AIR POLLUTION

Introduction to Air
Pollution
Air pollution is not a new phenomenon.
The first significant change in mans effect
on nature came with his discovery of fire
The problem of air pollution came about
when prehistoric man used fire for cooking,
heating and light.
The origin of our modern air pollution can
be traced to 18th century and the birth of
the Industrial Revolution

Themajorairpollutionproblemofthe19thandearly20th
centurieswasthesmokeandashproducedbyburningfossilfuelsat
stationarypowerplants.
Thesituationworsenwiththeincreaseduseofautomobiles.

Definition of Air
Pollution
What is Air Pollution?
It is the presence of undesirable material in air,
in quantities large enough to produce harmful
effects (this does not restrict to human causes).
The undesirable materials may damage human
health, vegetation, human property, or the
global environment, as well as create aesthetic
insults in the form of brown or hazy air or
unpleasant smells.

Specific Definitions of Air

Pollution
Air pollution is the excessive concentration of foreign
matter in the air which adversely affects the well being of
the individual or causes damagen to property.
- American Medical Association
Air pollution is the presence in ambient atmosphere of
sunstances, generally resulting from then activity of man,
in suficient concentration, present for a sufficient time and
under circumstances which interfere significantly with the
comfort, health or welfare of persons or with the use or
enjoyment of property.
- Indian Standards Institution IS-4167 (1966)

Basic Physical Form of Air

Pollution
i) Particles
- Small, discrete
masses of solid or
liquid matter
- E.g. dust, smoke,
mists and fly ashes

ii) Gases
- Widely separated
molecules in rapid
motion
- Lack definite shape
and volume
- E.g. carbon monoxide,
sulphur dioxide and
hydrocarbon vapors

Classifications of
Pollutants
A general classification of air pollutants is as
follows:
Particulate matter
Sulphur containing compounds : SO2,SO3,SOx & H2S
Organic compounds :ketones,aldehydes,photochemical
smog, O3

Nitrogen-containing compounds
Hydrocarbon : CO and CO2
Halogen compounds : Br, Cl , F
Radioactive compounds : Radon
Odor
Lead

: NO2, NOx, Acids

Primary & Secondary Air

Pollutants
Primary pollutants - those emitted
directly from identifiable sources
Secondary pollutants - produced in the
air by the interaction among two or more
primary pollutants, or by normal
atmospheric constituents

Cause of Air Pollution

Air pollution is waste remaining from
human activities. Activities that contribute
to air pollution are
Production of goods
Heat generation
Transportation (vehicles)

The major cause of all air pollution is

combustion.

Perfect combustion - Hydrogen and carbon in the fuel

combine with oxygen from air to produce heat, light,
carbon dioxide, and water vapor.

Impurities in the fuel, poor fuel-to-air ratio, or too high

or too low combustion temperatures cause the
formation of such side products such as
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur oxides
Nitrogen oxides
Fly ash
Unburned hydrocarbons-all air pollutants

Sources of Air
Pollutant

Sources classification may be based upon :

(i) Whether the source is :
- stationary or mobile
- combustion or non-combustion
(ii) Area or point
(iii) The way that the source generates emission

Sources of CO Vehicles smoke , Stack emission

Sources of NOx Reduction of organic nitrate, forest & fire ,
valcanoes
Sources of SO2 coal and oil combustion in boiler and
furnace, industrial
process such as smelting, combustion in motor vehicles

Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution has a direct effect on human
health.
Exposure to air pollution can cause both acute
and chronic health effects.
i) Chronic health effect
- long-term
- often not reversible
ii) Acute health effect - immediate
- short-term
- often reversible

Respiratory System
Besides affecting the skin, eyes, and
other body systems, pollutants affect
the respiratory system primarily.
Human Respiratory System

 Both gaseous and particulate air pollutants can have negative

effects on the lungs.
Solid particles can settle on the walls of the trachea, bronchi, and
bronchioles.
Most of these particles are removed from lungs through the
cleansing action of cilia.
Cilia are small, hair-like outgrowths of cells, located on
the walls of the lung.

Location of Cilia in the Human Lungs

Continuousbreathingofpollutedaircan
slowthenormalcleansingactionofthelungs
resultinmoreparticlesreachingthelowerportionsofthelung.

Damagetothelungsfromairpollutioncan
inhibitthefunctionoflungs
contributetotheoccurrenceofrespiratorydiseasessuchas
bronchitis,emphysema,andcancer.

Destruction mechanism of ozone by Cl radical from CFC

compound is given below :
Initiation : CFC will spilt up by UV radiation
CCl3F
CCl2F + Cl
Propagation
Cl + O3
ClO + O

O2 + Cl
O2 + Cl

ACID
RAIN

 The term "acid rain" means any precipitation made

acidic by the dissolution of atmospheric acids with
water, which can include fog, dew, sleet, and snow.
The term "acid deposition" means the striking of any
acidic solution, acidic gas, or acidic salt to Earth.
Acid rain is generally a combination of the products of
sulfur and nitrogen oxides, converted to sulfuric and
nitric acids.

Typicalreactionmechanismsofacidrainareasfollows:
SO2+1/2O2+H2O
2H++SO42(aq)
2NO2+1/2O2+H2O

2H++NO3(aq)

Wetdeposition
Acidicrain,fog,andsnow.
Asthisacidicwaterflowsoverandthroughtheground,it
affectsavarietyofplantsandanimals.

 Dry deposition
Acidic gases and particles.
The wind blows these acidic particles and gases onto
buildings, cars, homes, and trees.
Dry deposited gases and particles can also be washed from
trees and other surfaces by rainstorms.
When this happens, the runoff water adds those acids to the
acid rain, making the combination more acidic than the
falling rain alone.

 Effectsofacidrain
Buildingsandoutdoormonumentsmadeofmarbleand
limestonearenowbeinggraduallyerodedawaybyacidrain.
Manylakeshavebecomesoacidicthatfishcannotlivein
themanymore.
Degradationofmanysoilmineralsproducesmetalionsthat
arethenwashedawayintherunoff,causingseveraleffects:
Thereleaseoftoxicions,suchasAl3+,intothewater
supply.
Thelossofimportantminerals,suchasCa2+,fromthe
soil,killingtreesanddamagingcrops.

Global Warming
Due to greenhouses effect, increase in greenhouse
gases (CO2 etc) by burning fossil fuel
Heat from sun get trapped
Rise in global temperature rise in water
temperature
Causes
Death of aquatic organisms

Photochemical Smog

Photochemical smog
Develops when primary pollutants (oxides of
nitrogen and volatile organic compounds created from
fossil fuel combustion) interact under the influence of
sunlight to produce a mixture of hundreds of different
and hazardous chemicals known as secondary
pollutants.
Major toxic constituents of photochemical smog are NOx,
VOCs, O3, and peroxyacetyl nitrates (PAN).

 The formation of two most dominant toxic components;

Ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN).
Note the symbol R represents a hydrocarbon.
- NO acts to remove ozone from the atmosphere
(occurs in unpolluted atmosphere)
O3 + NO
NO2 + O2
NO + RO2

NO2 + other products

 Sunlight can break down NO2 back into NO.

NO2 + sunlight
NO + O
O formed in the above reaction then reacts with one of
the abundant oxygen molecules producing ozone.
O + O2
O3
NO2 can also react with radicals produced from VOCs
to form toxic products such as PAN.
NO2 + R
products such as PAN (general)
NO2 + CH3C(O)OO
CH3C-OONO2

Effectsofphotochemicalsmog
ShortTermExposure(12Hours)mayleadto:
Lunginflammation
Decreasedabilitytobreathe,resultinginshortshallow
breaths,reducedathleticperformance,painupon
breatheingdeeply,coughing,chesttightnessand
discomfort
Increasedsusceptibilitytorespiratorydiseasessuchas
pneumoniaandbronchitis
Increasedsensitivitytoallergens
Exacerbationofrespiratorydiseasessuchasasthmaand
emphysema

 Long Term Exposure may lead to:

- High risk of lung disease
- Fibrosis: leads to less elastic lung and loss
of
functional tissue
- Premature lung aging
- Risk of permanent decrease in lung
capacity

Clean Air Act Regulation

1978

Stack gas emission standards

POLLUTANTS

1. Dark Smoke

EMISSION SOURCES

STANDARDS

Solid Fuelled Equipment or Ringelmann Chart

facilities
No 2
Equipment using other
types of fuel.

Ringelmann Chart
No 1

2. Dust

Utilities used for the heating of

Metals other than Cold Blast
Foundry Cupola.

0.2 gm/Nm3

Facilities discharging dust

containing asbestos and free
silica.

0.12 gm/Nm3

Portland Cement Mfg:

Kiln
Clinker cooler, grinder,
others.

0.2 gm/Nm3
0.1 gm/Nm3

Asphalt concrete/bituminous
mixing plant:
Stationary Plant
Mobile Plant

0.3 gm/Nm3
0.4 gm/Nm3

Other sources

0.4gm/Nm3

3. Metal and metallic Compound:

3.1 Mercury

Industry

0.01 gm/Nm3

3.2 Cadmium

Industry

0.015 gm/Nm3

3.3 Lead

Industry

0.025 gm/Nm3

3.4 Antimony

Industry

0.025 gm/Nm3

3.5 Arsenic

Industry

0.025 gm/Nm3

3.6 Zinc

Industry

0.1 gm/Nm3

3.7 Copper

Industry

0.1 gm/Nm3

4. Gases
a) Acid gases

Sulphuric Acid Mfg.

b) Sulphuric Acid Mist or Any Sources other than a)

SO3 or both

3.5 gm of SO3/Nm3 and

no persistent mist
0.2 gm of SO3/Nm3 and
no persistent mist

c) Chlorine gas

Any source

0.2 gm of HCl/Nm3

d) HCL

Any source

0.4 gm of HCl/Nm3

e) Fluorine, Hydrofluoric Aluminium Mfg from Alumina

acid,
inorganic
fluorine compound
f) -do-

Any source other than e)

g) Hydrogen sulphide

Any source

h) NOx

Acid Nitric Mfg

i) -do-

Any source other than h)

0.2 gm of Hydrofluoric
acid/Nm3
0.10 gm of Hydrofluoric
acid/Nm3
5 ppm (Vol%)
1.7 gm of SO3/Nm3 and
substantial colourless
2.0 gm of SO3/Nm3

Malaysia Ambient Air

Quality Guidelines
RECOMMENDED MALAYSIA AIR QUALITY GUIDELINES,1989

Pollutantand
Method

AveragingTime

Ozone
As2524

Carbon
Monoxide
As2695

AirQualityGuidelines

ppm

ug/m3

1hour

0.10

200

8hour

0.06

120

1hour

30

35#

10#

8hour

# mg/m3