Chapter AIR & WATER

O’ level & IGCSE

By Sir Qasim – 0321-5140796
Composition of CLEAN AIR
Other GASES Mainly contain ARGON
GAS ~ 1%

For Calculations we can use

Nitrogen as 80% and Oxygen as 20%

Water Vapours and Pollutant gases

are also present.
 Pollutants
Those Chemical substances that
can harm living and non living
things of our environment are
called Pollutants.
Common Air Pollutants &
Sources and Harmful Effects

Natural Artificial Harmful

Pollutant # 1
Source Source Effects

❖Acid Rain
Oxides of
Sulphur ❖Breathing
Volcanic Burning of
SO2 Problems
Eruptions Fossil Fuels
Sulphur
dioxide ❖Skin
Irritation
 Natural Artificial Harmful
Pollutant # 2
Source Source Effects
Lightning
Oxides of Storms
Nitrogen (produces lots High Temp in
of heat energy Car Engines ❖Acid Rain
that breaks (breaks the
NO & NO2 the strong strong triple ❖Breathing
triple bonds of bonds of N2 of Problems
Nitrogen N2 of air so air so Nitrogen
Monoxide & Nitrogen reacts with
reacts with oxygen in air ❖Skin
oxygen in air to form NO Irritation
Nitrogen
to form NO and NO2.)
dioxide and NO2.)
 Artificial Harmful
Pollutant # 3 Natural Source
Source Effects
❖Severe
Incomplete
Incomplete Breathing
Burning of
Combustion of Problems
Carbon Fossil Fuels
fuels ❖ May causes
MONOXIDE
e.g. Forest Suffocation
Like Coal,
Fires & death
Petrol, Diesel

✓ Yellow/orange coloured flames are incomplete combustion so

they produce Carbon MONOXIDE

✓ Carbon Monoxide bind with the Haemoglobin present in our

blood and reduces oxygen carrying capacity of our blood.
 Natural Artificial Harmful
Pollutant # 4
Source Source Effects

❖These
Oxides /
fumes
Fumes of Burning of
affect the
LEAD --------- LEAD added
mental
containing Fuel
development
Compounds
of children
Lead Compounds like TEL ( tetra ethyl lead )
and TML (tetra methyl lead ) are added to
fuels petrol to artificially increase their
quality. This is an illegal method.
 Natural Artificial Harmful
Pollutant # 5
Source Source Effects

❖Photo
chemical
SMOG
Unburnt Incomplete
HYDRO Combustion
------ ❖Breathing
CARBONS of Fossil
Problems
CxHy Fuels
❖Skin
Irritation
Watch these Videos to further Improve
your concept
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ri95j0cShg

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXSK7Qvmlps
Solution to Air Pollutants

 Catalytic converter
 De sulphurization plants
 Better engines
 Better fuels
 Other human actions
 Green Chemistry!
Catalytic converter is a device that converts
pollutant / harmful exhaust gases of engines
into non-pollutant gases
 How does Catalytic Converter Work
Catalytic converter consists of a mesh of Transition metals e.g
Platinum (White GOLD), Rhodium e.t.c
 As these metals are expensive so a thin layer of these metals
in coated on another less expensive material e.g. metal or
ceramic (material)

 Engine produces a lot of heat. This heat provides energy for

catalytic converter to work.

 When Pollutant gases strike the hot transition metals in

catalytic converter, the reaction starts on the metals mesh
 Reactions - Removal of oxides and unburnt
hydrocarbons are important as they cause
respiratory disease.
 Car exhaust fumes contain pollutant gases such as carbon
monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NO) and unburnt hydrocarbons
HC

The following reactions occur inside a car exhaust:

 Carbon Monoxide + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide
2CO + O2 -> 2CO2
 Nitrogen Oxide + Carbon Monoxide -> Nitrogen + Carbon Dioxide
2NO + 2CO -> N2 + 2CO
 Unburnt Hydrocarbons + Oxygen → Carbon dioxide + water
CxHy + O2 → CO2 + H20
Watch these videos to improve your
concept of catalytic converters
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAd_IrXiYCU
 DESULPHURIZATION & FLUE GAS

 Desulphurization – Series of Chemical processes that

remove Sulphur Dioxide from the smoke of factories.

 Flue gases. Pollution causing Exhaust Gases / smoke of

the Factories consist of many pollutant gases including
Sulphur dioxide. These gases are collectively know as
Flue Gases.
 The most dangerous gas in Flue Gas is Sulphur dioxide so
the process is named FLUE GAS DESULPHURIZATION
Why is Flue-gas Desulfurization FGD important

 Flue-gas Desulfurization or FGD removes the Sulphur

dioxide from the exhaust gases of power plants, oil
and gas industries, and major industrial plants where
fossil fuel is burned.

 These exhaust gases from Factories must be detoxified

before releasing it into air because they are pollutants
and can be harmful to plants, animals and other living
organisms.
How does it work?
 The Flue Gas Desulphurization or FGD technology is
based on acid-bases chemical reaction that occurs
when the warm acidic exhaust gases from factories
come into contact with basic limestone (CaCO3)

 This reaction removes 92% of the Sulphur dioxide

from the flue gas and converts the limestone into
Calcium Sulphite (CaSO3)
 SO2 + CaCO3 → CaSO3 + CO2 Hence SO2 is removed
from smoke of the
factories.
Green CHEMSITRY !!!
 Environment Friendly Chemical substances and chemical
processes.
 Green Chemistry means using such chemical processes and
chemical materials that causes less amount of pollution that
normal chemical processes.

 Industries have to use GREEN chemical processes to

manufacture things.

 These processes are expensive at first but their cost reduces

significantly when many factories start using them.

 So GREEN CHEMISTRY is the WAY TO GO !!!

Not Included in course !!! Just for
educational purpose!
Watch these videos to improve your
concept of Green Chemistry
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B45LMANkcKI
Watch these videos to improve your
concept of Pollutants from fuels
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLp6LOgPHm
I&t=196s
 Other Methods
 Use better engines that burn fuel more efficiently and in a clean
manner (produce less smoke)

 Use better quality fuels which have been extra refined (cleaned)
to remove Sulphur impurities from them so these fuels produce
less pollution

 Our Own actions: produce less plastics, Use things made from
recyclable materials, Stop Wastage of things so it will decrease
the amount of waste / garbage produces
Green Houses
 Green houses are used to provide heated atmosphere to plants in
cold weather for better growth of plants
 Green houses do not use any energy (No electricity or gas BILLS !)
 They trap the heat coming from sun. GLASS DOES NOT ALLOW
HEAT TO ESCAPE !
 Green House Effect
 Definition: The warming effect produced when
reflected heat energy is absorbed by atmosphere is
called green house effect.

 This is a beneficial and very important effect as keeps

the atmosphere of earth quite warm so its supports life
on this planet Earth !
 Moon has no atmosphere so it has no green house
effect so It does NOT support life.
Watch this video to improve your
concept
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPJJM_hCFj0
 Two main Green House Gases
 CARBON DIOXIDE – from Breathing/respiration and
burning of fossil fuels

 METHANE –
 Decay of vegetable Matter e.g. Animal waste e.t.c.
 Lots of Methane Gas is produced by cows during their
digestion.
 Leakage of natural gas from pipes

These Gases are mainly responsible for absorbing the

reflected heat energy and heating up the atmosphere.
How does Green house effect work?
How Does Green House Effect WORK?
 The Sun emits heat rays that enter the Earth’s Atmosphere.
 The heat is emitted back from the Earth’s surface.
 Some heat is escapes out into Space

 Remaining heat is absorbed by Greenhouse gasses Such as

Carbon Dioxide and Methane. This heat is trapped within the
Earth’s Atmosphere so causes the Earth’s average
temperature to rise as a result.
 Green house effect is beneficial for Earth to support life.
GLOBAL WARMING

 EXTRA HEATING of Atmosphere due to EXCESSIVE

Green House Effect is called Global warming.

 “ Too much of a good thing is a bad thing !”

Global Warming is harmful for us and our Earth.
Watch this video to improve your
concept
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Ci_EooW-k&t=169s
Reasons for Global Warming

 Excessive production of CO2 Carbon di oxide due to Burning of huge amounts

of fossil fuels (e.g. Just Imagine How much Petrol is Burned on daily basis in
the whole city, whole country and whole world in cars !

 Use and release of other green house gases like ChloroFouroCarbons CFCs
from Air conditioners and refrigerators

 Use of Green house gases from Aerosol Sprays like perfume, Air Freshners
Global Warming – Excessive Green house effect
Drastic Effects of Global Warming
 Climate change due to increase in Earth’s temperature
 Extreme weather. Too much heat, too Much COLD, Too Much
rains / storms / floods and extreme droughts
 Heat waves .g. El Nino
 Water levels will rise as glaciers will melt because of high
temperatures, causes flooding in low-lying countries
 Extinction of species due to inhabitable environment
 Migration of species as they will move to areas that are more
habitable (no droughts)
 Spread of diseases caused by the cold climate
 Loss of habitat (living area) due to climate change (animals
that live on glaciers) e.g. Polar Bears
Watch these videos to improve your
concept
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ4mOIE6WcI

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H1N_yXBiA
INTRODUCTION TO OZONE

 Ozone is a gas O3
Oxygen
 Ozone is an allotrope of Oxygen
 Oxygen has two allotropes:
Atmospheric
 Atmospheric Oxygen O2 Oxygen Ozone
 Ozone O3 O2 O3

It is present naturally high in our atmosphere.

There is a layer of Ozone gas around Earth
Importance of ozone

Layer of Ozone is Present high in atmosphere around

earth. Ozone absorbs ultraviolet radiation coming from
the sun.
UV radiation are very harmful. They are so Strong that
they can break covalent bonds. So they can damage our
skin and cause skin cancers. They can damage plants
and things too.
 Other uses of Ozone

 For air purification at the crowded places like cinema halls and
tunnel railways. Due to its strong oxidizing power it also
destroys the foul smell in slaughter houses.

 In sterilizing drinking water by oxidizing all germs and bacteria.

 For preservation of meat in cold storages.

Properties of OZONE gas
❑ It is a highly reactive gas.

❑ Itis a pollutant. If it is present around us then it causes

pollution e.g. Breathing problems

❑ Itis a light blue colored gas. It has characteristic Irritating

strong Smell. It is produces during electrical sparking or
Welding.

❑ It can kill germs as It is poisonous.

❑ Inhigh concentration it causes nausea and headaches in

humans.
Formation of Ozone in upper atmosphere

 Ultraviolet light coming from the Sun breaks the atmospheric oxygen
O2
O2 + UV → O + O
This single O is called oxygen free radicle and is very very reactive. This
O combines with O2 to form Ozone O3
O2 + O → O3

Overall Reaction is 3 O2 _UV_→ 2 O3

So Ozone gas is naturally forming in our upper atmosphere

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0bx2BuxT-I
 Depletion of Ozone
 When O3 Ozone absorbs the harmful ultraviolet radiation it breaks into O2
normal oxygen
2 O3 _uv_→ 3 O2

Chloroflourocarbons produce chlorine free radicles high in the atmosphere when

UV light strikes them.
These Free Chlorine Radicles (Cl` – single atom) act as catalysts and speed up the
breaking of ozone. This is called Ozone Depletion (finishing of ozone)

 Cl` + O3 => ClO` + O2

 O` + ClO` => X` + O2
 Net Reaction: 2 O3 + UV => 3 O2 (Cl` is acting as catalyst)
Hamrful effects of Ozone depletion and
how to prevent them.
Watch these videos to improve your concept:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU6pxSNDPhs&t=63s

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1b3-l4BxqGA
SMOG = Smoke + Fog
 Smog is a kind of air pollution of mixture of smoke and fog
in the air.
Classic smog results from large amounts of coal burning in an
area and is caused by a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide.
 Photochemical Smog
 When ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with nitrogen oxides, ozone and
unburnt hydrocarbons in the atmosphere Photochemical smog is produced.
 It is visible as a brown haze, and is most prominent during the morning and
afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm cities
 The UV rays coming from the sun converts the pollutant gases into more
dangerous chemicals
 Harmful effects of photochemical smog
 Photochemical smog is capable of inflicting irreversible damage on the
lungs and heart.
 Even short-term exposure to photochemical smog tends to have ill
effects on both the young and the elderly.
 It causes painful irritation of the respiratory system, reduced lung
function and difficulty breathing;
 High levels of smog also trigger asthma attacks because the smog
causes increased sensitivity to allergens, which are triggers for
asthma.
 Children, the elderly and people with poor lung function carry a far
greater risk of developing respiratory illness from photochemical smog
than healthy adults.
 Photochemical smog also damages proper growth of plants & crops
 Causes of Photo chemical smog
 Photochemical smog is mainly caused by Smoke emitted by
cars and factories.

 Other quickly evaporating chemicals in Paint and glues also

cause photochemical smog.

 Pollutants like SO2, NO2, UNBURNT HYDROCARBONS AND

OZONE (present in lower atmosphere around us changes into
more harmful compounds when UV light coming from sun
strikes them
 How can we reduce
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG
The problem of photochemical smog has become internationally
recognized as major health issue. It requires serious efforts to reduce
pollutant emissions by
 Using cleaner / high quality fuel
 Using newer clean engine which burn fuel more efficiently and in a
cleaner manner .
 Using cars fitted with catalytic converters
 Desulfurization of fuel gases from coal-fired power plants.
 Expansion of public rail transport e.g. Buses and trains (metro).
 Preventing overuse of fertilizer in agriculture because excess
chemicals lead to pollution.
Watch these videos to improve your concept:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdbBwIgq4rs
 ACID RAIN
 Rainfall made so acidic by atmospheric pollution that it causes
environmental harm, mainly to forests and lakes. It has pH less
than 4.5.

 Normal rain is a bit acidic due to air pollution.

 Excessive air pollution causes acid rain. Acid rain doesn’t harm us
directly. We can walk in acid rain.
 Those areas where all the acid rain water collects. E.g. farms,
forest soil, lakes are most damages by acid rain.
 Main causes Of Acid Rain
 The main cause is the industrial burning of coal and other
fossil fuels,
 These waste gases contain Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
oxides. Oxides of non metals are acidic. So these acidic
oxides combine with Rain water to form acids.
Effect of Acid Rain
Before & After
 Harmful Effects of Acid Rain
 Decreases the pH of soil so that crops do not grow well
 Decreases pH of lakes which damages aquatic life i.e fish
and underwater plants.
 Deforestation. Destroys trees in forest. Soil contains
compounds of Aluminium. Acids rain reacts with these
compounds and causes the release of free Al3+ ion which
are poisonous for plants.
 As acids are corrosive so acid rain damages buildings,
marble and metal structures like statues and bridges.
Watch these videos to improve your knowledge

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmgLESI4GGU

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6rglsLy1Ys
 Water – H2O
 Water is one of the most important substance on planet
earth.
 Water supports life. It is essential for life. Life cannot
exist without water because water in required in the
chemical reactions that take place inside living things.
 2 out of 3 parts of earth in covered with water.
 Water provides different weather and keeps the earth
functioning.
 Types of Water
 Clean / Potable water: (Can be stored in pots) it is clean
water and can be used for drinking. It is suitable for
human consumption.

 Dirty / Non – Potable water (we do not store it in pots

because it is dirty waste water e.g. sewage water). It is
the waste water after it has been used for washing and
cleaning purpose. It is Not fit for human consumption.
 Water On and INSIDE Earth
 Clean water is stored on mountains in the form of snow / ice
glaciers
 Glaciers are rivers if ice which move a few inches in a year.
 In summers these glaciers melt and provide fresh clean water to all
the rivers in the world. These rivers then provide water to the lakes.
 Some of the water is soaked up by the earth. Some water enters
into the earth from many holes and cracks / tunnels inside the
mountains. THERE ARE UNDERGROUD RIVERS RUNNING INSIDE
EARTH.
 We can access this water by digging wells and by BORING / drilling
into the earth
 Clean water is a huge blessing.
Clean water is a HUGE blessing.

 Out of total 7 billions Total Population

 1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking
water.
 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation.
 1.8 million people die every year from
diarrhoeal diseases (diseases of
stomach/intestines), including 90 % of children
under 5
 Physical test of Water
Test to Check Purity of Water
 Pure water Freezes at O °C
 Pure Water Boils at 100 °C

 We can test purity of water by measuring its

freezing and boiling point

 Impure water has:

 Lower Freezing point e.g. -5 °C
 Higher Boiling point e.g. 105 °C
 Water of crystallization
 Some crystals can trap few water molecules inside their
structure.
 This water is then called water of crystallization.
ANHYDROUS Crystals / Compounds HYDRATED Crystals / Compounds
WITHOUT water of crystallization WITH water of crystallization
e.g. CuSO4 white in color CuSO4.5H20 Blue in color
e.g. CoCl2 Blue in color CoCl2.5H2OPink in color

Copper Sulphate Cobalt Chloride

 Chemical Test of Water
Anhydrous Copper Sulphate (white in Anhydrous Cobalt Chloride (Blue in
colour) colour
Test: add few drops of water to white Test: Add few drops of water to
anhydrous CuSO4 crystals anhydrous CoCl2 paper or crystals.

Result: Crystals turn from Result: Crystals or Paper turns from

White To BLUE Blue to PINK
Purification of water to make it safe for
drinking purpose
 Lakes and rivers do contains clean fresh water but even this
water needs to be further purified to make it safe for
drinking purpose.

 The main 2 steps are:

 Filtration: To remove the undissolved materials
 Chlorination: To kill all the germs in the water
From Lakes
& Rivers =Chemicals that changes impurities into insoluble precipitates

Chlorination
 Steps of Water Purification
1. Coagulation or Clotting: we add chemicals to changes dissolved
impurities into Insoluble solid precipitates that we can easily filter.
E.g. Our Blood COAGULATES when it come into contact with air
2. Sedimentation: Water is left standing for several days so that all
heavy undissolved materials gets settled at the bottom
3. Filtration: removes solid undissolved materials from water
4. Chlorination: kills all the germs / bacteria & viruses in water
5. pH Adjustment: to adjust pH to neutral because Chlorination
makes water acidic
6. Addition of Charcoal: to remove any smell and color from water.
TO MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR !
7. FINAL FILTRATION BEFORE CONSUMPTION
Watch these videos to improve your
concept
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDeiRlQvWnM

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9NLmD-cPgc
QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION
IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUERIES
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT
SIR QASIM 0321-5140796

HAPPY STUDYING !