AIR POLLUTION

POLLUTANTS :
- Primary Pollutants – Which exist as if they are released into the Environment – DDT,
Plastic, CO, CO2, oxides of Nitrogen and Sulphur
- Secondary Pollutants – Mix with Primary Pollutants – Peroxyacetyl Nitrate =
Hydrocarbons + Nitrogen Oxides
- Quantitative Pollutants – Occur in Nature but become pollutant when in excess
- Qualitative Pollutant – Not occur in Nature – Man Made – DDT, Fungicides,
Herbicides
- Gaseous Pollutant : Oxides of Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulphur
- Particulate Matter : Soot, Cotton dust, Radioactive Substances, Fine Metal Dust –
Major Source : Industries, Vehicles, Power Plants, Construction activities, Oil Refinries
– 0.001 to 500 Micrometers – Particle less than 10 Micrometer moves with air
current – More than 10 mm settle down – Particle less than 0.2 mm form aerosols –
2.5 mm cause health issue to Human Beings – Main Source of Haze
- Fly Ash : Majorly due to Thermal power plants – By product of coal burning – Affects
both Air and Water – In water it causes heavy metal pollution – affect crops as they
settle in Leaves – Rich in oxides – Majorly Aluminum silicate, Silicon di oxide and
calcium oxide – Fly ash increases the crop yield if they used in Soil – Enhances water
holding capacity of Land – upto 35% used in cement – MoEFCC made mandatory to
use Fly ash in all construction products, roads, low lying land filling works within 100
KM radius of Thermal Power station – For Mine filling activities for 50 KM within
Thermal Station – National Fly Ash Mission By NGT – ASHTRACK for monitoring the
disposal of Fly Ash
- Fly Ash Notification : For utilization of Fly Ash – CPCB and SPCB are responsible –
Individual thermal power plants need to Upload monthly info regarding the
Generation and utilization – Mandatory to use 100% - Non compliance leads to
penalty and Polluter pays Principle
- Lead : Present in Petrol, Disel, Lead batteries, Paints – Cause Nerve system damage –
children affected in Particular – It comes out from vehicle exhaust and affect the RBC
– tetraethyl lead is used as anti knock agent in petrol – for Smooth running
- Industrial Castrotrophes : Phosgene and Methyl Isocynate
- Air Pollution Includes Noise and Radioactive Emission
- Fossil Fuel Contains Small Amounts of Nitrogen and Sulphur – When associated with
Water vapor causes Nitric acid and sulphuric acid – They corrode Marbles – called as
Marble cancer
- Nano Particles : Forms Dust cloud – decreases the Sun Light intensity – Asian Brown
cloud is related to this according to which the black carbon is deposited on the
Himalayas which absorb the sun light and causes AA – NP Causes Increased Reactive
oxygen species like Cl- causes the depletion of Ozone
- Carbon Monoxide : Short lived gas – less dense than Air – due to incomplete burning
of Fossil fuel, Petrol, diesel and Wood – Formed when No enough oxygen to produce
CO2 – CO is majorly produced by Nature due to photo chemical reaction in
 Trophosphere – Volcano, Forest Fire also release – lowers amount of oxygen in
Human – Makes us Sleepy – NOT A DIRECT GREEN HOUSE GAS – But forms Ground
level Ozone and Elevate Concentration of Methane
- CO2 : Heavier than Air – Soluble in Water – GHG – Major cause of ocean Acidification
by mixing with water to form Carbonic Acid
- Chlorofluorocarbons : Used in Fridge, Air conditioning – Cause for depletion of Ozone
– Montreal Protocol for reduction of CFC
- Ozone : Naturally in Stratosphere – Ground level ozone is highly toxic – vehicles and
Industries are Major source – CO2 and NO2 plays a Major role in converting o2 into
O3 – Major Source of Photo Chemical Smog
- Nitrogen Oxide : NOx – due to ICE and Coal Burning plants (because Nitrogen and
Oxygen not mix in Normal Temp) – Produced Naturally by lightning – It is different fro
N20 which is a GHG – Nox causes Acid Rain – NO and NO2 cause global cooling
countering the Effect of GHG – Nox causes Photochemical smog
- Sulphur Dioxide : Causes Acid Rain – Pungent Smell – Naturally by Volcanic activity –
Major gas of Venus – Thermal Power plants , Disel fuel – production of Paper also
Releases
- Volatile organic Compounds : Carbon based chemicals - Evaporate at Room
Temperature
- Benzene : Natural constituent of Crude Oil – High octane number – Bone marrow
failure – cause cancer
- Ethylene : Natural plant hormone – used in Agri for forced ripening of Fruits –
Ethylene Oxide causes cancer
- Radon : Emitted Naturally by Soil – Due to closed Surface in home it causes cancer
- Asbestos : Six Naturally occurring Silicate Fibourous Minerals - chrysotile, crocidolite,
amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite.
- Photo Chemical Smog : Due to Interactions of Sun light with certain chemicals in the
atmosphere – O3 is Primary components – O3 is formed when NOx and volatile
organic Compounds interact with Sunlight – Smog mostly in Winter
- Main Components of Biofuels : CO, Polycyclic Organic Matter and Formaldehyde
REFER SHANKAR Pg 67 – VV Important
- Arresters : use to separate Particulate Matter from Contaminated Air
- Scrubbers : Use to clean air by passing it through dust or wet Materials
- National Air Quality Monitoring Program : By CPCB – Annual Avg concentration of
SOx are within the Prescribed limit – NO2 is in mixed results – PM is a matter of
concern
- 1st Functional Smog Tower of India : In Delhi – 90% cleans PM
- NAAQS : Notified by CPCB – Pollutants it Monitor : Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen dioxide,
PM less than 10 Micron, PM less than 2.5, Ozone, Lead, CO, Arsenic, Nickel, Benzene,
Ammonia, Benzopyrene (SN BB PP AC LO NA nu sollu )
- National AQI : To measure how safe the living environment is – CPCB – Measured 24
hrs – divided into 6 categories – Same elements of NAAQS except Nickel, Arsenic,
Benzene, Benopyrene – BB NA
 - NACP : launched in 2019 – Strategy to control long term Air Pollution – 20 to 30%
reduction of PM by keeping 2017 as the base year – 40% reduction of PM by 2026 –
132 cities have been found out
- CAAQMS : Fort William Military Station in West Bengal Kolkata – Commissioned by
Indian Army – Read the Pollution of City based on the Real time and used as
Benchmark – Under Go Green Initiative
- CAQM : Commission for Air Quality Management – Statutary Body – For air quality in
NCR and Adjoining Areas – Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan – CAQM replaced the
Environment pollution Control Authority – CAQM has penal Provisions upto 1 cr –
NGT will hear cases – CAQM power will override anything contained in any law
- WHO Guidelines : For 6 Pollutants – PM2.5, PM10, Ozone, Nitrogen dioxide, Sulphur
dioxide, Carbon Monoxide
o PM2.5 :Ann avg Not exceed 5 Micro in Air – 24 hrs avg not exceed 15 Micro
o PM10 : Not exceed 15 in Air – 24 hrs not exceed 45 Micro
o Ozone : Annual levels not exceed 100 in 24 hrs
o Nitrogen Oxide : not exceed 25
o Sulphur dioxide : Not exceed 40
o Carbon monoxide : Not Exceed 4
- GRAP : In Delhi NCR Region – by CAQM – divided into 4 Stages – Poor (201 to 300) :
Enforce NGT SC order on Over aged Vehicle – Very Poor(301 to 400) : At identified
hotspot regions – Severe(401 to 450) : Restrictions on BS3 BS4 and close school –
Severe Plus (451+) : 4 wheelers except DL registration except CNG will not be
allowed, BS 6 disel not allowed inside the city
- BS Norms : For vehicular restrictions – by CPCB – BS IV is restricted in India
- BS VI Norms : PM2.5 within 20 to 40 Microns – Sulphur release reduced from 50 PPM
to 10 PPM – Nox emission in disel engine reduce by 70% and 25% in Petrol
- Shoonya Initiative : by Rocky mountain Initiative + NITI aayog – Encourage Last mile
delivery in EV – To reduce air pollution – Three Major components :
o Corporate Branding Programn : Reward industrial Partners
o Consumer Awareness Drive
o Resource Tool Kit : Analyse Cost Benefit
- E Amrit Portal : For Improving EV – Along with UK – Created by NITI Aayog
- FAME Scheme : For EV Vehicle
ACID RAIN :
- Due to Oxides of Sulphur and Nitrogen Reacts with Atmosphere Moisture – PH less
than 5.6 is acid rain
- It result in Dry Deposition and Wet Deposition
- Dry Deposition in form of Dust Particles and Wet Deposition in Form of Rains
- Run Off of the Dry Deposition makes the water further More acidic – Since water
may be already acidic
- Components Causing Acid Rain :
o Sulphur
 o Nitrogen
o Formic Acids
o Other Acids : Chlorine, Phosphoric Acid, Hydrochloric Acid, Carbon Monoxide
and Carbon dioxide
- Acid Rain More in Northern Hemisphere – More in Areas of Mountanious Rainfall
- Areas of Acid Rain possess numerous lake, Streams and also More land covered with
Vegetation
- Thin Soils and Glaciated wetlands are also areas of Acid Rain
NOISE POLLUTION
- WHO says Noise level over 75dB damage to Human Beings – Indoor Should be less
than 30dB
- Moradabad in UP 2nd Noisiest city in the World
- Noise Pollution Rules :

Zone Day Time Night Time

Industrial Area 75 70
Commercial Area 65 55
Residential Area 55 45
Silence Area 50 40
- CPCB tracks the Noise Pollution
- Noise Pollution under Air Act
- Noise Emanating from industry is regulated by SPCB
- Noise Pollution Rules under EPA 1986 – Noise pollution rules violation is criminal
offence
- National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network : Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai,
Bangalore, Lucknow, Hyderabad
- Silence Zone : Declared by State govt – Edu and Judicial areas
-