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AIR POLLUTION

 AIR POLLUTION 

POLLUTION

·       Introduction of harmful materials into the environment is called Pollution.

·       The agents responsible for causing Pollution are called as Pollutants.

AIR POLLUTION

·       Air pollution occurs when harmful substances including Particulate molecules, Gaseous molecules and Biological molecules are introduced into Earth's atmosphere.

ü  Particulate molecules – Suspended particulate matter (SPM), Dust particles, Smoke, Mist, Fumes, Spray, Benzopyrenes, Asbestos, Pesticides and Metallic dusts.

ü  Gaseous molecules – Inorganic gases (NO, NO2, SO2, CO, CO2, O3, NH3, Cl & H2S) and Organic gases (Methane, Acetylene, Ethylene, Ethyl radicals, Aldehydes & Alcohols)

ü  Biological molecules – Microorganisms, Spores and Pollens

·       Air pollution may cause diseases, allergies or death in humans.

·       Human activity and natural processes can both generate air pollution.

Types of Air Pollution

1)    Indoor Air Pollution

ü  Pollutions from the housing made materials and living and working activities of the house, such as: Natural radiation - Radon, Domestic combustion - Coal gas, and Human habits tobacco smoking.

2)    Outdoor Air Pollution

ü  Pollutions from outdoor services and environmental mixings, such as: Transportation - Automobiles, Industries - Refineries, Atomic energy plant - Nuclear and Community activities - Cleaning of streets.

Air Pollutants

·       A substance in the air that can be averse to humans and the environment is known as an Air pollutant.

·       Pollutants can be in the form of Solid particles, Liquid droplets or Gases. In addition, they may be Natural or Man-made.

Types of Air Pollutants

·       Pollutants can be classified as Primary or Secondary.

1)    Primary pollutants are the pollutants that are pumped into our atmosphere and directly pollute the air.

ü  Example – Sulphur oxides, Nitrogen oxides, Carbon monoxide, Volatile organic compounds, Toxic metals (Lead and Mercury), Chloroflurocarbon (CFC), Ammonia and Radioactive pollutants.

2)    Secondary pollutants are those harmful substances that are created from the reactions between primary pollutants and the components of the atmosphere.

ü  Example

a)     Ozone, formed when Hydrocarbons (HC) and Nitrogen oxides (NOx) combine in the presence of sunlight.

b)     NO2, formed as NO combines with Oxygen in the air.

c)      Acid rain formed when Sulfur dioxide or Nitrogen oxides react with water.

Factors responsible for Air Pollution

1)    Natural sources

ü  Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with few or no vegetation.

ü  Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle.

ü  Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust. Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of Radium.

ü  Smoke and Carbon monoxide from wildfires.

ü  Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates.

 

2)    Man – made sources

ü  "Stationary Sources" include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing facilities (factories) and waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of fuel-burning heating devices.

ü  "Mobile Sources" include motor vehicles, marine vessels, aircrafts, etc.

ü  Chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and forestry management.

ü  Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents.

ü  Waste deposition in Landfills, which generate Methane. Methane is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air.

ü  Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry.

Effects of Air Pollution

1)    Respiratory and Heart failure

o   The effects of Air pollution are known to create several respiratory and heart conditions along with Cancer, among other threats to the body.

o   Several millions are known to have died due to direct or indirect effects of Air pollution.

o   Children in areas exposed to air pollutants are said to commonly suffer from Pneumonia and Asthma.

2)    Global warming

o   Another direct effect is the immediate alterations that the world is witnessing due to Global warming.

o   With increased temperatures worldwide, increase in sea levels and melting of ice from colder regions and icebergs, displacement and loss of habitat have already signaled an impending disaster if actions for preservation and normalization aren’t undertaken soon.

3)    Acid rain

o   Harmful gases like Nitrogen oxides and Sulfur oxides are released into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels.

o   When it rains, the water droplets combines with these air pollutants, becomes acidic and then falls on the ground in the form of Acid rain.

o   Acid rain can cause great damage to human, animals and crops.

4)    Eutrophication

o   Eutrophication is a condition where high amount of nitrogen present in some pollutants gets developed on sea’s surface and turns itself into algae and adversely affect fish, plants and animal species.

o   The green colored algae that is present on lakes and ponds is due to presence of this chemical only.  

5)    Effect on Wild life

o   Toxic chemicals present in the air can force wildlife species to move to new place and change their habitat.

o   The toxic pollutants deposit over the surface of the water and can also affect sea animals.

6)    Depletion of Ozone layer

o   Ozone exists in earth’s stratosphere and is responsible for protecting humans from harmful Ultraviolet (UV) rays.

o   Earth’s ozone layer is depleting due to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons, hydro chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere.

o   As ozone layer will go thin, it will emit harmful rays back on earth and can cause skin and eye related problems.

o   UV rays also have the capability to affect crops.

 

Solutions for Controlling Air pollution

1)    Use public mode of transportation

o   Encourage people to use more and more public modes of transportation to reduce pollution.

2)    Conserve energy

o   Switch off fans and lights when you are going out.

o   Large amount of fossil fuels are burnt to produce electricity. You can save the environment from degradation by reducing the amount of fossil fuels to be burned.

3)    Understand the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

o   Do not throw away items that are of no use to you.

4)    Emphasis on clean energy resources

o   Clean energy technologies like solar, wind and geothermal are on high these days. 

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