Discuss the causes related to increase in environmental pollution in today’s world.

1) High quantity of Exhaust gases: The biggest reason by far for all kinds of environmental degradation
is the exorbitant amount of gases, harmful to the environment, which is released by the various industries.
Prime amongst these gases are C02, S02 and NH3. Of course there are many more, and these are the main
culprits for ozone holes and global warming.

2) Deforestation: Close second comes the deforestation all over the world, to harness forest resources, to
clear land, for wood and for various other reasons. Deforestation causes major problems for one simple
reason; it decreases the number of trees, which clean the environment, provide oxygen and also affect rain
patterns. This is the major reason why there are calls for tree plantation; it is to make up for this loss.

3) High number of industries such as mining: Mining creates a lot of pollution, mainly because it releases
particulate matter, which qualifies as Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM); the particulate matter which
can enter our lungs and can harm the entire respiratory system. This form causes the most direct harm to
humans, also particulate matter can come from indoor pollution, as can be seen in cooking on traditional
‘choolahs’ and cottage industries like ‘bangle-making’.

4) Chemical effluents: Effluents are another by-product of industries which poses threat to the
environment, leather and tanning industries, petroleum industries and chemical manufacturing

industries create major waste products which are released directly into nearby streams without treatment,
creating river pollution and causing harm to aquatic life.

5) Transport: As the spending power of the population increases and as cars become available more, the
number of vehicles on the road increases. The amount has grown exponentially in countries like India,
Brazil and China and this is a point form of pollution which directly affects humans. Smog is a nuisance
that is created because of vehicular pollution, and Hydro-Carbons released from engines are the cause of
creation of lower level ozone that is harmful to humans.

6) Unprecedented Construction: Urban Heat Island is a direct cause of the unprecedented construction
activities that are being carried out right now, and urban heat island causes trapping of pollutants. Urban
Heat island is an effect caused due to trapping of solar radiation by concrete and cement which are
materials which trap heat extremely well. Construction causes removal of vegetative cover which usually
allows for better exchange of heat. This heat island effect causes constricted circulation of air, which traps
pollutants released in urban areas and does not allow for mixing of the air, thus decreasing the air quality.

8 ) Ruinous agricultural policies: Overloading the land with fertilizers, overgrazing and shifting
agriculture are ruinous agricultural policies that degrade land, creating soil erosion that leads to silting in
major rivers and reservoirs. Soil degradation is a continuous cycle and it ultimately leads to desertification
and degradation of land quality by allowing the direct action of eroding agents on cultivable land.

9) The Population Explosion: The increasing population creates a load that the entire environment has to
support, not only in terms of food and lodging, but also in terms of the amount of waste that it generates
and the ability of the environment to sustain this growth. All major activities are carried out to support
this growing population, and whilst this is unavoidable, what is required is the proper planning that should
come with this explosion.

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10) Unplanned Land-use policies: Land models are available these days which help in proper planning
and use of land resources. However, failure to use these models and land management policies can lead
to land pollution and degradation of the worst kind. Extraction from mines renders them unusable for
habitation and if rehabilitation work is not carried out, the piece of land is sure to lose all its value and
become unusable. Land classification is one of the major activities that help in proper land use, and it
should be followed with utmost care.

Discuss the sources and action of sulphur dioxide in the environment. How
it affects human beings, vegetation and materials?

Sulphurdioxide is a gas. It is invisible and has a nasty and sharp smell. It reacts easily with another
substances to form harmful compounds, such as sulfuric acid, sulphurous acid and sulphate particles.
About 99%of the sulphur dioxide in air comes from human sources. The main source of sulphur dioxide
in the air is industrial activities that processes material that contain sulphur, eg: generation of electricity
from coal, oil or gas that contain sulphur.some mineral ores also contain sulphur and sulphur dioxide is
released when they are processed. In addition, industrial activities that burn fossil fuels containing sulphur
can be important sulphur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is also present in motor vehicle emissions, as the result
of fuel combustion. In the past, motor vehicle exhaust was an important, but not the main, source of
Sulphur dioxide in air.

SOURCES AND ACTIONS OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE IN ENVIRONMENT

HUMAN SOURCES: Burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are the main sources of
sulphur dioxide emissions. Coal fired power stations, in particular are major sources of sulphur dioxide,
with coal burning accounting for 50percent of annual emissions, as explained by the Troposheric Emission
Monitoring Internet Service (TEMIS) .Moreover, oil burning accounts for a further 25-30percent. The U.
S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) illustrates how sulphur dioxide emissions are released
primarily as a result of generated electricity through fossil fuel burning power stations. Additional smaller
sources of sulphurdioxide are released from industrial processes states the U. S. EPA. These includes
extracting the metal from the one and the burning of fuel with a high sulphur by locomotives, large ships
and non- road equipment.

NATURAL SOURCES : Volcanic eruptions release large quantities of sulphur dioxide into the air. The
vast quantities of sulphur dioxide released during one eruptions can be enough to alter the global climate,
according to National Geographic. Similarly hot springs release sulphur dioxide into atmosphere. Sulphur
dioxide can eeven be produced by the reaction of hydrogen sulphide with the oxygen in the air. Hydrogen
sulphide is released from mashes and regions in which biological decay is taking place, as explained by
David W. Brooks from the university of Nebraska-Lincoln.

ACTIONS: During the process of oxidation in the atmosphere this gas form sulphates/ salts that can be
transported in the Breathable Particulate Material ,that in presence of humidity, forms acids and these
acids are important part of secondary particulate material.

EFFECTS OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE

HEALTH EFFECTS: The sulphur dioxide can have detrimental effects on human health.

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 - corneal haze
- breathing difficulties
- airways inflammation
- eye irritation
- psychic alteration

- pulmonary oedema
- heart failure
- circulatory collapse

It is also associated with asthma, chronic bronchitis, morbidity, mortality in old people and infants.

Shorter exposure may leads to chest tightness, coughing, wheezing etc.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: When sulphur dioxide combines with water in atmosphere forms acid
rain. Acid rain acidified the soil and water where it falls, killing off plants. Sulphur dioxide has direct
effects on vegetation changes in the physical appearance of vegetation are an indication that the plant
metabolism is impaired by the concentration of sulphur dioxide. Harm caused by sulphur dioxide is first
noticeable on the leaves of plants. For some plants injury within hours or days of being exposed to high
levels of sulphur dioxide. It is the leaves in mid growth that are most vulnerable, while the older and the
younger are more resistent.

EFFECTS ON MATERIALS :

The most notorious pollutant responsible for metallic corrosion is sulphur dioxide. It has been reported
that corrosion of hard materials such as steel begins at annual mean concentrations of 0.02 ppm. At levels
of 0.09-1 ppm, SO2 affects fabrics, leather and paint. It is readily absorbed by leather and causes its
disintegration. Paper is also discoloured and becomes brittle and fragile. Sulphuric acid mist in the
atmosphere causes deterioration of structural materials such as marble and limestone. Many priceless
marble sculptures and buildings have suffered damage as a result of increased SO2 content in the
atmosphere. While zinc exposed to sulphur dioxide forms zinc sulphates, that are water soluble having
relative humidity of 90%.

Discuss the source and action of nitrogen dioxide in the environment. How it
affects human beings, vegetation and materials?

Nitrogen oxides that yield NO2 are emitted primarily by motor vehicles, making it a strong indicator of
vehicle emissions (including other unmeasured pollutants emitted by these sources).

NO2 (and other nitrogen oxides) is also a precursor for a number of harmful secondary air pollutants,
including nitric acid, the nitrate part of secondary inorganic aerosols and photo oxidants (including ozone).
The situation is also complicated by the fact that photochemical reactions take some time (depending on
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the composition of the atmosphere and meteorological parameters) and air can travel some distance before
secondary pollutants are generated. These relationships are shown schematically in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Simplified relationship of nitrogen oxides emissions with formation of NO2 and other
harmful reaction products including O3 and PM

Humans:

The direct acute effects of nitrogen dioxide are damages to the cell membranes in the lung tissues and
constriction of the lungway passages. The indirect effects include edema or a filling of the

intercellular spaces with fluid. Nitrogen dioxide can cause occupational diseases. Manufacture of nitric
acid, exposure of farmers to silage, that has had high nitrate fertilization, and electric arc welding. Mining,
where nitrogen compounds are used as explosives, is also an example. Eye and nasal irritation and
pulmonary discomfort are also common between concentrations between 15 to 25 ppm. There is also an
association between nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the air and increases in mortality and hospital
admissions for respiratory disease. Nitrogen dioxide can decrease the lungs’ defences against bacteria
making them more susceptible to infections. It can also aggravate asthma.

Plants:
Nitrogen dioxide causes growth retardation, leaf bleaching in plants and acute leaf injury. It can also cause
increased abscission and reduced yield in citrus plants, suppressed growth of tomatoes, spots of mild
necrosis on cotton plants.

Material:
Nitrogen dioxide causes fading of textile dyes. Nitrogen dioxide forms acids in the presence of moisture
and these can be corrosive to building materials at high concentrations

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Discuss the source and action of carbon monoxide in the
environment. How it affects human beings and vegetation?

Sources of carbon monoxide

Carbon Monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas that's produced during incomplete
combustion of any fuel like natural gas, charcoal, gasoline, kerosene, wood, gas, oil or coal.

Common sources include: Vehicle running in an attached garage, furnace, clothes dryer,
cooking range, oven, stove, fireplace, water heater, space heater, portable generator and
charcoal grill. When there is enough fresh air in your home to allow for complete combustion
and these appliances are vented and work properly, in normal operating conditions, the trace
amounts of CO produced by these sources are not typically dangerous. However, there are
common conditions that can cause CO levels to rise quickly: Appliance malfunction, i.e. the
heat exchanger on your furnace cracks; vent, flue, or chimney is blocked by debris or even
snow; Fireplace, wood burning stove, charcoal grill or other source of burning material that is
not properly vented; Vehicle is left running in an attached garage and carbon monoxide seeps
into the house.Several appliances running at the same time and competing for limited fresh air
can be a cause of carbon monoxide build up. This condition can result in incomplete
combustion and produce CO, even if all appliances are in good working condition.

Action of Carbon monoxide in the environment

Carbon monoxide reacts with other pollutants in the air to form potentially harmful ground
level ozone. This occurs close to the site of emission. It does not have any significant
environmental effects at a global level. There is no question that carbon monoxide is a
pollutant with potential to harm all living things. But, does CO also affect Earth's climate?
Unlike carbon dioxide, a compound that contains the same atoms as carbon monoxide, carbon
monoxide is not known as a direct contributor to climate change. It does, however, play a role
in this area. Carbon monoxide is different than most pollutants. It can persist in the atmosphere
for about a month and can be transported long distances. Although carbon monoxide is only a
weak greenhouse gas, its influence on climate goes beyond its own direct effects. Its presence
affects concentrations of other greenhouse gases including methane, tropospheric ozone and
carbon dioxide.

Carbon monoxide readily reacts with the hydroxyl radical (OH) forming a much stronger,
greenhouse gas--carbon dioxide. This, in turn, increases concentrations of methane, another
strong greenhouse gas, because the most common way methane is removed from the
atmosphere is when it reacts with OH. So, the formation of carbon dioxide leaves fewer OH
for methane to react with,thus increasing methane's concentration. A NASA report indicates
that carbon monoxide is responsible for a 13% reduction in hydroxyl concentrations and
through other reactions, a 9% drop in sulfate concentrations. Sulfates are credited for offsetting
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some of the global warming due to greenhouse gases by reflecting incident solar radiation back
to space.

Effect of carbon monoxide on human beings

Carbon monoxide has serious health impacts on humans and animals. When inhaled, the carbon
monoxide bonds to the haemoglobin in the blood in place of oxygen to become
carboxyhaemoglobin. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells and
decreases the supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, especially the heart and brain. For people
with cardiovascular disease, this can be a serious problem.

However, most people in the community need to be exposed to a level of 200 parts per million
(ppm) for several hours before they start to feel any effects. The effects are reversible, so
symptoms decrease gradually when exposure to carbon monoxide stops. Breathing CO can
cause headache, dizziness, vomiting, and nausea. If CO levels are high enough, you may
become unconscious or die. Exposure to moderate and high levels of CO over long periods of
time has also been linked with increased risk of heart diseases. People who survive severe CO
poisoning may suffer long-term health problems.

Effect on plants

Carbon monoxide does not poison plants since it is rapidly oxidised to form carbon dioxide
which is used for photosynthesis. But some plants are sensitive to carbon monoxide, and show
epinastic growth of leaves. Several species showed hyponasty which caused upward curling of
leaves. Other effects included: retarded stem elongation; abnormally small new leaves;
abnormal yellowing of the leaves, beginning with the oldest; abscission of leaves usually
associated with yellowing; and hypertrophied tissues on stems and roots

Discuss the mode of entry and the impacts of air pollutants on

human beings.
Air pollutants may find their pathway to human exposure through multiple routes, including
ingestion and dermal contact, as well as direct inhalation

Exposure Pathay from ambient air

route
Inhalation Gases and particles in outdoor air
Gases and particles transferred from outdoor air to indoor air

Indigestion Fruits, vegetables, and grains contaminated by transfer of atmospheric

chemicals to plant tissues
Meat, milk, and eggs contaminated by transfer of contaminants from air
to plants that are consumed by animals
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 Fish contaminated by atmospheric deposition of chemicals directly from
air to surface
water and by deposition from air to soil with run-off transport to surface
water

Mother's milk contaminated by mother's exposure through multiple

pathways
Meat, milk, and eggs contaminated through inhalation by animals
Soil contaminated by deposition
Water used for washing or recreation contaminated by deposition
Dermal contact Soil contaminated by deposition

Impacts of air pollutants on human beings

Particulate matter:

Air pollutants can be in the form of particulate matter which can be very harmful to our health.
The level of effect usually depends on the length of time of exposure, as well the kind and
concentration of chemicals and particles exposed to. Short-term effects include irritation to the
eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Others include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate
the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. Long-term health effects
can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the
brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing
children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.

Carbon monoxide

Breathing CO can cause headache, dizziness, vomiting, and nausea. If CO levels are high
enough, you may become unconscious or die. Exposure to moderate and high levels of CO
over long periods of time has also been linked with increased risk of heart diseases. People
who survive severe CO poisoning may suffer long-term health problems.When inhaled, the
carbon monoxide bonds to the haemoglobin in the blood in place of oxygen to become
carboxyhaemoglobin. This reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the red blood cells and
decreases the supply of oxygen to tissues and organs, especially the heart and brain.
Nitrogen dioxide

The direct acute effects of nitrogen dioxide are damages to the cell membranes in the lung
tissues and constriction of the lungway passages. The indirect effects include edema or a
filling of the intercellular spaces with fluid. Nitrogen dioxide can cause occupational diseases.

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Manufacture of nitric acid, exposure of farmers to silage that has had high nitrate fertilization,
and electric arc welding. Mining, where nitrogen compounds are used as explosives, is also
an example. Eye and nasal irritation and pulmonary discomfort are also common between
concentrations between 15 to 25 ppm.

Sulphur dioxide

Exposure to sulphur dioxide can cause corneal haze, Eye irritation. Inhalation can cause
breathing difficulties, airways inflammation, pulmonary oedema, heart failure and circulatory
collapse. It is also associated with asthma, chronic bronchitis, morbidity, mortality in old
people and infants. Shorter exposure may leads to chest tightness, coughing, wheezing etc. In
addition to the above, some specific pollutants can also affect human health. The following
table shows the effects of specific air pollutants on human health.

Effects of specific air pollutants on human health.

Sl. No. Pollutants Sources Effects
1 Aldehyde Auto exhausts Irritation to eyes, skin
2 Ammonia Chemical Corrosive to mucous
industries membrane, damage to eyes
3 Arsenic Metal smelters Damage to skin
4 Cadmium Metal industry Chronic and acute poisoning,
kidney, liver damage
5 Chlorine Chemical Irritation to eye and throat
industry
6 Chromium Metallurgical Toxicity to body tissues
and tannery
industries
7 Lead Lead smelters Deposition in lungs, nervous
and pesticides, disorders
automobiles
8 Mercury Smelters, Brain and kidney
paints
9 Nickel Diesel Lung cancer and respiratory
combustion, system
tobacco smoke

Most of the air pollution hazards occurred during

winter.Explain the reason for this.

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During the winter months inversions occur when normal atmospheric conditions (cool air
above, warm air below) become inverted. The inversion layer prevents pollutants from
escaping into the air above it. If the inversion lowers, the mixing depth decreases and the
pollutants are concentrated within a smaller volume. In meteorology, an inversion is a
deviation from the normal change of an atmospheric property with altitude.It almost always
refers to a "temperature inversion", i.e. an increase in temperature with height, or to the layer
("inversion layer") within which such an increase occurs.

An inversion can lead to pollution such as smog being trapped close to the ground, with
possible adverse effects on health. An inversion can also suppress convection by acting as a
"cap". If this cap is broken for any of several reasons, convection of any moisture present can
then erupt into violent thunderstorms. Temperature inversion can notoriously result in freezing
rain in cold climates.

Inversion related air pollution problems are more prominent in mountain-valley areas.
Inversions trap a dense layer of cold air under a layer of warm air. The warm layer acts much
like a lid, trapping pollutants in the cold air near the valley floor. The valleys and their
surrounding mountains act like a bowl, keeping this cold air in the valleys. The snow-covered
valley floors reflect rather than absorb the heat from the sun, preventing the normal vertical
mixing of warm and cold air. Fog exacerbates the problem, facilitating chemical reactions that
create even more particles and higher pollutant concentrations. The longer the inversion lasts,
the higher the levels of pollution trapped under it. The warm inversion air layer is usually
displaced by a strong storm system which restores air quality to healthy levels.

‘Prevention is better than cure’. How far this statement is applicable

to air pollution?

Prevention is better than Cure meaning becomes more significant especially because it is a
reality which has been mentioned in the annals of the history, time and again. “It's easier to
stop something bad from happening in the first place than to fix the damage after it has
happened.” It is a very common habit to ignore preventive measures when there is time and to
search for cure when things become really complicated. Pollution and changing weather
conditions are right-in-the-face consequences for those who have not realised how important
is to put efforts in prevention rather than looking for the cure when things really start to get out
of control. Industries are growing like mushrooms and churning out loads of waste in air, water
and soil. Vehicular Traffic has increased to enormous proportions. These problems are
becoming a nemesis for everyone because very few measures are being taken to prevent them.
As a result, the weather pattern is changing all over the world. Air pollution disasters occurred
in various places in the world. It is observed that majority of air pollution disasters were
occurred during late night or early hours of winter months, because the dispersion of pollutants
is low. The situations were triggered due to heavy accumulation of air pollutants, which were
released from huge processed industries, where they were located in a centralized area.
Moreover the worst conditions occurred in a U-shaped valleys or hilly terrains. In some
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occasion even the industries were located in the plain areas, the disasters took place due to
failure of necessary checks for leakages and safety measures.

Hence, to avoid the disasters or at least to minimize them, proper attention is necessary by the
authorities to consider topographical, meteorological, man and environment, and safety
maintenance aspects while locating the industries. In this regard, it is always desirable to
remember and remind the slogan of “Prevention is better than cure”.

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