ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

AND POLLUTION (ECP415)

AIR POLLUTION CONTROL METHODS

OUTLINE

Introduction
Air pollution sources, classification of air pollutants
Air Pollution Measurements (Flue Gas, Dust, Fumes)
Air Pollution Control Devices
Cyclones, Electrostatic Precipitators, Fabric Filters
Wet Scrubbers

Institutional Regulatory Frameworks

Environmental Management Act CAP 20:27
Pneumoconiosis Act CAP 15:08
NSSA and WHO Standards

Control of sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, carbon

monoxide and hydrocarbons.

AIR POLLUTION SOURCES

What is pollution ?
Any

substance introduced into the

environment that adversely affects the
usefulness of a resource.

Pollution

happens because no process is 100%

efficient; each process produces pollution.

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution defined as one or more

contaminants or combinations in such quantities
and of such durations as may be or tend to be
injurious to human, animal or plant life, or property,
or which unreasonably interferes with the
comfortable enjoyment of life or property or
conduct of business.

THE ATMOSPHERE

AIR POLLUTION SOURCES AND

CLASSIFICATION
Source and classification

Natural
Man- made or anthropogenic
Natural- pollen grains, volcanic eruptions, forest
fires, dust storms, spores, bacteria and other
microorganisms.
Man- made- industrial units, thermal power plants,
automobile exhausts, fossil fuel burning, mining,
nuclear explosions,

SOURCE AND CLASSIFICATION

Stationary
Mobile
Point

source- large stationary source

Area source- small stationary source and mobile
source with indefinite routes
Line source- mobile source with definite routes

CLASSIFICATION OF POLLUTANTS
Pollutants can be grouped into two categories:
(1) primary pollutants, which are emitted

directly from identifiable sources, and

(2) secondary pollutants, which are produced

in the atmosphere when certain chemical
reactions take place among primary pollutants

PRIMARY POLLUTANTS
The major primary pollutants include:
particulate

matter (PM),
sulfur dioxide,
nitrogen oxides,
volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
carbon monoxide, and
lead.

SECONDARY POLLUTANTS

Some primary air pollutants react with

one another or with other chemicals to
form secondary pollutants.

Atmospheric sulfuric acid is one example of a

secondary pollutant.
Air pollution in urban and industrial areas is often called
smog.
Photochemical smog, a noxious mixture of gases and
particles, is produced when strong sunlight triggers
photochemical reactions in the atmosphere.
The major component of photochemical smog is ozone.

MAJOR POLLUTANTS SOURCES AND

EFFECTS
Carbon monoxide (CO)- colorless, odorless, tasteless gas.
No effect at normal conc. (0.1ppm)
but higher conc. seriously affect.
Volcanoes, natural gas emissions,
seed germination contribute to CO.
Transport sector contribute 75% CO.
Residential wood burning 10%, industrial process
15% CO.
Effects:
Reduce oxygen carrying capacity of blood.
Decrease in vision and causes cardio vascular disorders.

SOURCES CARBON MONOXIDE (CO)

CARBON DIOXIDE (C02)Carbon dioxide (C02)- Fossil fuel combustion.

Jet plane use O2 and release CO2.
Burning
Effects:
Causes headache and nausea.
Effect on climate, increase global temp.

OXIDES OF NITROGEN
Oxides of nitrogen NOx group contains NO, NO2, N2O.
Fuel combustion in automobiles and industries.
Lightening.
Forest fires.
Natural ionizing radiations.
Effects:
Reduce blood carrying capacity.
Causes lung problems.

OXIDES OF SULPHUR
Oxides of sulphur generally called SOx, include SO2,
SO3.
67% SOx pollution due to volcanic activities and other
natural sources.
Remaining due to fossil fuel burning, transportation.
Industrial activities.
Effects:
Respiratory problems
Marbles, clothes, paper, leather also affected.
Plants also heavily affected.

HYDROCARBONS
Hydrocarbons (HC) these include methane, ethylene,
acetylene, terpenes etc.
Sources include coal fields, natural fires.
Incomplete combustion
Forest fires
Agricultural burning
Effects:
Carcinogenic effect
Form ozone and PAN which are harmful.
Damage plants, rubber materials, fabric and paints.

PARTICULATE MATERIALS
Particles of different substances suspended in the air
In the form of solid particles and liquid droplets
Particles vary widely in size
Different particulate materials are aerosols, dust, smoke,
fumes, mist, fog, fly ash etc.

PARTICULATE MATERIALS
Fine particles come from a variety of sources:
-diesel trucks and buses
-construction equipment
-power plants
-woodstoves
-wildfires
Also, Chemical reactions in the atmosphere can transform
gases into fine particles.

Effects:
Premature death
Aggravated asthma
Acute respiratory symptoms
Chronic bronchitis
Decreased lung function (shortness of breath)
People with existing heart and lung disease, as well as the
elderly and children, are particularly at risk

FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN HEALTH

Nature of the pollutants
Concentration of the pollutants
Duration of exposure
State of health of receptor
Age group of the receptor

EFFECTS OF AIR
POLLUTION ON PLANT

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION

ON PLANT
Decrease

yield in agriculture.

Suppressed
Leaf

injury and damage to young plants.

Decreased

rate.

growth of vegetables.

growth rate and increased death

EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON

MATERIALS

Corrosion of metals due to SO2 in presence of oxygen and

moisture is converted into H2SO4 acid.

H2SO4 acid react with limestone, marble and other

building materials to cause deterioration.
Soiling and eroding of building materials.
SO2, O3, H2S and aerosols damage protective coating and
paints of the surface.
O3 and PAN causes cracking of rubber and various
electrical insulations.
Deterioration of art work due to SPM.

POLLUTION DISPERSION
Air pollutions emitted from anthropogenic sources must first be transported
and diluted in the atmosphere before these undergo various physical and
photochemical transformation and ultimately reach their receptors.
Otherwise, the pollutant concentrations reach dangerous levels near the
emission source
Effective dispersion of pollutants depends on the degree of stability of the
atmosphere and on its structure.
Dispersion is controlled by meteorological conditions prevailing in the
atmosphere.
The degree of the atmospheric stability in turn depends on the rate of
change of ambient temperature with altitude

LAPSE RATE
Lapse rate: this is the decrease in temperature with altitude
Environmental lapse rate: is normally 6oC/1000metres -this is
in troposphere up to 10km.
Altitude

6oC/1,000m

00

Temperature

ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE

Decrease in temperature without heat exchange with surrounding air.
It is especially important in the vertical movement of air pollutants can
be explained by utilising the concept of an air parcel. Which is pictured
as a little sphere of air. As the air parcel rises in the atmosphere, it goes
through a region of decreasing pressure and expands to accommodate
the decrease in pressure

DRY ADIABATIC LAPSE RATE

DALR
Temperature change of dry air mass
1oC/100 m

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY
A comparison of the adiabatic lapse rate with the environmental lapse rate
gives an idea of the stability of the atmosphere.
When the environmental lapse rate and the dry adiabatic lapse rate are
exactly the same, a rising parcel of air will have the same pressure, density
and temperature of the surrounding and would experience buoyant force
Such an atmosphere is said to be neutrally stable where a displaced mass
of air neither tends to return to its original position nor tends to continue its
displacement.
When the environmental lapse is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate
the atmosphere is said to be SUPERADIABATIC.
Hence, a rising parcel of air, cooling at the adiabatic rate, will be warmer
and less dense than the surrounding environment.
As a result, it becomes more buoyant and tends to continue its upward
motion.This vertical motion enhance buoyance hence this atmosphere is
called UNSTABLE

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY
In unstable atmosphere, the air from different altitudes mixes
thoroughly.
This is very much desirable from the point of view of
preventing pollution, since the effluents will be rapidly
dispersed throughout the atmosphere.
A STABLE atmosphere occurs when the environmental
lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
A rising air parcel becomes cooler and more dense than its
surroundings and tends to fall back to its position.
Under stable condition there is very little vertical mixing and
pollutants can only disperse very slowly. As a result their
levels can build up very rapidly in the environment.

ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY
The extreme case of stable atmosphere, called inversion
occurs when temperature increases with altitude.
Such a lapse rate is known as the negative lapse rate
Under these conditions, the atmosphere is very stable
and practically no mixing of pollutants takes place

AIR TEMPERATURE LAPSE

PLUME BEHAVIOUR
The behaviour of plume emitted from an elevated source such
as a tall stack depends on the degree of instability of the
atmosphere and the prevailing wind turbulence.

Looping is a common type of plume behaviour. It occurs under

super adiabatic conditions with low to moderate wind speed.

 Strong atmospheric inversions .

Stable conditions suppresses the
vertical
mixing, but not the horizontal
mixing entirely.
For high stack , fanning is
considered a favourable
meteorological condition because
the plume does not contribute to
ground pollution