ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL

HEALTH
AIR POLLUTION

By
Muhubo Musse
2018-mph-ft-feb-006
31/aug/2018
 Outlines
 Introduction

 Definitions

 Burden of air pollution

 Causes of air pollution

 Types of air pollutants

 Selected major air pollutants

 Effects of air pollution

 Mitigation and control

 Introduction
 Air pollution refers to the condition in which the
existence of toxic substances in the atmosphere,
generated by various human activities and natural
phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, results in
damaging effects on the welfare of human beings
and the living environment,

It is existence of impure, unsafe, hazardous substances in

the air making it unsafe for animal, plants and human
survival
 Definition
 Air pollution; is the result of emission of
hazardous substances in to the air at a rate
that exceeds the capacity of natural
processes in the atmosphere such as rain and
wind to convert, deposit or dilute them.
( Annalee, Y., 2001).

 Air pollution is contamination of the indoor

or outdoor environment by any chemical,
physical or biological agent that modifies the
natural characteristics of the
atmosphere(WHO)
Can be indoor or out .
 Burden

 Globally 1 billion urban

Worldwide emissions dwellers’ health is
released as a result of compromised every day by the
human activities high levels of air sulphur
100 million tons of dioxide concentrations ( WHO
sulphur dioxide 1997)
 Globally 3 million deaths were
68 million tons nitrogen
oxides attributed to ambient air
pollution in 2012.(WHO 2016)
57 million tons of
 87% of these deaths occur in
suspended particulate lower middle income countries,
matter(SPM) which represents 82% of the
177 million tons of worlds population ( WHO
carbon monoxide. 2016)
( Annalee,y., 2001)
 Cont…
The World Health
Organization estimated in
2014 that every year air
pollution causes the
premature death of some 7
million people worldwide.
 Air pollutant concentrations in
Kampala and Jinja are
dangerously high mainly
contributed by motor transport,
mining and waste burning.
(Bruce k, 2015)
 Causes of air pollution
• In general a pollutant
substance can be of natural
origin or man made.
Natural sources; aerosols such as
dust carried by wind. Smoke from
volcanic eruptions.
Agricultural activities;
Ammonia gases which manufactured for
use as fertilizer.
Insecticides and pesticides;
Green house gases increase levels sulphur
dioxides and Nitrogen oxides
 Cont…

Mining operations;
During the process dust and chemicals are released in the air
causing massive air pollution.

Exhaust from factories and industries;

Release of large amounts of CO, hydrocarbons, organic
compounds and chemicals
industrial furnaces, Smoke
Also could be from industrial accidents like leakage of chemicals
into the atmosphere
Use of nuclear weaponry
 Cont…
In door air pollution; exposures to particulates that are emitted with
in buildings.
Gases
Carbon monoxide from burning charcoal
Building materials (asbestos, formaldehyde, lead etc).
Outdoor- in door allergens (mold and pollen)
Tobacco smoke

Out door air pollution can make its way indoors when windows are
open
In door air pollution; exposes more people than the outdoor air.
The pollution comes from inefficient and smoky fuels burned for
cooking and heating, burning charcoal when being at risk more
CO, SO, carbon dioxide
 Cont…

 Household materials, and  Building materials

chemicals (asbestos, formaldehyde,
lead etc).
 Types of air pollution
 Two types.
– Primary Air Pollutant
• Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the
atmosphere

– Secondary Air Pollutant

• Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when
a primary air pollutant reacts with substances
normally found in the atmosphere or with other air
pollutants
 Cont…
 physical (aerosols), dust, smoke, smog.

 Chemical pollutants
• gases (soluble gases) can dissolve in water and cause chemical
reactions e.g. NO sulphur dioxides.
• Non soluble gases such as hydrogen sulphide, ozone ( oxygen
reacting with nitrogen compounds, and volatile hydrocarbons.
• Fumes from chemicals released from factories
• Trace metals, Mercury, vanadium, and iron, lead from combustion
of leaded petrol and petroleum products.
• Volatile organic compounds e.g. benzene, chloroform, formaldehyde
from house hold products paint, dry cleaning,
 Cont…
 Radioactive pollutants (nuclear plants emissions,
radiations)

produced from nuclear events, war explosion

and natural process. E.g., in radioactive decay
of radon. Examples include electromagnetic
radiation like visible light, radio waves,
microwaves, infrared and ultraviolet lights,
X-rays.
Others include radioactive elements like
uranium, caesium, iodine,chromium etc
 Cont…
 microbiological (micro organisms
bacteria, mould )

Human exposure to pathogenic

microorganisms and their by-
products in and indoor
environment usually occurs by
inhalation and contact with the
mucus membranes.
Major air pollutants
 Carbon dioxide;
Is the leading and worst pollutant
Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels
(coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products,
and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture
of cement)
Particulate matter;
Also known as particle pollution, is a complex mixture of extremely
small particles and liquid droplets that get into the air. Once
inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause
serious health effects
– May contain materials with toxic effects
– May small particles become lodged in lungs
 Cont…
Sulphur dioxide;
Is a major air pollutant and has
significant impact upon
human health.
The concentration of sulphur
dioxide in the atmosphere can
influence the habitat
suitability for plant
communities, as well as animal
life.
Sulphur dioxide emissions are a
precursor to acid rain and
atmospheric particulates.
 Cont…

Carbon monoxide;
Is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas
which is highly poisonous.

It is produced by the incomplete burning of

natural gas, gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas,
oil, diesel fuel, kerosene, coal, charcoal, or
wood, wild fires ,running motor vehicles and
tobacco 
 Cont…
Nitrogen oxides;
are a mixture of gases that are composed of nitrogen and
oxygen.
Nitrogen oxides are released into the air from motor vehicle
exhaust or the burning of coal, oil, diesel fuel, and natural gas,
especially from electric power plants. They are also released
during industrial processes such as welding, electroplating,
engraving, and dynamite blasting. Nitrogen oxides are also
produced by cigarette smoking.
 Cont…
Ozone;
Ozone forms harmful smog, but in the upper
atmosphere, it protects the earth from the sun. 

The ozone that occurs on the ground level is formed

when sunlight reacts with air pollutants . Nitrogen
oxides combine with volatile organic compounds to
form ozone. Ground-level ozone is the main
ingredient of smog, a kind of air pollution found in
many U.S. cities, which contributes to climate
change. 
 Cont…
 Tropospheric Ozone
– Man- made pollutant in the lower atmosphere
– Secondary air pollutant
– Component of photochemical smog
 Stratospheric Ozone
– Essential component that screens out UV radiation
in the upper atmosphere
– Man- made pollutants can destroy it
 Effects of air pollution

Air pollution is a significant risk factor for

respiratory infections, heart disease, COPD,
stroke and lung cancer.
 Cont…

Health effects of air pollution.

Cough and respiratory tract symptoms.
Asthma and pneumonia esp. in children,
Chronic bronchitis, acute bronchitis (from
soot and sulphur dioxide).

Cardiovascular effects (Increases CO levels

and reduce oxygen delivery to the
myocardium.
 Cont…
 Headaches (CO poisoning,
carboxyl haemoglobin)

 Infertility in men and women

from lead exposure

 Birth defects and neurological

disorders from mercury
exposure.

 Eye irritations e.g.

conjunctivitis
 Cont…
 Global warming; increased
temperatures world wide, increase in
sea levels, melting of ice in colder
regions, increasing floods

 Eutrophication; high nitrogen

present in pollutants gets on sea
surface forming algae that affects fish,
plants and aquatic animals.
 Cont…

 Depletion of the ozone layer; ozone exists in the stratosphere is

responsible for protecting human from UV rays. Presence of
chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochloro-carbons reacting with the
ozone layer and thinning it out
 Effect on wildlife; toxic chemicals present in the air can force
movements of world life from their habitats
 Mitigation & prevention
 Encouraging people to use public transportation to
reduce on the number of vehicles on the road

 Emphasis on use of clean energy sources such as

solar. E.g., governments providing grants to
consumers interesting in installation of solar panels.

 Use of energy saving technologies such as use of

briquette for cooking.

 Policy formulation, and formation of bodies to

control emissions by governments.
 Cont…

 Governments controlling use of old vehicles and high emission .

 Avoid heavy traffic, In some cities reduction in use of motor

vehicles( use of bicycles) Copenhagen, Amsterdam

 Education of the public on causes and dangers of air pollution.

 Construction of nuclear plants underground, a safe distance

away from habitats, and proper education of staff who work at
the nuclear plants.
 Cont…
 Adequate forest cover
 Redesigning of automobile engines, people should be encouraged to
avoid using vehicles over short distances
 Green belts should be created near densely populated cities

 Industrial areas should be a safe distance from residences.

 Use safer building materials avoid use Asbestos.

 Use of protective masks (workers at water treatment plants, provision

of masks to TB patients
 Cont…
In door pollution

Indoor Cleaning

Proper ventilation

Avoid the known pollutants, use stringent cleaning supplies

Having adequate size of windows for residential houses.

Use of plants indoors (good in filtering air).

Reducing on the plastic toys and use of rubber materials in doors

 References
 World health organisation 2016, ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and
burden of disease. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/250141/1/9789241511353-eng.pdf
[viewed on 19th/08/17]
 Annalee,Y., Theo, D.k., Guidotti,L.T., Kjellstrom, T., 2001. Basic Environmental Health. New
York. Oxford university press Pg. 180-207
 Conserve future energy. 2015. http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/causes-effects-
solutions-of-air-pollution.php [viewed on 22/08/17]
 Environmental protection urgency. 2016. Air pollution; Current and future challenges.
https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-current-and-future-challenges
[viewed on 20th/08/17]
 Tiwary, A., Colls.J., 2010. Air pollution; Measurement, modelling and mitigation. Routledge,
3rd edition. Pages 1-45 https://books.google.co.ug/books?id=GhMEIEn-
P7QC&printsec=frontcover&dq=air+pollution&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=ai
r%20pollution&f=false [viewed on 24/08/17]
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4515709
 Global warming 2015, https://www.national geographic.com/environment/global-
warming/pollution/
Thank you.