Air pollution

part 2
SREEVIDYA SREEKUMAR

Kerala PSC Expert

 Methods of controlling air pollution:
1. Control of air pollution by zoning

2. Dilution of source discharge by use of tall stacks (Chimneys)

3. Control by using source correction methods (By changing raw materials,

Process methods, equipment etc..)

4. Reduction of pollutant discharge at source by use of controlling equipment

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Control of air pollution by zoning:

● By proper zoning, the city should be planned in such a way that residential
areas and heavy industries are not located too close to each other.

● Providing a green belt between the industries and the township, will reduce
the impact of air pollution

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Equipment for control of particulate pollutants from the gas stream.

1. Gravity settling chambers

2. Cyclonic separators or cyclones

3. Scrubbers or wet collectors.

4. Electrostatic precipitators

5. Fabric filters

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1.Gravitational settling chamber
● Used to remove particles with size
greater than 50 μm.
● Velocity of flue gas reduced in large
chamber.
● Particles settle under gravitational
force.
 Advantages
● Low initial cost.
● Easy to design.
● Low pressure drop.
● Low maintenance cost.
● Dry and continuous disposal of
solid particulates.
Disadvantages
● Require large space.
● Less collection efficiency.
● Only larger size particles can be
collected.
Centrifugal collectors
cyclone collectors,dynamic
precipitators

● Centrifugal force is utilized to

separate the particulate matter.

● Minimum particle size that an be

removed 5-25μm particle

● Used mostly in industries.

 Advantages
● Low initial cost.
● Require less floor area.
● Simple construction and
maintenance.
● Can handle large volume of gas at
high temp.
Disadvantages
● Requires large head room.
● Less efficiency for smaller particles
(<10μm).
● Sensitive to variable dust load and
flow rate.
Wet Scrubbers or collectors
● Flue gas made to push up against a down falling water current.
● Particulate matter mix up with water thus falls down and gets removed.
● Different types of scrubbers are-

- Spray tower >10μm

- Venturi scrubber >2.5μm

- Cyclone scrubber >0.5μm

 Advantages Disadvantages
● Simultaneously remove particulates ● Lot of waste waters produced.
and gaseous pollutants. ● Poses freezing problem in cold
● Hot gases can be cooled down. countries.
● Corrosive gases can be recovered ● Maintenance cost is high
and neutralize.
Electrostatic precipitators
● Works on the principle of electrical
charging of particulate Matter (-ve)
and collecting it in a +ve charged
surface.
● 99% efficiency.
● Can remove particle size range of
>1 μm.
 Advantages
● High collection efficiency.
● Particles may be collected dry or
wet.
● Can be operated at high temp.
● Maintenance is normal.
● Few moving parts.
Disadvantages
● High initial cost.
● Require high voltage.
● Collection efficiency reduce with
time.
● Space requirement is more.
● Possible of explosion during
collection ofcombustible gases or
particulates.
Fabric filters
● Flue gas is allowed to pass through
a woven Fabric, which filters out
Particulate matter.
● Small particles are retained on the
fabric.
● Minimum particles size that can be
removed <1 μm.
● efficiency - 99%.
 Advantages
● Higher collection efficiency for
smaller than 10 μm particle size.
● Performance decrease becomes
visible, giving prewarning.
● Normal power consumption.
Disadvantages
● High temp. gases need to be
cooled.
● High maintenance and fabric
replacement cost.
● Large size equipment.
● Fabric is liable to chemical attack.
Dispersion of air pollutant
Lapse rate
Environmental lapse rate
Adiabatic lapse rate
VERTICAL DISPERSION OF POLLUTANTS
● As a parcel of air in the atmosphere rises, it experiences decreasing pressure
and thus expands. This expansion lowers the temperature of the air parcel,
and therefore the air cools as it rises.
● The rate at which dry air cools as it rises is called the dry adiabatic lapse rate
and is independent of the ambient air temperature.
● The term adiabatic means that there is no heat exchange between the rising
parcel of air under consideration and the surrounding air.
Case 1 ELR>ALR
Case 2 ELR<ALR
Case 3 ELR is negative lapse rate
Thank you