Outdoor Air Pollution

It can split into two sources:

• Anthropogenic (Man-made) Sources
• Natural Sources
Anthropogenic (Man-made)
• Exhaust from Sources
Factories and Industries
• Transportation Emissions
• Decomposition of Garbage and Solid Wastes
• Agricultural Activities
• Mining Operations
• Cigarette Smoking
 Exhaust from Factories and
Industries
Almost all of the common air pollutants can
be produced by industrial processes. Some of
these are produced by combustion of fossil
fuels that drive the industrial process, resulting
in particulates, ozone and nitrogen oxides.
Exhaust from Factories and
Industries
 Transportation Emissions
Common forms of transportation like cars, planes
and ships generally use combustion to harness
energy from fossil fuels. The combustion process
releases pollutants into the air, such as particles and
carbon monoxide, and also releases substances that
quickly form into nitrogen oxides and ozone, which
are important air pollutants.
Transportation Emissions
Decomposition of garbage and
solid wastes
Disposal sites containing biodegradable
substances are known to emit methane gas into the
atmosphere. Methane gas is known to be a harmful
gas, it is highly flammable and a potential disaster
to the ozone layer. Garbage and other household
products release VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals)
to the air.
Decomposition of garbage and
solid wastes
 Agricultural Activities
Farmers use machinery driven by fossil fuels to
plow fields and harvest produce, and the animals
that are raised in bulk for food also produce their
own type of air pollution. Methane is a gas that
contributes to the greenhouse effect that allows
global warming; it arises from intestinal gas released
by livestock.
Agricultural Activities
 Mining Operations
Mining involves different operations such as
drilling, extracting, blasting and transportation.
Air pollution from mining is caused because of
release of gases such as methane, carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide etc. and other dust
and particulate matter during various stages of
mining.
Mining Operations
 Cigarette Smoking
In the developing world, homes may have
visible smoke coming from the fire that is used
to cook and heat the home. In the developed
world, tobacco smoke is commonly the only
visible type of air pollution inside the house.
Both types of indoor smoke are linked to
respiratory diseases.
Cigarette Smoking
 Natural Sources
• Volcanic Eruptions
• Forest Fires
• Dust Storms
 Volcanic Eruptions
Sometimes people think of air pollution as entirely
man-made. In fact, natural processes release lots of
substances into the air that are classed as pollution.
Sulfur dioxide is a major modern air pollutant, and
according to National Geographic, volcanoes can
release enough sulfur dioxide into the air to
influence global cooling.
Volcanic Eruptions
 Forest Fires
Forest fires release pollutants into the air in
the same way as fireplaces burning wood
produce pollution. They produce fine smoke
particles, which, according to the EPA, are small
enough to be able to get into the lungs and
damage the lungs and the heart.
Forest Fires
 Dust Storms

In dry regions, the wind can pull dust from

the ground up into the air, creating dust storm.
Dust Storms
Effects of Outdoor Air Pollution

• Human Respiratory and Heart Concerns

• Environmental Effects
 Human Respiratory and Heart
Concerns
Air pollution is known to cause irritation in
the eyes, lungs, nose, and throat. It creates
respiratory problems and exacerbates existing
conditions such as asthma and emphysema.
Human Respiratory and Heart
Concerns
Environmental Effects
• Acid Rain
• Haze
• Effects on Wildlife
• Ozone Depletion
• Crop and Forest Damage
• Global Climate Change
 Acid Rain
Harmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur
oxides are released into the atmosphere during the
burning of fossil fuels. When it rains, the water
droplets combine with these air pollutants, becomes
acidic and then falls on the ground in the form of
acid rain.
Acid Rain
 Haze

It is caused when sunlight encounters tiny

pollution particles in the air. Haze obscures the
clarity, color, texture, and form of what we see.
Haze
 Effects on Wildlife

Toxic pollutants in the air, or deposited on soils or

surface waters, can impact wildlife in a number of
ways. Like humans, animals can experience health
problems if they are exposed to sufficient
concentrations of air toxics over time.
Effects on Wildlife
 Ozone Depletion
Ozone is a gas that occurs both at ground-level
and in the Earth's upper atmosphere, known as the
stratosphere. At ground level, ozone is a pollutant
that can harm human health. In the stratosphere,
however, ozone forms a layer that protects life on
earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays.
 Crop and Forest Damage
Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a
variety of ways. Ground-level ozone can lead to
reductions in agricultural crop and commercial forest
yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree
seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to
disease, pests and other environmental stresses
(such as harsh weather).
Crop and Forest Damage
 Global Climate Change

. The Earth's atmosphere contains a delicate

balance of naturally occurring gases that trap some
of the sun's heat near the Earth's surface. This
"greenhouse effect" keeps the Earth's temperature
stable.
 5 ways to limit
breathing polluted air

1. Limit walking on busy streets during rush

hour – and if you have a young child with you,
try and lift them up above the level of vehicle
exhausts.
 5 ways to limit
breathing polluted air

2. Limit spending time at specific hotspots of

traffic such as cars stopped at traffic lights.

3. When you’re doing physical activity

outdoors, try exercising in less polluted areas.
 5 ways to limit
breathing polluted air

4. Limit the use of cars in highly polluted days

5. Don’t burn waste as the smoke that results

damages our health
 Air Quality Index

The Air Quality Index is a way for the

government to alert people to the quality of
the air and how bad the air pollution is in an
area or city. They use colors to help you
determine if you should go outside.
 Air Quality Index
• Green - the air is good.
• Yellow - the air is moderate
• Orange - the air is unhealthy for sensitive people
like the elderly, children, and those with lung
diseases.
• Red – Unhealthy
• Purple - Very unhealthy
• Maroon - Hazardous
 Air Index
Air Quality Index Levels of Health
Colors
(AQI) Values Concern

When the AQI is in ..air quality ...as symbolized by

this range: conditions are: this color:

0 to 50 Good Green

51 to 100 Moderate Yellow

Unhealthy for
101 to 150 Orange
Sensitive Groups

151 to 200 Unhealthy Red

201 to 300 Very Unhealthy Purple

301 to 500 Hazardous Maroon

Air Index