Air
AIR
Air is mechanical mixture of gases
Normal composition
Nitrogen – 78.1%
Oxygen 20.93%
Carbon dioxide -0.03%
Balance made with other gases like -
argon, neon, krypton , xenon, and helium.
Air is polluted due to
Respiration of man and animal
Combustion of coal, gas , oil etc
Decomposition of organic matter
Trade, traffic and manufacturing
process
Air in an occupied room
Chemical change – air is contaminated by
carbon dioxide , oxygen is decreases due to
metabolic process.
- Rest – 0.7 c.ft of carbon dioxide
- Activity – 2 c.ft of carbon dioxide
Physical change
- Rise in temperature
- Increase of humidity
- Decrease in the air movement
- Body odour
- Bacterial pollution.
Comfort zone
It is defined as the range of effective
temperature over which majority of the
adult feel comfortable.
Pleasant and cool 20 degree C
Comfortable – 25-27 degree C
Hot and uncomfortable – 27-28 degree C
Extremely hot – 28 and above
•Any visible or invisible particle or
gas found in the air that is not part of
the original, normal composition.
Natural: forest fires, pollen, dust .
Unnatural: man-made; coal, wood
and other fuels used in cars,
homes, and factories for energy
Sources of air pollution
Automobiles
Industries
Domestic sources
Miscellaneous
AQI: Air Quality Index
•Indicates whether pollutant levels in air may
cause health concerns.
•Ranges from 0 (least concern) to 500 (greatest
concern)
5 M a j or
u ta n ts :
Poll
a r b o n
1 .. ) C
n o x i d e
Mo
r D i o x i d e
2 .) S u l f u
i t r o g e n
3 .) N
D i o x i d e
t i c u l at e
4.) Par
atter
Carbon Monoxide
•colorless, odorless
•produced when carbon does
not burn in fossil fuels
•present in car exhaust
•deprives body of O2 causing
headaches, fatigue, and
impaired vision
Sulfur Dioxide
•produced when coal and fuel
oil are burned
•present in power plant
exhaust
•narrows the airway, causing
wheezing and shortness of
breath, especially in those
with asthma
Nitrogen Dioxide
•reddish, brown gas
•produced when nitric
oxide combines with
oxygen in the
atmosphere
•present in car
exhaust and power
plants
•affects lungs and
causes wheezing;
Particulate Matter
•particles of different sizes
and structures that are
released into the atmosphere
•present in many sources
including fossil fuels, dust,
smoke, fog, etc.
•can build up in respiratory
system
•aggravates heart and lung
disease; increases risk of
Ground Level Ozone
•at upper level, ozone shields
Earth from sun’s harmful UV rays
•at ground level, ozone is harmful
pollutants
•formed from car, power and
chemical plant exhaust
•irritate respiratory system and
asthma; reduces lung function by
inflaming and damaging lining of
lungs
•1st smog related deaths were in
London in 1873;
•Limits visibility
• UV radiation
•Yellow/black color over cities
•Causes respiratory problems
and bronchial related deaths
Other pollutants are
Carbon dioxide
Hydrocarbon
Cadmium
Hydrogen sulphide
Oxides of Nitrogen
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
•Ride your bike
•Tell your friends and family about
pollution
•Make sure your parents get
pollution checks on their cars
•Ride the school bus
•Learn more; stay up to date
•Join a group to stop pollution
•Encourage your parents to
carpool to work
•Switch off lights, fan, heat,
etc. when you leave the room
Prevention and control of air
pollution
Containment- it can be achieved by various
engineering methods such as enclosure,
ventilation, and air cleaning.
Replacement – increased use of electricity,
natural gas, and central heating in place of coal
have greatly helped in smoke reduction.
Dilution- the establishment of green belt between
industrial and residential areas is an attempt at
dilution.
Legislation – ex: Clean Air Acts.
International action – WHO has established an
international network of laboratories for monitoring
and study of air pollution.
