INTRODUCTION

What is Air Pollution?

Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical or biological change in the air. It is the contamination of
air by harmful gases, dust and smoke which affects the plants, animals, and humans drastically.
There is a certain percentage of gases present in the atmosphere. An increase or decrease in the
composition of these gases is harmful to survival. This imbalance in the gaseous composition has
resulted in an increase in earth’s temperature which is known as global warming.

What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial,
marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this
includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.

Types of Air Pollutants

There are two types of air pollutants:

Primary Pollutants
The pollutants that directly cause air pollution are known as primary pollutants. Sulphur-dioxide
emitted from factories is a primary pollutant.

Secondary Pollutants
The pollutants formed by the intermingling and reaction of primary pollutants are known as
secondary pollutants. Smog, formed by the intermingling of smoke and fog, is a secondary pollutant.

REVIEW WORK
Effects of Air Pollution: on Human Health, Animals and Atmosphere :Air pollution has
now become a worldwide phenomenon and every individual in one way or the other is
facing problems caused by it. Its impact can be seen locally, at regional level as well as
at global level. At local and regional levels its manifestations are in the form
of alterations in (i) visibility, (ii) intensity of sunshine, (iii) precipitation amount, and (iv)
acid rain. Its global effects are. (i) Change in natural climate by rise of temperature,
melting of snow, (ii) increase in carbon dioxide, (iii) increase in particulates, (iv) holes in
ozone layer, etc. Several aspects of air pollution, such as effects on the ozone layer,
greenhouse effect, smog and acid rain have already been discussed.
The effects of air pollution can be grouped under the following heads:
(i) Effects on human health,
(ii) Effects on animals and plants,(iii) Effects on atmosphere, and (iv) Other effects.

1. Effects on Human Health:

Some environmental poisons can cause acute illness and even death. Others may be
harmful, but the disease may take years or even decades to appear. Air pollution mainly
affects the respiratory system.Bronchitis, emphysema, asthma and lung cancer are
some of the chronic diseases caused due to exposure to polluted air. It is feared that
lung cancer is caused mainly due to polluted air because carcinogens are found in it. Its
mortality rate is higher in urban areas. Sulfur dioxide is the most serious and
widespread air pollutant. Its lower concentration is a cause of spasms in the smooth
muscle of bronchioles and its higher concentration induces increased mucus
production.Sulfur dioxide is also considered to cause cough, shortness of breath, spasm
of the larynx and acute irritation to the membranes of the eyes. It also acts as an
allergenic agent. When it reacts with some compounds, sulfuric acid is formed which
may damage lungs.Carbon monoxide often affects the oxygen carrying capacity of
blood. Nitric oxide is reported to be a pulmonary irritant and its excess concentration
may cause pulmonary haemorrhage.Hydrogen sulfide is also toxic. Lead emitted from
automobile exhausts is a cumulative poison and is dangerous particularly to children
and may cause brain damage.The particulate pollutants such as asbestos, silica,
carbon, beryllium, lead, etc., are capable of exerting a noxious (fibrotic) local action in
the interstitial areas of the lungs. Radioactive elements are also harmful to man and
other living organisms. As described earlier, smog has a killer effect, which is also the
result of air pollution. The death toll by smog varies from few persons to thousands.In
December 1952, about 4,000 persons died in London due to smog. Similar cases have
been reported from London itself in 1956, 1957 and 1962 in which the death toll was
between 700 and 1,000 persons. In other countries also smog deaths have been
reported. In fact, the growing air pollution has now become a health hazard for man.

2. Effects on Animals and Plants:

The impact of air pollution on animals is more or less similar to that on man. Chronic
poisoning results from the ingestion of forage contaminated with atmospheric pollutants.
Among the metallic contaminants, arsenic, lead and molybdenum are important.
Fluoride is another pollutant, which causes fluorosis among animals.A number of
livestock have been poisoned by fluorides and arsenic in North America. Bone lesions
in animals due to excessive fluorides have also been reported.Air pollution has caused
widespread damage to trees, fruits, vegetables, flowers and in general, vegetation as a
whole. The total annual cost of plant damage caused by air pollution in USA alone has
been estimated to be in the range of 1 to 2 billion dollars. The most dramatic early
instances of plant damage were seen in the total destruction of vegetation by sulfur
dioxide in the areas surrounding smelters.When the absorption of sulfur dioxide
exceeds a particular level, the cells become inactive and are killed, resulting in tissue
collapse and drying of leaves. Cotton, wheat, barley and apple are more sensitive to this
pollutant.Fluorides are responsible for various types of injuries to plants. The leaves of
apple, apricot, fig, peach and prune are more susceptible to air borne fluorides.
Fluorides seem to interfere with the photosynthesis and respiration of plants. Smog also
causes injury to plants. Similar impact of ozone can be seen in the lesions to plants.
Chlorine, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, etc., are also harmful to vegetation.

3. Effects on Atmosphere:
Some of the effects of air pollution on atmospheric conditions, such as effect on ozone
layer, greenhouse effect, etc., have already been discussed. There is an increase in the
carbon dioxide concentration in the air due to increased combustion of fossil fuels.
Carbon dioxide absorbs heat strongly and the radiative cooling effect of the earth is thus
decreased.The rising of temperatures and ozone holes are some of the problems which
have attracted the attention of the scientists all over the world. These problems are not
related to any region or a country but are the global problems and their impact on world
climate may be hazardous to the whole world.The local weather conditions are highly
susceptible to air pollution. Its impact on temperature, humidity, rainfall and clouds is
apparent. The ‘smog dom’ on large urban centres is the result of air pollution. Due to air
pollution, visibility also reduces.

4. Other Effects:
Air pollution can also cause damage to property and materials. The smoke, grit, dust
and oxides of sulphur have harmful effects on structures.In 1972, when an oil refinery at
Mathura was opened, its impact on Taj Mahal became a major issue. Sulfur dioxide is
the most damaging of gaseous pollutants. Aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys,
iron and steel are corroded when exposed to contaminated air.Hydrogen sulfide reacts
with lead paints to form lead sulfide thereby producing a brown to black discolouration.
The damage caused by air pollution to structures is not serious but from an aesthetic
point of view, it is not desirable.
Even healthy people can experience health impacts from polluted air including respiratory
irritation or breathing difficulties during exercise or outdoor activities. Your actual risk of adverse
effects depends on your current health status, the pollutant type and concentration, and the
length of your exposure to the polluted air.
High air pollution levels can cause immediate health problems including:

 Aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness

 Added stress to heart and lungs, which must work harder to supply the body with oxygen
 Damaged cells in the respiratory system

Long-term exposure to polluted air can have permanent health effects such as:

 Accelerated aging of the lungs

 Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function
 Development of diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and possibly cancer
 Shortened life span

Causes of Air Pollution

Following are the important causes of air pollution:

Burning of Fossil Fuels

The combustion of fossil fuels emits a large amount of sulphur dioxide. Carbon monoxide released
by incomplete combustion of fossil fuels also results in air pollution.

Automobiles
The gases emitted from vehicles such as jeeps, trucks, cars, buses, etc. pollute the environment.
These are the major sources of greenhouse gases and also result in diseases among individuals.

Agricultural Activities
Ammonia is one of the most hazardous gases emitted during agricultural activities. The insecticides,
pesticides and fertilizers emit harmful chemicals in the atmosphere and contaminate it.

Factories and Industries

Factories and industries are the main source of carbon monoxide, organic compounds,
hydrocarbons, and chemicals. These are released into the air degrading its quality.

Mining Activities
In the mining process, the minerals below the earth are extracted using large equipments. The dust
and chemicals released during the process not only pollute the air but also deteriorate the health of
the workers and people living in the nearby areas.
Domestic Sources
The household cleaning products and paints contain toxic chemicals that are released in the air. The
smell from the newly painted walls is the smell of the chemicals present in the paints. It not only
pollutes the air but also affects breathing.

Air Pollution Control

Following are the measures one should adopt to control air pollution:

Avoid Using Vehicles

People should avoid using vehicles for shorter distances. Rather they should prefer public modes of
transport to travel from one place to another. This not only prevents pollution but also conserves
energy. .Energy Conservation
A large number of fossil fuels are burnt to generate electricity. Therefore, do not forget to switch off
the electrical appliances when not in use. Thus, you can save the environment at the individual level.
Use of energy-efficient devices such CFLs also controls pollution to a greater level.

Use of Clean Energy Resources

The use of solar, wind and geothermal energies reduce air pollution at a larger level. Various
countries including India have implemented the use of these resources as a step towards a cleaner
environment.
Other air pollution control measures include:

1. By minimizing and reducing the use of fire and fire products.

2. Since industrial emissions are one of the major causes of air pollution, the pollutants can be
controlled or treated at the source itself to reduce its effects. For example, if the reactions of
a certain raw material yield a pollutant, then the raw materials can be substituted with other
less polluting materials.
3. Fuel substitution is another way of controlling air pollution. In many parts of India, petrol and
diesel are being replaced by CNG – Compressed Natural Gas fuelled vehicles. These are
mostly adopted by vehicles that aren’t fully operating with ideal emission engines.
4. Although there are many practices in India which focus on repairing the quality of air, most of
them are either forgotten or not being enforced properly. There are still a lot of vehicles on
roads which haven’t been tested for vehicle emissions.
5. Another way of controlling air pollution caused by industries is to modify and maintain
existing equipments so that the emission of pollutants is minimized.
6. Sometimes controlling pollutants at the source is not possible. In that case, we can have
process control equipment to control the pollution.
7. A very effective way of controlling air pollution is by diluting the air pollutants.
8. The last and the best way of reducing the ill effects of air pollution is tree plantation. Plants
and trees reduce a large number of pollutants in the air. Ideally, planting trees in areas of
high pollution levels will be extremely effective.

CONCLUSION

The health of the public, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as
children, the elderly and the sick, is at risk from air pollution, but it is difficult to say
how large the risk is. It is possible that the problem has been over-stressed in relation
to other challenges in the field of public health.
As we have seen, there are considerable uncertainties in estimating both exposures and
effects and their relationships. It may be, for example, that the effects of long-term
exposure to lower concentrations of air pollutants could be more damaging to public
health than short-term exposure to higher concentrations. For this reason alone, local
authorities could take action to assess and improve local air quality. It is not sufficient
to wait for an episode of severe air pollution and then try to deal with its effects.
Another reason for action on air pollution is that we do not know the contribution which
exposure to air pollutants may make to deaths from, for example, heart disease. In
many countries heart disease is a leading cause of death and even a small contribution
from air pollution could mean a significant and important effect on public heath.
On an individual level, the risk to health from air pollution is very much smaller than
that posed by active cigarette smoking or accidents. It is also true that healthy
individuals are rather unlikely to be affected by exposure to the concentrations of
outdoor air pollutants in many European countries on most days of the year. However,
the old and the young, and especially those suffering from respiratory or heart
diseases, are the groups who are most vulnerable to the effects of air pollution. It is
only right that cost effective action should be taken to provide them with clean air,
which The Times of 1881 described as "the first necessity of our existence."