Unit 2.
1 Definition of pollution and pollutant, Natural and manmade sources
of air pollution. Global warming.
Dr Anup Kumar Hajra, Asansol Polytechnic
Pollution may be defined as "the excessive discharge or addition of
undesirable foreign substances into the environment , which causes the
damage to human, plants and animal life ."
Pollutant :
A pollutant is a material in the environment that can have adverse
effects on humans and the ecosystem. The pollutant may be solid
particles, liquid droplets, or gases. A pollutant can be of natural origin or
man-made.
Pollutants are classified as primary or secondary as per its action
Primary pollutants are those which are directly entered into our
environment from its source and causes damage to human, plants and
animal life such as ash from a volcanic eruption, carbon monoxide gas
from motor vehicle exhausts or sulfur dioxide released from factories.
Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Actually, they are
produced from the primary pollutants, when one primary pollutant
reacts with another one or interact with other chemicals of
atmosphere. Ground level ozone , per oxy acetyl nitrate (PAN) etc.are
the example of a secondary pollutant.
Causes of air Pollution :
Pollution due to anthropogenic action or man made
(i) Tremendous increase in population,
(ii) Rapid industrialization,
(iii) Rapid urbanization,
(iv ) Deforestation,
(v ) Tremendous increase in transport,
(vi) No zoning for industries,
(vii) Establishment of chemical industries in residential area
Pollution due to nature
(a) Radioactivity
(b) Volcanic eruptions
(c) Strong winds/Cyclone
(d) Forest fires
(e) Minerals and sands.
(f) Tsunami
(g) Pollen grains
Pollutants are classified according to their physical state :
i) Gaseous air pollutants
ii) Particulate matters
iii) Liquid droplets
Gaseous air pollutants:
a) Carbon monoxide
b) Carbon dioxide
c) Sulphur dioxide
d) Oxides of nitrogen
e) Hydrogen sulfide
f) Hydrocarbons
g) Ozone
h) Hydrogen fluoride
i) Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Particulate air pollutants :
a) Radioactive elements
b) Lead
c) Dust
d) Smoke
e) Fly ash
Liquid pollutants :
a) Aerosol
b) Mists
GLOBAL WARMING
Global warming is the phenomenon of a gradual increase in the temperature
of the earth’s surface. This phenomenon has been observed due to long-term
rise in the average temperature of the Earth's surface.
Causes of Global Warming
Global warming is due to the presence of greenhouse gases (GHG’s) in the
atmosphere. Main GHG’s are carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, CFCs,
and other pollutants. Presence of GHG’s in the atmosphere mainly due to
several human activities such as:
Population Growth
Tremendous increase in population leads to an increase in the level of carbon
dioxide, the primary gas causing global warming, in the atmosphere.
Deforestation
Plants are the main source of oxygen but these trees are cutting abruptly here
and there for making and expansion of roads , many domestic and commercial
purposes. As a result environmental balance is disturbed by increasing the
carbon dioxide level, which leads to global warming.
Excessive uses of automobiles
Unnecessary uses of vehicles emitting various gaseous pollutants like carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases into the atmosphere resulting the
increase of universe.
Rapid Industrialisation
Rapid Industrialisation producing the huge amount of GHG’s in the atmosphere
resulting the increase of temperature of the universe.
In 2013 the IPCC reported that the interval between 1880 and 2012 saw an
increase in global average surface temperature of approximately 0.9 °C (1.5 °F).
The increase is closer to 1.1 °C (2.0 °F) when measured relative to the
preindustrial (i.e., 1750–1800) mean temperature. (source : Encyclopædia
Britannica,)
Chlorofluorocarbons
With the excessive use of air conditioners and refrigerators, we are adding
CFCs into the environment which affects the atmospheric ozone layer. The
CFCs are responsible for ozone layer depletion making the passage for the
ultraviolet rays in the earth surface, thereby increasing the temperature of the
earth.
Agricultural activities
Several farming activities increases the level of carbon dioxide and methane
gas in the atmosphere which are responsible for increasing temperature of the
universe.
Natural Causes of Global Warming
Water Vapour
Water vapour is one of the greenhouse gases. It contributes about 18%-20%
Volcanoes
Due to volcanic eruptions temperature of the earth surface increases
gradually.
Forest Fires
Forest fires produces a large amount of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
Due to the presence of these gases in the atmosphere , the earth’s
temperature gradually increases resulting the global warming.
Effects of Global Warming
(a) Temperature rise on land is about twice the global average increase,
leading to desert expansion and more common heat waves and forest
fires.
(b) Global warming has affected the coral reefs that can lead to a loss of
plant and animal lives.
(c) Global warming has led to a change in climatic conditions. Warmer
temperatures are increasing rates of evaporation, causing more intense
storms and weather extremes. There are droughts at some places and
floods at some places.
(d) This could ultimately melt the glaciers, polar ice caps and result in
flooding many low lying coastal areas.
(e) Sea levels will keep rising. Oceans will continue to get warmer and they
will also become more acidic, threatening some marine life.
