Lectured by: Queenie G. Dacayo, M.D.
, FPAFP, DPCOM
AIR POLLUTION
OBJECTIVES
 Define air pollution
 Discuss the major air pollutants and their sources.
 Describe the burden of disease from outdoor and
indoor air pollution.
 Explain health impact of specific air pollutants
 State some legislations on air pollution.
 Identify methods of controlling air pollution
WHAT IS AIR POLLUTION?
 The presence in the atmosphere of one or more
contaminants in such quality and for such duration
as is injurious or tends to be injurious to human
health or welfare, animal or plant life.
 Any alteration of the physical, chemical and
biological properties of the atmospheric air, or any
discharge thereto of any liquid, gaseous or solid
substances that will create or render the air
resources of the country harmful, detrimental or
injurious to public health, safety or welfare or which
will adversely affect their utilization of domestic,
commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational or
other legitimate purpose. (Phil Clean Air Act 1999)
CLEAN AIR
 Is made up of naturally occuring chemicals
o Dry air
 oxygen and nitrogen make up 99%
 1% consists of argon, carbon
dioxide, helium and other trace
gases
o Water vapour
 make up as much as 4% of the
total air volume
NORMAL COMPONENTS OF OUR (OXIDIZING)
ATMOSPHRE
 Nitrogen - 78%
 Oxygen - 21%
 Carbon dioxide - .0310%
 Everything else - .069%
o Noble gases (krypton, xenon, argon)
o Methane
o Sulfur dioxide
Transcribed by: Alfonso Martin E. Plantilla
TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION (SOURCE)
 Natural
 Man – made or Anthropogenic
NATURAL AIR POLLUTION
 Forest fires emit particulates, gases, and Volatile
Organic Compounds (substances that vaporize into
the atmosphere)
 Ultra-fine dust particles created by soil erosion when
water and weather loosen layers of soil, increase
airborne particulate levels.
 Volcanoes spew out sulfur dioxide and large amounts
of pulverized lava rock known as volcanic ash.
 Dust storms in desert areas and smoke from forest
fires and grass fires contribute to chemical and
particulate pollution of the air.
 One most important natural source of air pollution is
volcanic activity, which at times pours great amounts
of ash and toxic fumes into the atmosphere.
HUMAN OR ANTHROPOGENIC AIR POLLUTION
 Comes from the many different human activities
 Sources include industry, vehicles, agriculture, power
generation (coal, oil or gas power stations), mining
and waste dumps.
 The following industries are among those that emit a
great deal of pollutants into the air: thermal power
plants, cement, steel, refineries, petrol chemicals and
mines.
TYPES OF AIR POLLUTION (LOCATION)
 Indoor air pollution is caused by cigarette smoking,
the use of certain construction materials, cleaning
products, and home furnishings, poorly maintained
fires, stoves and heaters.
 Pollutants: benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehye,
naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polyaromatic
hydrocarbons, radon
 Outdoor (ambient) air pollution come from volcanoes,
fires, and industry
TYPES OF POLLUTANTS
 Primary Pollutants
o Harmful substances which are emitted directly
into the atmosphere.
o Greenhouse gases
 Secondary pollutants
o Harmful substances which form as a result of
chemical reactions in the atmosphere
o Photochemical smog
Page 1 of 7
 POLLUTANTS (COMPOSITION)
 Gases
o Come mainly from the burning of fossil fuels
o Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and
nitrous oxide (N2O)
 Aerosols
o Particulate matter
o Particles can be directly emitted into the air or
can form from gases
COMMON ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION SOURCES
AND THEIR POLLUTANTS
BURDEN OF DISEASES
 8.4 % of the total burden of disease in low and
middle income countries is due to:
o Indoor smoke fr. use of solid fuels 3.7%
o Unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene 3.2%
o Urban air pollution 1.5%
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
 700,000 of the 2.7 million deaths annually from
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
 About 15% of deaths due to lung cancer
 There is some evidence that indoor air pollution is
also associated with asthma, cataracts and TB.
 Tentative evidence to low birthweight, ischemic
heart disease
 59% of deaths attributable to indoor air pollution are
among females
 56% of all deaths attributable to indoor air pollution
are among children < 5 y/o
URBAN (OUTDOOR) AIR POLLUTION
 1.5% of annual deaths and 0.5% of total burden of
disease to outdoor air
 Particulate matter causes about:
o 5% of the global cases of lung cancer
o 2% deaths from cardiovascular and
respiratory conditions
o 1% respiratory infections
AIR POLLUTION AND HEALTH
OUTDOOR AIR QUALITY AND HEALTH
 Many pollutants can be found in urban air.
 Reducing air pollution levels, countries can reduce the
burden of disease from stroke, heart disease, lung
cancer, and both chronic and acute respiratory
diseases, including asthma.
 The "WHO Air quality guidelines" provide an
assessment of health effects of air pollution and
thresholds for health-harmful pollution levels.
 Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural
areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature
deaths worldwide in 2012.
 Some 88% of those premature deaths occurred in low-
and middle-income countries, and the greatest number
in the WHO Western Pacific and South-East Asia
regions.
 Outdoor air pollution is carcinogenic to humans, with
the particulate matter component of air pollution most
closely associated with increased cancer incidence,
especially cancer of the lung.
 An association also has been observed between
outdoor air pollution and increase in cancer of the
urinary tract/bladder. WHO’s International Agency for
Research on Cancer (IARC),2013
 Policies and investments supporting cleaner transport,
energy-efficient housing, power generation, industry
and better municipal waste management would
reduce key sources of pollution.
 Reducing outdoor air pollution also reduces emissions
of CO2 and short-lived climate pollutants such as
black carbon particles and methane, thus contributing
to the near and long-term mitigation of climate
change.
LONDON, ENGLAND 1952
 Temperature inversion, a dense fog of, full of
pollutants hung over the city center for several days
 Certain particulates 3x to 10x the normal value
 December 13, 1952, the city administration reported a
death rate per 100,000 people that was more than 4x
the normal daily death rate for that period.
Page 2 of 7
 HOUSEHOLD (INDOOR) AIR POLLUTION
 Exposure is particularly high among women and
young children
 Generally used by poorer segments of society
 WHO estimates that 50% of all people in the world
cook and heat their homes using solid fuels (i.e.
wood, charcoal, coal, cow dung, logging wastes,
crop wastes) on open stoves not vented to the
outside.
 Such practices produce high levels of household
air pollution which includes a range of health
damaging pollutants such as fine particles and
carbon monoxide.
 Biomass fuels do not completely combust when
burned
 Breathable particles of a variety of gases and
chemical products are left behind
 Smoke from burning biomass fuels inside the home
with poor ventilation can produce:
o Conjunctivitis, upper respiratory tract irritation,
acute respiratory infection
 High concentration of carbon monoxide can lead to
acute poisoning
 According to WHO, 4.3 million people a year die
from the exposure to household air pollution.
AIR POLLUTANTS AND THEIR HEALTH IMPACT
A. CARBON MONOXIDE
 Colorless, odorless
 Relatively minute quantities in the global
atmosphere–derived from decay of marshland
organisms.
 Generated on the ground from the incomplete
combustion of fossil fuels, petrol, diesel, wood &
even cigarettes
 CO competes with O2 to bind (irreversibly) with
hemoglobin. Lowers the amount of oxygen that
enters our blood. It can slow our reflexes and make
us confused and sleepy
 Health effects:
o Reduces maximum exercise ability in
health young individuals
o Angina and ST segment depression in
people with cardiovascular disease
B. CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)
 The principal greenhouse gas emitted as a result of
human activities such as the burning of coal, oil,
and natural gases.
C. HYDROCARBONS
 Compounds composed solely of carbon & hydrogen.
 Many are dissolved solvents, including benzene.
They react with nitrogen oxides to form
photochemical smog, which can be irritating to mucus
membranes, lungs, skin.
 The principal greenhouse gas emitted as a result of
human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and
natural gases.
D. CHLOROFLOROCARBONS (CFC)
 Are gases that are released mainly from air-
conditioning systems and refrigeration. When
released into the air, CFCs rise to the stratosphere,
where they come in contact with few other gases,
which leads to a reduction of the ozone layer that
protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of
the sun.
E. LEAD
 Lead is present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries,
paints, hair dye products, etc.
 Lead affects children in particular.
 It can cause nervous system damage and digestive
problems and, in some cases, cause cancer.
F. NO2
 Short-term concentrations > 200 μg/m 3, it is a toxic
gas  causes significant inflammation of the airways
 NO2 is the main source of nitrate aerosols, which
form an important fraction of PM2.5 and, in the
presence of ultraviolet light.
 Majorso urces of anthropogenic emissions:
combustion processes (heating, power generation,
and engines in vehicles and ships).
 40 μg/m3 annual mean; 200 μg/m3 1-hour mean
 Health effects
o Epidemiological studies have shown that
symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children
increase in association with long-term
exposure to NO2
Page 3 of 7
G. GROUND-LEVEL OZONE
 Not to be confused with the ozone layer in the
upper atmosphere
 1 of the major constituents of photochemical smog.
 Formed by the reaction with sunlight
(photochemical reaction) of pollutants
 Nitrogen oxides (NOx) from vehicle and industry
emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
emitted by vehicles, solvents and industry
 The highest levels of ozone pollution occur during
periods of sunny weather.
 It can inflame breathing passages & cause
shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply,
wheezing & coughing.
 It can trigger asthma, reduce lung function and
cause lung diseases.
 Several European studies have reported that the
daily mortality rises by 0.3% & that for heart
diseases by 0.4%, per 10 µg/m 3 increase in ozone
exposure.
 Guideline Values: O3: 100 μg/m3 8-hour mean
 Was reduced from the previous level of 120
µg/m3 in previous editions of the "WHO Air Quality
Guidelines based on recent conclusive associations
between daily mortality and lower ozone
concentrations.
 Breathing impairment; eye irritation
H. PARTICULATE MATTER
▪ Major components: sulfate, nitrates, ammonia,
sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and
water.
▪ It consists of a complex mixture of solid & liquid
particles of organic & inorganic substances
suspended in the air.
▪ Can become the main source of haze, which
reduces visibility.
▪ Sources: burning of wood and diesel fuels
▪ The most health-damaging particles are those with
a diameter of 10 microns or less, (≤ PM10).
▪ Chronic exposure to particles contributes to the
risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory
diseases, as well as of lung cancer.
▪ Health effects
▪ There is a close, quantitative relationship
between exposure to high concentrations of
small particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) and
increased mortality or morbidity, both daily
and over time.
▪ Small particulate pollution have health
impacts even at very low concentrations no
threshold has been identified below which
no damage to health is observed
▪ Guideline values
▪ PM2.5
▪ 10 μg/m3 annual mean
▪ 25 μg/m3 24-hour mean
▪ PM10
▪ 20 μg/m3 annual mean
▪ 50 μg/m3 24-hour mean
▪ It is estimated that reducing annual average
particulate matter (PM10) concentrations from levels of
70 μg/m3, common in many developing cities, to the
WHO guideline level of 20 μg/m3, could reduce air
pollution-related deaths by around 15%. (WHO Air
Quality Guidelines)
I. SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2)
 Colourless gas with a sharp odour.
 Sources: burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) and the
smelting of mineral ores that contain sulfur; main
anthropogenic source of SO2 is the burning of sulfur-
containing fossil fuels for domestic heating, power
generation and motor vehicles.
 Health effects
o Causes irritation of the eyes
o Inflammation of the respiratory tract causes
coughing, mucus secretion, aggravation of
asthma and chronic bronchitis and makes
people more prone to infections of the
respiratory tract.
 Hospital admissions for cardiac disease and mortality
increase on days with higher SO2 levels.
 When SO2 combines with water, it forms sulfuric acid;
the main component of acid rain which is a cause of
deforestation.
 20 μg/m3 24 hour mean; 500 μg/m3 10 min. mean
 Concentration of 500 µg/m3 should not be exceeded
over average periods of 10 min. duration.
 Studies indicate that a proportion of people with
asthma experience changes in pulmonary function and
respiratory symptoms after periods of exposure to
SO2 as short as 10 minutes.
Page 4 of 7
J. OXIDES OF SULFUR
 Derived from combustion (oxidation) of fossil fuels
containing sulfur. Sulfur + oxygen? a family of sulfur
oxides, designated at Sox
 SO3 combines with water to form sulfuric acid. SO2
combines with water to form sulfurous acid. Both
acidify rain.
K. BENZENE
 Present both in indoor and outdoor air
 Main pathway of exposure is inhalation
 Genotoxic carcinogen in humans
 NO safe level of exposure
 Health Risk: Leukemia
 Exposure Reduction Measures:
o Reduction/ elimination of Tobacco smoking
o Using solvents for hobbies or cleaning
o Using building materials that off-gas benzene
o Adequate ventilation  Fresh air inlets
should be located at the least polluted side of
the building
L. FORMALDEHYDE
 Exposure is through inhalation
 Lowest concentration to cause sensory irritation of
the eyes is 0.36mg/m3
 Increase in eyeblink frequency and conjunctival
redness appear at 0.6 mg/m3
 No adverse effect level
 No accumulation of effects over time
 Short term guideline of 0.1mg/m3 is recommended
in the general population to prevent sensory
irritation
 Reduction of exposure:
o Use of low-emitting building materials and
products
o Preventing exposure from tobacco smoke
o Ventilation
M. NAPHTHALENE
▪ Guideline value: 0.01mg/m3
▪ Effects:
▪ Hemolytic anemia in humans with extensive
use
▪ Tumors in the upper respiratory tract in animal
studies
▪ Increased cell proliferation due to cytotoxicity
▪ The concentration of naphthalene in residential
areas increases up to 100 fold when moth balls are
used
▪ Ban or abandon the use of naphthalene containing
mothballs
N. RADON
▪ Human carcinogen according to the International
Agency for Research of Cancer, WHO
▪ Cause lung cancer
CHRONIC EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION
▪ Serious respiratory problems, some irreversible.
▪ Chronic bronchitis: Mucus accumulation,
coughing.
▪ Emphysema: Normal tissue of lungs is
replaced by flimsy scar tissue that does not
allow the person to fill lungs with fresh air.
▪ Lung cancer
EFFCTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON THE
ENVIRONMENT
▪ The Greenhouse effect prevents the sun's heat from
rising out of the atmosphere and flowing back into
space. This warms the earth's surface causing the
green house effect. While a certain amount of green
house gases in the atmosphere are necessary to
make the earth warm, activities such as the burning of
fossil fuels are creating a gaseous layer that is too
dense to allow the heat to escape. Many scientists
believe this is causing global warming. Other gases
contributing to the problem include CFCs, methane,
nitrous oxides, and ozone.
▪ Acid rain forms when moisture in the air interacts with
nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide released by
factories, power plants, and motor vehicles that burn
coal or oil. This interaction of gases with water vapor
forms sulfuric acid and nitric acids. Eventually these
chemicals fall to earth as precipitation, or acid rain.
Acid rain pollutants may travel long distances, with
winds carrying them thousands of miles before they
fall as dew, drizzle, fog, snow or rain.
▪ Damage to the ozone layer is primarily caused by the
use of chloroflurocarbons (CFCs). Ozone is a form of
oxygen found in the earth's upper atmosphere. The
thin layer of ozone molecules in the atmosphere
absorb some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays before
it reaches the earth's surface, making life on earth
possible. The depletion of ozone is causing higher
levels of UV radiation on earth, endangering both
plants and animals.
Page 5 of 7

MODIFIERS/FACTORS INFLUENCING AIR POLL.
 Wind
 Rain dilution
 Thermal inversion (temperature)
 Topography (plain, mountain, valley)
 Designing cleaner engines is fundamental to
improving air quality
 Thermal inversion
o A sudden movement of a cold blanket of air
into an area known as temperature inversion,
cold air will tend to hold pollutants at ground
levels and prevent their normal atmospheric
dispersion causing a high concentration of
pollutants to form in the immediate
environment of man.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION
 Encourage your family to walk to the neighborhood
market.
 Whenever possible take your bicycle.
 As far as possible use public forms of transport.
 Don't let your father drop you to school, take the
school bus.
 Encourage your family to form a car pool to office
and back.
 Reduce the use of aerosols in the household.
 Look after the trees in your neighborhood.
 Begin a tree-watch group to ensure that they are
well tended and cared for.
 Switch-off all the lights and fans when not required.
 If possible share your room with others when the air
conditioner, cooler or fan is on.
 Do not burn leaves in your garden, put them in a
compost pit.
 Make sure that the pollution check for your family
car is done at regular intervals.
 Cars should, as far as possible, be fitted with
catalytic converters.
 Use only unleaded petrol.
IF YOU MUST DRIVE, THEN TRY TO FOLLOW
THESE GUIDELINES:
 Avoid high speeds.
 Buy a vehicle with high miles per gallon.
 Do not overfill or top off your gasoline tank.
 Do not refuel on high ozone days – try to refuel after
dark.
 Drive a newer vehicle; the new models generally
pollute less.
 Drive alternative vehicles or alternatively fueled
vehicles, such as electric vehicles.
 Drive smoothly and avoid lengthy idling.
 If the vehicle is a pre-1995 model, have a professional
convert the air conditioning from the dangerous CFC
R-12 to the safer R-134a to reduce your contribution
to the ozone hole.
 Keep your car well maintained, especially the
emissions control system.
 Keep tires properly inflated.
 Maintain your vehicle's air conditioning system — do
not allow it to leak.
 Make fewer trips in your vehicle — plan routes to
avoid traffic.
 Reduce fuel use as often as possible — a vehicle's
shape and design features can affect its fuel use.
OTHER TIPS:
▪ Defer lawn and gardening chores that use gasoline-
powered equipment on high ground-level ozone days.
▪ Eat organically grown food, or at least less pesticide-
dependant foods.
▪ Limit dry cleaning.
▪ Postpone using oil-based paint and solvents on high
ground-level ozone days.
▪ Reduce consumption of electricity — conserving
reduces emissions of SO2, NOx, VOCs and particulate
matter into the air.
▪ Start charcoal with an electric or chimney-type fire
starter instead of lighter fluid.
▪ Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — less consumption of
products will reduce all types of air pollution!
Page 6 of 7
 AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT & CONTROL
▪ Factories and power plants
▪ Use precipitators or filter bag houses to
remove particulates from outflow.
▪ Alternatives for coal:
▪ Use low-sulfur coal
▪ Coal cleaning
▪ Remove sulfur from smoke stack gases.
▪ Automotive Emissions
▪ Catalytic converters
▪ Reduce pollutant emissions by converting CO
to CO2, hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide.
▪ Inspection and Maintenance Programs
▪ Increase fuel efficiency
▪ Manage & reduce traffic volume - includes both
voluntary & municipal efforts.
▪ Engineer electric & hybrid cars.

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8749

“Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999”

▪ Ban on incineration
▪ Promote, encourage & implement waste
segregation, recycling and composting
▪ Smoking inside a public building or an enclosed
public place including public vehicles prohibited
▪ Prohibition on Manufacture, Import and Sale of
Leaded Gasoline & of Engines &/or components
requiring Leaded Gasoline

REFERENCES:
▪ Ash-in-the-lungs.pdf. Lockwood and Evans. How
Breathing Coal Ash is Hazardous to your Health
▪ htttp://www.who.int World Health Organization 2014
▪ International Agency for Research on Cancer WHO
▪ http;//ww.epa.gov

END OF TRANSCRIPTION

Reference Used:
 PowerPoint Presentation

Page 7 of 7