ON

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Mr. DEEPAK AGGARAWAL SRUTIKA CHAND

H.O.D PHYSICS CLASS: XII “SCIENCE”
ROLL:
Air Pollution

When people think about air pollution, they usually think about smog, acid
rain, CFC's, and other forms of outdoor air pollution. But did you know
that air pollution also can exist inside homes and other buildings? It can,
and every year, the health of many people is affected by chemical
substances present in the air within buildings.

A great deal of research on pollution is being conducted at laboratories and

universities. The goals of the research are to find solutions and
to educate the public about the problem. Two places where this type of
work is being done are LBNLand the University of California, Berkeley.

Let's take a closer look at the various types of air pollution, the effects that

they have on people, and what is being (or not being) done to correct the
problem.

Outdoor Air Pollution

Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution. It is caused by chemical

reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily
automobile exhaust and industrial emissions. Cities are often centers of
these types of activities, and many suffer from the effects of smog,
especially during the warm months of the year. Additional information
about smog and its effects are available from Environment Canada and
the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in southern California.

For each city, the exact causes of pollution may be different. Depending on

the geographical location, temperature, wind and weather factors, pollution
is dispersed differently. However, sometimes this does not happen and the
pollution can build up to dangerous levels. A temperature
inversion occurs when air close to the earth is cooler than the air above it.
Under these conditions the pollution cannot rise and be dispersed. Cities
surrounded by mountains also experience trapping of pollution. Inversion
can happen in any season. Winter inversions are likely to cause particulate
and cabon monoxide pollution. Summer inversions are more likely to create
smog.

Another consequence of outdoor air pollution is acid rain. When a

pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air,
the water (or snow) can become acidified . The effects of acid rain on the
environment can be very serious. It damages plants by destroying their
leaves, it poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and
streams. Damage due to acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and
other wildlife. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), and Environment Canada are among the
organizations that are actively studying the acid
rain problem.

The Greenhouse Effect, also referred to as

global warming, is generally believed to come
from the build up of carbon dioxide gas in the
atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is produced when
fuels are burned. Plants convert carbon dioxide
back to oxygen, but the release of carbon
dioxide from human activities is higher than
the world's plants can process. The situation is made worse since many of
the earth's forests are being removed, and plant life is being damaged by
acid rain. Thus, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is continuing to
increase. This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface
of our earth. Changes of even a few degrees will affect us all through
changes in the climate and even the possibility that the polar ice caps may
melt. (One of the consequences of polar ice cap melting would be a rise in
global sea level, resulting in widespread coastal flooding.) Additional
resources and information about the Greenhouse Effect and global warming
are available from theEnvironmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Science
Education Academy of the Bay Area (SEABA) and the Society of
Environmental Journalists (SEJ).

Ozone depletion is another result of pollution. Chemicals released by our

activities affect the stratosphere , one of the atmospheric layers
surrounding earth. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth
from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Release
of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) from aerosol cans, cooling systems and
refrigerator equipment removes some of the ozone, causing "holes"; to open
up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth. Ultraviolet
radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants
and wildlife. Additional resources and information about the ozone
depletion problem are available from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Ozone ACTION.

Indoor Air Pollution

Many people spend large portion of time indoors - as much as 80-90% of

their lives. We work, study, eat, drink and sleep in enclosed environments
where air circulation may be restricted. For these reasons, some experts feel
that more people suffer from the effects of indoor air pollution than outdoor
pollution.

There are many sources of indoor air pollution. Tobacco

smoke, cooking and heating appliances, and vapors from
building materials, paints, furniture, etc. cause pollution
inside buildings. Radon is a natural radioactive gas released
from the earth, and it can be found concentrated in
basements in some parts of the United States. Additional
information about the radon problem is available from
the USGS and the Minnesota Radon Project.
Pollution exposure at home and work is often greater than outdoors.
The California Air Resources Board estimates that indoor air pollutant
levels are 25-62% greater than outside levels and can pose
serious health problems.

Both indoor and outdoor pollution need to be controlled and/or prevented. 

How can we prevent the damaging effects of air pollution?

How can air pollution hurt my health?

Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-
term and long-term effects. Different groups of individuals are affected by
air pollution in different ways. Some individuals are much more sensitive to
pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer
more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as
asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is
polluted. The extent to which an individual is harmed by air pollution
usually depends on the total exposure to the damaging chemicals, i.e.,
theduration of exposure and the concentration of the chemicals must be
taken into account.

Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and

throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions.
Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals
with asthma and emphysema. In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in
1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high
concentrations of pollution.
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung
cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or
kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing
children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.
It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the
United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.

Research into the health effects of air pollution is ongoing. Medical

conditions arising from air pollution can be very expensive. Healthcare
costs, lost productivity in the workplace, and human welfare impacts cost
billions of dollars each year.

Additional information on the health effects of air pollution is available

from the Natural Resources Defense Council. A short article on the health
effects of ozone (a major component of smog) is available from
the B.A.A.Q.M.D.

How can we prevent

the damaging effects of air pollution?

In many countries in the world, steps are being taken to stop the damage to
our environment from air pollution. Scientific groups study the damaging
effects on plant, animal and human life. Legislative bodies write laws to
control emissions. Educators in schools and universities teach students,
beginning at very young ages, about the effects of air pollution.

The first step to solving air pollution is assessment . Researchers have

investigated outdoor air pollution and have developed standards for
measuring the type and amount of some serious air pollutants.

Scientists must then determine how much exposure to pollutants is harmful.

Once exposure levels have been set, steps can be undertaken to reduce
exposure to air pollution. These can be accomplished by regulation of man-
made pollution through legislation. Many countries have set controls on
pollution emissions for transportation vehicles and industry. This is usually
done to through a variety of coordinating agencies which monitor the air
and the environment. At the United Nations, the Atmosphere Management
Program carries out world wide environmental projects. In the United
States, the primary federal agency is the Environmental Protection Agency.
Many state and local organizations also participate in monitoring and
controlling the environment. These include the San Francisco Bay Area's
Air Quality Management District (B.A.A.Q.M.D.), the Air Quality
Management District in southern California, the Environmental Protection
Agency of California, SmogBusters of southern California, and
the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention (GHASP).

Prevention is another key to controlling air pollution. The regulatory

agencies mentioned above play an essential role in reducing and preventing
air pollution in the environment.

In addition, it is possible to prevent many types of air pollution that are not
regulated through personal, careful attention to our interactions with the
environment. In the United States, most household products come with
instructions about safe use. Additional information about product chemical
safety are available in an article and a fact sheet from Enviro$en$e, and
in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).

Building materials should be reviewed for potential harmful effects.

Information on building materials can be found in LBNL's Center for
Building Science newsletter. Additional information is available
from EcoTech.

Adequate ventilation is also a key to controlling exposure to indoor air

pollution. Home and work environments should be monitored for adequate
air flow and proper exhaust systems installed. Additional information is
available in a book titled Understanding Ventilation .

One of the most dangerous air pollutants is cigarette smoke. Restricting

smoking is an important key to a healthier environment. Legislation to
control smoking is in effect in some locations, but personal exposure should
be monitored and limited wherever possible. Additional information about
the effects of "secondhand" cigarette smoke is available from the American
Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and Medicine On-line.

Only through the efforts of scientists, business leaders,

legislators, and individuals can we reduce the amount of air
pollution on the planet. This challenge must be met by all of us in order to
assure that a healthy environment will exist for ourselves and our children.
Find out "What you can do to reduce air pollution".

Why study black carbon pollution?

Black carbon pollution is the release of tiny particles into the

air from burning fuel for energy. Air pollution caused by
such particulates has been a major problem since the
beginning of the industrial revolution and the development
of the internal combustion engine . Scientific publications
dealing with the analysis of soot and smoke date back as
early as 1896. Mankind has become so dependent on the
burning of fossil fuels(petroleum products, coal, and natural
gas) that the sum total of all combustion-related emissions now constitutes
a serious and widespread problem, not only to human health, but also to the
entire global environment.

Additional resources dealing with the problems associated with particulate

pollution are available from Burning Issues. (This group has additional
information at a second site.)

In recent years, there has been great concern about black carbon pollution
of the air in parts of Eastern Europe. Education is one important step
toward correcting the problem.

Taking black carbon measurement to

Eastern Europe

In 1989, a high school biology teacher named Dean Rockwell came from

Macomb, Illinois to spend a summer in the DOE Teacher Research
Associate Program (TRAC) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He
was assigned to work with a research group studying the earth's
atmosphere. One of the scientists, a physicist named Tony Hansen, was
part of this group. Tony is the inventor of an instrument capable of
measuring graphitic carbon aerosol (a suspension of airborn carbon
particles better known as soot). Soot is a major atmospheric pollutant. Tony
developed a device to measure this pollutant, and he introduced Dean to its
use.

After learning more about the instrument, Dean and Tony discussed the
possibility of developing a similar device that could be easily understood,
built, and operated by students. They challenged themselves to make an
instrument that would be inexpensive , so that teachers could afford to
assemble it on their small science budgets. Tony and Dean developed a
procedure that used simple, commonly available materials such as facial
tissue, a vacuum cleaner, a large garbage bag, a light bulb, plastic cups and
a $2.40 photo cell that could be attached to an ammeter. Tony and Dean
built the instrument out of these simple materials and they tested it. To their
surprise, this low-tech procedure produced data that were extremely
similar to those provided by Tony's best high-tech equipment!

Tony had developed research collaborations with scientists in Eastern

Europe even before the Berlin Wall fell. The air pollution problem,
particularly the sootconcentration in Eastern European countries, can be ten
times greater than the concentration on a bad day in Los Angeles.
European scientists discussed their limited resources and their desire to set
up a network to monitor air pollution. Tony suggested that they try the
instrument that he and Dean had developed. This idea was very interesting
to scientists in Slovenia  .

Dr. Mirko Bizjak, of the National Chemistry Institute of

Slovenia, thought it would be a good idea to involve and
educate school children about environmental issues. In the
summer of 1992, Dean Rockwell was invited to visit 10
schools in Slovenia and to talk about the program to school science
teachers. The teachers were enthusiastic. Through the Slovenian Board of
Education, Dr. Bizjak developed information packets and a training video
that were sent to interested school teachers.
The idea caught on. School children volunteers and their teachers/mentors
built their own sampling and analysis devices in school shops and
laboratories.

Dr. Ulle Kikas, an educator and scientist from Tartu University in Tartu,
Estonia learned of the Slovenian program in 1992 received instructional
materials from Drs. Bizjak and Hansen. The school-based measurement
program also caught on fast in Estonia.

Today, over 60 schools in Slovenia share data on the Internet in this

national network. Classroom materials have been developed for all grade
levels, and older students receive and analyze data. In Estonia, the 12
schools that measure soot in the atmosphere comprise the only air pollution
monitoring network in this small country!

This work has been reported in the Journal for Chemical Education (Vol.

71, pp. 318-23, 1994), the Bulletin of the World Meteorological
Organization (Vol. 43, No.1 January 1994, p. 60) and the 5th International
Conference on Carbonaceous Particles in the Atmosphere .