University of the Punjab, Lahore

Submitted to: Dr. Zulfiqar Ali

Session: 2020-2021 (Morning)

Subject: Aerosols and Environmental Science

Topic of Assignment: Air Pollution and its Effects on Agriculture

Contents
Topic name Page no.

Introduction 3
Types of Pollutants 3
What is air pollution 4
Sources of air pollution 4
Types of air pollutants 5
Effects of air pollution on agriculture 6
Control of air pollution 8
References 9

Air Pollution and its Effects on Agriculture

Introduction:
“Pollution is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or biological characteristics of our
air, land, and water that may or will harmfully affects human life or that of desirable species, our
industrial processes, living conditions, and cultural assets (Odum, 1971)”. In other words,
pollution is the unfavorable alteration of our environment, largely as a result of human activities
(Southwick, 1976). By and large, the term pollution is used to refer to harmful materials
introduced by man into the environment. Thus, in a way, pollution is the release in excess of
permitable limits of foreign substances within the environment (Michael, 1984). Every human
society, be it rural, urban, industrial and most technologically advanced society, dispose of
certain kinds of byproducts and waste products which when are injected into the biosphere in
quantities so great that they affect the normal functioning of ecosystems and have an adverse
effect on plants, animals, and man are collectively called pollutants (Smith, 1977). “A pollutant
is a constituent in the wrong amount, at the wrong place or at the wrong time”.
Types of Pollutants
Pollutants primarily are grouped into the following two types:
1. Natural pollutants. Certain pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur
dioxide, lead, mercury and other trace elements are the consequence of life processes being
produced through respiration, faeces, urine and body decomposition. With an increase in human
population, the pollutants are increasing with alarming rate.
2. Synthetic, man-made, anthropogenic or xenobiotic pollutants. A vast array of synthetic
pollutants are increasing continuously with urbanization and industrial growth. They include
pesticides, detergents, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic products, organic acids, aerosols, and metals,
etc. Several of these compounds are extremely stable and persist in the environment for a
considerable period posing serious environmental hazards.

What is Air pollution?

“Air pollution is the presence or injection in the
atmosphere of such substances that are not present naturally or
present naturally but is in much smaller concentrations, and that may harm living organisms
directly or indirectly (Allaby 1995)”.

Thus, when due to some natural processes or human activities the amount of solid waste or
concentration of gases other than O2 increase in the air which normally has constant percentage
of different gases in it, the air is said to be polluted and this phenomenon is referred to as air or
atmospheric pollution. Air pollution is one of the most dangerous and common kind of
environmental pollution that is reported in most industrial towns and metropolitans of India and
abroad such as Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Kanpur, Madras, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad,
Nagpur, Firozabad and also in London, New York, Tokyo, Pittsburg, etc.

Sources of Air Pollution

1. Air Pollution by Natural Means
 Nature adds few natural pollutants such as pollen, hydrocarbons released by vegetation,
dusts from deserts, storms, and volcanic activity.
 The volcanic eruptions may eject large amounts of gases and particulate matter. Settling
volcanic ash can kill vegetation by coating leaves and preventing photosynthesis and
transpiration.
 Dust storms sometimes carry fine sand for thousands of kilometers and favorable
weather conditions stimulate the release of pollen, affecting people sensitive to it.

2. Air Pollution by Human Activities

 Industrial chimney wastes: There are a number of industries which are potent sources of
air pollution such as petroleum refineries processors, cement factories, chemical
manufacturing industries
  Thermal power stations: The chief pollutants of coal burning are fly ash, SO2' and other
gases (CO, NO2), aldehydes and hydrocarbons.
 Automobiles: The transportation industry exclusive of automobiles and including
railroads, ships, aircrafts, trucks, buses, tractors, etc., contribute the same type of
pollutants as cars.

Types of air pollutants:

All the just described sources of air pollution release the following air pollutants: 1. Carbon
compounds 2. Sulphur compounds 3. Nitrogen oxides 4. Ozone 5. Flurocarbons 6.
Hydrocarbons 7. Metals 8. Photochemical products 9. Particulate matter 10. Toxicants.

Effects of air pollution on agriculture:

1. Sulphur oxides and hydrogen sulphide: These
gaseous pollutants are naturally released by the
 biological decomposition and from volcanic eruptions. Its high atmospheric concentrations
produce various injuries to leaves such as interveinal and blade damage, necrosis of leaves
and cellular collapse. However, moderate SO2 pollution results in chlorosis of leaves without
cellular collapse. Pine trees are more susceptible than broad leaved trees and react by partial
defoliation and reduced growth.
2. Nitrogen oxides: In plants, NO2 brings about bifacial necrosis leading to collapse of leaves,
enhancement of green colour followed by chlorosis and extensive leaf drop. Ultimately there
occur an increase in fruit drop and decrease in fruit crop.
3. Photochemical smog: Ozone, PAN and nitrogen dioxide severely injure many forms of
plant life, destroying the cells of leaves, damaging the chloroplasts, and interfering with the
plant’s metabolic processes. PAN is known to block “Hill reaction” of photosynthesis. It
results in bronzing and glazing of abaxial leaf surface which is due to plasmolysis and
collapse of mesophyll cells around substomatal chambers. Epidermal and guard cells are not
injured by PAN.
4. Ozone: Levels of ozone (O3) may rise in atmosphere
due to human activities. In plants, O3 enter through
stomata and produces visible damage to leaves and
results in decrease in yield and quality of plant
products. Thus, O3 results in necrotic flecking of
upper surface of leaf general chlorosis and bronzing,
premature senescence of plants, precocious dropping
of older leaves, reduced growth of shoots and roots,
suppression of nodulation, reduction in seed set and
yield. Ozone causes shrinkage of nuclei and cytoplasm
or mesophyll cells which become granular and results in increased intercellular space.
5. Fluorocarbons (Hydrogen fluoride):
Natural sources of fluorides in the atmosphere
are active volcanoes. Their man-made or
artificial sources are petroleum refining etc.
Fluoride burns the tip of plant leaves. Its low
amounts impair plant growth; result in
 excessive dropping of bloom and young fruits, development of small, partially or completely
seedless fruits and premature formation of soft red flesh and splitting of peach.
6. Hydrocarbons. Biological decomposition of
organic matter, spill and seepage from
natural gas and oil fields and volatile
emissions from plants are some major natural
causes for the release of hydrocarbons such
as methane, terpenes, ethylene and aniline.
The hydrocarbon ethylene causes yellowing
and occasional necrosis of leaves, chlorosis
of floral buds, inhibition of terminal growth,
epinasty of leaves, shortening of internodes,
thickening of stems, lack of apical dominance, stunted growth, dry sepal disease of orchids
and decrease in the amount of chlorophyll and carotenoids. Another hydrocarbon aniline
results in the appearance of bands on leaves as if they are water-soaked, necrotic spots and
abscission of leaves.

7. Hydrogen chloride: This pollutant is released from combustion of coal, paper, plastics,
chlorinated hydrocarbons, accidental spills from the chemical manufacturing plants and ignition
of solid-fuel rocket engines in plants, hydrogen chloride causes plasmolysis and collapse of
epidermal cells of leaves and thereby results in abaxial glazing of leaves.

8. Ammonia: The main anthropogenic sources of this

gaseous pollutant are refrigerator, precooler systems
of cold storages, manufacture of dyes, explosives,
lacquers (varnishes) and anhydrous ammonium
fertilizers and nitric acids and domestic incineration.
Ammonia causes in plants, bleaching of leaves, rusty
spots on leaves and flowers, reduction of root and
shoot growth, browning and softening of fruits,
development of dark, corky lenticels in apples, and
reduction in the rate of seed germination.
Control of Air Pollution

Most kinds of air pollutions can be controlled by modern technology, but the costs ultimately be
borne by the public in the form of higher prices for manufactured goods, higher taxes, reduced
profit margins in industry, and more restrictions on individual activities such as burning leaves
and trash and use of automobiles. Following steps have to be taken to control pollution at source
(prevention) as well as after the release of pollutants in the atmosphere.

References

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