Air

Composition

 Nitrogen -78.1%
 Oxygen -20.93%
 Carbon di oxide -0.03%
 Other gases in trace amount i.e. Argon, neon, krypton, xenon and helium.
 Air also contains water vapour, traces of ammonia and suspended matter such as dust,
bacteria, spores and vegetable debris.
Air in occupied room

 Changes in air take place in confined places are both chemical and physical.
a. Chemical changes
 Air becomes contaminated by CO2 and O2 content decreases due to metabolic processes.
b. Physical changes
 Rise in temperature
 Increase of humidity
 Decrease in air movement
 Bacterial pollution
Discomfort

 It is a sensation which people experience in ill-ventillated and crowded rooms.

Indices of thermal comfort
 Air temperature
 Air temperature and humidity
 Cooling power
 Effective temperature
 Corrected effective temperature
Comfort zones

 It may be defined as the range of effective temperatures over which the majority of adults
feel comfortable.
Air pollution

 The term signifies the presence in the ambient atmosphere of substances generated by the
activities of man in concentrations that interfere with human health, safety or comfort, or
injurious to vegetation and animals and other environmental media resulting in chemicals
entering the food chain or being present in drinking water and thereby constituting
additional source of human exposure.
Sources of air pollution

 Automobiles
 Industries
 Domestic sources
 Miscellaneous
Air pollutants

 Carbon monoxide
 Sulphur dioxide
 Lead
 Carbon dioxide
 Hydrocarbons
 Cadmium
 Hydrogen sulphide
 Ozone
 Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons
Monitoring of air pollution

Best indicators of air pollution are

 sulphur dioxide
 Smoke and
 Suspended particles
Prevention and control of air pollution

 Containment
Prevention of escape of toxic substances into the ambient air. It can be achieved by a variety of
engineering methods such as enclosure, ventilation and air cleaning. Also use of ‘arresters’for
the removal of containmants.
 Replacement
 Dilution
 Legislation
 International action
Disinfection of air

 Mechanical ventilation
 Ultraviolet radiation
 Chemical mists
 Dust control