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Air Pollution

Project on air pollution

Introduction

Our Earth is facing many problems at the moment and out of which one major problem is of pollution. Pollution is of many types and the most dangerous of them all is Air pollution.   

 Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulates, biological materials, or other harmful materials into Earth's atmosphere, possibly causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or to the natural or built environment.

The atmosphere is a complex natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems.

Air Pollution has been an issue over a long period of time but due to the advancement in science and technology the demand and usage of fossil fuels has increased which has resulted in increase in the level of Air pollution.

Major sources of Air pollution:

There are various locations, activities or factors which are responsible for releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. These sources can be classified into two major categories.

Anthropogenic (man-made) sources:

These are mostly related to the burning of multiple types of fuel.

·         Stationary Sources include smoke stacks of power plants, manufacturing facilities (factories) and waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other types of fuel-burning heating devices. In developing and poor countries, traditional biomass burning is the major source of air pollutants; traditional biomass includes wood, crop waste and dung.^[5][6]

·         Mobile Sources include motor vehicles, marine vessels, and aircraft.

·         Chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and forest management. Controlled or prescribed burning is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural part of both forest and grassland ecology and controlled fire can be a tool for foresters. Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some desirable forest trees, thus renewing the forest.

·         Fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents

·         Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane. Methane is highly flammable and may form explosive mixtures with air. Methane is also anasphyxiant and may displace oxygen in an enclosed space. Asphyxia or suffocation may result if the oxygen concentration is reduced to below 19.5% by displacement.

·         Military resources, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry

Natural sources:

·         Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with few or no vegetation

·         Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle

·         Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust. Radon is a colourless, odourless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is considered to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as the basement and it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking.

·         Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires

·         Vegetation, in some regions, emits environmentally significant amounts of VOCs on warmer days. These VOCs react with primary anthropogenic pollutants—specifically, NO_x, SO₂, and anthropogenic organic carbon compounds—to produce a seasonal haze of secondary pollutants.^[7]

·         Volcanic activity, which produces sulphur, chlorine, and ash particulates.

Effects of Air pollution:

Health Effects:

Air pollution can harm us when it accumulates in the air in high enough concentrations.

Millions of Americans live in areas where urban smog, particle pollution, and toxic

Pollutants pose serious health concerns. People exposed to high enough levels of

Certain air pollutants may experience:

 Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat

 Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and breathing difficulties

 worsening of existing lung and heart problems, such as asthma

 Increased risk of heart attack

In addition, long-term exposure to air pollution can cause cancer and damage to the immune, neurological, reproductive, and respiratory systems. In extreme cases, it can even cause death.

Who Is Most at Risk?

Air pollution is a problem for all of us. However, some groups of people are especially Sensitive to common air pollutants such as particulates and ground-level ozone.

Sensitive populations include children, older adults, people who are active outdoors and people with heart or lung diseases, such as asthma. If you are sensitive to air pollution, you need to be aware of steps you can take to protect your health. 

Environmental Effects

Along with harming human health, air pollution can cause a variety of environmental effects:

Acid rain is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. These acids are formed primarily by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. These acids fall to the Earth either as wet precipitation (rain, snow, or fog) or dry precipitation (gas and particulates). Some are carried by the wind, sometimes hundreds of miles. In the environment, acid rain damages trees and causes soils and water bodies to acidify, making the water unsuitable for some fish and other wildlife. It also speeds the decay of buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our national heritage. Acid rain has damaged Massachusetts lakes, ponds, rivers, and soils, leading to damaged wildlife and forests.

Eutrophication is a condition in a water body where high concentrations of nutrients (such as nitrogen) stimulate blooms of algae, which in turn can cause fish kills and loss of plant and animal diversity. Although eutrophication is a natural process in the aging of lakes and some estuaries, human activities can greatly accelerate eutrophication by increasing the rate at which nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems. Air emissions of nitrogen oxides from power plants, cars, trucks, and other sources contribute to the amount of nitrogen entering aquatic ecosystems.

Haze is caused when sunlight encounters tiny pollution particles in the air. Haze obscures the clarity, color, texture, and form of what we see. Some haze-causing pollutants (mostly fine particles) are directly emitted to the atmosphere by sources such as power plants, industrial facilities, trucks and automobiles, and construction activities.

Others are formed when gases emitted to the air (such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) form particles as they are carried downwind.   

Effects on wildlife:

Toxic pollutants in the air, or deposited on soils or surface waters, can impact wildlife in a number of ways. Like humans, animals can experience health problems if they are exposed to sufficient concentrations of air toxics over time. Studies show that air toxics are contributing to birth defects, reproductive failure, and disease in animals. Persistent toxic air pollutants (those that break down slowly in the environment) are of particular concern in aquatic ecosystems. These pollutants accumulate in sediments and may bio magnify in tissues of animals at the top of the food

chain to concentrations many times higher than in the water or air. 

Ozone depletion:

 Ozone is a gas that occurs both at ground-level and in the Earth's upper atmosphere, known as the stratosphere. At ground level, ozone is a pollutant that can harm human health. In the stratosphere, however, ozone forms a layer that protects life on earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. But this "good" ozone is gradually being destroyed by man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons, hydro chlorofluorocarbons, and halos. These substances were formerly used and sometimes still are used in coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, and aerosol propellants.

Thinning of the protective ozone layer can cause increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth, which can lead to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems. UV can also damage sensitive crops, such as soybeans, and reduce crop yields.

Crop and forest damage:

 Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a variety of ways. Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and commercial Forest yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to disease, pests and other environmental stresses (such as harsh weather). As described above, crop and forest damage can also result from acid rain and from increased UV radiation caused by ozone depletion.

Global climate change:

The Earth's atmosphere contains a delicate balance of naturally occurring gases that trap some of the sun's heat near the Earth's surface. This "greenhouse effect" keeps the Earth's temperature stable. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that humans have disturbed this natural balance by producing large amounts of some of these greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane. As a result, the Earth's atmosphere appears to be trapping more of the sun's heat, causing the Earth's average temperature to rise - a phenomenon known as global warming. Many scientists believe that global warming could have significant impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas.

   Summary of major pollutants along with source and effects:

POLLUTANT	DESCRIPTION	SOURCE (s)	EFFECTS
Sulphur Dioxide ( SO2 )	gaseous compound made up of sulphur and oxygen	coal-burning power plants and industries industrial boilers and processes coal-burning stoves refineries heaters	eye irritation dead aquatic life lung damage reacts in atmosphere resulting in acidic precipitation deteriorate buildings and statues damage forests
Hydrocarbons	Composed of hydrogen and carbon.	dry cleaning operations. auto paint shop chemical plants auto emissions service stations waste facilities
Ozone ( O3 )	gaseous pollutant	vehicle exhaust	lung damage eye irritation respiratory tract problem
Particulate Matter	very small particles of soot, dust, or other matter, including tiny droplets of liquids	diesel engines power plants steel industry, flour mills windblown dust wood stoves	damage crops lung damage reduce visibility discolor buildings and statues eye irritation
Nitrogen Oxides ( NOx )	several gaseous compounds made up of nitrogen and oxygen	vehicles industrial boilers industrial processes power plants commercial and residential heaters coal-burning stoves natural gas pipelines	lung damage forms acid rain, damaging forests, buildings, & statues forms ozone and other pollutants (smog)
Lead ( Pb )	metallic element	vehicles burning leaded gasoline power plants metal refineries	brain, kidney damage contaminated crops and livestock smog
Carbon Monoxide ( CO )	colourless, odourless gas	vehicles burning gasoline indoor sources include kerosene- or wood- burning stoves dry cleaners	headaches, reduced mental alertness, death heart damage smog

Prevention of air pollution:

At Home

·         Conserve energy - turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.

·         Recycle paper, plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminium cans. (This conserves energy and reduces production emissions.)

·         Keep woodstoves and fireplaces well maintained. You should also consider replacing old wood stoves with EPA-certified models.

·         Plant deciduous trees in locations around your home to provide shade in the summer, but to allow light in the winter.

·         Buy green electricity-produced by low-or even zero-pollution facilities.

·         Connect your outdoor lights to a timer or use solar lighting.

·         Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.

·         Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120F.

·         Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes, and paint strippers.

·         Test your home for radon-a dangerous, radioactive gas that is odourless and tasteless. If the test shows elevated levels of radon, the problem can be fixed cost effectively.

·         Choose not to smoke in your home, especially if you have children. If you or your visitors must smoke, then smoke outside.

 

  Buy Smart

·         Buy ENERGY STAR products, including energy efficient lighting and appliances. They are environmentally friendly products.

·         Choose efficient, low-polluting models of vehicles.

·         Choose products that have less packaging and are reusable.

·         Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags.

·         Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently.

Drive Wise

Plan your trips. Save gasoline and reduce air pollution.

·         Keep tires properly inflated and aligned.

·         In the summertime, fill gas tank during cooler evening hours to cut down on evaporation. Avoid spilling gas and don't "top off" the tank. Replace gas tank cap tightly.

·         Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at fast-food restaurants or banks. Park your car and go in.

·         When possible, use public transportation, walk, or ride a bike.

·         Get regular engine tune ups and car maintenance checks (especially for the spark plugs).

·         Use energy-conserving (EC) grade motor oil.

·         Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting.

·         Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency.

·         Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.

Conclusion:

Thus, we seen the various aspects of air pollution and has came to know that pollution is very serious issue which needs to tackled by human beings sooner rather than later. Air pollution is indeed very dangerous because we cannot control the air that we breathe. We came to know that Air pollution is increasing due human activities which are not only impacting human’s health but also wildlife and environment. So, we all people have to came together to reduce air pollution to a low level. For that, we have find technologies which are eco friendly and don’t impact the environment. We should not let everything on the shoulders of our government but we at individual level should do what we can so as to reduce the level of air pollution.Thus,unity of all nations is indeed required to tackle this problem of air pollution.