Causes of

Air Pollution
Khushpreet Kaur
Sant Nirankari Public School

Air Pollution
Air
pollutioniscausedmainly
by Transportation, fuel
combustion in stationary
sources, burning of fossil
fuels like coal, wood, dry
grass, and construction
activity.
Motor vehicles produce high
levels of Carbon Monoxide
(CO) and Hydrocarbons (HC)
and Nitrogen Oxides (NO).

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor air pollution has many causes including the burning of inefficient fuel
such as dried cow dung, dry leaves and firewood.
Various sprays, paints, cleaning materials and office equipment such as printers
and copiers can also lead to pollution inside the building.
Moulds and bacteria also causes
contamination.
Tobacco smoke is another
common pollutant.

Major Air Pollutant

Substances that causes pollution are known as air pollutants. Many air
pollutants have harmful effects.
Six of the major air pollutants are:
Carbon monoxide
Sulphur dioxide
Nirogen oxides
Ozone
Particulate matter
Lead

Carbon Monooxide
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous
gas. It is produced by the incomplete burning of various fuels,
including coal, wood, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, and natural
gas. Products and equipment powered by internal combustion
engines such as portable generators, cars, lawn mowers, and
power washers also produce CO.

Sulphur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gasses
known as oxides of sulfur.
The largest sources of SO2emissions are from fossil fuel
combustion at power plants (73%) and other industrial facilities
(20%).
Smaller sources of SO2emissions include industrial processes such
as extracting metal from ore, and the burning of high sulfur
containing fuels by locomotives, large ships, and non-road
equipment.
SO2is linked with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory
system.

Nitrogen oxide
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive
gasses known as "oxides of nitrogen," or "nitrogen oxides
(NOx)."
Other nitrogen oxides include nitrous acid and nitric acid. EPAs
National Ambient Air Quality Standard uses NO2as the indicator
for the larger group of nitrogen oxides.
NO2forms quickly from emissions from cars, trucks and buses,
power plants, and off-road equipment. In addition to
contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone, and fine
particle pollution, NO2is linked with a number of adverse effects
on the respiratory system

Ozone
Ground level or "bad" ozone is not emitted directly into the air, but is
created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and
volatile organic compounds (VOC) in the presence of sunlight.
Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, motor vehicle
exhaust, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the
major sources of NOx and VOC.
Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly
for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung
diseases such as asthma.
Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive
vegetation and ecosystems.

Particulate matter
"Particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is a
complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid
droplets.
Particle pollution is made up of a number of components,
including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic
chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles,
All the compound mentioned above mix with fog to form smog.

Lead
Lead(Pb) is a metal found naturally in the environment as well
as in manufactured products.
The major sources of lead emissions have historically been from
fuels in on-road motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) and
industrial sources.
Exposure of lead affects the nervous system, kidney functions
and circulatory system.
It also affects the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.