Pollution Meteorology & Air Pollution,

Environment Air Quality

Basic Meteorology
Earth’s atmosphere is so much more than the air we breathe. A trip from the
surface of Earth to outer space would result in passing through five different
layers, each with very different characteristics.

 Earth’s Atmosphere: 100mi (161km)

 95% of the air mass in the atmosphere is found within 12mi of the Earth’s
surface (troposphere)

“Not all scientists agree where the actual upper boundary of the atmosphere is,
but they can agree that the bulk of the atmosphere is located close to Earth’s
surface” – National Geographic
“AIR POLLUTION
KILLS APPROXIMATELY
7 MILLION PEOPLE
WORLDWIDE EACH YEAR”

- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

4.2 MILLION 3.8 MILLION 91%
DEATHS DEATHS EVERY OF THE WORLD’S
EVERY YEAR YEAR POPULATION
OCCUR AS A AS A RESULT OF LIVE IN PLACES
RESULT OF HOUSEHOLD WHERE AIR
EXPOSURE EXPOSURE QUALITY
TO AMBIENT TO SMOKE EXCEEDS WHO
(OUTDOOR) FROM DIRTY GUIDELINE
AIR COOKSTOVES LIMITS
POLLUTION AND FUELS

- WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Air Pollution
 Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air—pollutants which are
detrimental to human health and the planet as a whole. Pollutants in the air take many
forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.
 An air pollution problem involves three parts:
a. source
b. movement and dispersion
of pollutant
c. recipient
Sources

Anthropogenic

Natural
Indoor Air Pollution
Key Facts

2.6 billion people 4 million people Household air 50% of deaths

cook using polluting die prematurely from pollution causes due to pneumonia among
open fires or simple illness attributable to noncommunicable children under 5 years of
stoves household air pollution diseases age are caused by PM

Mortality Rate
3.8 million people a year die prematurely CO Lu
PD ng
from illness attributable to the household 20 Ca Str
% nce oke Pn
Isc
air pollution caused by the inefficient use hae
r
8% %
18 eu
mi mo
of solid fuels and kerosene for cooking. c nia
27
He
art %
Among these 3.8 million deaths: Dis
eas
e
27
%

Source: WHO
Atmospheric Dispersion
Dispersion is the process by which contaminants move through the air and a plume spreads over a large
area, thus reducing the concentration of the pollutants it contains. The plume spreads both horizontally
and vertically.

Gaussian model - most commonly used model for the dispersion of gaseous air pollutants in which
gases dispersed in the atmosphere are assumed to exhibit ideal gas behavior.

 The predominant force in pollution transport is the wind; pollutants move predominantly downwind.

 The greatest concentration of pollutant molecules is along the plume center line.

 Molecules diffuse spontaneously from regions of higher concentration to regions of lower

concentration.

 The pollutant is emitted continuously, and the emission and dispersion process is steady state.
Cleansing the Atmosphere
Processes by which the atmosphere cleans itself do exist, and include the effect of

gravity, contact with the earth’s surface, and removal by precipitation.

 Gravity - Particles in the air, if they are larger than about a millimeter in diameter, are
observed to settle out under the influence of gravity.

 Surface Sink Absorption - Many atmospheric gases are absorbed by the features of the
earth’s surface, including stone, soil, vegetation, bodies of water, and other materials.

 Precipitation - Removes contaminants from the air by two methods

a. rainout - very small pollutant particles become nuclei

b. washout - rain falls through the pollutant particles and molecules

Polluted air results from both emissions into the air and meteorological conditions that control the
dispersion of those emissions. Other conditions conducive to poor dispersion are:

 little lateral wind movement across the prevailing wind direction,

 stable meteorological conditions, resulting in limited vertical air movement,

 large differences between day and night air temperatures, and the trapping of cold air in valleys, resulting
in stable conditions,

 fog, which promotes the formation of secondary pollutants and hinders the sun from warming the ground
and breaking inversions, and

 high-pressure areas resulting in downward vertical air movement and absence of rain for washing the
atmosphere.
Air Quality
When air quality is good, the air is
clear and contains only small
amounts of solid particle and
chemical pollutants.

Air quality is described according

to the Air Quality Index (AQI),

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-05/documents/zell-aqi.pdf
AQI Computation
US PM AQI
https://www.iqair.com/philippines
Energy Management Bureau - Air Quality Management
Section

EMB Power BI
 Meteorological Data

 Wind Speed and Direction

When high pollutant concentrations
occur at a monitoring station, wind
data records can determine the general
direction and area of the emissions.
Identifying the sources means planning
to reduce the impacts on air quality can
take place.
 Meteorological Data

 Humidity
If the water molecules attach to
corrosive gases, such as sulfur
dioxide, the gas will dissolve in the
water and form an acid solution that
can damage health and property.
 Meteorological Data

 Temperature
Temperature and sunlight (solar
radiation) play an important role
in the chemical reactions that
occur in the atmosphere to form
photochemical smog from other
pollutants.
 Meteorological Data

 Rainfall
Rain has a 'scavenging' effect when it
washes particulate matter out of the
atmosphere and dissolves gaseous
pollutants. Removing particles improves
visibility. Where there is frequent high
rainfall, air quality is generally better.
 Meteorological Data

 Solar Radiation

The intensity of sunlight has an

important influence on the rate
of the chemical reactions that
produce the smog. .
References
 https://www.nrdc.org/stories/air-pollution-everything-you-need-know

 https://www.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution#tab=tab_1

 https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality/what-is-air-quality

 https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/pollution/monitoring/air/air-
monitoring/meteorology-influence/meteorology-factors