Air pollution is such attention of solid, liquid or gaseous substance along with noise and odour that may cause impairment of health or pain to living creatures along with human being, plant, property or environment. There are regulations that specify proper limit of attention of identified pollutants in the atmosphere.
The climate is a floating Storage of gases and water vapours. We inherited an climate created by the nature. This climate with exact quantity of oxygen, nitrogen and Carbon dioxide is our life line. Of late, the climate became polluted basically with assorted emissions from commercial process and fuel fired vehicles.
As with all natural processes, air has been provided with means to cleanse itself. The water cycle is a good cleanser of atmospheric air by way of evaporation and precipitation. These two processes together scrub the air thoroughly. We explore the end supervene of such cleansing in the form of acid rain where there is large attention of Sulfur oxides.. Air pollution becomes unmanageable when pollutant load is large sufficient to get diluted or cleaned by natural processes.
Air pollution is caused by natural disturbances such as volcano eruption, earthquakes, forest fire as well as human activities such as commercial processes and vehicular emissions. Surprisingly, no creation other than human being, add significantly to air pollution load. On the other hand, they help in mitigating pollution in their own way. Animals eat away all their kills leaving bones which helps in fertilizing the land with Calcium and Phosphate. Birds have also similar schedules. The greenery consumes Carbon dioxide and exhale Oxygen thus improving the air quality. They also discharge and adsorb particulate pollutants. Solar radiation disintegrates many pollutants. Infrared and ultraviolet extremes of solar radiation have great power of annihilating pollutants though these have some contrary contributions too. The moon also plays its tiny role. The tidal waves catalyzed during full moon period, discharge pollutants floating above the sea.
Human activities are the biggest contributors to pollution load. Like all living creatures, mankind also inhales Oxygen and exhale Carbon dioxide. At present, almost every operation of man is contributing to pollution. Its corporal operation of any kind raises the temperature of the environment but that is what for the environment is. Its commercial operation has come to be a synonym to pollution of every kind. In order to capture more profit in quickest potential time, he has industrialized technologies aligned to this economics. This generates more waste and lesser end products. Communication is the key to fast developing and sustained economy. Vehicular emission is one of the biggest contributors to air pollutant loads. Perilous processes carried out in factories and old, poorly maintained vehicle give out substantial toxic emissions.
Air pollutants have been classified into original and secondary pollutants. Primaries are those which are directly emitted from a process such as ash from a volcano, Sulfur dioxide from factories and carbon monoxide from a motor vehicle. Indirect emissions are called secondary which form in the air after reaction with the original pollutants such as ground level Ozone that develops into photochemical smog. Some pollutants may be emitted as original and as a secondary too. Persistent free radicals, Ammonia, Chlorofluorocarbons, odors, and radioactive substances are also causes of air pollution. Particulate matter also contributes to secondary pollutants,originating from original gaseous pollutants and compounds in photochemical smog, ground level Ozone and Peroxyacetyl Nitrate. Large estimate of minor Perilous toxics and persistent organic material adhering to original pollutants are also present.
Sulfur dioxide is the most important oxide of sulfur which is emitted by volcanoes and commercial process. Combustion of coal and petroleum generates Sulfur dioxide. In the proximity of Nitrogen dioxide, it forms Sulfuric acid which downpours as acid rain. Nitrogen dioxide, among Nitrogen oxides is emitted from high temperature combustion and is found as reddish brown toxic gas with biting odor. It is a major air pollutant.
Carbon monoxide has no colour, odor or irritating nature but is most lethal if inhaled. It is generated from incomplete combustion of natural gas, wood, and coal Vehicular emission is a major source of Co. Carbon dioxide is also emitted from such combustion and is a major theorize for greenhouse effect.
Volatile organic compounds present in the climate have a major role to play in greenhouse gases. Methane is an effective greenhouse gas. Other hydrocarbons play an important role in creating Ozone and prolonging the life of Methane in the atmosphere. Benzene, Toluene, Xyline and 1,3-butadiene are carcinogen suspects present in Vocs.
Particulate matters(Pm) are tiny particles of solids or liquids suspended in a gas. These two together is called aerosol. Pm originates plainly from volcano, dust storms, forest fires, vegetations and sea spray or is generated from commercial processes such as fossil fuel combustion in vehicles, power plants, metallurgical and chemical processes and from assorted construction sites and civil repair. Man generated aerosol is 10% of the total aerosol present in the environment..
Ammonia is other original pollutant used extensively in synthetic fertilizers for agricultural processes. It is a major aggregate being used in Pharmaceuticals synthesis. It is both caustic and hazardous.
Traces of toxic materiasl such as Cadmium, Lead and Copper is also found in the air pollutants. Chlorofluorocarbon used in refrigeration and cooling processes impairs the Ozone layer. This has been banned from use. Radioactive pollutants generated from nuclear explosions, natural radioactive decay of Radon and sporadic disaster in nuclear power plants are a serious source of pollution hazards. Odor emanating from sewage, garbage, assorted commercial processes has also been included as original pollutants in the statute.
Secondary pollutants are particulate matter formed from original gaseous pollutants and their compounds present in photochemical smog. Accepted smog results from large scale coal burning and are caused by aggregate of Sulfur dioxide and smoke. Vehicular emissions and commercial emissions upon reaction with the solar radiation form secondary pollutants consolidate with original emission to generate photochemical smog. Ground level Ozone, formed from Nitrogen Oxides and volatile organic matters, is also a constituent of smog which gives rise to photochemical and chemical reactions.
There are some minor air pollutants and estimate of persistent organic pollutants that pose question in getting degraded by assorted chemical, photolytic and biological processes. These have potential to obtain in human and animal tissues. These biomagnify in food chains. These have adverse supervene on the health of human in singular and environment in general.
Air pollution is proving havoc for the health of all living creatures and green lives. Fine particles in air are associated to cardiopulmonary disease which is proving to be major pollutant to cause health impairment and deaths. The next in line is pneumonia associated deaths due to pollution from motor vehicles. Other lung diseases associated with the respiratory system such as asthma, lung and heart disease, emphysema and allergies are also attributed to air pollution. Such diseases in children are alarming. A up-to-date study has shown that pesticide spray in air ends up in water bodies and cause question to man and animal alike along with maritime life.
Much air pollution associated disasters are on article which took many lives. The worst was 1984 Bhopal disaster in India which was due to a gigantic leak in the Union carbide factory. It killed more than 25,000 population and maimed at least 600,00. The great smog of 1952 in London, U.K., killed more than 12,000 people. An accidental leak of anthrax spore in the erstwhile Ussr killed hundreds of people.
Regulatory authorities worldwide stress the need to use improved technologies in which there are minimum emissions. commercial business houses are adopting such techniques which turn raw material into end goods without much wastage. Emissions are put straight through control devices and the variety in the form of particulates or liquid effluents are added recycled into beneficial products. For example, coal carbonization policy has inbuilt technology to obtain and recycle ashes to make bricks and cement. Liquid effluent is processed by distillation and other methods to obtain beneficial byproducts. Solid waste such as tarry residue, coal tar and naphtha are already getting sufficient attention commercially.
Various equipments and processes are in place to control and contain air pollutants. Particulates are controlled by mechanical collectors such as dust cyclones and multicyclones. In major industries electrostatic precipitators are settled before the final emission to contain ash etc. There are bag houses to deal with heavy dust loads. Wet scrubber which washes down particulates from final emissions is other proven control technology. Nitrogen oxides in the emission is reduced to proper limits by using low Nox burners, selective catalytic/non-catalytic reduction, scrubbers, gas circulation and catalytic converters. volatile organic constituents are taken care of by absorption systems, flares, thermal/catalytic oxidizers, bio-filters, cryogenic condensers and vapour recovery systems. Wet and dry scrubbers and flue gas desulfurization techniques are in place for control of oxides of sulfur along with acid gases. Sorbent Injection technology, electro-catalytic oxidation etc. control mercury in the commercial emissions.
Carbon dioxide is a proportionate index of commercial operation along with fuel powered vehicular movement and is a major constituent of greenhouse gases. Greenhouses gases in general responsible for global warming and climatic changes are under the Scanner. Countries with top Carbon dioxide emission in million tons per year according to a 2006 estimation have been identified to be China(6,103), Usa(5752),Russia(1564),India(1510) and Japan(1293). Countries with top per capita Co2 emission are some Gulf countries. Qatar is important the list with 56.2 Tons per person.
Majority of enlightened may think these countries to be major polluters fit for criticism and penalty. A far sighted view may unfold other aspect. These countries have pollutants as readymade raw materials which can be added harnessed and converted into beneficial and gainful products with tiny more attempt and expenditure, minimizing the pollution load spontaneously.
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