Pollution: Types, Causes,

Effects, & Control Strategies

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 Content
―Air Pollution
―Pollutants: Definition, Types & sources
―Air Pollution act
―Air Quality Index and related standards
―Health effects
―Water Pollution
―Sources & Impacts
―Soil Pollution
―Sources of soil pollution
―Impacts on soil health and overall environment
―Noise Pollution
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 Air Pollution
• What is air pollution?
―The result of emission into the air of hazardous substances at a rate that exceeds the capacity of
natural processes in the atmosphere to convert, deposit, or dilute them.

― Any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance present in the atmosphere in a concentration that is injurious to
human beings, plants, other animals, or the environment, in general, can be termed a hazardous
substance aka air pollutants.

―Major air pollutants are

― Particulate Matter
― Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
― Nitrogen Oxides (Nox)
― Hydrocarbons (HC) including carbon soot particles (C)
― Carbon monoxide (CO)

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Types & sources of common air pollutants
• Air pollutants are commonly divided into two broad categories based on
physical traits:
• Aerosols • Gases
- Due to solid particulates from - Emissions from anthropogenic
- Dust activities
- Ash - COx
- Fumes - NOx
- Due to natural sources - SOx
- Pollen, spores, mineral dust - Polycyclic Aromatic
- Forest fire smoke Hydrocarbons (PAH)
- Sea salt aerosol

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Types & sources of common air pollutants
• The pollutants can be categorized into two categories based on the
source:

Primary air pollutants:

The harmful substances that are directly emitted into the atmosphere from a
particular source. (Viz.: PM2.5, PM10, CO, etc.)

Secondary air pollutants:

The harmful substances formed in the lower atmosphere due to the chemical
reaction of primary air pollutants with natural elements available in the
atmosphere.

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Legislative acts on prevention & control of pollution
• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was established under the “Water
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974”.

• Further, its responsibilities were expanded to studying, monitoring, and

providing technical assistance/guidance on matters of air pollution under the
“Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981”.

• The “Environment Protection Act” (EPA) was passed by the Govt. of India in
1986 to close the gaps in the previous two acts of 1974 & 1981.

• Currently, CPCB plays a vital role in abatement and controlling pollution in the
country by generating relevant data and providing technical input vital for
national policies and programs on pollution control.
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National Air Quality Standards
• By authority of the Air(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 the CPCB
launched the National Ambient Air Quality standards in 2009 defining permissible
limits for twelve substances that play a key role in determining the quality of air. These
12 substances and their defined permissible levels are:
Pollutants SO2 NO2 PM10 PM2.5 Pb NH3 O3 CO C6H6 Benzo(a)Pyrene As Ni
[BaP]
Time weighted Annual*, 8 hours**,
average Annual*
24 hours** 1 hour**
Permissible 50, 40, 60, 40, 0.5, 100, 100, 2000,
level (in μg/m3) 5 0.001 0.006 0.020
(industrial & 80 80 100 60 1.0 400 180 4000
residential area)
*Annual mean is to be taken of at least 104 measurements in a year at a particular site taken twice a week 24 hourly.
**24hourly/ 08 hourly/ 01 hourly, as applicable, shall comply with 98% time of the year where as it can exceed
maximum permissible values for 2% of time but not on consecutive days.
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Indian Air Quality Index (IND-AQI)
• The CPCB along with IIT Kanpur developed a revised Indian Air Quality Index
based on the standards stated in the 2009 CPCB notification. Based on the
availability of the data of the 12 parameters defined, the Indian AQI for
daily/continuous air quality monitoring takes into consideration 8 parameters
that have 1 hourly/ 8 hourly/ 24 hourly standards defined for them. (Viz. SO2,
NO2, PM2.5, PM10, CO, O3, Pb, and NH3)

• Based on the weighted percentage of all these parameters, an AQI score is

assigned to determine the category of air quality. The Indian AQI has six
categories with AQI scores ranging from 0 to 500 as shown below.
AQI Category Good Satisfactory Moderate Poor Very Poor Severe
AQI Score 0-50 51-100 101-200 201-300 301-400 401-500

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Health effects of air pollutants: Carbon Monoxide
• Breathing air with a high concentration of CO reduces the amount of
oxygen that can be transported in the bloodstream to critical organs
like the heart and brain.
• At very high levels, which are possible indoors or in other enclosed
environments, CO can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness
and death.

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Health effects of air pollutants: Lead
• Once taken into the body, lead distributes
throughout the body in the blood and is
accumulated in the bones.

• Depending on the level of exposure, lead can

adversely affect the nervous system, kidney
function, immune system, reproductive, and the
cardiovascular system.

• Lead exposure also affects the oxygen-carrying

capacity of the blood.

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Health effects of air pollutants: Ozone
• Stratospheric ozone is desirable as it absorbs UV radiation.
• However, the troposphere level ozone which is formed by the chemical
reaction of NOx with volatile organic compounds(VOC) in presence of
sunlight and heat is undesirable as it can be responsible for several health
complications.
• Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, such as chest
pain, coughing, throat irritation, and congestion, particularly for children
and the elderly.
• It is also harmful for people of all ages with breathing disorders as it can
worsen bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma.
• Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation
and ecosystems.

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Health effects of air pollutants: Particulate Matter
• The CPCB has categorized particle pollution into two main categories:

― PM10 – Inhalable coarse particles such as those found near roadways and
dusty industries, are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10
micrometers in diameter.

―PM2.5 – Fine particles such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5
micrometers in diameter and smaller. These particles can be directly emitted
from sources such as forest fires, or they can form when gases emitted from
power plants, industries and automobiles react in the air.

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Health effects of air pollutants: Particulate Matter
• Particulate matter contains microscopic solids or liquid droplets that
are so small that they can be inhaled and cause serious health
problems.

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Health effects of air pollutants: Nitrous Oxides
• Nitrous oxides (NOx) are mainly found in the atmosphere due to
emissions from cars, trucks, thermal power plants, and off-road
equipment.
• NO2 is one of the main high reactive gases from the NOx group.
Breathing air with high NO2 concentration can lead to irritation in the
airway.
• Short exposure can also aggravate existing conditions such as
asthma leading to hospitalization.
• Exposure for a longer duration may cause the development of
asthma in a healthy person.
• Other than direct effects, NO2, and other NOx compounds may
indirectly affect health due to their reactivity with other volatile
organic compounds creating ozone in the process.
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Health effects of air pollutants: Sulfurous Oxides
• Like NOx, sulfur-based oxides (SOx) are also mainly found in the
atmosphere due to the burning of fossil fuels in thermal power plants
and other industries.
• At high concentrations, SO2 can cause serious damage to the trees
and plants by damaging foliage and decreasing plant growth.
• It also contributes heavily to acid rain which can cause harm to
sensitive ecosystems.
• Exposure to SO2 can harm the respiratory tract and make breathing
difficult. Kids, the elderly, and people of all age groups who have pre-
existing breathing disorders are at high risk of the effects of SO2.

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 Indoor air pollution
• Indoor air pollution is caused by mainly four pollutants: excess
moisture (often found in form of mold), volatile organic compounds,
carbon monoxide, and Radon.

• In case of India, the most common source of indoor air pollution is

the pollutants generated by the combustion of biomass fuel (mostly
wood/dung for cooking).

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 Indoor air pollution

• The significant reduction in deaths from indoor pollution in the case of India can be observed. One of the main
contributing factors has been the Government of India’s Ujjwala LPG scheme which has helped replace solid
biofuels used for cooking even in rural and poor households.
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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level event

Part of the Asian Brown Cloud covering the Himalayan range, Bangladesh, and nearby north Indian territory
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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level threat
• Asian Brown Cloud is part of a larger Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC)
stretching from Amazon forests of Latin America to a stretch of the pacific
ocean beyond the Asian continent. However, it is where the most
concentration of pollutants is observed.

• The Asian Brown Cloud is mainly composed of haze as a result of

particulate matter (black carbon, soot, fly ash) from the combustion of
fossil fuels. It also contains several other harmful chemical compounds
mixed with these particles.

• It is said to be stretching from ground level to around 3 km into the Earth’s

atmosphere.

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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level threat
• This cloud is observed to form annually during the winter period (November to
March).

• This period peaks in the use of fossil fuels to heat households in many parts of
Asia. It is also the peak period of stubble burning in North India. These coupled
with industrial emissions increase the severity of air pollutants in this period,
thus contributing to the formation of the Asian Brown Cloud.

• This has led to severe air quality issues in parts of north India, China, and other
south Asian countries.

• It is regularly observed that during these periods, air quality in Delhi becomes so
dangerous that schools, colleges, and several such institutions have to be closed
on account of poor AQI.

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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level threat

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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level threat
Impact on Himalayan glaciers:
• The Asian Brown Cloud contains black carbon which increases heat
absorptivity and retention in the troposphere.
• Moreover, the black carbon, and soot in these clouds also get
deposited on the snow peaks thus decreasing its albedo and
increasing its absorptance.
• These two adverse conditions have led to receding glaciers across the
Himalayan range. This trend if not reversed may soon lead to the
reduction of water levels in Asian rivers leading to food and drinking
water scarcity for millions of residents of the continent.

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Asian Brown Cloud – A continental level threat
Impact on Agriculture:
• The Asian Brown Cloud-induced dimming of solar radiation over Asia
has contributed significantly to changes in weather patterns across
the continent.
• Changing weather patterns have brought about changes in centuries-
old monsoon patterns across Asia with decreasing rainfall in some
areas and severe flooding in others.
• The uncertainty of monsoon season and erratic showers in other
seasons has severely affected food production.
• Moreover, the crop yield can also get reduced by as much as 20%
due to the presence of tropospheric ozone in the haze.

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Some solutions to air pollution threats
• Use of energy-efficient technologies. This indirectly reduces the carbon
footprint of the energy budget.
• Establishment of strong carbon credit laws and encouraging emission
trading via cap and trade method.
• Ensure the highest grade of combustion fuel to reduce SOx, NOx, and other
PM emissions from industries.
• Encourage industries to shift to green technologies by offering tax benefits
and other policy changes.
• Set strict emission standards for vehicles and industries.
• Promote the use of alternative energy-run vehicles such as EVs.
• Develop a cyclic model for processing agricultural residue and promote
the use of this developed technique by offering benefits to farmers.
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