AIR POLLUTION

2. Carbon dioxide
WHAT IS AIR POLLUTION?
 Air pollution may be defined as any atmospheric SOURCES
condition in which certain substances are  Fossil fuel combustion
present in such concentrations that they can  Agricultural practices
produce undesirable effects on man and his  Forestry
environment.
EFFECT
SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION  Climate change

NATURAL SOURCES OXIDES OF NITROGEN

 VOLCANIC ERUPTION
 FOREST FIRES 1. Nitrogen monoxide and Nitrogen dioxide
 ELECTRIC STORMS
 DUST STORMS SOURCES
 Fuel combustion
MAN-MADE SOURCES  Lightening
 RAPID INDUSTRIALIZATION  Forest fires
 AUTOMOBILE REVOLUTION  Bacterial decomposition of organic matter
 FUMES, FACTORIES
EFFECTS
CLASSIFICATION OF AIR POLLUTANTS • Falls out in the rain
• Can cause acute bronchitis
ACCORDING TO STATE OF MATTER
OXIDES OF SULPHUR
A. GASEOUS AIR POLLUTANTS
 These are pollutants occurring in the gaseous 1. Sulphur dioxide and Sulphur trioxide
state at normal temperature and pressure.
SOURCES
GASEOUS AIR POLLUTANTS TYPES  Burning of solid and fossil fuels.
 Oxides of Carbon  Transportation
 Oxides of Nitrogen
 Oxides of Sulphur EFFECTS
 Hydrocarbons  Acid Rain
 Photochemical Oxidants  Respiratory diseases
 Chlorofluoromethanes  Plants chlorosis

OXIDES OF CARBON HYDROCARBONS

1. Carbon monoxide
1. Methane, acetylene, ethylene, terpenes
SOURCES
 Traffic jams SOURCES
 Solid waste  Coal fields
 Forest fires  Natural Fires
 Coal mines  Refineries

EFFECTS EFFECT
 Reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the • Irritation of eyes and lungs leading to
blood. respiratory diseases.
 Dangerous asphyxiant
 Reduces vision
PHOTOCHEMICAL OXIDANTS Control Devices for gaseous contaminants
1. Ozone 1. Wet absorption methods
2. Dry absorption methods
SOURCES
 Coal fields Control Devices for particulate contaminants
 Natural Fires 1. Gravitational Settling Chamber
 Refineries  This device consists of huge rectangular
chambers. The gas stream polluted with
EFFECTS particulates is allowed to enter from one end.
 Respiratory diseases
 Damages vegetation and ecosystem 2. Cyclone Separators
 Instead of gravitational force, centrifugal force
CHLOROFLUOROMETHANES is utilized by this device to separate particulate
 The propellants used for aerosol cans and as matter from the polluted gas.
refrigerants. They affect the ozone layer.
3. Fabric Filters
B. PARTICULATE AIR POLLUTANTS  A stream of the polluted gas is made to pass
 All atmospheric substances that are not gases through a fabric that filters out the particulate
but may be suspended droplets, solid particles pollutant and allows the clear gas to pass
or mixtures of the two. through.

PARTICULATE TYPES 4. Electrostatic Precipitators

 AEROSOLS  Electrically charged particulates present in the
 DUST polluted gas are separated from the gas stream
 SMOKE under the influence of the electric field.
 FUMES
 MIST 5. Wet Collectors
 FLYASH  The particulate are removed from the polluted
 SOOT gas stream by incorporating the particulates
into liquid droplets.
 NATURAL PARTICULATES
Wet Collectors
EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION
Common Wet Collectors:
 Acidification
 Spray Tower
 Eutrophication
 Venturi Scrubber
 Ground-level ozone
 Cyclone Scrubber
 Respiratory diseases
Spray Tower
 Corrosion of materials
 Water is introduced into a spray tower by
means of a spray nozzle.
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
Venturi Scrubber
A. Source Correction Methods
 Submicron particulates associated with smoke
and fumes are effectively removed by this
1. Substitution of Raw Materials
device.
2. Process Modification
Cyclone Scrubber
3. Modification of Existing Equipment
4. Maintenance of Equipment  The dry cyclone chamber can be converted into
a wet cyclone scrubber by inserting high
B. Pollution Control Equipment pressure spray nozzles at various places within
the dry chamber.
TWO TYPES
Another Air Pollution Control:
 Control devices for gaseous contaminants
 Diffusion of Pollutants in Air
 Control devices for particulate contaminants
 Vegetation
 Zoning