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Selfstudys Com File

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नमन गुप्ता
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Atmospheric Pollution

 Pollutant: A pollutant is defined as undesirable matter present in excess in the environment.

 Environmental pollution: It is defined as the effect of undesirable changes occurring in our


surroundings which has harmful effects on plants, animals and human beings.

 Air pollution: It is defined as the presence of a contaminant in the atmosphere in a concentration


large enough to injure human, plant and animal life.

 Smog: A pollutant which is a combination of oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, partially oxidised
hydrocarbons and their derivatives produced by industries and automobiles from a dark, thick dust
and soot laden fog is known as smog.

 Photochemical smog: Smog formed by the photochemical reaction in the atmosphere is known as
photochemical smog.

Types of Pollutants Present in the Atmosphere

Pollutants Natural sources Man-made sources


1. Oxides of carbon Respiration Combustion of fossil fuels
CO, CO2 Volcanic eruptions Automobile exhausts
Incomplete combustion of petrol
and diesel
2. Oxides of sulphur Decay of vegetable Burning of fossil fuels
SO2 (major source) matter and animals Exhausts from industrial plants
SO3 Volcanic eruptions such as sulphuric acid plants and
smelting plants
3. Oxides of nitrogen Certain microbes Fertiliser industry, nitric acid plants,
NO, NO2 (major Lightening discharge automobile exhausts
source), N2O

4. Hydrogen sulphide Volcanic eruptions By-product in industrial processes


H2S
5. Particulates Disintegration of soil and Various industrial smoke,
Dust, fumes, smoke, rocks insecticide, tobacco smoke,
mist metallurgical plants, chemical
processes
Factories in big cities release nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide as their wastes. These gases dissolve
in rainwater during rains and form nitrous acid and sulphurous acid. As the rain falls, these acids come
down to the ground as acid rain.
 Acid rain refers to rain which has a pH less than 5.6. It is mainly caused by atmospheric pollutants.
 Natural sources: Bacterial decomposition, forest fires and volcanic eruptions.
 Man-made sources: Industries, smelting plants, power plants and automobile exhausts.

Formation of Acid rain


Oxides of nitrogen and sulphur interact with water vapour in the presence of sunlight in the atmosphere to
form a mist of nitric acid and sulphuric acid, respectively. This mist remains as vapours at high
temperature and condenses at low temperatures. These acids mix with rain (snow or fog) and fall down to
the Earth resulting in acid rain.

Formation of nitric acid and nitrous acid


 Nitrogen and oxygen combine in the presence of thunder and lightning to form nitrogen oxide.
 Nitrogen oxide then gets oxidised in the atmosphere to form nitrogen dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide
combines with water to form a mixture of nitrous acid and nitric acid.

N2 + O2 → 2NO
(Nitrogen oxide)
2NO + O2 → 2NO2
(Nitrogen dioxide)
2NO2 + H2O → HNO2 + HNO3
(Nitrous acid) (Nitric acid)

Formation of sulphuric acid and sulphurous acid


1. Impurities in coal: Coal used in power plants contains up to 4% sulphur. On combustion, it forms
pollutant sulphur dioxide (i.e. oxides of sulphur).

S + O2 → SO2
(Sulphur dioxide)

2. Sulphur dioxide reacts with water vapour to form sulphurous acid.

SO2 + H2O → H2SO3


(Sulphurous acid)

3. Sulphur dioxide can also be oxidised to sulphur trioxide.

2SO2 + O2 → 2SO3
(Sulphur trioxide)

4. Sulphur trioxide reacts with water vapour to form sulphuric acid.


SO3 + H2O → H2SO4
(Sulphuric acid)

Impact of Acid Rain


1. Changes the acidity of soil
The acids present in acid rain such as nitric acid, nitrous acid, sulphuric acid and sulphurous acid
increase the acidity of soil.

2. Affects water bodies and marine organisms


The water of lakes and rivers becomes acidic and may no longer support aquatic life.

3. Material damage
It increases corrosion of metals, disintegrates paper and leather and weakens building materials such
as marble, limestone, slate, mortar, statues and sculptures.

4. Impact on living things


Acid rain damages forests. It gets absorbed by plants and animals directly or indirectly and thus
enters the food chain, affecting humans. It can affect a person's breathing at sufficiently high
concentrations.

Global Warming

Global warming is excess accumulation of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, ozone and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) which causes warming of the Earth.

Greenhouse Effect
 The greenhouse effect is the process of heating up of the Earth’s atmosphere due to trapping of the
Sun’s infrared radiations reflected from the Earth’s surface by gases such as carbon dioxide, water
vapour, nitrous oxide, ozone and methane, which are called greenhouse gases.
 These gases act as a thermal blanket and do not allow the heat energy to escape, thus causing the
heating up of the atmosphere.
 Because of the greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, the planet is ideally warm for the survival of
life. However, excess accumulation of greenhouse gases is causing further warming of the Earth
which results in global warming.
Ozone

Ozone is a light bluish gas found in the upper layer of the atmosphere called stratosphere. It is a
poisonous gas with a chlorine-like smell.
It is formed by the action of ultraviolet rays of the Sun on oxygen.

3O2 → 2O3
(Oxygen) (Ozone)

 The ozone layer acts as a blanket in the atmosphere at a height of 16 km above the Earth’s
surface.
 It absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays (UV radiations) coming from the Sun and prevents them from
reaching the surface of the Earth.

Depletion of the Ozone Layer


The decrease in the quantity of ozone in the upper layer of the atmosphere is called depletion of ozone.
This is also known as ozone hole. Due to this hole, ultraviolet rays of the Sun can reach the Earth and
cause diseases such as skin cancer.
Pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and chlorine free radicals are produced in the atmosphere.
Molecules of ozone react with these pollutants and are destroyed. This causes depletion of the ozone
layer.

Harmful Effects of the Ozone Layer


1. Ozone is a poisonous gas. It causes respiratory problems.
2. It damages vegetation (plants and trees).
3. It causes damage to automobile tyres and asphalt.
4. In the stratosphere, the reactive species of chlorine get locked up and are unable to stop depletion of
the ozone layer. Locking of chlorine monoxide and chlorine free radicals is called scavenging. In the
atmosphere, nitrogen dioxide scavenges chlorine monoxide and methane scavenges chlorine atoms.
These scavengers react with chlorine monoxide and chlorine free radicals [Cl].

ClO(g) + NO2 → ClONO2(g)

Cl(g) + CH4(g) → CH3(g) + HCI(g)

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