Air Pollution

Air pollution may be defined as the presence of substances in concentrations

that make the air harmful or dangerous to breathe or to cause damage to

plants, animals and property.

3.1 TYPES OF POLLUTANTS

In general, there are only two types of pollutants: particulates and gaseous.

Particulates are finely divided solids and liquids, such as dust, fumes, smoke, fly

ash, mist and spray. Gaseous pollutants are, by definition, pollutants in gaseous

form. Gaseous pollutants have the property of filling any available space until

their concentrations fall to equilibrium by diffusion.

CLASSIFICATION OF POLLUTANTS

Major Class Subclass Examples

Particulates  Solid Dust, smoke, fumes, fly ash
 Liquid Mist, spray
Gases
 Organic  Hydrocarbons  Hexane, benzene, ethylene,
methane, butane, butadiene.
 Aldehydes and  Formaldehyde, acetone
ketones
 Other organics  Chlorinated hydrocarbons,
alcohols
Oxides of carbon
 Inorganic Oxides of sulphur  CO, CO2
Oxides of nitrogen  SO2, SO3
Other inorganics  NO2, NO

 H2S, HF, NH3

When carbon monoxide and oxygen are introduced to the blood through the alveolar sacs of
the lungs, the former is absorbed 210 times more than the latter in terms of the equilibrium
absorption coefficient of oxygen. Thus, if [HbCO] is the concentration of
carboxyhaemoglobin and [HbO2] is the concentration of oxyhaemoglobin, their equilibrium
concentration ratio is:

[ HbCO ] p
HbO 2 ( )
=210 CO
pO 2

where pCO and pO2 are the partial pressures of carbon monoxide and oxygen in the lungs
respectively.

The concentration of carbon monoxide in the blood is expressed empirically in terms of the
percentage saturation:

%HbCO = 0.005[CO]0.85(t)0.63

where [CO] is the concentration of CO in ppm,

 represents the physical activity level (1 for sedentary activity up to 3 for heavy work),
t represents the duration of activity in minutes.

HEALTH EFFECTS OF HbCO AT VARIOUS LEVELS IN THE BLOOD

HbCO Level Demonstrated Effect

< 1.0 No apparent effect
1.0 – 1.5 Some evidence of effect on behaviour is
noticeable
1.5 – 4.5 Time interval discrimination, visual acuity,
brightness determination, and certain other
psychomotor functions are impaired.
> 4.5 Cardiac and pulmonary functional changes
4.5 - 80 Headache, fatigue, drowsiness, coma,
respiratory failure, and death.
Example 3.1
The concentration of CO in a street intersection reaches the national ambient standard of 35
ppm. Technicians from the Department of Public Works are repairing a break in the water
line. Estimate the CO concentration in their blood after 1 hour of work and make conclusions
as to their work performance.

Solution

%HbCO = 0.005[CO]0.85(t)0.63

Let  = 2

%HbCO = 0.005[35]0.85(2*60)0.63 = 2.1 %

 Their work performance is impaired.

Private Study:

 Indoor air pollution

 Acid rain
 Ozone depletion
 Global warming
 The greenhouse effect
 Climate change
 End-of-pipe solutions
 Green chemistry