Air pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological molecules, and many harmful substances

into Earth's atmosphere, causing diseases, allergies, death to humans, damage to other living
organisms such as animals and food crops, or the natural or built environment. Air pollution may
come from anthropogenic or natural sources.
The atmosphere is a complex natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on
planet Earth.
Indoor air pollution and urban air quality are listed as two of the world's worst toxic pollution
problems in the 2008 Blacksmith Institute World's Worst Polluted Places report.[1] According to the
2014 WHO report, air pollution in 2012 caused the deaths of around 7 million people worldwide, [2] an
estimate roughly matched by the International Energy Agency.[3][4]
An air pollutant is a substance in the air that can have adverse effects on humans and the
ecosystem. The substance can be solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. A pollutant can be of
natural origin or man-made. Pollutants are classified as primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are
usually produced from a process, such as ash from a volcanic eruption. Other examples
include carbon monoxide gas from motor vehicle exhaust, or the sulfur dioxide released from
factories. Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary
pollutants react or interact. Ground level ozone is a prominent example of a secondary pollutant.
Some pollutants may be both primary and secondary: they are both emitted directly and formed from
other primary pollutants.

Aim&Objectives
The studys aim is to examine the interaction of pollutant mixtures and weather on health and health
inequalities, now and in the context of future air quality and climate policies, through epidemiological
studies based on the development, testing and application of multi-pollutant data that are
disaggregated in time and space.
The specific objectives are:
1.

To produce UK distributions of surface air pollutants (ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon

monoxide, sulphur dioxide, size- and species-resolved particulate matter), for the period 20002010 (and under future emission and climate scenarios), at hourly resolution on a 5 x 5 km grid
or smaller, with the well-tested WRF (Weather Research and Forecast) and EMEP4UK
chemistry transport models.
2.
To extend data available on the performance of the WRF and EMEP4UK models for
epidemiological studies by comparison of model results with data from fixed site monitoring
stations and from new denser measurements concentrated around selected monitors.
3.

To combine these outdoor exposures data (pollutant mixes, temperatures) with validated
open-source models of the indoor environment (Energy Plus, CONTAMW) to allow integrated
spatial modelling of environmental exposure and the indoor environment.

4.

To link selected national postcoded/geo-referenced health data sets (mortality, hospital

admissions, Myocardial Infarction National Audit Project) with these spatially resolved daily data

in (1) to (3) to examine epidemiological questions relating to: (i) the health effects of short-term
exposure to pollutant mixes and the risks carried by particle species; (ii) evidence for the role of
housing in moderating exposure to outdoor pollutants/temperature; (iii) geographical variations in
pollutant-weather impacts, with particular focus on urban-rural differentials and urban heat
islands; (iv) socio-economic variations in exposure-response relationships; (v) evidence for
thresholds in the concentration-response relationships; and (vi) the optimal adjustment for
weather variables in quantifying pollutant-response relationships.
5.

To examine the impact of selected air quality and climate policies on changes in the
distributions of (multi-)pollutant concentrations and related health burdens, including exceedance
patterns, and their relationship to weather extremes

6.

To use the spatio-temporally resolved data to quantify socio-economic differentials in the

mortality/morbidity burdens of exposure to air pollution and weather extremes, and the effect of
control policies in (5) on such differentials over time.

7.

To develop a decision-analysis framework, integrating the results of (4) to (6), for evaluating
the health costs and benefits, and effects on socio-economic inequalities, of selected air quality
and climate policies.

Importance
Harmful Effects of Air Pollution:
1.

Air pollution affects respiratory system causing breathing difficulties and diseases such as
bronchitis,asthma,lung cancer,tuberculosis and pneumonia.

2.

Air Pollution affects the central nervous system causing carbon monoxide poisoning.CO has
more affinity for haemoglobin than oxygen and thus forms a stable compound carboxy
haemoglobin(COHb),which is poisonous and causes suffocation and death.

3.

Air pollution causes depletion of ozone layer due to which ultraviolet radiations can reach the
earth and cause skin cancer,damage to eyes and immune system.

4.

It causes acid rain which damages crop plants,trees,buildings,monuments,statues and metal

structures and also makes the soil acidic.

5.

It causes greenhouse effect or global warming which leads to excessive heating of earth's
atmosphere,further leading to weather variability and rise in sea level.The increased
temperature may cause melting of ice caps and glaciers,resulting in floods.

6.

Air pollution from certain metals,pesticides and fungicides causes serious ailments.

Lead pollution causes anaemia,brain damage,convulsions and death.

Certain metals cause problem in kidney,liver,circulatory system and nervous system.

Fungicides cause nerve damage and death.

Pesticides like DDT(Dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane) which are toxic enter into our food
chain and gets accumulated in the body causing kidney disorders and problems of brain and
circulatory system.

Methods Air Pollution & Its Control

Did you know that India has the highest rate of deaths due to respiratory
diseases? According to a study in 2013, non smokers in India have a 30%
higher impaired lung function compared to Europeans. Why the difference?
The answer is obvious The quality of air. So what are the causes of air
pollution in India?
The major causes of air pollution in India are:
Exhaust emission from vehicles
Industrial emissions
Congested traffic in almost all cities of India
Using crude means of producing fuel like burning firewood and biomass
Use of adulterated fuel leading to unburnt or partially burnt particles contributing to air
pollution
According to Indias National Health profile of 2015, there has been an
exponential rise in diseases caused due to air pollution in India in the past 15
years, even considering the rising population. In Delhi, experts believe that
young children may never actually recover their full lung capacities owing to
the extremely bad quality of air available. Even though other parts of India
like Mumbai, Bangalore and other cities dont receive as much attention, the
situation is just as bad. The quality of air exceeds safe limits set by many
times. The effects of air pollution can also be seen to affect monuments like
the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
So how can air pollution be controlled or reduced? Given below are a few
measures on how to control air pollution.
Since industrial emissions are one of the major causes of air pollution, the pollutants can be
controlled or treated at the source itself to reduce its effects. For example, if
the reactions of a certain raw material yield a pollutant, then the raw
materials can be substituted for other less polluting ones.
Fuel substitution is another way of controlling air pollution. In many parts of India,
petrol and diesel are being replaced by CNG fuelled vehicles. These are
mostly adopted by vehicles that arent fully operating with ideal emission

engines.
Although there are many acts in place in India which focus on repairing the quality of
air, most of them are either forgotten or not being enforced properly. There
are still a lot of vehicles on roads which havent been tested for vehicle
emissions.
Another way of controlling air pollution caused by industries is to modify and maintain
existing equipments such that pollutants are minimized.
Sometimes controlling pollutants at the source is not possible. In that case, we can have process
control equipments to control the pollution.

Observing pollution haze

Pollution is something we all consider as an un-natural and unfortunate
component introduced since the Industrial Revolution. Urbanisation has lead
to an increase in air pollution, mainly in the cities. The particles that make
up the pollution form a visible haze. A thick pollution haze exists in some
cities and is known as smog. It is a dark grey or brown in colour. It occurs in
the lower layers of the atmosphere usually within a few hundred metres.
Pollution hazes occur more often when the synoptic charts show a high
pressure system directly overhead. An inversion occurs under these
conditions trapping the pollution. Light winds mean the pollution will persist.
During windy weather, the pollution is dispersed and cleared away. Moderate
to heavy rain over few day period also can clear the pollution.

Observing dust haze

As the name implies, a dust haze is made up of dust particles. Unlike
pollution hazes, dust hazes occur in windy and dry unstable conditions. The
duration can vary from a few hours with a brief strengthening of winds to a
day or so in some arid areas or areas which have been affected by drought.
Visibility from dust hazes can vary from a light dusty haze to heavy brown
haze that can cover the sun and make it very dark. This dark haze situation
is known as a dust storm. In 1983, Melbourne (Australia) experienced a dust
storm in which street lights were switched on automatically due to the dark
conditions. Dust may settle on the ground as the weather conditions
responsible for the thick dust haze (namely the wind) eases.

Explation Air Pollution

Air pollution is the contamination of natural air by mixing up of it with many
different contaminating particles including chemicals, harmful fumes etc.
This type of pollution always behaves as a potential risk, leading to
respiratory infections, heart diseases, strokes etc. Other health effects due to
air pollution include asthma and cardiac conditions.

The pollutants for air pollution are divided into two categories. The first type
of pollutants known as primary pollutants are those which are produced from
a certain process like the smoke emitted from the vehicles. The second type
of pollutants are termed as the secondary pollutants and these are the ones
which are generated due to the reaction of primary pollutants with natural
air.
Different pollutants affect the air in different forms. Like the reaction of
sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides results in the production of acid rain. The
vehicles, from their exhaust systems, give out the component of carbon
monoxide which has an adverse effect on the atmosphere. The ground level
ozone which is the basis of certain regions of stratosphere can also act as an
air pollutant which in high concentrations aids in the generation of smog.
Coal is another source which contaminates the air. If the burning coal gets
mixed up with the smoke from some other sources, it results in the
generation of smog which is also a major type of air pollution.
Lack of ventilation inside the houses can also lead to health issues resulting
from air pollution. For example, the pesticides and other chemicals, brought
into use extensively in the homes, are required to be properly exhausted from
the house, but this cannot be achieved as a result of improper ventilation.
The same is inhaled by the inhabitants and thus leads to health issues. Air
pollution is present everywhere and it is very important to protect yourself
from the ill effects of this pollution and to remain healthy. This course
about the 5 pillars of optimal health will give you some great and highly
useful information about living a healthy and happy life.
4. CONCLUSIONS
Indoor environment is a complex issue in terms of toxicology and health risk assessment. There are many
different types of pollutants which may give rise to combined effects. The exposed population is the

general public including vulnerable groups. Many different factors influence air quality, e.g. ventilation,
cleaning conditions, properties of buildings, products used in house-holds, cultural habits, climate,
outdoor air etc. Thus, large variations in indoor environments can be expected across the EU.
The SCHER considers that the health risk assessment of the pollutants in indoor environments should be
done according to the principles used in the EU for risk assessment of chemicals as this is an evidence
based approach. Those principles should be applied on the data available and the specific features
related to indoor environment taken into account. The risk assessment paradigm should be used flexibly,
taking into account that complaints and diseases related to indoor exposures may have a complex causeeffect relationship.
The SCHER considers that the data base for indoor air risk assessment is in general limited. Frequently,
there are more data available for risk assessment of classical indoor air pollutants such,
as organic pollutants as compared to particles and microbes. Especially, more data on exposure, in
quantitative terms, are required. Available dose-response data seldom cover vulnerable groups. The
SCHER has identified several gaps of knowledge, presented in answer to Question 2, which should be
addressed by European-wide multidisciplinary research.