FINAL_AIR_POLLUTION.pptx

ENVIRONMENTAL
POLLUTION
The Earth Is What We
All Have In Common

Air Environment and Noise
Pollution
Objectives:
i. Understand the fundamental concepts and principles of air
pollution, environmental impact assessment, and noise pollution.
ii. Identify and analyze the sources, characteristics, and effects of air
pollutants, and noise pollutants.
iii. Evaluate the health, ecological, and societal impacts of air pollution,
environmental pollution, and noise pollution.
iv. Assess the regulatory frameworks and policy measures for
controlling air and noise pollution

Air Environment and Noise
Pollution
Objectives:
v. Develop sustainable strategies and solutions for minimizing and
managing pollutants
vi. Apply scientific methods and tools to monitor, measure, and model air
quality and noise levels.
vii. Critically analyze case studies and research papers on air pollution,
environmental and noise pollution.

Importanceof Understandingthese
Issues
Exposure to air pollutants and noise is a public
health concern owing to linkages with asthma, cardio-
vascular disease, hypertension, sleep disturbance and other
adverse health effects.
Thus, given the presence of environmental
hazards, it is important to understand that this
environmental factors are crucial for safeguarding human
health, protecting the environment, mitigating climate
change, ensuring regulatory compliance, fostering
sustainable development, and promoting public
awareness and engagement. By addressing these issues,
we can work towards creating a cleaner, healthier and
more sustainable future for all.

DEFINITION
AIR POLLUTION
 Air pollution is a gas (or a liquid or solid dispersed
through ordinary air) released in a big enough quantity to
harm the health of people or other animals, kill plants or
stop them growing properly, damage or disrupt some
other aspect of the environment (such as making
buildings crumble), or cause some other kind of nuisance
(reduced visibility, perhaps, or an unpleasant odor)
 Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical or biological
change in the air. It is the contamination of air by harmful
gases, dust and smoke which affects plants, animals and
humans drastically.
 Air pollution is a mix of hazardous substances from both
human-made and natural sources.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways.
Most air pollution is created by people, taking the form of
emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-
hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These
man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic
sources. Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from
wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These are called
natural sources.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Burning of Fossil Fuels
The combustion of fossil fuels emits a large amount of sulphur dioxide.
Carbon monoxide released by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels also
results in air pollution.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Automobiles
The gases emitted from vehicles such as jeeps, trucks, cars, buses, etc. pollute the
environment. These are the major sources of greenhouse gases and also result in
diseases among individuals.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Agricultural Activities
Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases emitted during agricultural activities.
The insecticides, pesticides and fertilisers emit harmful chemicals in the atmosphere
and contaminate it.

 Power Plants
They emit harmful pollutants, including mercury,
non-mercury metallic toxics, acid gases, and
organic air toxics such as dioxin. Power plants are
currently the dominant emitters of mercury (50
percent), acid gases (over 75 percent) and many
toxic metals (20-60 percent) in the United States
(see graphic at right).
SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Factories and Industries
Factories and industries are the main source of carbon monoxide, organic
compounds, hydrocarbons and chemicals. These are released into the air,
degrading its quality.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Forest Fires
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and
unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation starting in rural and urban areas. Forests
fires are as old as the forests themselves. They pose a threat not only to the forest wealth but
also to the entire regime to fauna and flora seriously disturbing the bio-diversity and the ecology
and environment of a region.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic gases that pose the greatest
potential hazards are sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide,
and hydrogen fluoride.
Volcanic Eruptions are mainly classified into 3 different
categories depending upon what drives them.
TYPES OF ERUPTIONS
MAGMATIC
PHREATIC
PHREATOMAGMATIC

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Mining Activities
In the mining process, the minerals below the earth are extracted using large pieces of
equipment. The dust and chemicals released during the process not only pollute the
air, but also deteriorate the health of the workers and people living in the nearby
areas.

SOURCES
AIR POLLUTION
 Domestic Sources
The household cleaning products and paints contain toxic chemicals that are released
in the air. The smell from the newly painted walls is the smell of the chemicals present
in the paints. It not only pollutes the air but also affects breathing.

TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS
AIR POLLUTION
o Ammonia (NH3)
Ammonia is a colorless gas with a pungent odor. Its main source are agricultural
processes, particularly in fertilizer production and livestock waste management.
Indoor causes include cigarette smoke and cleaning solutions.
o Carbon monoxide (CO)
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless toxic gas. It is emitted
directly from vehicles and combustion engines. Indoors, carbon monoxide is
produced by boilers, fireplaces, ovens, cooker hoods, central vacuum systems,
tobacco smoke, and propane heaters. Other sources of the gas are power plants,
biomass burning, forest fires, and the wood industry.

AIR POLLUTION
o Nitric oxide (NO)
Nitric oxide, also called nitrogen monoxide, is a colourless, toxic gas formed
through the combustion processes of coal and petroleum. Main sources include
motor vehicles and thermal power plants.
o Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
Nitrogen dioxide is formed through the oxidation of nitric oxide (NO) from
combustion processes such as diesel engines and coal, oil, gas, wood, and
waste plants.

AIR POLLUTION
o Ozone (O3)
Ground-level ozone is a pale blue gas with a pungent smell. It is mainly
formed through the photochemical reactions of other pollutants such as
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds from
strong sunlight and UV radiation. Indoor sources stem from electric motors in
household appliances including copiers and laser printers.

AIR POLLUTION
o Particulate matter (PM)
Particulate matter consists of airborne liquid and solid particles. Primary particulate
matter is emitted from a direct source, including power plants, vehicle traffic,
construction sites, and indoor stoves and heaters. On the other hand, secondary
particulate matter is formed as a result of chemical and physical reactions with various
compounds, including Sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ammonia
(NH3).

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTANTS
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution affects all things. It is harmful
to our health, and it impacts the environment by reducing
visibility and blocking sunlight, causing acid rain, and
harming forests, wildlife, and agriculture. Greenhouse gas
pollution, the cause of climate change, affects the entire
planet.

HEALTH EFFECTS TABLE
Organs
Ear, Nose & Throat Irritation
Lungs Asthma & Coughing
Heart Heart Attack & Failure
Brain Dementia & Memory Impairment
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5
Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. It increases the risk of
respiratory infections, heart disease and lung cancer.

AIR POLLUTION
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated seven
million people die each year from air pollution. Ground-level ozone
causes muscles in the lungs to contract, making it difficult to breathe.
Exposure to high ozone levels can cause sore throat, coughing, lung
inflammation, and permanent lung damage.

AIR POLLUTION
 Coughing
 Wheezing
 Irritation to eyes, nose and throat
 Headache
 Dizziness
 Fatigue
 Respiratory disease
 Cardiovascular damage
 Harm to liver, spleen and blood
 Nervous system damage
 Cancer
 Birth defects
 Death

AIR POLLUTION
It is harming animals and
plants.

AIR POLLUTION
Wildlife can experience many of the same negative
health effects of air pollution that humans do. Damage to
respiratory systems is the most common effect on animals, but
neurological problems and skin irritations are also common.
Plants and crops grow less
when exposed to long-term air
pollution. Ozone pollution harms
plants by damaging structures
called stomata, which are tiny
pores on the underside of leaves
that allow the plant to "breathe."
When acid rain, lead toxicity, and
exposure to nitrogen oxides
change the chemical nature of the
soil, plants are robbed of the
nutrients that they need to grow
and survive. This impacts

AIR POLLUTION
It causes Acid Rain.
Burning fossil fuels releases sulfur and
nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Acid rain forms
when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide mix with
water droplets in the atmosphere to make sulfuric
acid and nitric acid. Winds can carry these pollutants
for thousands of miles, until they fall to the Earth's
surface as acid rain, which damages the leaves of
vegetation, increases the acidity of soils and water,
and is linked to over 500 deaths each year.
Buildings and other structures are also
impacted by acid rain, which causes an estimated five
billion dollars of property damage each year. Acid rain
dissolves mortar between bricks, causes stone
foundations to become unstable, and is destroying
ancient buildings and statues carved from marble and
limestone.

AIR POLLUTION
It causes Acid Rain.

AIR POLLUTION
It reduces sunlight.
High levels of particulate pollution from all types
of burning reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches
the surface and even changes the appearance of the sky.
When less sunlight is available for photosynthesis, forests
grow at a slower rate and crops are less productive. Hazy
skies not only reduce visibility, but also impact the
weather and even the climate.

OZONE LAYER
AIR POLLUTION
The hole in the ozone layer is caused by air pollutants. Chemicals
used as refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contain
chlorine atoms. Releasing chlorine atoms into the atmosphere destroys
ozone. A single chlorine atom can destroy thousands of ozone molecules.
The ozone layer blocks harmful ultraviolet-B (UVB) radiation from the Sun
— it protects us in a way that is similar to putting sunscreen on your skin
to prevent sunburn. The ozone hole puts all living things at risk by
increasing the amount of UVB that reaches the surface.
Creates a hole in the ozone
layer.

OZONE LAYER
STRATOSPHERE
The stratosphere is a layer of Earth's atmosphere. It is the second layer
of the atmosphere as you go upward
TROPOSPHERE
The troposphere is the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere. Most of the
mass (about 75-80%) of the atmosphere is in the troposphere.
AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION
It adds too much nitrogen to the land .
This map shows global ammonia hotspots identified over
a 14-year period. Warm colors represent an increase in
ammonia, while cool colors represent a decrease in
ammonia.

AIR POLLUTION
It adds too much nitrogen to the land .
Gaseous ammonia (NH3) from agriculture
and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from car, truck, and
airplane emissions increase the amount of nitrogen
in soils. Plants need nitrogen to grow, but too much
nitrogen can limit the growth of some plants and
increase the growth of others, disrupting the balance
of species within an ecosystem. This disruption is
negatively impacting grasslands and other fragile
environments around the world.

EFFECTS OF GREENHOUSE GAS POLLUTION
AIR POLLUTION
Greenhouse gas pollution is causing
climate change. As a result, ecosystems are
changing faster than plants and animals can
adapt, and many species are going extinct. Marine
ecosystems are vulnerable to ocean acidification
caused when carbon dioxide emitted into the
atmosphere is dissolved in seawater. Ocean
acidification makes it difficult for many marine
species to grow shells and skeletons.

AIR QUALITY MONITORING
AIR POLLUTION
• Air quality monitoring refers to the collection and
measurement of ambient air pollution samples. The data
from these samples is compared to clean air standards and
historical information regarding air quality levels, along with
data reflecting its health and environmental impacts, to
determine the state of air.

IMPORTANCE OF MONITORING AIR QUALITY
AIR POLLUTION
• Improve air quality
• Monitor compliance with regulations
• Monitor climate change
• Support research and development
• Protect health

METHODS AND TECHNIQUES FOR AIR QUALITY MONITORING
AIR POLLUTION
1) Ozone-ultraviolet spectroscopy
Sample air is drawn into a cell where a beam of
ultraviolet light is passed through it to an ultraviolet detector.
Some of the light is absorbed by ozone in the sample. The
decrease in intensity between the transmitted light and that of
the source is used to determine the ozone concentration in the
sample.

AIR POLLUTION
2) Oxides of nitrogen-chemiluminescence
Sample air is drawn into a reaction chamber where
nitric oxide (NO) in the sample reacts with a stream of ozone
produced by an ultraviolet lamp in dried air. The reaction
produces light (chemiluminescence). The light intensity,
measured by a photomultiplier tube is proportional to the
concentration of nitric oxide. The concentration of nitrogen
dioxide (NO2) reported is assumed to be the difference
between total nitrogen oxides and nitric oxides.

AIR POLLUTION
3) Sulfur dioxide-pulsed fluorescent spectrophotometry
A stream of sample air is drawn through a cell
where it is exposed to pulsed ultraviolet light, resulting
in excitation of sulfur dioxide molecules. The intensity of
the fluorescent light measured by a photomultiplier tube
is proportional to the concentration of sulfur dioxide in
the sample air.

AIR POLLUTION
4) Carbon monoxide-infrared spectrometry
Sample air is drawn into a cell where a beam of infrared
light is passed through it to a photodetector. Some of the light
is absorbed by CO in the sample, the amount being
proportional to the number of molecules present. By
comparing the light intensity received by the photodetector
through the sample cell with that received through a similar
cell containing reference gas, the concentration of carbon
monoxide may be determined .

AIR POLLUTION
5) Ammonia -chemiluminescence
Ammonia (NH3) is measured with the same instrument
as used for nitrogen oxides by way of modification which
converts ammonia to nitric oxide. The nitric oxide and ozone
then react to produce a characteristic luminescence.

AIR POLLUTION
6) Visibility-nephelometer
A sample of air, having been heated to eliminate any
water droplets (fog), is continuously drawn through a sample
cell. A beam of light is used to illuminate the air stream.
Suspended fine particles in the air cause some of light to be
scattered. A photomultiplier tube, produces a signal
proportional to the intensity of the scattered light. The method
detects particles about 0.1-2.0 micrometers.

AIR QUALITY INDICES AND STANDARDS
AIR POLLUTION
• Air quality indices are commonly used to indicate the level of
severity of air pollution to the public. The intended use of
the air quality index is to identify the vulnerable zone.
• 2 Types;
-Single pollutant index
-Multi-pollutant index

AIR QUALITY INDEX
AQI values at or below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above 100, air quality is
unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.
GOOD
MODERATE
UNHEALTHY
VERY
UNHEALTHY
HAZARDOUS
UNHEALTHY
(for sensitive
group)
0
50
100
150
200
300
500

AIR QUALITY INDICES AND STANDARDS
AIR POLLUTION
World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines
-the WHO’s air quality guidelines serve as a global target for national, regional
and city governments to work towards improving their citizen’s health by
reducing air pollution.
-2 types of national air quality standards:
a) Primary standards – set limits to protect public health, including the
“sensitive group.”
b) Secondary standards – set limits to public welfare, including protection
against decreased visibility, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and
buildings.

FINAL_AIR_POLLUTION.pptx

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