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Environmental Pollution

The document discusses various types and sources of environmental pollution with a focus on air pollution. It describes different primary and secondary pollutants, their sources such as burning of fossil fuels, industries, vehicles, and effects on human health and environment. It also discusses measures to control air pollution like use of scrubbers in industries and catalytic converters in automobiles.

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Sooraj Krishnan
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66 views27 pages

Environmental Pollution

The document discusses various types and sources of environmental pollution with a focus on air pollution. It describes different primary and secondary pollutants, their sources such as burning of fossil fuels, industries, vehicles, and effects on human health and environment. It also discusses measures to control air pollution like use of scrubbers in industries and catalytic converters in automobiles.

Uploaded by

Sooraj Krishnan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Environmental

There’s so much pollution in the air now


thatPollution
if it weren’t for our lungs
There’d be no place to put it all.
Robert Orben
Pollution

 Includes the accumulation of matter due to unknown


activities in the environment; rates of flow which
exceed the capacity of the ecosystem to either
neutralize or disperse them below harmful levels.

 The advancement of science and technology led to


the exploitation of all types of natural resources
Air Pollution

Most dangerous forms of Pollution


Result of natural and man-made activities
Disturbs dynamic equilibrium of the
atmosphere
Sources of Air Pollution

Sources of pollutants can be classified as

1. Point Source
2. Non-point Source

Sources of air pollution


1. Man-made or anthropogenic
2. Natural
Anthropogenic Sources

1. Population explosion
2. Burning of fossil fuels and fires
3. Vehicular discharges
4. Rapid industrialization
5. Agricultural activities
6. Modern warfare
7. Smoking
Population explosion

Population increase global warming &


green house gases

Demand of food more land


destruction of forests cover & wildlife
Burning of fossil fuels and
fires
 Burning produces gaseous by-products which are
poisonous-

 Sulphur and nitrogen

 Acid rain or acid precipitation


Vehicular discharges

 Automobiles run on petrol and diesel

 Pollute with exhaust gases and tiny bits of lead.

 Gases react with oxides of nitrogen in the presence of


sunlight to produce photochemical smog
Rapid Industrialization

 Establishment of industries
 Responsible for 20% of air pollution
Agricultural activities

 Insecticides, herbicides & pesticides pollute air through


air currents
Modern warfare

 Radioactive rays from nuclear reactors, nuclear


explosions and modern war explosives
Smoking

Carcinogenic tar in tobacco smoke cause


many diseases- irritation, bronchitis , cancer of
lung, liver as well as coronary diseases
Types of Air Pollution

Depending upon the generation grouped


as
1. Primary pollutants
2. Secondary Pollutants
Primary Pollution

Harmful chemical that directly enters the air


as a result of either natural or man-made
activities.
Five types of primary pollutants
1. Oxides of Carbon

Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

Carbon Monoxide-
Displaces oxygen from haemoglobin to
produce carboxyl haemoglobin

Impairment of the central nervous system, changes in


cardiac & pulmonary functions, drowsiness, coma,
respiratory failure and finally death.
Carbon Dioxide

In higher concentration above 10% causes


global warming, acid rain and Greenhouse
Effect

2. Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen combines with oxygen to produce


nitric oxide – asphyxiation.
Lung cancer, inflammation and internal
bleeding.
3. Hydrocarbons

Chief source is automobiles, plants of


Coniferae and Mysta Ceace family.
Anthropogenic activities – production of
coke
Smouldering of refuse piles near coal mines.
High quantities is Carcinogenic and harmful
to the lungs
React with nitrogen oxides and produce
photochemical smog
4. Sulphur Oxides
Coal fired electrical power plants and
industries
Reacts with ozone ,hydrogen peroxide or
atmospheric water vapour to produce
sulphuric acid.
Acid rain

5. Particulate Matter
Air-borne, small solid particles or liquid
droplets are collectively known as
particulate matter or aerosols.
Effect of Particulates

Human Beings – Respirable Suspended


Particulate Matter (RSPM)
Penetrate into the lungs
Plants –
Soil unsuitable for plant growth
Decrease the rate of transpiration,
respiration, and photosynthesis
Secondary Pollutants

Formed by primary pollutants through their


reaction with normal atmospheric compounds.

Ozone – photochemical reaction between


primary pollutants and natural atmospheric
gas.

Secondary pollutants make soil unsuitable for


plant growth.
Causes of Outdoor pollution

Sources of outdoor air pollution are


1. Burning of fossil fuels
 In automobiles, domestic cooking and heating
 In Power stations and industries
2. Mining activities leading to dust as well as fires
3. Burning nuclear fuels, biofuels, tropical rainforests
, wastes of all kinds
4. Natural emissions from animals and decaying
organic matter
Air pollution and Biosphere

Pollutants present o a great extent in the


troposphere and lower stratosphere
3 layers-
1st layer –upto 100 m from the ground-
highly polluted
2nd layer- 100- 2,000 m high contain lesser
amounts of pollutants
3rd layer- contain large amount of water
vapour and clouds ,extends upto the
troposhere
Control Measure of Air
Pollution
1. Preventive Measures
2. Control of effluents

Treating the flue gases through scrubbers,


dry and wet collectors to remove the
pollutants.
Better raw materials to be used.
Automobiles should be provided with
catalytic converters.
National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring
(NAAQM)
Air pollution causes 7 million premature deaths every year:
UN expert

Source: downtoearth.org
Particulate matter from cigarettes, mosquito coils makes indoor air
toxic
A study reveals that aluminum, chromium and tin are higher in mosquito
coil smoke, and copper, zinc, manganese, nickel and lead are higher in
cigarette smoke samples.
Ozone levels increase in Delhi, pose health risk

Source: downtoearth.org
Air pollution is not letting the world sleep well
American researchers find that increasing pollutants in ambient air
causes sleep apnea

Vehicular fumes escalate deaths and illness: New global study


Diesel vehicles responsible for nearly half the world's premature
deaths. Delhi ranks sixth

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