Professional Documents
Culture Documents
SEMESTER I
SESSION 2015/2016
BFC32403
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
GROUP MEMBERS :
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SECTION
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TITLE
Introduction
Common Air Pollutants Around
Types of Air Pollutant
Types of Air Pollution
Causes of Air Pollution
Effects of Air Pollution
Solution of Air Pollution
Air Quality in Malaysia
Air Pollutant Index of Malaysia (API)
Case Study on Malaysia Air Pollution
Health Impacts of Air Pollution in Malaysia
Conclusion
References
Fila Table
PAGES
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INTRODUCTION
Air
Air is the ocean we breathe. Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies
to live. Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Human activities can release
substances into the air, some of which can cause problems for humans, plants, and animals. We
need air to breathe because every living organism needs clean air in order to survive. In our daily
life we need 30lb of air, 15lb of water and 1.5lb of food. Human being can live about5 weeks
without foods, 5 days without water and 5 minutes without air. Air is the atmosphere or mixture
of gases surrounding the earth to a height of about 300feet, which all people and land animals
breathe. It is colorless and tasteless and is made up of about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and most
of the remainder is small quantities of other gases such as carbon dioxide, ozone, hydrogen,
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helium and other gases that do not burn up. There is also water content in the air which varies up
to 4%, especially in the tropics. There may also be some sulfur compounds present due to
industrial pollution. Oxygen is a colorless, tasteless, gaseous element which forms 1/5 of the
earth's atmosphere. Most oxygen is made up of two atoms which form one molecule.
Pollutant
Pollutant is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful
materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be
created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the
quality of air, water, and land. Pollution occurs in different forms. They are air, water, soil,
radioactive, noise, heat or thermal and light pollution.
Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more polluted than the
countryside, pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides
and other chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern
Pacific Ocean, a huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Air Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful
materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash. They can also be
created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the
quality of air, water, and land. Pollution occurs in different forms. They are air, water, soil,
radioactive, noise, heat or thermal and light pollution.
Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more polluted than the
countryside, pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides
and other chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern
Pacific Ocean, a huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as
the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
Air Pollution is the most prominent and dangerous form of pollution. Sometimes, air
pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from the exhaust pipes of large trucks or
factories, for example. More often, however, air pollution is invisible. Polluted air can be
dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. Generally any substance that people introduce into
the atmosphere that has damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered air
pollution.
c) Lead (Pb)
Smelters (metal refineries) and other metal industries; combustion of leaded
gasoline in piston engine aircraft; waste incinerators (waste burners), and battery
manufacturing.
burning.
Worsens lung diseases leading to respiratory symptoms, increased susceptibility
to respiratory infection.
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Can be caused by primary sources or secondary sources. The pollutants that are a direct
result of the process can be called primary pollutants. A classic example of a primary pollutant
would be the sulphur-dioxide emitted from factories.
Secondary pollutant
Are the ones that are caused by the inter mingling and reactions of primary
pollutants. Smog created by the interactions of several primary pollutants is known to be as
secondary pollutant.
1. Natural sources
Natural sources of pollution include dust carried by the wind from locations with
very little or no green cover, gases released from the body processes of living beings
(Carbon dioxide from humans during respiration, Methane from cattle during digestion,
Oxygen from plants during Photosynthesis). Smoke from the combustion of various
inflammable objects, volcanic eruptions along with the emission of polluted gases also
make it to the list of Natural sources of Pollution.
2. Man-made sources.
While looking at the man-made contributions towards air pollution, smoke again
features as a prominent component. The smoke emitted from various forms of
combustion like in bio mass, factories, vehicles, furnaces etc. Waste used to create
landfills generate methane , that is harmful in several ways. The reactions of certain gases
and chemicals also form harmful fumes that can be dangerous to the well-being of living
creatures.
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1. Smog
The first type of the air pollution is the smog. It is defined as when the smoke
present in the atmosphere after emitting from different sources is combined with the fog
present in the air, a mixture formed that is referred to as smog. Basically different types
of factories or the industries are responsible for the formation of the smog. when the
industries do their production from different materials, they can use different types of
chemicals for the cleaning, refining or some kind of production processes, as a result
these chemicals can produce different types of toxic materials that can emits in the form
of the smoke from the chimney of the factory and form a bond of with the fog and cause
different harmful diseases. Living in the smog is equal to the living with smokers; it can
cause serious respiratory disease.
2. Greenhouse Effect
Another type of the air pollution is the greenhouse effect. It is that type of air
pollution that is formed due to the contamination of several important gases with the air.
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it is characterized when the gases called as greenhouse gases when move upward and
combine with the atmosphere and then return back to the earth and destroy different types
of things such as crops, plants, human lives, livestock etc. These gases are basically six in
number and they are; methane, sulphur, nitrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen and ozone.
Basically the pollution is raised due to the burning of fossil fuel. It is very harmful for the
human skin and can also cause some kind of cancer.
It is the type of pollution that is characterized due to the causes that are
accidentally in nature. Commonly it is defined as the type of air pollution that is
generated due to the different types of fuel consumption by the vehicles or when the
forest are burnt different types of gases are evolved that are mixed with the air and
pollute the air. Sometimes this pollution is also spread due to the plant leakage or
different types of blasts in the furnaces of the manufacturing plants.
Another type of air pollution that pollutes the environment as a result of the
industrial processes is called as industrial pollution. Commonly it is characterized due to
the working of the thermal plants and also the different plants that are used to
manufacture different types of fertilizers or pesticides. The reactions that are used to
produce different types of building material such as cement or steel etc also encourage
the production or toxic materials for producing air pollution. On the whole the air
pollution due to the industrial wastes is called as industrial air pollution. Different type of
atomic units also contributes in that type of pollution.
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It is that type of air pollution that is characterized due to the smoke emitting by
different types of vehicles used for transportation. As fuel such as petrol or diesel burnt in
the engine can emit different types of poisonous gases in the form of smoke. This
pollution can cause different types of harmful diseases.
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Mono
oxide
caused
by
improper
or
incomplete
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4) Mining operations
Mining is a process wherein minerals below the earth are extracted using
large equipment. During the process dust and chemicals are released in the air
causing massive air pollution. This is one of the reasons which is responsible for
the deteriorating health conditions of workers and nearby residents.
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acidic and then falls on the ground in the form of acid rain. Acid rain
can cause great damage to human, animals and crops.
4. Eutrophication
Eutrophication is a condition where high amount of nitrogen
present in some pollutants gets developed on seas surface and
turns itself into algae and adversely affect fish, plants and animal
species. The green coloured algae that is present on lakes and
ponds is due to presence of this chemical only.
5. Effect on Wildlife
Just like humans, animals also face some devastating affects of
air pollution. Toxic chemicals present in the air can force wildlife
species to move to new place and change their habitat. The toxic
pollutants deposit over the surface of the water and can also affect
sea animals.
6. Depletion of Ozone layer
Ozone exists in earths stratosphere and is responsible for
protecting humans from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Earths ozone
layer is depleting due to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons, hydro
chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. As ozone layer will go thin,
it will emit harmful rays back on earth and can cause skin and eye
related problems. UV rays also have the capability to affect crops.
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Ambient air quality standards identify individual pollutants and the concentrations at
which they become harmful to the public health and the environment. The standards are typically
set without regard to economic feasibility for attainment. Instead, they focus on public health,
including the health of sensitive populations such as asthmatics, children and the elderly, and
public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops,
vegetation, aquatic resources, and buildings. The Malaysian air pollution index (API) is obtained
from the measurement of fine particles (below 10 m) and several gases: carbon monoxide,
sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. Table 1 shows the API for Malaysia. Based on API
readings throughout the country, the air quality has been considered generally good. In the urban
environment of the Klang Valley, the index also has generally been between good and moderate,
except for serious haze events in September and October. The bad airs days of 1997 combined
with the hosting of the Commonwealth Games in September 1998 provided as incentive for the
installation of eight more air quality monitoring stations, bringing the new total to 39. Table 2
lists the recommended Malaysian Air Quality Guidelines (Ambient Standards) and compares
them with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards currently enforced in the United States
and WHO guidelines. The Malaysian guidelines are fairly consistent with the standards of the
United States.
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Malaysia (g/m3)
USA (g/m3)
WHO (g/m3)
10,000
35,000
10,000
40,000
10,000
30,000
320
100
400
Ozone (O3)
8-h average
1-h average
120
200
240
100
150
Particulate matter
Annual
24-h average
90
150
50
150
105
80
365
Air pollutants
Carbon monoxide
8-h average
1-h average
Table 2
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API Calculation
Air Pollutant Index (API) is an indicator for the air quality status at any particular
area. The API value is calculated based on average concentration of air pollutants
namely SO2, NO2, CO, O3and PM10. The air pollutant with the highest concentration
(dominant pollutant) will determine the API value. Normally, concentration of
particulate matter , PM10 is the highest among other pollutants and determines the API
value.
The Department of Environment (DOE) had put in place several measures to address
the haze issue including:
Total Ban on Open Burning in Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Federal Territory of
Putrajaya and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur was issued by the Director
General on 13 March 2014 and in Selangor on 10 March 2014 with immediate
effect until further notice. The directives , however, does not involve
cremations, burning for religion purposes, grills and barbeques and gas
flaring.
Continuous air quality monitoring to detect changes in air quality status
will be fined;
Issuing orders to all local councils to monitor garbage dumping site/landfills
outbreaks; and
Close monitoring on preventive measures to tackle peat fires and daily checks
are being conducted at sites.
Practice recycling
Report to the authorities on any open burning activities
other pollutants
Hazy environment
Low visibility which could endanger road users, air crafts and ships
Health problem (asthma, bronchitis, allergy, pneumonia, eye and skin
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with its concentrations at few sites often exceeding the Recommended Malaysia Air Quality
Guidelines. The levels of other pollutants were generally within the guidelines. Since 1980, six
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major haze episodes were officially reported in Malaysia: April 1983, August 1990, June 1991,
October 1991, August to October 1994, and July to October 1997. The 1997 haze episode was
the worst ever experienced by the country. Short-term observations using continuous monitoring
systems during the haze episodes during these periods clearly showed that suspended particulate
matter (PM10) was the main cause of haze and was Tran boundary in nature.
Large forest fires in parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan during the haze period, clearly
evident in satellite images, were identified as the probable key sources of the widespread heavy
haze that extended across Southeast Asia from Indonesia to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. The
results of several studies have also provided strong evidence that biomass burning is the
dominating source of particulate matter. The severity and extent of 1997's haze pollution was
unprecedented, affecting some 300 million people across the region.
The amount of economic costs suffered by Southeast Asian countries during this
environmental disaster was enormous and is yet to be fully determined. Among the important
sectors severely affected were air and land transport, shipping, construction, tourism and agrobased industries
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There are possible short-term and long-term health effects of exposure to air pollution. In
the short term, high levels of air pollution lead to an acute condition. In addition, blockage of
sunlight may promote the spread of harmful bacteria and viruses that would otherwise be killed
by ultraviolet B (Beardsley et al., 1997). The possible long-term health effects of exposure to air
pollution are unknown and difficult to detect. Components of smoke haze, including polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, are known carcinogens the effects of which may not be apparent for
years. The consequences may be more severe for children, for whom the particulates inhaled are
high relative to body size.
There are a very limited number of studies that relate air pollution to its health impact in
Malaysia. The lack of data gathering for environmental epidemiological analysis makes it
difficult to estimate the health impact of air pollution. Recent studies in this country have
examined possible health effects of the 1997 forest fires. For example, outpatient visits in
Kuching, Sarawak increased between two and three times during the peak period of smoke haze
and respiratory disease outpatient visits to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital increased from 250 to
800 per day (World Health Organization, 1998). Data were assembled that indicated an increase
in cases of asthma, acute respiratory infection, and conjunctivitis during AugustSeptember 1997
at a number of major hospitals in Kuala Lumpur (Brauer, M., and Jamal, H.H., 1998). For
respiratory diseases, Selangor recorded a significant increase in the total number of cases during
the September haze. Asthma cases increased from only 912 in June to more than 5000 in
September. The total number of acute respiratory infection cases increased from about 6000 to
more than 30,000 during the same period. Apart from respiratory diseases, conjunctivitis
increased significantly during the haze period. In Selangor, the total number of increased from
only 207 cases in June to as high as 3496 cases in October. The same trend was observed in
Sarawak. In addition, the daily incidence of conjunctivitis in Sarawak during September was
found to have a positive correlation with the API (representing PM10 concentration).
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However, the number of cases gradually decreased toward the June value as the
concentration of PM10 began to decrease after September. When the air quality was almost back
to the values of a non-haze period in October, the number of cases returned to normal. The trend
indicated that short-term exposure to high levels of PM 10 was detrimental to human health
(Awang et al., 2000). Effects were found to be greatest in children, the elderly, and people with
pre-existing respiratory problem; youngsters are among the most resistant. A preliminary survey
carried out among secondary school children in Kuala Lumpur and Klang revealed that less than
50% of these school children sought medical treatment each time they fell sick (Awang et al.,
2000).
A study conducted by Nasir et al. (2000) suggested that in the 1997 haze episode the total
health effects were estimated to include 285,227 asthma attacks, 118,804 cases of bronchitis in
children, 3889 cases of chronic bronchitis in adults, 2003 respiratory hospital admission, 26,864
emergency room visits, and 5,000,760 restricted activity days. The whole population from all
states in the country was at risk except Perlis, Kelantan, and Sabah. The total health damage cost
was significantly high due to the long duration of the haze. The results show that restricted
activity days accounted for about 79.3% of the health damage cost while asthma attack
contributed 10.7% to the total health damage cost (fig. below) The contributions of the other
three health effects such as respiratory, hospital admission, emergency room visits, and chronic
bronchitis were insignificant. Each of the above-mentioned effects actually contributed less than
1% of the total health damage costs. The total health damage costs were estimated to be RM 129
million, with a lower estimate of RM 36 million and a higher estimate of RM 258 million.
Among the 11 states of Malaysia, Sarawak was badly hit by the particulate pollution with the
largest number of health effects, which comprised 23.8% of the total health effect during the
haze. The estimated health effects for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor during the haze were also
high, since both states recorded an average PM10 of 170.6 and 131.22 g/m3, respectively.
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Another study conducted by Othman and Shahwahid (1999) revealed that in the 1997
haze episode the population at risk was from all states of the country except in Kelantan,
Terengganu, and Pahang; this population is estimated to be 18 million people. But the incidence
of risk varied among states in terms of intensity and length of the haze. The incremental cost
incurred by the population at risk for treatment of haze-related illnesses from both public and
private clinics and hospitals and for self-treatment (mainly the purchasing of medicine) was
estimated to be RM 5.02 million during the period AugustOctober 1997. The incremental cost
incurred for hospital admissions was estimated to be RM 1.18 million during the same period.
This study also revealed that the country incurred productivity losses as a result of haze-related
illnesses. These productivity losses occurred in foregone production opportunities during the
idled workdays when workers were in hospital and on sick leave. Those not hospitalized and not
granted sick leave, who managed to continue working are believed to have experienced reduced
activity days arising from the haze-related illnesses they suffered. These sources of haze-related
productivity losses are estimated to be RM 4.3 million.
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12.0 CONCLUSION
Studies related to air pollution conducted in Malaysia have been few. It is already 23
years since the Environmental Quality (Clean Air) Regulations 1978 were introduced in the
country. Many strategies, such as recycling, changes in engineering control equipment, and air
cleaning systems, have been applied to improve air quality. Many studies can be conducted to
evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, the impacts of the country's adopted, regulations, programs,
and strategies.
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REFERENCES
http://www.solarpowernotes.com/types-of-air-pollution.html
http://www.slideshare.net/syedaanamjafri/air-pollution-36477072
http://www.slideshare.net/rapid-rock/causes-and-effects-of-air-pollution
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013935102000592?np=y#BIB8
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Types_of_Pollution
http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/
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FILA TABLE
FACT
IDEAS
LEARNING ISSUES
ACTION PLAN
Air
It can be natural or
Pollution
created by human
activity
toward nature
Common
environment ?
-What are the sources
type of air
-Ground-level Ozone
precaution ways to
pollutant
(O3)
pollutant ?
-Lead (Pb)
environment ?
Types of
pollution.
-Industrial company or
air
pollution
of this pollution ?
emission gas to
environment.
pollution
harmful disease ?
Causes of
-Who is responsible to
-Agricultural industries
air
-Agricultural activities
pollution
from pollution?
of pesticides,
and industries
fertilizers,insecticide
-Mining operations
unhealthy activities ?
chemical
-Suspended Particulate
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Effects of
Matter
-Respiratory and heart
air
problems
air pollution ?
pollution
-Global warming
-What should we do to
-Acid rain
-Eutrophication
toward environment ?
harmful activity.
-Effect on wildlife
-Government should
encourage people to
protect and conserve the
Solutions
-Why should we
nature.
-Government should
for air
transportation
pollution
-Conserve energy
pollution ?
Recycle (3R)
pollution.
-Emphasis on clean
reducing ?
-A campaign about 3R
energy resources
have to be conduct
devices
world to increase
awareness among
community.
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