PRE- MID ASSIGNMENT 1

TOPIC:
CHEMICAL POLLUTANTS OF AIR

SUBMITTED TO : Dr Sadia Saif

SUBMITTED BY : Sumbal Arshad
SEMESTER: 2
ROLL NO. W18BDES011
SUBMITTED DATE : 8-02-2019
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

KINNAIRD COLLEGE FOR WOMEN AND UNIVERSITY

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Table of Contents
I. PRELIMINARY NOTE : ............................................................................................................................ 3
II. PRIMARY POLLUTANTS: ........................................................................................................................ 3
III. SECONDARY POLLUTANTS: ............................................................................................................... 5
IV. SOURCE ............................................................................................................................................. 7
V. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS : ................................................................................................................ 8
VI. HEALTH IMPACTS : .......................................................................................................................... 10
VII. CONTROL TO AIR POLLUTION: ........................................................................................................ 11
VIII. CONCLUSION:.................................................................................................................................. 12
IX. References ...................................................................................................................................... 13

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I. PRELIMINARY NOTE :
Air is a mixture of gasses which surrounds or environment. It includes oxygen, nitrogen
,carbon dioxide , some noble gases such as argon ,some molecules of water and nitrogen
dioxide. Every gas present in the air have fix amount. Air contain nitrogen in highest amount
which is ,73% ,oxygen is 21%,carbon dioxide is 0.04%, argon is 0.93% present in air.Any
disturbance in the composition of air may cause adverse affect on environment. Air plays an
important role to maintain the life on earth.

Air pollutants:

Air pollutants are the substance that build up in the environment and cause harm to our health.
These are mostly gases. Pollutants are of two types:

 Primary pollutants
 Secondary pollutants

II. PRIMARY POLLUTANTS:

Primary pollutants are those which are emitted directly to air by burning of fire, vehicles
,factories power generation etc. some primary pollutants are:

 Carbon monoxide (CO)

 Volatile organic compounds( VOCS)
 Ammonia( NH3)
 Nitric oxide (NO2)
 Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

 Sulfur dioxide:
(SO2) is a gas formed when sulfur is exposed to oxygen at high temperatures during fossil
fuel combustion, oil refining, or metal smelting. So2 is toxic at high concentrations.
 Structure:
the structure of the sulfuric acid is complex and have structural formula as;

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 Fig no.1 : showing structure of sulfur dioxide, bond length between S-O bond (143.1pm)and
bond angle is 119
 Equation :
Sulfur dioxide is formed when sulfur reacts with the oxygen . The equation is:

S(S) + O2(G) = SO2

 Nitric oxide:
(NO and NO2, referred together as NOx ) are highly reactive gases formed when oxygen and
nitrogen react at high temperatures during combustion or lightning strikes. Nitrogen present in
fuel can also be emitted as NOx during combustion.
 Structure:

Fig no 2: showing structure of nitrogen dioxide ,

 Equation :
Nitrogen oxide are formed when nitrogen react with oxygen. The equation is as follow:

N2 + O2 = 2NO

2NO + O2 = NO2

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  Carbon mono oxide:
(CO) is an odorless, colorless gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon in fuel.
The main source is motor vehicle exhaust, along with industrial processes and biomass
burning.
 Structure:
The structure of carbon mono oxide is linear.

Fig no 3: showing structure ofcarbon mono oxide ,bond length between C-O(112.8 pm)

 Equation :
The carbon dioxide is formed when graphite burn in oxygen.

2CGRAPHITE + O2 = 2CO

Volatile organic compound:

VOCs), including hydrocarbons (CxHy ) but also other organic chemicals are emitted
from a very wide range of sources, including fossil fuel combustion, industrial activities,
and natural emission from vegetation and fires. Some anthropogenic VOCs such as
benzene are known carcinogens.
Some anthropogenic VOCs such as benzene are known carcinogens.

III. SECONDARY POLLUTANTS:

These are pollutants which produced by the interaction of primary pollutants present in air.

 Nitric acid
 Sulfuric acid
 Ozone
 Ammonia

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  Sulfuric acid :
The is known as the king of chemicals . It is secondary pollutant and formed by the
reaction of sulfur dioxide with the oxygen present n the air. The formation of sulfuric
acid is shown in the following:

 Equation:
The formation of the sulfuric acid is:

S(S) +O2(G) = SO2

2SO2 + O2 =2SO 3

SO3 + H2O = H 2SO4

 Structure:

The structure of sulfuric acid is complex having sulfur double bong with oxygen 2 single bond
with O and 2 single bond with hydrogen atom.

Fig no 4 showing structure of sulfur dioxide : bong length between S-O( 142.2pm ) S-O
(157.4pm) ,O-H( 97 pm)

 Nitric acid :

The nitric acid is the secondary pollutant that is formed by the reaction of NO and O2

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  Equation:

Following is the reaction of nitric acid formation.

2NO +O2 =2NO2

4NO2+ H 2O+ O2 =4 HNO3

 Ammonia :

Ammonia is the colourless gas with strong pungent smell.

 Structure:

The structure ammonia has the covalent bond and one coordinate covalent bond.

Fig 5: showing structure of ammonia, coordinate covalent bond,bond angle (107.8 pm),N-H
bond length,( 101.7pm.)

IV. SOURCE
These harmful gasses may come from the following resources.

1. Man made sources:

 Industrial waste;

To improve the life style many land of Earth have turned into urbanization. Many
factories have built to meet the necessities of life . This factories burn many fossil
fuels such as coal ,oil and petrol which release harm full gases directly into the
air. Some liquid waste are thrown into the ponds lake rivers etc. This results in the
disturbance of marine life.

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  Vehicles:

The population is increasing day by day. The life style of a man has increased. Many people
now travel in their on cars. The gases exhaust from the cars are air pollutants that mix up in the
air and cause harm full effects.

 Power generation:

Power generation plays important role in every persons daily life . Power generators produces
electricity which required burning of fossils fuel which results in the emission of primary
pollutants in the environment.

 Wildfires:

Sudden fire in the biggest forest results in the pollution in the environment, burning of forests is
directly link with the pollution of air. The smoke may have some pollutants that mix up with the
air and produce pollutants.

2) Natural resource:

 Volcanic eruption ;

Volcanic eruption emits some gasses into the air which pollutants our environment. The gasses
may be sulfur dioxide or ash. Bothe these gasses have adverse effects on the environment.

V. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS :
All these gasses that are emitted directly or by the man activity interrupt the environment. The
effect of these gasses is shown as:

 Acid rain:

Acid rain refers to precipitation with pH values below 5, which The main components of acid
rain worldwide are sulfuric acid and nitric acid. Generally happens only when large amounts of
manmade pollution are added to the atmosphere. these acids form when SO2 and NOx are

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oxidized in the atmosphere. Sulfuric and nitric acids dissolve in cloudwater and dissociate to
release H+ :

HNO3 (aq) → NO3 - + H

H2SO4 (aq) → SO42- + 2H+

 Smog:

Smog is often used as a generic term for any kind of air pollution that reduces visibility,
especially in urban areas. Cold temperatures are often associated with inversions that trap the
pollution near the surface, High humidity allows for rapid oxidation of SO2 to form sulfuric acid
and sulfate particles.

 Depletion of ozone layer:

Ozone is the layer surrounding our environment and protects us from the harmful ultra violet
radiation to reach earth. The chlorofluorocarbons release from our refrigerators react with this
ozone layer. As a result the ozone layer start depleting which ultimately make a hole called
OZONE HOLE.

 Green house effect :

The excess amount of carbon dioxide in the environment cause the green house effect. Carbon
dioxide acts as the shielding effect , its allow the rays of sun to reach the earth but not go back.
The rays of the sun traps in the atmosphere and results n the increase o the temperature of earth
called GLOBAL WARMING.

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 Fig 6: showing green house effect ,trap of infrared radiation

 Melting of glaciers :

Due to the global warming as discussed above the temperature of the earth rises. Due to the rise
of this temperature the glaciers melt. The melting of this glaciers may results in the disturbance
of the life living there.

 Floods

The chng in temoerature link with the hng in the climate. The melting glaciers resuts in the flood
. floods cause the distrucion of the bg community. :

VI. HEALTH IMPACTS :

The release of air pollutants not only disturb the environment but also the people living in this
earth. Some of heath impacts are:

 Improper function of nervous system:

The nervous system is the system in human body that play role in coordination. The excess of
carbon mono oxide in the air when inhaled by human ,reduce the oxygen carrying capacity of

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the air. This results in the effects the nervous system and come other organs such as heart , lungs,
etc. the excess og this pollutant may cause dizziness and some time death.

 Respiratory disorder:

The excess of the oxides of nitrogen in air cause respiratory disorders. When these oxides injalde
in the body its inflames the lining of lungs and reduce the immunity to the lung infections.

 Disturbance in the marine life;

When pollutants such as sulfide and nitrogen fall on soil as a acid rain this results in the
disturbance of marine life. The rain water having pH less than 7 when fall in rivers, streams,
lakes, it attracts on the calcium carbonate skeleton of fish and accumulates in gills of fish. This
results in the death of fishes.

 Eye problems:

Due to the depletion of the ozone layer many harmful rays such as UV rays can reach the earth.
these harm full rays may cause eye infections.

VII. CONTROL TO AIR POLLUTION:

 Reduce the number of trips you take in your car.
 Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use.
 Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.

 Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment

 Choose a cleaner commute - share a ride to work or use public transportation.

 Combine errands and reduce trips. Walk to errands when possible.
 Avoid excessive idling of your automobile.
 Refuel your car in the evening when its cooler.
 Conserve electricity and set air conditioners no lower than 78 degrees.
 Defer lawn and gardening chores that use gasoline-powered equipment, or wait until
evening.

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VIII. CONCLUSION:
The air pollutants are present in our atmosphere and disturbing our life and our biodiversity .Its
also cause change in climate which cause many problems. Air pollutants have both
environmental as well as health impacts . These pollutants are emitted through the human
activities which should controlled by taking many precautionary measures.

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IX. REFERENCES
https://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/pdfs/unit11.pdf

https://www.sepa.org.uk/media/120465/mtc_chem_of_air_pollution.pdf

https://www3.epa.gov/region1/airquality/reducepollution.html

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