Air Pollution & Control

Thickness of Atmosphere
The atmosphere is a very thin (relatively) layer of gas over the surface of the Earth Earths radius ~ 6400km Atmospheric thickness ~ 100km (If you travel 100km vertically youd be in space!)

Atmospheric Structure and Composition

Atmospheric components Major

Nitrogen(78.08% ), Oxygen (20.946%)

Minor
Argon (0.9340% ) Carbon dioxide (0.039% )

Trace
Ne (0.001818%) He (0.000524%) CH4 (0.000179%) Kr (0.000114%) H2 (0.000055%) N2O (0.00003%) CO (0.00001%) Xe (0.000009%) O3 (0 to 7106%) NO2 , I2 , NH3 ,H2S

Composition of the Air

Uniform gases

Nitrogen (N2) , Oxygen (O2) , Argon (Ar), trace gases (Neon(Ne), Helium (He), Methane (CH4), etc.) Variable gases

Water Vapor (H2O), O3, CO2

The Atmospheric Layers

Activities observed in atmospheric layers

Pressure & Density

Gravity pulls gases toward earth's surface, and the whole column of gases exerts a pressure of 1000 hPa at sea level, 1013.25 mb or 29.92 in.Hg.

Beautiful view of kanchanjangha

Lapse Rate
The rate at which air temperature decreases with height. The standard (average) lapse rate in the lower atmosphere is about 6.5C per 1 km or 3.6F per 1000 ft.

Lapse Rate
The rate at which air temperature decreases with height. The standard (average) lapse rate in the lower atmosphere is about 6.5C per 1 km or 3.6F per 1000 ft.
Positive lapse rate & negative lapse rate

Atmospheric Layers
8 layers are defined by constant trends in average air temperature (which changes with pressure and radiation), where the outer exosphere is not shown. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Troposphere Tropopause Stratosphere Stratopause Mesosphere Mesopause Thermosphere Exosphere

Vertical Structure of Atmosphere

Troposphere (surface to 10-18 km) Upper boundary varies from about 10 km (poles in winter) to about 18 km (tropics)
Polar latitude: surface to 10 km Moderate latitude: surface to 12 km Equator: surface to 18 km

Temperature range: 15 to -56 0C (30 to -56 0C ) ve

lapse rate
Weather and climate layer, very turbulent, mixing of air Most of atmospheres mass(80%) ; all of its water

Upper region of troposphere is separated by the lower region of the strtosphere in a narrow range called the Tropopause

Stratosphere (10-18 km to 50 km) Polar latitude: 10 to 50 km Moderate latitude: 12 to 50 km Equator: 18 to 50 km

Very stable in nature
Temperature range: -56 to -2 0C i.e. lapse rate is +ve Why?

Upper region of troposphere is separated by the lower region of the strtosphere in a narrow range called the Tropopause

Stratosphere (10-18 km to 50 km) Polar latitude: 10 to 50 km Moderate latitude: 12 to 50 km Equator: 18 to 50 km

Very stable in nature
Temperature range: -56 to -2 0C i.e. lapse rate is +ve

Ozone layer ( absorb UV rays 190nm-380nm )

Upper region of stratosphere is separated by the lower region of the mesosphere in a narrow range called the Stratopause

Mesosphere (50 km to 85 km)

Temperature range: -2 to -92 0C Concentration of ozone is very low Need oxygen to live in this region

Upper region of mesosphere is separated by the lower region of the thermosphere in a narrow range called the Mesopause

Thermosphere/ Ionosphere (85 km to 500 km)

Temperature range: -92 to 1200 0C Hot layer oxygen molecules absorb energy from solar Rays warming the air. Very few atoms and molecules in this Region.

Magnetoosphere/ Exosphere (500 km to 2000 km)

Temperature range: >1200 0C Air less, probably contains hydrohen gas in ionized state

Very little is known about this layer

Characteristics of the various regions of atmosphere

Region Troposphere Altitude ( in km) 0 to 18 Temperature (0C) 15 to 56 Major chemical species N2, O2, CO2, H2O (vapour) O3, O2, O O2, NO O2+, NO+, O+ H2+

Stratosphere 18 to 50 56 to 2 Mesosphere 50 to 85 2 to 92 Thermosphere 85 to 500 92 to 1200 Exosphere 500 to 2000 1200

Air Pollution and Controll

Atmospheric Composition: Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Tropopause and Mesopause. 1L Energy balance: Conductive and Convective heat transfer, radiation heat transfer, simple global temperature model [Earth as a black body, earth as albedo], Problems. 1L Green house effects: Definition, impact of greenhouse gases on the global climate and consequently on sea water level, agriculture and marine food. Global warming and its consequence, Control of Global warming. Earths heat budget. 1L Lapse rate: Ambient lapse rate, adiabatic lapse rate, atmospheric stability, temperature inversion (radiation inversion). 2L Atmospheric dispersion: Maximum mixing depth, ventilation coefficient, effective stack height, smokestack plumes and Gaussian plume model. 2L Definition of pollutants and contaminants, Primary and secondary pollutants: emission standard, criteria pollutant. Sources and effect of different air pollutants- Suspended particulate matter, oxides of carbon, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulphur, particulate, PAN. 2L Smog, Photochemical smog and London smog. Depletion Ozone layer: CFC, destruction of ozone layer by CFC, impact of other green house gases, effect of ozone modification. 1L Standards and control measures: Industrial, commercial and residential air quality standard, control measure (ESP. cyclone separator, bag house, catalytic converter, scrubber (ventury), Statement with brief reference). 1L

References/Books
1. Masters, G. M., Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science, Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd., 1991. 2. De, A. K., Environmental Chemistry, New Age International. 3. Dasmahapatra , Gourkrishna Environment & Ecology Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd. 4. Mandal , T Environment and Ecology Dhanpat Rai Publishing Company