

In the United States, more than 90 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from the
combustion of fossil fuels.[5] Combustion of fossil fuels also produces other air pollutants, such
as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals.
According to Environment Canada:
“The electricity sector is unique among industrial sectors in its very large contribution to
emissions associated with nearly all air issues. Electricity generation produces a large share of
Canadian nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide emissions, which contribute to smog and acid rain
and the formation of fine particulate matter. It is the largest uncontrolled industrial source of
mercury emissions in Canada. Fossil fuel-fired electric power plants also emit carbon dioxide,
which may contribute to climate change. In addition, the sector has significant impacts on water
and habitat and species. In particular, hydro dams and transmission lines have significant effects
on water and biodiversity”[5]
Combustion of fossil fuels generates sulphuric, carbonic, and nitric acids, which fall to Earth as
acid rain, impacting both natural areas and the built environment. Monuments and sculptures
made from marble and limestone are particularly vulnerable, as the acids dissolve calcium
carbonate. Effecting colour of Taj mahal is also an effect of acid rain.
Fossil fuels also contain radioactive materials, mainly uranium and thorium, that are released
into the atmosphere. In 2000, about 12,000 metric tons of thorium and 5,000 metric tons of
uranium were released worldwide from burning coal.[6] It is estimated that during 1982, U.S. coal
burning released 155 times as much radioactivity into the atmosphere as the Three Mile Island
incident.[7]
Burning coal also generates large amounts of bottom ash and fly ash. These materials are used in
a wide variety of applications, utilizing, for example, about 40 percent of the U.S. production.[8]
Harvesting, processing, and distributing fossil fuels can also create environmental problems.
Coal mining methods, particularly mountaintop removal and strip mining, have extremely
negative environmental impacts, and offshore oil drilling poses a hazard to aquatic organisms.
Oil refineries also have negative environmental impacts, including air and water pollution.
Transportation of coal requires the use of diesel-powered locomotives, while crude oil is
typically transported by tanker ships, each of which requires the combustion of additional fossil
fuels.
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Environmental regulation uses a variety of approaches to limit these emissions, such as

command-and-control (which mandates the amount of pollution or the technology used),
economic incentives, or voluntary programs.
An example of such regulation in the U.S. is the "EPA is implementing policies to reduce
airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations issued in 2005, coal-fired power plants will need
to reduce their emissions by 70 percent by 2018."[9]
In economic terms, pollution from fossil fuels is regarded as a negative externality. Taxation is
considered one way to make societal costs explicit, in order to "internalize" the cost of pollution.
This aims to make fossil fuels more expensive, thereby reducing their use and the amount of
pollution associated with them, along with raising the funds necessary to counteract these
factors. Although European nations impose some pollution taxes, they also give billions of
subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, offsetting the taxes.

Now we will check in detail that how burning of fossil fuel effet the chemistry of our
environment.

Tropospheric Pollution

Tropospheric pollution occurs due to the presence of undesirable solid or gaseous particles in the
air. The following are the major gaseous and particulate pollutants present in the troposphere:

Gaseous air pollutants: These are oxides of sulphur, nitrogen and carbon, hydrogen sulphide,
hydrocarbons, ozone and other oxidants.

(a) Oxides of Sulphur:

Oxides of sulphur are produced when sulphur containing fossil fuel is burnt. The most common
species, sulphur dioxide, is a gas that is poisonous to both animals and plants. It has been
reported that even a low concentration of sulphur dioxide causes respiratory diseases e.g.,
asthma, bronchitis, emphysema in human beings. Sulphur dioxide causes irritation to the eyes,
resulting in tears and redness. High concentration of SO2 leads to stiffness of flower buds which
eventually fall off from plants. Uncatalysed oxidation of sulphur dioxide is slow. However, the
presence of particulate matter in polluted air catalyses the oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur
trioxide.

2SO2(g)+O2(g)→2SO2(g)

The reaction can also be promoted by ozone and hydrogen peroxide.

SO2(g) + O3 (g)→ SO3(g) + O2 (g)

SO2(g) + H2O2 (l)→ H2SO4(aq)

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(b) Oxides of Nitrogen:

Dinitrogen and dioxygen are the main constituents of air. These gases do not react with each
other at a normal temperature. At high altitudes when lightning strikes, they combine to form
oxides of nitrogen. NO2 is oxidised to nitrate ion, NO-3 which is washed into soil, where it serves
as a fertilizer. In an automobile engine, (at high temperature) when fossil fuel is burnt, dinitrogen
and dioxygen combine to yield significant quantities of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (
NO2 ) as given below:

NO reacts instantly with oxygen to give NO2

2NO (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO2 (g)

Rate of production of NO2 is faster when nitric oxide reacts with ozone in the stratosphere.

NO (g) + O3 (g) → NO2 (g) + O2 (g)

The irritant red haze in the traffic and congested places is due to oxides of nitrogen. Higher
concentrations of NO2 damage the leaves of plants and retard the rate of photosynthesis.
Nitrogen dioxide is a lung irritant that can lead to an acute respiratory disease in children. It is
toxic to living tissues also. Nitrogen dioxide is also harmful to various textile fibres and metals.

(c) Hydrocarbons:

Hydrocarbons are composed of hydrogen and carbon only and are formed by incomplete
combustion of fuel used in automobiles. Hydrocarbons are carcinogenic, i.e., they cause cancer.
They harm plants by causing ageing, breakdown of tissues and shedding of leaves, flowers and
twigs.

(d) Oxides of Carbon

(i ) Carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most serious air pollutants. It is a
colourless and odourless gas, highly poisonous to living beings because of its ability to block the
delivery of oxygen to the organs and tissues. It is produced as a result of incomplete combustion
of carbon. Carbon monoxide is mainly released into the air by automobile exhaust. Other
sources, which produce CO, involve incomplete combustion of coal, firewood, petrol, etc. The
number of vehicles has been increasing over the years all over the world. Many vehicles are
poorly maintained and several have inadequate pollution control equipments resulting in the
release of greater amount of carbon monoxide and other polluting gases. Do you know why
carbon monoxide is poisonous? It binds to haemoglobin to form carboxyhaemoglobin, which is
about 300 times more stable than the oxygen-haemoglobin complex. In blood, when the
concentration of carboxyhaemoglobin reaches about 3–4 per cent, the oxygen carrying capacity
of blood is greatly reduced. This oxygen deficiency, results into headache, weak eyesight,
nervousness and cardiovascular disorder. This is the reason why people are advised not to
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smoke. In pregnant women who have the habit of smoking the increased CO level in blood may
induce premature birth, spontaneous abortions and deformed babies.

(ii) Carbon dioxide: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere by respiration,
burning of fossil fuels for energy, and by decomposition of limestone during the manufacture of
cement. It is also emitted during volcanic eruptions. Carbon dioxide gas is confined to
troposphere only. Normally it forms about 0.03 per cent by volume of the atmosphere. With the
increased use of fossil fuels, a large amount of carbon dioxide gets released into the atmosphere.
Excess of CO2 in the air is removed by green plants and this maintains an appropriate level of
CO2 in the atmosphere. Green plants require CO2 for photosynthesis and they, in turn, emit
oxygen,thus maintaining the delicate balance. As you know, deforestation and burning of fossil
fuel increases the CO2 level and disturb the balance in the atmosphere. The increased amount of
CO2 in the air is mainly responsible for global warming.

Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect:

About 75 % of the solar energy reaching the earth is absorbed by the earth’s surface, which
increases its temperature. The rest of the heat radiates back to the atmosphere. Some of the heat
is trapped by gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon compounds
(CFCs) and water vapour in the atmosphere. Thus, they add to the heating of the atmosphere.
This causes global warming.

Fig: 1
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We all know that in cold places flowers, vegetables and fruits are grown in glass covered areas
called greenhouse. We are not surrounded by glass but a blanket of air called the atmosphere,
which has kept the temperature on earth constant for centuries. But it is now undergoing change,
though slowly. Just as the glass in a greenhouse holds the sun’s warmth inside, atmosphere traps
the sun’s heat near the earth’s surface and keeps it warm. This is called natural greenhouse effect
because it maintains the temperature and makes the earth perfect for life. In a greenhouse, solar
radiations pass through the transparent glass and heat up the soil and the plants. The warm soil
and plants emit infrared radiations. Since glass is opaque to infrared radiations (thermal region),
it partly reflects and partly absorbs these radiations. This mechanism keeps the energy of the sun
trapped in the greenhouse. Similarly, carbon dioxide molecules also trap heat as they are
transparent to sunlight but not to the heat radiation. If the amount of carbon dioxide crosses the
delicate proportion of 0.03 per cent, the natural greenhouse balance may get disturbed. Carbon
dioxide is the major contributor to global warming.

Besides carbon dioxide, other greenhouse gases are methane, water vapour, nitrous oxide, CFCs
and ozone. Methane is produced naturally when vegetation is burnt, digested or rotted in the
absence of oxygen. Large amounts of methane are released in paddy fields, coal mines, from
rotting garbage dumps and by fossil fuels. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are man-made industrial
chemicals used in air conditioning etc. CFCs are also damaging the ozone layer . Nitrous oxide
occurs naturally in the environment. In recent years, their quantities have increased significantly
due to the use of chemical fertilizers and the burning of fossil fuels. If these trends continue, the
average global temperature will increase to a level which may lead to melting of polar ice caps
and flooding of low lying areas all over the earth. Increase in the global temperature increases
the incidence of infectious diseases like dengue, malaria, yellow fever, sleeping sickness etc.

Conclusion:

Excessive use of the fossil fuel has a significant negative effects on the environment. It not only
effect aquatic life but also human life. It is now widely accepted that excessive burning of fossil
fuels and the resultant CO2 gases produced has had a major impact on the world's climate. If this
continues, scientists predict that it will cause irreversible damage, such as the melting of the
polar ice caps. The planet's fossil fuel stock is a finite and depleting resource. Converting fossil
fuels into energy creates bi-products that are harmful to the environment. This, together with
increasing instability in the world's energy markets, makes a compelling case for renewable
energy. We can recover the effects of burning fossil fuel by growing more trees and to focus on
the biofuel instead of fossil fuel to neutralize net load on environment and to save our climate.
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References:

1. Novaczek,I. Canada's Fossil Fuel Dependency,December 5, 2007.

2. EPA, Fossil fuel,December 5, 2007.
3. Energy Information Administration, International Energy Annual 2005,
December 5, 2007.
4. Energy Information Administration, US Department of Energy on greenhouse gases,
December 5, 2007
5. US EPA, Climate Change. Retrieved December 7, 2007.
6. Environment Canada:Electricity Generation, December 7, 2006.
7. Gabbard,A. Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger, December 7, 2008.
8. Gordon, J. A. Nuclear proliferation through coal burning;New York, December 7, 2007.
9. American Coal Ash Association, CCP Production and Use Survey, December 7, 2005