Air pollution is the introduction of particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful gases into Earth's atmosphere, causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or the natural or built environment.
4. Air pollution is introduction of particles,
biological molecules, or other harmful
materials into earth's atmosphere, causing
death to humans, disease, damage to other
living organism such as food crops or
natural or built environment.
5.
6. ON BASIS OF
ORIGIN
ON BASIS OF
PHYSICAL STATE
PRIMARY
POLLUTANTS
SECONDARY
POLLUTANTS
PARTICULATE
GASEOUS
8. Chemical reactions involving air pollutants can create acid
compounds which can create acidic compounds which can cause
harm to vegetation and buildings. Sometimes, when an air
pollutant such as sulphuric acid combines with water droplets that
makes up clouds, water droplets become acidic, forming acid rain.
When acid rain falls over an area, it can kill trees and harm animals,
fish and other wildlife. Acid rain destroys leaves of plants. When
acid rain infiltrates into soils, it changes chemistry of soil making it
unfit for many living things that rely on soil as a habitat or for
nutrition. Acid rain also changes the chemistry of lakes and
streams that rain water flows into, harming fish and other aquatic
life. The buildings and materials made of marble, limestone etc.
suffer extensive damage due to acid rains.
Reaction: CaCO3 + H2SO4 --------> CaSO4 + CO2 +H2O
Paints on car can react with acid rain causing fading.
9. Greenhouse effect is rise in temperature that earth experiences
because certain gases in atmosphere absorb energy from the sun.
Without these gases, heat would escape back into space and earth
average temperature would be about 60° colder.
EVERYDAY EXAMPLE OF GREEN HOUSE EFFECT
If you open the door of a car that has been parked in sun for couple
of hours, you will notice that temperature inside the car is much
warmer than temperature outside. This is an example of greenhouse
effect.
Green house effect is due to presence of green house gases:
Carbon dioxide
Methane
Nitrous oxide
Chlorofluoro Carbon
10. Most ozone resides in upper part of the atmosphere called
stratosphere extending from 16KM to 40KM. About 90% of ozone is in
troposphere. The light concentration of ozone in stratosphere shields
us from ultraviolet light from sun and hence is referred as earths
protective umbrella. Ozone is formed in atmosphere in multistep
chemical processes that require sunlight.
O2 + hv -------> O + O -----------(1)
O + O2 + M -------> O3 + M -----------(2)
O3 + hv -------> O2 + O -----------(3)
11. Effects of ozone depletion:
UV radiations can cause sunburn, skin cancer, various damage to
plants and animals.
Exposure to UV radiation damages cornea and lens causing
blindness.
A 5% depletion in ozone produces 10%increase in radiations
reaching earth according to an estimate i.e. it would produce 5
times additional skin cancer per year worldwide.
The DNA has capacity to absorb UV radiations which may cause
various descriptive effects.
Ozone depletion has a strong effect on climate.
CFCs has been banned worldwide and HCFC (Hydro-chloro-fluoro
Carbons ) are substituted for CFCs in air conditioners and
refrigerators.
12. Rain can carry and deposit nitrogen in some pollutants on rivers and
soils. This will adversely affect nutrients in soil and water bodies.
This can result in algae growth in lakes and water bodies, and make
conditions for other living organisms harmful.
Air pollutants can be in form of particulate matter which can be very
harmful to our health. Short term effects include irritation to eyes,
nose and throat and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis
and pneumonia. Others include headaches, nausea and allergic
reactions . Long term health effects are chronic respiratory disease,
lung cancer, heart disease and even damage to brain, nerves, liver or
kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects lungs of growing
children and may aggravate or complicate medical condition in
elderly.
13. Government (Or Community) Level Prevention
Governments throughout the world have already taken action by
introducing green energy. Some are investing in wind, solar energy as well
as other renewable energy, to minimize burning of fossil fuels, which cause
heavy air pollution.
Government are also forcing companies to be more responsible with their
manufacturing activities, so though they cause pollution, they are a lot
controlled.
Car manufacturing companies are also building more energy efficient cars,
which pollute less than before.
Individual Level Prevention
Encourage your family to use bus, train or bike when commuting. If we all
do this, there will be less cars on road and less fumes.
Use energy wisely. This is because lots of fossil fuels are burned to generate
electricity and so if we cut down the use, we will also cut down the amount
of pollution we create.
Recycle and reuse things. Remember manufacturing industries create a lot
of things, thus reusing thing can be of great help.
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16. In the early morning hours of December 3,1984, a poisonous grey
cloud (40 tones of toxic gases) from Union Carbide India Limited
Pesticide Plant at Bhopal spread throughout the city. Water carrying
catalytic material had entered Methyl isocyanate (MIC) storage tank
no. 610. The killer gas entered the city and spread throughout
sending residents scurrying through dark streets. Estimates
suggested that as many as 10,000 may have died immediately and
30,000 to 50,000 were too ill to ever return to their jobs. The
catastrophe raised some serious ethical issues. The pesticide factory
was built in midst of densely populated settlements. UCIL chose to
store and produce MIC, one of the most deadly chemicals in an area
where nearly 12,000 people lived. MIC in the tank was filled to 87%
of its capacity while the maximum permissible was 50% MIC was not
stored at zero degree centigrade as prescribed and refrigeration and
cooling systems had been shut down five months before disaster.
Vital gauges and indicators in MIC tank were defective. The flare
tower meant to burn off MIC emission was under repair at the time
of disaster and scrubber contained no caustic soda. The work force in
17. factory was brought down to half from 1980 to 1984. This had
serious consequences on safety and maintenance. There was no
maintenance supervisor. This incident had long term effects:
Eyes (Scars on cornea, early cataracts, corneal opacities)
Respiratory tracts (pulmonary fibrosis, chronic bronchitis)
Neurological system (numbness, finer motor skills, impairment of
memory)
Psychological problems (Post traumatic stress disorder)
Children’s health
Factory was closed in 1986.
18. Over the past 2 decades, India's most famous tourist attraction. Taj Mahal
located in Agra has become a matter of concern. Experts have warned that
pollutants in air are discoloring its white marble. So it is not only living
organisms that get affected by polluted air but non living things like
buildings, monuments and statues also get affected. The industries located
in and around Agra like rubber processing, automobiles, chemicals and
especially the Mathura oil refinery have been responsible for producing
pollutants like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These gases react with
water vapour present in atmosphere to form sulphuric and nitric acid. This
acid drops down with rain causing acid rain. Acid rain corrodes the marble
of the monument. Supreme court has taken several steps to save Taj. It has
ordered industries to switch to cleaner fuels like CNG and LPG. moreover
the automobiles should switch over to unleaded petrol near Taj zone. The
Archaeological Survey of India said that it might have to do mud pack
therapy on Taj Mahal yearly, when it was only previously done once every
5 to 6 years.