Pollution

Effect of undesirable changes in our surroundings

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

Primary pollutants : Carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur
oxides, volatile organic compounds, &
suspended particulate matter

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

1952: all types of respiratory ailments

Photochemical smog: particulates, nitrogen
oxides, ozone, aldehydes, peroxyacetyl nitrate
(PAN), unreacted HC


Case study: Singapore

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

.



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.