This document discusses air and water pollution. It defines air pollution as air contaminated with harmful substances and notes key air pollutants like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides from sources such as factories, power plants and vehicles. Water pollution is defined as water contaminated with unwanted substances. Key water pollutants are discussed along with a case study on pollution of the Ganga River from untreated sewage and industrial waste. Methods to reduce both air and water pollution are provided.

1. Pollution of air and
water PREPARED BY
SABIL K
PGT CHEMISTRY
PRESTIGE PUBLIC SCHOOL

2. Air
The invisible mixture of gases (such
as nitrogen and oxygen) that
surrounds the Earth and that people
and animals breathe .

3. Composition of air
By volume, about 78% of this mixture
is nitrogen and about 21% is oxygen.
Carbon dioxide, argon, methane,
ozone and water vapour are also
present in very small quantities

5. You may have covered your nose while passing a brick kiln
emitting smoke or started coughing while walking on a busy
road (Fig. 18.1). On the basis of your experience, compare the
quality of air at the places given below:
l .A park and a busy road.
lI .A residential area and an industrial area.
lII .A busy traffic intersection at different times of the day
e.g. early morning, afternoon and evening.
lV A village and a town

6. Air pollution
When air is contaminated by
substances which have a harmful
on both the living and the non-living,
it is referred
to as air pollution

7. Air pollutants
The substances which contaminate
the air are called air pollutants.
Eg :carbon monoxide.
carbon dioxide.
nitrogen oxides.

8. Sources of pollutants
How does Air Get Polluted?
Natural sources : forest fires ,volcanic eruptions
etc.
Other sources
Factories , power plants, automobile exhausts and
burning of firewood and dung cakes.

9. You might have read in the newspapers that
respiratory problems amongst children are
rising day by day. Conduct a survey of
households in your neighborhood and among
friends to find out how many children are
suffering from respiratory problems
SURVEY note: Due to covid 19 pandemic
survey cancelled

10. Carbon monoxide
* Carbon monoxide is produced
from incomplete burning of fuels such
as petrol and diesel.
* It is a poisonous gas.
* It reduces the oxygen-carrying
capacity of the blood

11. Smog
*A thick fog-like layer in the atmosphere,
especially during winters
* It is made up of smoke and fog.

12. Problems caused by smog
The smog causes breathing difficulties
such as asthma, cough and wheezing in
children

13. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
*used in refrigerators, air conditioners
and aerosol sprays.
* CFCs damage the ozone layer of the
atmosphere

14. Activity 3
Prepare a table using the pollutants
mentioned above. You may even add
more data to the following Table.

16. After effects of pollution.
amous monument being affected by air pollution
is Taj Mahal which is one of the 7 wonders of
the world.

17. The industries located around Agra like rubber
processing, automobile, chemicals and oil refinery
have been responsible for producing pollutants
like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These
gases react with the water vapors present in the
atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acid. This
acid then mixes with rain making it acidic and it is
called acid rain.
This Acid rain corrodes the marble of the
monument through a phenomenon called the
“Marble cancer”.

18. Green House Effect
The trapping of radiations by the earth’s
atmosphere is called the greenhouse
effect.
Greenhouse Gases
* CO2 ( Carbon dioxide)
*Methane
*Nitrous oxide and water vapours.

19. Global warming.
The gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s
atmosphere is called global warming.
*Global warming can cause sea levels to rise and affect rainfall
patterns, agriculture, forests, plants and animals.
Deforestation leads to an increase in the amount of CO2 by
reducing the number of trees which consume CO2. Human
activities contribute to the accumulation of CO2 in the
atmosphere adding to the greenhouse effect and thus eventually
Global Warming.

20. What can be done to reduce air pollution?
•A decision was taken by the government to switch to fuels like CNG unleaded petrol
in vehicles which have resulted in cleaner air for the country.
•“Say no to crackers” campaign was organized by children from many schools and it
made a big difference to the air pollution levels around Diwali.
•Switching over to alternative fuels like solar energy, hydropower and wind energy
instead of fossil fuels for our energy requirements could help a lot.
•Small contributions on our part like Aforestation can help a lot. Van Mahotsav are
organized every year in July when lots of trees are planted. So we can help plant
trees and nurture the ones already present in the neighbourhood.

21. Water Pollution.
When water is contaminated by
unwanted substances which have a
harmful effect on both the living and
the non-living, it is referred
to as water pollution

22. Water Pollutants
The substances that pollute water like sewage, toxic
chemicals, silt, etc. are called water pollutants.

24. Water pollution -ganga river- case
study.

25. One big example of water pollution in our country is pollution of
Ganga.
A study by the (WWF) World Wide Fund for Nature found that river
Ganga is one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the world and the
pollution levels in it have been rising steadily for many years. The
towns and cities through which the river flows throw large quantities of
garbage, untreated sewage and many other harmful things directly
into the river. In fact the river has been declared ‘dead’ at many places
where the pollution levels are so high that aquatic life could not
survive.

26. • The Ganga Action Plan -1985 to reduce the
pollution levels in the river.
• Government of India launched another
initiative known as (NMCG) National Mission
for Clean Ganga in 2016.
Ganga river saving plans

27. Causes of Water Pollution
• Industries like oil refineries, paper factories, textile and sugar
mills and chemical factories discharge harmful chemicals into
rivers and streams, causing the pollution of water. This is
called chemical contamination of water. The chemicals
released into the water include arsenic, lead and fluorides
which lead to toxicity in plants and animals The soil is also
affected by the impure water causing changes in acidity,
growth of worms, etc in the soil..

29. Potable Water
* The water suitable for drinking is called
potable water.

30. How to Make Water Safe
•Filtering- A popular household filter is a candle type filter.
•Boiling- Many households use boiling for obtaining safe
drinking water. Boiling kills the germs present in the water and
makes it safe for drinking.

31. •Chlorination– It is a chemical method for purifying water
done by adding chlorine tablets or bleaching powder to
the water.
•Water treatment plants– Laws should be strictly
implemented so that polluted water isn’t disposed off
directly into rivers and lakes. Water treatment plants
should be installed in all the industrial areas.

32. •At an individual level one should consciously save water and not
waste it. Reduce, reuse and recycle should be used diligently
as a method. Reusing water used for washing and for other
household tasks, water used for washing vegetables can be used
to water plants in the garden, while brushing your teeth or
washing utensils the taps should be turned off. Leaving the tap
running can waste several liters of water. Using simple methods
in our everyday routine can help in saving water.