AIR QUALITY AND POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION MAJOR AIR POLLUTANTS

• Air pollution refers to the contamination of the indoor or
outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological
agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the
atmosphere.
• Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial
facilities, and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.
• Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate
matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur
dioxide.
• Outdoor and indoor air pollution cause respiratory and other
diseases and is an important source of morbidity and mortality
(WHO.org)
• Worlds largest environmental health risk that leads to millions
of death each year
• Primary - Emitted from identifiable sources
o emitted from identifiable sources ( e.i. particulate matter,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide)
o Particulate matter are quantified as:
▪ Total suspended particulate (tsp)
▪ Pm10
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
o Contributed by diesel powered motor vehicles
o Diesel, coal, oil, power plants and smelters
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
o Nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and nitrous oxide
o Motor vehicle emissions and fossil fuel burning

• Vulnerable people: • Hydrocarbon (HCs)

o Elderly o Basic component of oils
o Children o Motor vehicle emission and power plants
o With chronic lung and heart dieases
• Sulfur oxides (Sox)
AIR POLLUTION SOURCES o SO2, SO3, SO4, and H2SO4
o Due to diesel oil
• OUTDOOR (AMBIENT) o Industry, cigarette smoke, diesel and gasoline
o Fuel combustion smoke and fumes
o Industrial operations
o Solid waste disposal • Secondary – unidentifiable sources
o Nuclear devices o results from the suspension of some primary pollutants
o Smoking (e.i. ozone, PAN)
o Miscellaneous sources o React to chemical reactions
▪ Volcanic eruption
▪ Typhoons
• Photochemical oxidants
▪ fires o Involves sunlight
▪ Construction
• Ozone (O3)
• Miscellaneous outdoor source o Tropogenic ozone in the stratosphere
o Natural or artificial o Anthropogenic (man-made) ozone
▪ Forest or structural fires
▪ Construction and demolition work
• Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN)
▪ Volcanic eruptions
o Same as TSP sources
▪ Typhoons carry soil into the air

• Could be:
o Natural (biogenic) FATE OF AIR POLLUTANTS
▪ Pollen
▪ Bushfires • Photochemical reactions
▪ Dust • Scavenging processes or disposal reactions
• Dilution, diffusion and dispersion
o Human (anthropogenic)
▪ Industry
▪ Burning fossil fuels
▪ Motor vehicles AIR POLLUTANTS AND THEIR DISPOSAL REACTIONS

POLLUTANT DISPOSAL REACTIONS

CO Soil organisms
• INDOOR SO2 Oxidation to sulfate
o Cooking and heating Soluble: stays in the air for only May undergo intermediate
o Building materials a few minutes. processes and become H2SO4
o Office machines Reducing agent that can cause acid rain
o Furnishings NO/NO2 Oxidation to nitrate
o Household cleaning substances Soluble: stays in the air for only
o Street dust / garden soil a few minutes
o Biological agents HC Photochemical reaction: 10% in
o Tobacco smoke the stratosphere 90% in
o Industrial operations biosphere (marine)
Particulate Matter Processes that will terminate
their existence in the air:
absorption, adsorption, rain out
or wash out
CO2 Photosynthesis
May stay in the air for thousands Absorption in oceans
of years

EARLIS
 AIR QUALITY AND POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS:

1. ENVIRONMENTAL 1. PARTICULATE MATTER (PM)

A. Land • Industry
• Adverse effect on soil and other surfaces • Vehicle exhausts
• Dust storms
B. Water • bushfires
• Adverse effects of acid gases on marine life and • Less than 10micrometers in diameter
vegetation • Can reach the deepest parts of the lungs and enter
• Settling or air particles in water causes water blood stream
pollution
2. NITROGEN DIOXIDE (NO2)
C. Vegetation • Is form when fuel is burned at high temperature
• Chlorosis – discoloration • Burning duel
• Necrosis – drying up • Vehicle exhausts
• Abscission – premature falling out of flowers • Industry
• Plasmolysis – disturbance in the water balance • Power plants
• Growth suppression • Gas stovetops
• Reduced yield
• Soiling / dirtying effect – light could not penetrate 3. CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)
leaves → no photosynthesis • Colorless and odorless
• Formed when incomplete burning of carbon
2. HEALTH • Motor vehicle exhaust
A. Acute and Chronic diseases • Industry
B. Changes in Important physiological functions
• Incinerators
• CO poisoning • bushfires
• Carbon monoxide is very high in areas with heavy
C. Superficial physical damage
traffic congestions
• Sensory irritations
• Discomfort, impairment of visibility and odor 4. SULFURE DIOXIDE (SO2)
• Other effects such as transfer of residence or • Formed when burning of sulfur containing fuels
change of work • Powerplants
• Refineries
D. Indirect effects
• Mental health and well being 5. LEAD (Pb)
• Produced as result of metal and ore processing
E. Death
• Motor vehicle exhaust used to be a major source
• Regulatory efforts to reduce lead in fuel lead to
reduction of lead emissions

6. OZONE (O3)
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL • Produced as sunlight acting on other chemicals in
the air
1. TECHNOLOGICAL (technologies)
• Ground level ozone is pollutant
a. DILUTION AND DISPERSION
• Ozone in atmosphere has protective action
• Use of tall stacks or chimney
7. FORMALDEHYDE
b. CONTAINMENT
8. METHYLSOCYANATE
• Use of air cleaning devices such as cyclones, 9. PCB
scrubbers, filters and precipitants 10. XYLENE
11. PAH
2. ADMINISTRATIVE (laws) 12. BENZENE
• Rules, regulations and standards on air quality and 13. TOLUENE
emissions
• Zoning
• Proper siting of potential sources
• Factories

• Utilizing meteorological conditions / factors

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