AIR POLLUTION

Definition
Air pollution may be defined as the presence in the air (outdoor atmosphere) of one or more contaminants or combinations thereof in such quantities and of such durations as may be or tend to be injurious to human, animal or plant life, or property, or which unreasonably interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property or conduct of business. Air pollution only occurs outdoors.The atmosphere is composed of 78% of nitrogen, 21% of oxygen, 1% carbondioxide, remainder consist of water vapor, trace amount of several other gases such as hydrogen, neon etc.

Air Pollutant
It is a substance or effect dwelling temporarily or permanently in the air , which adversely alters the environment by interfering with the health, the comfort, or the food chain, or by interfering with the property values of people. A pollutant can be solid , liquid or gas . It may originate from a natural or human source (or both). However, it is widely accepted that even a small change can have a significant adverse effect on the climate, ecosystem and species on the planet. It may originate from both natural and human sources .  Natural sources include dust, forest fires, volcanic eruptions etc.

Types of Pollutants Primary pollutants : are those which are emitted directly into the troposphere from both natural and human activities. There are five primary pollutants carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, suspended and particulate matter.  Secondary pollutants : when some of the primary pollutants may react with one another or with the basic components of air to form new pollutants eg: sulfuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid etc.

Sources of air pollutants

Pollutants from natural sources a. From volcanoes :dust,ashes,smoke,carbon dioxide and other gases; b. From extra terrestrial bodies : cosmic dust,dusts produced due to collision of asteroids.meteors,comets etc. with the earth. c. From green plants: pollen of plant flowers,carbon dioxide from bacteria;

From man made sources a. Gases from kitchen and domestic heating,industries,incineration of municipal and domestic garbage, automobiles ,railway mostly from coal and diesel engines,aircrafts etc; b. Solid or particulate matter from industries,mines and urban centers; Radioactive substances from nuclear plants, nuclear fuel and domestic kitchens etc.

Primary Air Pollutants Sources and Effects on Human Health

Pollutant Carbon Monoxide (CO) Sources Cigarette smoking, motor vehicle exhaust. Effects Reduces oxygen carrying capacity of blood ,triggers heart attack, causes collapse, coma etc. Lung irritation, aggravates asthma, bronchitis etc.

Nitrogen Dioxide

Burning of fossil fuel, power & industrial plants.

Sulfur Dioxide

Coal burning in Breathing problems, power plants & bronchitis, reduces industrial processes visibility etc.

Ozone

Chemical reaction with VOCs by cars & industries.

Heart disease, eyes, nose & throat irritation, cough etc. Nose & throat irritation, lung damage, cancer, shortens life, asthma.

Suspended Burning coal in Particulate Matter power & industrial plants, diesel in vehicles, agriculture, construction. Lead Metal refineries, storage batteries, lead manufacture.

Accumulates in the body, brain & other nervous system damage, mental

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN HOUSE EFFECT Atmospheric scientists first used the term 'greenhouse effect' in the early 1800s. At that time, it was used to describe the naturally occurring functions of trace gases in the atmosphere and did not have any negative connotations. It was not until the mid-1950s that the term greenhouse effect was coupled with concern over climate change. And in recent decades, we often hear about the greenhouse effect in somewhat negative terms. The negative concerns are related to the possible impacts of an enhanced greenhouse effect. It is important to remember that without the greenhouse effect, life on earth as would not be possible.

GREEN HOUSE EFFECT

Greenhouse Effect is the build up of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These gases act like a blanket and trap heat, thereby leading to global warming. While the earth's temper ature is dependent upon the greenhouse-like action of the atmosphere, the amount of heating and cooling are strongly influenced by several factors. The sun heats the Earth; solar radiation passes through the atmosphere, and is absorbed at the Earths surface. This heat is emitted from the surface as infra-red radiation. This infra-red radiation cannot escape the atmosphere easily. Instead, some is trapped by a number of gases, hence we have Greenhouse Effect.

Greenhouse Gases
Two greenhouse gases with the largest concentrations are water vapour controlled by the hydrological cycle and carbon dioxide controlled by the carbon cycle. Methane , nitrous oxide , and a few other gases are greenhouse gases Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is produced when the fuel is burnt. Plants convert the carbon dioxide back to oxygen but the release of carbon dioxide from human activities is higher than the worlds plants can process. The situation is made worse since many of the earths forests are being removed, and plants life is being damaged by acid rain. Thus the amount of carbon dioxide in the air is continuing to increase. This build up acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of the earth. The planet is losing less heat and as a result we are beginning to experience Global Warming.

GLOBAL WARMING
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution around 1750 there has been a sharp rise in : The use of fossil fuels which releases large amounts of the greenhouse gases into the troposphere, Deforestation and clearing and burning of grasslands to raise crops, which release carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide into the atmosphere, Use of inorganic fertilizers which release nitrous oxide into the troposphere. The increased inputs of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from human activities will : Enhance the earths natural greenhouse effect, Raise the average global temperature of the atmosphere near the earths surface. This enhanced greenhouse effect is called Global Warming

EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING

 Warming driven changes: The planet had been heating at the rate of 4 degrees Celsius per century in the last twenty years : Warming is causing the breakup of Antarctic ice shelves. High above the oceans, most of the earths glaciers are retreating Peruvian Andes & Greenland ice sheet. The Arctic sea has thinned by 40 percent in the last two decades. Altered the timings of the seasons because of the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide.  Sea level: A 20 cm rise by 2030 is expected to result from glacial melting and from the thermal expansion of the oceans as water temperature rises, increasing the risk of flooding.

Contd Water resources : Global rainfall patterns will change. This will have serious global implications , droughts & floods will become more common, water quality will suffer owing to an increase in algal blooms.  Terrestrial ecosystems : Many plants & animal species will have problems adapting , which may result in risk from extinction, whereas more tolerant varieties will thrive.  Human health : There is likely to be an increase in the spread of certain diseases malaria, heat induced deaths are likely to increase, urban air pollution is likely to get worse.  Economic consequences : Rise in disaster relief costs to governments & escalating losses to the worlds property.

 The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency that apply for outdoor air throughout the country. Primary standards are designed to protect human health, with an adequate margin of safety, including sensitive populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals suffering from respiratory disease. Secondary standards are designed to protect public welfare from any known or anticipated adverse effects of a pollutant.

 NAAQS requires to set standards on five criteria of air contaminants: 1. Particulate Matter - PM coarse particles: 2.5 micrometers to 10 in size (although current implementation includes all particles 10 micrometers or less in the standard) - PM fine particles: 2.5 micrometers in size or less 1. Carbon monoxide (CO) 2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) 3. Nitrogen oxides(NOx) 4. Lead (Pb)