that have harmful effects on plants, animals & human beings.
From an ecological perspective, pollutants classified as: (i) Degradable or non-persistent pollutants : e.g., domestic sewage, discarded vegetables, etc. (ii)Slowly-degradable or persistent pollutants: e.g., DDT (pesticides) & most plastics. (iii)Non-degradable pollutants: e.g., toxics like lead or mercury, & nuclear wastes.
Pollution Air pollution Water pollution Soil pollution Marine pollution Noise pollution Thermal pollution Air pollution Air pollution: presence of undesirable solid or gaseous particles in the air in quantities that are harmful to human health & environment Humans consume: 12 kg air: small amount of pollution = large effects UK 1273: London King Edward 1 = ban on using coal for food and heating Capital punishment 1952: London smog = 4000 deaths Europe 19 th century Black moth: camouflaged On clean lichen covered tree Air pollution
Secondary pollutants: sulfuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid, etc.
Air Pollution
Air pollution control act in India was passed in 1981 & Motor Vehicle Act was passed in1988
Total Sources
Stationary Sources Mobile Sources
Point Area Sources Line Sources Area Sources
1. Industrial Processing 1. Residential & industrial areas 1. Highway vehicles 1. Motor vehicles - 2. Power plants 2. On site incineration 2. Railroad locomotives Light- duty/Medium duty/heavy duty 3. Fuel combustion 3. Open burning sites 3. Channel vessels 2. Railyard locomotives (Industrial) Coal, Oil, Gas 4. Soil waste disposal 3. Port vessels Municipal incinerators 4. Aircraft (airports) 5. Miscellaneous 5. Miscellaneous TYPES OF PARTICULATES
Aerosol Mist Smoke Dust Fume Plume Fog Smog
TYPES OF PARTICULATES:
Term Meaning Examples
Aerosol general term for particles suspended in air Sprays from pressurized cans Mist aerosol consisting of liquid droplets Sulfuric acid mist Dust aerosol consisting of solid particles that are blown Dust storm into the air or are produced from larger particles by grinding them down Smoke aerosol consisting of solid particles or a mixture of Cigarette smoke, smoke from solid and liquid particles produced by chemical reaction burning garbage such as fires. Plume column of one fluid moving to another. Fume generally means the same as smoke but often applies Zinc/lead fumes specifically to aerosols produced by condensation of hot vapours of metals Fog aerosol consisting of water droplets Smog term used to describe a mixture of smoke and fog
(1)Air pollution on animals : Direct: inhalation Indirect :accumulation of air borne contaminants on the vegetation: poisoning, reduction in yield
Effect on health Symptoms could include lack of appetite, rapid loss in weight, lameness, diarrhea & subsequently death.
(2)Effects on plants necrosis, chlorosis, abcission, epinasty
(3)Effects on materials
(4)Effect on the stratosphere: ozone
Effect of air pollution Structure of the atmosphere:
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.
Toxic air pollution: cancer, genetic mutation, birth defects etc Bhopal gas tragedy
Smog: a combination of fog and smoke in the cities: 4000 people died in London in
1970s Cost for car ownership Public transport Management of roads Area licensing scheme: different license for different types of vehicles 45.3% reduction Dispersion of air pollutant Lapse rate: change in rate of temperature in the layers of troposphere Prevailing lapse rate at a particular time and particular place Env. Lapse rate: ELR Measured using a balloon with thermometer
When a packet of hot air is released to upper atmosphere it raises till a point where its temp and density are equal to surrounding atmosphere The rate at which a parcel of air cools when taken to upper atmosphere without addition or removal of energy is Adiabatic lapse rate: ALR Can be mathematically calculated Dry ALR = 9.8 0 C/Km Wet / Saturated ALR = 6 0 C/Km For polluted air ALR will be 6-9.8 0 C/Km ELR > ALR Super adiabiatic lapse rate ELR<ALR Sub adiabiatic lapse rate Negative lapse rate / Inversion Figures from Benny Joseph ELR > ALR Super adiabiatic lapse rate Helpful to dessipate pollutants Lessen the air pollution problems ELR<ALR Sub adiabiatic lapse rate Dispersion of pollutants slower ELR = ALR - isothermal Atmosphere neutral Negative lapse rate / Inversion Atmospheric temperature increases with altitude Dispersion of pollutants very poor Hot gases goes not ascend above inversion layer Major cases of pollution tragedies in the world
An Unstable Atmosphere is marked by the DALR being less than the ELR. A rising parcel remains warmer than its surrounding air and has positive bouyancy (tends to keep rising). It needs little external force conditions to commence rising. It will continue to rise until, as it cools, it attains thermal equilibrium with its surroundings
A Stable Atmosphere is one that strongly resists change. It occurs whenever the Dry Adiabatic Lapse Rate is greater (and thus cools more with height) than the Environmental Lapse Rate. Air parcels under this condition that are forced upwards cool rapidly (quickly becoming colder than its surroundings) and act as though they have negative buoyancy, i.e., they overcome the lifting force and tend to sink at some stage to restore equilibrium. Stable air is clear (blue skies) and devoid of stormy conditions.
In a Neutral Atmosphere, the Dry and Environmental (Actual) Lapse Rates are the same and the temperatures of both the parcel and its surrounding air are identical at some neutral layer (which can have a notable vertical thickness, within which the parcel and surrounding air are in thermal equilibrium [same temperatures]). A parcel will rise and cool until it reaches this layer where the temperature balance occurs. This situation usually occurs through some external lifting force or condition such as convergence or orographic rise. http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect14/Sect14_1b.html
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Dispersion of pollutants Impact of wind Lapse rate and dispersion Different types of plume behaviours Figures from Benny Joseph Looping: highly unstable atm higher chimneys req. but automobile Neutral: ELR ALR Coning: slightly stable atm, clouds cover the region, sub adiabatic, wind speed 32km/hr Fanning: no vertical mix, extreme inversion condition by ve ELR Lofting: strong super ALR above a surface inversion, min down ward mixing: most ideal case Fumigating: Inversion layer occurs at short distance above the top of stack: dangerous Trapping: two inversions above and below, trapped, dangerous Catalytic converter of automobiles
Catalytic converter Device contains porous ceramic with embedded PLATINUM & RHODIUM particles PLATINUM: Completes combustion of hydrocarbons & CO RHODIUM: Converts oxides of nitrogen (NO X )to Nitrogen (N 2 )
Control vs prevention Prevention- Changing raw material: low sulfur coal to fuel oil (sulfur dioxide emission) Process conditions Procedures Preventive maintenance: check leakages Air pollution control Technologies Depends upon the pollutant and situation Settling chambers Cyclone separator Electronic precipitator Fabric filter Wet collector
Technologies used Condensation Absorption Adsorption Combustion
Efficiency E = Win-Wout X100% W in Depends upon- The pressure drop The space requirement The initial operating cost Whether the SPM is collected in dry or liquid form Temperature of emission gas
Pollution control / preventive Device efficiency Relatively large particles More than 10 microns 90% efficient Efficiency: Linear with particle density, gas stream velocity and no of rotational phases Exponentially increases with diameter Limitations: solid form Internal erosion/corrosion At elevated temperature High energy consumption Cyclone separator Bag filter
99.95% efficient for dust collection Electrostatic precipitator 90-99.9 % efficient
Low power Easy maintenance Wet scrubber
Gas removal by dissolving
Particle removal by entrapping The air (prevention & control of pollution) act was legislated in 1981. Environmental protection act (EPA) was passed in 1986. The Central Motor Vehicles act of 1939 was amended in 1989. The exhaust emission rules for vehicle owners notified in 1990 and the mass emission standards for vehicle manufacturers were enforced in 1991, revised in 2000. Legal aspects of air pollution control in India Integrated approach with strict air pollution control laws : some suggestions:
Putting a greater emphasis on pollution prevention rather than control. Reducing the use of fossil fuels. Improving the quality of vehicular fuel. Increasing the use of renewable energy.