Name of the Staff: Dr.S.

Sivaprasad

Pollution

Pollution is defined as the excess discharge of any substance into the environment which
affects adversity quality of environment and causing damage to humans, plants and animals.

Pollution is explained as any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects
the usefulness of resources.

Pollution can be in the form of solid, liquid or gaseous substance. Pollution causes damage to
human, plant and animal life. The nature and concentration of pollutant determine the
severity of effect of pollution.

Classification of pollution

The pollutants that pollute the environment is divided into following types

1.Air-pollution

2.Water-pollution

3.Soil-Pollution

4.Marine-pollution

5.Noise-pollution

6.Thermal-pollution

7. Nuclear hazards

Air pollution

It is the presence of harmful foreign substances (pollutants) in the atmosphere, emitted by

both natural and anthropogenic (human activity) sources.
Air pollution is the contamination or presence of unwanted substances in the air making it

harmful and detrimental for human and animal health.

Air Pollution is the deterioration of the quality of the air to an extent that:

• it becomes difficult to breathe, often toxic or detrimental,

• it complicates the health of living beings,

• it causes the body organs to malfunction,

• it damages the habitats of animal, plants, and other living organisms,

• it poses the threat to the natural environment and its habitats.

Pure air is necessary for our health. Air pollution is the leading cause of several diseases.

During the past few years, air pollution has emerged as one of the leading causes of death

worldwide.

Causes of air pollution

1. Industrialization

2. Urbanization

3. Vehicles emission

4. Deforestation

5. Population

6. installation of chemical

7. test of modern weapons

8. increase of motor vehicles

9. Greenhouse gases

Types of air pollutants

Air pollutants can broadly classified into two types-

1. Primary pollutants

2. Secondary pollutants

Classification of air pollutants:

Air pollutants can also be divided into two categories: primary pollutant and secondary

pollutant.

• Primary pollutants: Primary pollutants are emitted directly from the sources. The

example of primary pollutant includes carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO),

sulfur dioxide, nitric-oxide, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and radioactive substances.

Industrial fumes and smokes, ash, dust, mist, are other primary sources of air pollution.

• Secondary pollutants: The secondary pollutants are not emitted from the sources.

They are formed when primary pollutants interact with atmospheric constituents.

Example includes sulphur-trioxide (SO3), nitrogen-trioxide, ozone (O3), hydrocarbons,

acid rain, etc.

Major Air Pollutants

The pollutants that contribute major portion of global air pollution are:

1 Sulphur Oxides (SO2): These substances are produced by industry, particularly the

industrial combustion of fossil fuels. They are also produced naturally when volcanoes

erupt.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a Colourless gas with a sharp odour that accounts for about 18%

of allair pollution.

Sources:

Chemical industries, Metals meltings, Pulp and paper mills,Oil refineries Effects of Sulphur
dioxide:
Sulphur dioxide reacts with moisture in eyes, lungs and mucous membranes to form Strong
irritating acid. It can trigger allergic reaction and asthama.

If moisture is present in the atmosphere, sulphur dioxides is converted into sulphuric acid or
ifconditions are dry, into sulphate particulates. The tiny- only 0.1 to 1 mm in diameter-
sulphuricacid and sulphate particulates form aerosols. The aerosols

contribute to the adverse healths effects of smog and haze and also play a serious role in haze.
Sulphuric acid and sulphate are likewise directly involved in three serious global global
change problems.

Acidic deposition is one of those.

The stratospheric ozone depletion, where by sulphate particles in the stratosphere

providesurfaces on which ozone-destroying reactions occur. A third major effect is the

antiwarminginfluence they exert in global climate change

2 Nitrous oxides(N2O):

These oxides are released into the atmosphere when industrial combustion occurs at

high temperatures.

3 Carban Monoxide (CO)

It is a colourless, odourless, flammable gas, which is a product of incomplete

combustion. Ifcarbon were completely oxidized during burning, complete combustion to

carbon dioxide wouldoccur and carbon monoxide would not be a problem.

It is important not to confuse carbonmonoxide with carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide

(CO) is an incomplete combustion product andcan be toxic even at low concentrations,

whereas carbon dioxide (CO2) is a complete oxidationproduct.

Sources of Carbon monoxide:

Carbon monoxide is formed whenever a carbon material is burned e.g. automobile

exhausts,cigarettes etc. In addition to motor vehicles, sources of carbon monoxide

include burning coal,natural gas or biomass. Biomass combustion can be a significant

source of exposure in rural

areas or in underdeveloped countries where it is burned for cooking,heating and even

light.Atmospheric oxidation of methane gas and other hydrocarbons and even light.

Atmosphericoxidation of methane gas and other hydrocarbons also produces carbon

monoxide.

Effects of CO:

Carbon monoxide accounts for more than 50% of air pollution nationwide and

worldwide. It is a pervasive pollutant. Worldwide, hundreds of millions monoxide-

related illness, which include

headaches, dizziness and drowsiness. Reports show that about 11% heart failure caused

by excess carbon monoxide.

In the normal situation, the iron atom in the blood protein haemoglobin, picks up

oxygen from the lung and transports in to the body’s cells. There the haemoglobin

releases oxygen and picks up the waste gas carbon dioxide, which it transports back to

the lungs and releases. After

releasing carbon dioxide, it picks up more oxygen. Carbon monoxide has 200 items

greater affinity for the iron in haemoglobin than does oxygen and interrupts this cycle

by displacing oxygen. The result is a lowered amount of oxygen reaching the heart which

can lead to heart failure in sensitive people.

Carbon monoxide also has other adverse effects in the body. For example, it interferes with
the oxygen-carrying proteins in muscles.
When humans are exposed to CO, it forms carboxy haemoglobin at the expense

Of oxy haemoglobin. Tissues are thus deprived of oxygen and asphyxiation occurs.

If the victim continues to receive a high dosage of CO, then permanent brain damage

and even death will result. Initial symptoms include dizziness, headache, nausea and

faintness.

Chronic exposure at 25 mg m-3 of CO in air causes cardiovascular problems which can

Be particularly dangerous to a person who already suffers from such problems. The

inhalation of 35ppm for eight hours causes a loss in ability to learn and do complicated

tasks, reduces

awareness, decreases manual dexterity, and disturb sleep activity

4 Carbon dioxide (CO2):

This noxious gas is another pollutant released when fossil fuels are burnt.

5 Particulates:

Small particles can be released into the air by aerosol use and by the combustion of

fossil fuels (for example, soot is released when coal is burned).

Besides above, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbons (H.C.) are major pollutants.

Further, organic and inorganic acids, bacteria, viruses, insecticides, etc. pollutes the air.

Sources of air pollutants:

Major sources of air pollution includes both natural sources and man-made source

(anthropogenic).

A. Natural sources:

The natural sources of air pollutants includes volcanic eruptions, forest fires, deflation of

sands and dusts, storms, etc.

• Volcanic pollutants :

Are produced as a result of volcanic activities. Examples: ashes, smokes, carbon dioxide,

chlorine, sulfur, dust and other gases.

• Land surface pollutants:

It often get mixed with earth’s atmosphere. The dust, sand, soil particles, salt, etc. are

the examples of land pollutants.

• The cosmic particles:

And rays, comets, etc. are the natural sources of air pollution.

• Green plants and vegetation:

That produces Volatile organic compounds (VOC) in large quantity are indirect

pollutants.

B. Anthropogenic (Man-made sources)

Industries, automobiles, agriculture, power plants, domestic sources, etc. are the man-made or

anthropogenic sources of air pollution.

• Industrial air pollutants:

Are the harmful substances that are released into the air during the manufacturing,

production and other industrial process. The smokes, fumes, etc. emitted from large

industries and power plants are the examples of industrial air pollutants. The dust and

particulate matters also gets mixed with air to worsen the situation.

• Domestic air pollutants:

Are the contaminated chemicals and substances that released into the air as a result of

household activities. The domestic sources of air pollutant includes gases from kitchen,

burning of coal gas, fuel wood, etc.

• Vehicular pollutants:

Are emitted by various automobiles. The mixes and polluted the air. For example, the

smoke, gases, fumes, emissions from surface, water and air transport vehicles causes

pollution.

• Agricultural activities:

Also involves the introduction of pollutants into the environment. When insecticides,

pesticides and herbicides are sprayed on agricultural fields, they also get mixed with air.

This results to an increase in air pollution of the surrounding environment.

• Pollutants from fossil-fuel based power plants:

The heavy dependence on fossil fuels for meeting the power requirement has done much

damage to our environment. When fossil fuels are burnt, the produces several harmful

gases including CO2. The heat generated from the power plants negatively affects the

environment. The smokes and fly ash that is discharged get mixed with air.

The impact of air pollution:

Air pollution have a negative impact on the environment andthe ecosystems within the

environment. They are discussed below in points:

• Smog:

Particulates can cause thick, gloomy clouds in the air. This can severely limit visibility,

and is a particular problem in big cities where vehicle use is very heavy.

• Respiratory problems in humans:

Sulfides, nitrous oxides and carbon monoxide can all cause respiratory illness in

humans In high quantities or over long periods of time, these pollutants can also be
fatal

 the acidification of the oceans:

If the air is polluted, these pollutants can dissolve into the oceans and saturate them

with carbon, particulates, sulfides and nitrates. In this way, air pollution turns into

water pollution as well, spoiling the habitats of marine and freshwater life.

• Freak weather:

Global warming does not just cause global temperatures of earth and sea to rise. It

also causes freak weather events such as huge blizzards, forest fires, tsunamis and so

on. This disrupts agriculture, destroys animals’ habitats and causes poverty, drought

and the displacement of vast numbers of human beings across the face of the earth.

How to Control Air Pollution?

Much of the air pollution is caused due to human activity. The following remedial measures

can be taken to control air pollution

Plant more trees. Trees absorb greenhouses gases such as CO2 and releases O2 into the

air.

• Use fewer vehicles. Vehicles releases much of the pollutants into the air. An alternative

way to save air polluting is to start using e-vehicles.

• Use less fossil fuels. Fossil fuels such as coal, when burned, releases massive quantity of

polluting gases into the environment.

• Make use of Renewable energy. Unlike thermal power plants, that pollutes the air,

renewable sources of power such as hydro power, wind power, solar power, etc., are

comparatively less polluting.

• Use green technologies. Unlike traditional factories, that releases a lot of polluting

fumes in the air, modern green plants releases a minimal of polluting gases.