AIR POLLUTION CONTROL course material by Prof S S JAHAGIRDAR,NKOCET,SOLAPUR for BE (CIVIL ) students of Solapur university. Content will be also useful for SHIVAJI and PUNE university students

1. L-8
Effects of air pollution on plants
and materials and air pollution
episodes
Air pollution and control
(Elective –I)

2. Contents Today’s Lecture
• Effects of air pollutants on plants
• Effect of air pollutant on
materials
• Air pollution episodes

3. Some important definitions
1. Necrosis :- Necrosis is the killing or
collapse of tissues

4. 2. Chlorosis :- is the loss or reduction of the
green plant pigment, chlorophyll. The loss
of chlorophyll usually results in a pale
green or yellow pattern.

5. 3. Abscission :-Leaf abscission is
dropping of tree leaves

6. 4. Epinasty :- is a downward curvature
of the leaf due to higher rate of growth
on the upper surface.

7. 5. Defoliation
• Defoliation is a term which is used to
describe the removal or loss of leaves.
People usually use it to mean “total
defoliation” meaning that all of the
leaves on a plant are lost.

8. Effects of Air Pollutants on Vegetables
Pollutants Effects on Vegetables
Aldehydes The upper portions of Alfalfa (is a
flowering plant in the pea family) etc. will
be affected to Narcosis if 250 ppm of
Aldehydes is present for 2 hrs duration.
Ozone (O3) All ages of tobacco leaves, beans,
grapes, pine, pumpkins and potato are
affected. Fleck, stiple (several dots),
bleaching, bleached spotting,
pigmentation, growth suppression, and
early abscission are the effects.

9. Peroxy Acetyl
Nitrate (PAN)
Young spongy cells of plants are affected if
0.01 ppm of PAN is present in the ambient
air for more than 6 hrs.
Nitrogen dioxide Irregular, white or brown collapsed region
(NO2)
on intercostals tissue and near leaf margin.
Suppressed growth is observed in many
plants.
Ammonia &
Sulfur dioxide
Bleached spots, bleached areas between
veins, bleached margins, Chlorosis, growth
suppression, early abscission, and
reduction in yield and tissue collapse
occur.

11. Chlorine (Cl2) If 0.10 ppm is present for at least 2
hrs, the epidermis(skin of plants)
and mesophyll of plants will be
affected.
Hydrogen
Epidermis and mesophyll of grapes,
fluoride,
large seed fruits, pines are affected
Silicon tetra and fluorosis in animals occur if
fluoride
0.001 ppm of HF is present for 5
weeks.
Pesticides &
Herbicides
Defoliation, dwarfing(size reduction),
curling, twisting, growth reduction
and killing of plants may occur.

12. Particulates Affects quality of plants, reduces
vigor (plant growth) & hardness
and interferences with
photosynthesis due to plugging
leaf stomata and blocking of
light.
Mercury
Greenhouse crops, and floral
(Hg)
parts of all vegetations are
affected; abscission and growth
reduction occur in most of the
plants.

13. Trees damaged by acid rain

14. EFFECT OF AIR POLLUTION
ON MATERIAL

15. Effects on material

16. Mechanism of deterioration in
polluted atmosphere
1. Abrasion :- solid particles of
sufficient size and travelling at
high velocities can cause abrasive
action.
Also large sharp edged particles
imbedded in fabric can accelerate
wear

17. 2. Deposition and removal :- solid
and liquid particles deposited on the
surface may not damage the material
itself but may spoil its surface
appearance.
However removal of these particles
may cause deterioration. Although
single washing or cleaning may not
cause deterioration but frequent can
cause.

18. 3. Direct chemical attack:- Some
air pollutants can react with
materials directly or indirectly to
cause deterioration.
e.g. :- Bleaching of marble by SO2
Tarnishing of silver by H2S
Etching of metal surfaces by
acid mist

19. 4. Indirect chemical attack
:- certain materials absorb
some pollutants and get
damaged when pollutant
undergo chemical changes.
e.g.:- SO2 absorbed by leather
converted to H2SO4, which
deteriorates the leather

20. 5. Corrosion :- Atmospheric
deterioration of ferrous metals is
by electrochemical action i.e.
corrosion
. This is because of air pollutants
and moisture present in the
atmosphere.

21. Material
Type of
damage
Principal
air
pollutants
Other
environmental
factors
influencing
rate of attack
Metals
Corrosion,
soiling and
tamishing
SOx and
other acid
gases
Moisture ,
temp., air, salt
Building
materials
Surface erosion,
discoloration,
leaching and
corrosion
SOx and
other acid
gases
Acid mist
and sticky
PM
Moisture ,
freezing temp.,

22. Paints
Discoloration, SO2, H2S,
softened finish, O3, Sticky
Surface erosion particulate
Textiles
Soiling,
spotting,
reduces tensile
strength
Weakening,
powdered
surface
Leather
Moisture,
sunlight,
fungus and
other microorganisms
SOx, NOx, Moisture , sun
other acid light, physical
gases,
ware
particulates
SOx, other Physical ware
acid gases,

23. Paper
Embrittlement SOx, other Moisture , sun
acid gases light, physical
ware
Dyes
Fading , colour NOx,
Moisture ,
change
Ozone and sunlight
oxidantrs
Ceramics Changes in
HF, other Moisture
surface
acid gases
appearance
Rubber
Cracking,
weakening
Ozone
oxidants
Sunlight

24. WELFARE EFFECTS FOR
CRITERIA POLLUTANTS.

25. Pollutant
Welfare Effects
Carbon Monoxide Contribute to the
(CO)
formation of smog.
Sulphur Dioxide
(SO2)
Contribute to the
formation of acid rain,
visibility impairment,
plant and water damage,
aesthetic damage.

26. Nitrogen Dioxide
(NO2)
Contribute to the
formation of smog, acid
rain, water quality
deterioration, global
warming, and visibility
impairment.
Ozone (O3)
Plant and ecosystem
damage.

27. Particulate Matter
(PM)
Visibility impairment,
atmospheric deposition,
aesthetic damage.
Lead (Pb)
Affects animals and
plants, affects aquatic
ecosystems.

28. AIR POLLUTION EPISODES

29. Air Pollution Episodes

30. Meuse Valley-Belgium, 1930
• About 60 died (mostly elderly)
• Sore throats, shortness of breath, cough,
phlegm, nausea, vomiting
• SO2, sulfur dioxide
• H2O (water vapours)
• SO4 , sulfuric acid mist
• Cattle, birds and rats died
• Got little news coverage

31. Cont…….
Fumigation of a valley floor caused by an inversion layer that
restricts diffusion from a stack

33. Donora, Pennsylvania—Oct. 1948
• Monongahela River Valley
• Industrial town—steel mill, sulfuric acid
plant, freight yard, etc.
• Population—14,000
• Steep hills surrounding the valley
• Oct 26—temperature inversion (warm
air trapping cold air near the ground)
• Stable air, fog, lasted 4.5 days
• 20 died and 7000 ill

34. Environs of Donora, Pennsylvania. Horseshoe curve of Monongahela River is
surrounded by mountains. Railroad tracks are located on both sides of the river.
Low-lying stretch of Monongahela valley between railroad and river is natural trap
for pollutants.

36. Poza Rico, Mexico 1950
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Single source– high sulfur crude oil
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
Flare went out
Inversion in valley
22 sudden deaths, 320 hospitalized
All ages affected
Forerunner of Bhopal

37. •
•
•
•
•
•
•
December 1952 Great London Smog
Cold front, Londoners burned soft coal
Factories, power plants
Temperature inversion
5 days of worst smog city had ever
seen
Public transportation stopped
Indoor concerts had to be cancelled
because no one could see the stage,
etc.
4000 died

38. London smog repeats
• Repeated in 1956 and 1962
respectively
• 1000 and 700 dead respectively

39. London smog pictures

40. Weekly death registered from diseases of the lungs and
heart in the London Administrative County around the time
of the severe fog in December, 1952.

41. Total death in Greater London and air pollutants levels
measured during the fog of December 1952

42. Seveso, Italy --Dioxin
• July 10, 1976, north of Milan
• A valve broke at the Industry
Chimichee Meda Societa Azionaria
chemical plant
• Cloud of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzopara-dioxin (TCDD) traveled southwest
through Seveso toward Milan
• Contaminant of herbicide
• 200 people suffered skin diseases and
liver problems

43. Bhopal, India Dec. 3, 1984
• Union Carbide pesticide plant leak kills up to
2,000 with up to 350,000 injured and 100,000
with permanent disabilities
• Methyl isocyanate (MIC)—used as an
intermediary in manufacture of Sevin
(Carbaryl)
• CO + Cl = phosgene
• Phosgene + methylamine = MIC
• MIC—irritant to the lungs---edema, fluid (cause
of death, corneal opacity (blindness)

44. • MIC is heavier than air
• 25 km2 area covered
• MIC is water soluble gas
• Leak was stopped after 40 minutes by
hosing down the tank with cold water.
• Disaster management plan was not in
existence

51. Hundreds Troubled by 'World Trade Center Cough‘ NYC
fire fighters, school workers have 9/11 breathing
problems, new studies say

54. Objective Questions
Q1. ___________ is the killing or collapse of
tissues.
Q2. ____________is the loss or reduction of the
green plant pigment, chlorophyll.
Q3. _________________is dropping of tree
leaves.
Q4. ________________is a downward curvature
of the leaf due to higher rate of growth on the
upper surface.
Q5. Solid particles with sufficient size and high
velocity causes _________________.

55. Q6. _____________ is electrochemical
process.
Q7. Toxic gas ___________ was responsible
for Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984.
Q8. MIC is formed by combination of
____________ and ______________.
Q9._____________ causes cracking of rubber.
Q 10.__________________ is affected by
pollution because of refineries.

56. Theory Questions
Q1. Define
1. Epinasty
2. Abscission
3. Chlorosis
4. Necrosis
Q2. Write Effects of following pollutants on plants
1. Aldehydes
2. Ozone
3. Particulates
4. NO2

57. Q3. Write short notes on
1. Mechanisms of deterioration in polluted
atmosphere.
2. London smog
3. Bhopal gas tragedy
4. Air pollution episodes
Q4. Give tabular format w r t
• Pollutant
• characteristics
• Sources
• Health Effects
• Welfare Effects for SO2, CO and O3