DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT 1 Technical Answers for Real

World Problems (TARP)

MEEE 3999

Report on air pollution, sources of pollution, air

quality monitoring, and regulatory hurdles.

Submitted to - Prof. Dr. YAGNA S MUKKAMALA

Submitted by: -
ADAM ISMAIL
17BME0593
 Air Pollution

Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of

chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause
discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living
organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural
environment or built environment.

A substance in the air that can be averse to humans and the

environment is known as an air pollutant. Pollutants can be in the
form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. Additionally, they
may be naturally occurring or Artificial. Pollutants can be
classified as primary or secondary. Generally, primary pollutants
are directly produced from a process, such as ash from a volcanic
eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from a motor vehicle exhaust
or sulphur dioxide released from big factories. Secondary
pollutants are not emitted directly into the atmosphere.

They form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact. An

important example of a secondary pollutant is ozone gas – one
of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical
smog.

Some of the major primary pollutants which are released due to

human activities are:

•Sulphur oxides (SOx)

SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since
coal and petroleum often contain sulphur compounds, their combustion
generates sulphur dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2, usually in the
presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4, and acid rain happens.
This is one of the causes for concern over the environmental impact of
the use of these fuels as power sources.

• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)

This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odour.
This gas is mainly responsible for acidifying the environment.NO2 is one
of the most prominent air pollutants.

• Carbon monoxide (CO)

colourless, odourless, non-irritating yet very poisonous gas. It is a
product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or
wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide.

• Volatile organic compounds

VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant. Methane is an extremely
efficient greenhouse gas which enhance global warming. Other
hydrocarbon VOCs are also significant greenhouse gases via their role in
creating ozone and in prolonging the life of methane in the atmosphere,
although the effect varies depending on local air quality.
• Particulates
alternatively referred to as particulate matter (PM), are tiny particles of
solid or liquid suspended in a gas. Sources of particulates can be
manmade or natural. Human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels
in vehicles, power plants and various industrial processes also generate
significant amounts of aerosols.

• Persistent free radicals

connected to airborne fine particles could cause cardiopulmonary
disease.

• Toxic metals, such as lead and mercury, especially their compounds.

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
harmful to the ozone layer emitted from products currently banned
from use.

• Ammonia (NH3)
Emitted from agricultural processes. It is normally encountered as a gas
with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia, either directly or
indirectly, is also a building block for the synthesis of many
pharmaceuticals.

• Radioactive pollutants
 Secondary pollutants:

• Particulates produced from gaseous primary pollutants and

compounds in photochemical smog.

• Ground level ozone (O3): - It is also a crucial constituent of

certain regions of the stratosphere generally known as the Ozone
layer. Photochemical and chemical reactions involving it drive
many of the chemical processes that occur in the atmosphere
throughout the day. At extreme concentrations brought about by
human activities it is a pollutant, and a constituent of smog.
 Serious Effects of Air Pollution on the Environment
Global Warming
It is a direct effect of the greenhouse gases, which is produced by
the high emission of CO2 and methane into the atmosphere. Most
of these emissions are produced by the industry, so this can be
remedied by social responsibility and action by companies and
factories.
Climate Change
Due to climate change, the mass of the poles is melting, and this
is leading to flooding and the rising of sea levels.
Acid Rain
The gases emitted by industries, power plants, boilers, heating and
transport are very toxic. When those gases accumulate in the
atmosphere and reacts with water, they form dilute solutions of
nitric and sulphuric acid, and when those concentrations become
rain, both the environment and surfaces suffer.
Smog effect
That fog is a load of pollutants and can be of 2 types: sulphurous
smog and photochemical smog, both dangerous and harmful to
health.
Deterioration of fields
Acid rain, climate change and smog all damage the Earth surface.
It directly affects agriculture, changing crop cycles and the
composition of the food.
 Extinction of animal species
Deforestation and poor soil quality also mean the disappearance
of ecosystems and habitats.
Respiratory health problems
one of the most obvious and worrying effects for human beings.
Pollutants can cause respiratory illnesses and allergies ranging
from coughs to asthma, cancer or emphysema.
Deterioration in buildings
Air pollutants also deteriorate and change the constitution of
building materials, many buildings are weakened, eroded or
destroyed at an accelerated rate over time.
Skin Damage
One of the worst damages is skin cancer. That disease in many
cases develops from the direct incidence of ultraviolet light rays
on the skin.
 Air Pollution Monitoring
There are several methods of monitoring air pollution, some of
the noted methods are:
Typical Continuous Gas Monitors
● Ambient air is continuously drawn into
the monitor, pre-treated (e.g. particles,
hydrocarbons, and/or H2S removed), and
(e.g. Particles, hydrocarbons,
and/orH2Sremoved), and measured
either directly or via chemical reaction
using a spectroscopic method Direct
measurement.
Daily Filter Samplers
•Ambient air is drawn through inlet (to remove larger particles) .
• Material collects on the filter; filter is later analysed for mass or
chemical species.
•Problems in the method–
➢ Potential loss of volatile material
➢ Not available for short time intervals
➢ Not available in real time
Photochemical and optical sensor systems

• These are portable monitoring

tools that can continuously
monitor a range of pollutants.
The sensors are of low sensitivity
and mostly suitable for
identifying hotspots at roadsides
and near point sources.
• Data can be downloaded to your
computer and analysed

Visibility Sensors (long range monitoring)

This method of sampling detects pollution between a light

source and a detector which are placed separately at a site
• Real time measurements can be taken with this type of
sampling.
• Data can be sent from the analyser directly to your computer
which means it can be seen instantly.
Satellite Monitoring
●Polar-orbiting or geostationary
●Aerosol optical depth
➢ Advantages:
• Data available from around
the world
• Visible imagery
➢ Disadvantages:
• No direct pollutant measurements
• Only works during daylight and when thy skies are cloud-
free
• No vertical resolution
Ozonesonde
●Sensor attached to a radiosonde
●Measures vertical profile of ozone
●Examines aloft ozone conditions Problems for forecasting
➢ Problems for forecasting
– Expensive
–Very sparse, non-routine networks
 Various ways cities around the world is
tackling air pollution

Paris
Paris bans cars in many historic central districts at weekends,
imposes odd-even bans on vehicles, makes public transport free
during major pollution events and encourages car- and bike-
sharing programmes. A long section of the Right Bank of the river
Seine is now car-free and a monthly ban on cars has come into
force along the Champs-Elysées.
➢ NO2 and PM concentrations from traffic decreased from
2010–16 in Paris and London.
➢ Euro V diesel heavy vehicles induced downward trends in
roadside NO2.
➢ Effective reduction in traffic PM10 concentrations with of
Euro 5 diesel lights.
 Delhi
Reports that pollution levels in Delhi matched those in Beijing
spurred the city to ban all new large diesel cars and SUVs with
engines of more than 2,000CC and to phase out tens of
thousands of diesel taxis.
The city has experimented with alternately banning cars with
odd and even number plates and is now encouraging Uber-style
minibuses on demand. Other cities considering diesel bans are
Dublin and Brussels.

The Netherlands
Politicians want to ban the sale of all petrol and diesel cars from
2025, allowing only electric or hydrogen vehicles. The proposed
new law would allow anyone who already owns a petrol or
diesel car to continue using it. Most cities encourage bicycle
use.
 Freiburg
Freiburg in Germany has 500km of bike routes, tramways, and a
cheap and efficient public transport system. One suburb,
Vauban, forbids people to park near their homes and makes
car-owners pay €18,000 for a space on the edge of town. In
return for living without a car, people are offered cheaper
housing, free public transport, and plentiful bicycle spaces.
Copenhagen
Copenhagen prioritises bikes over cars and now has more cycles
than people. The city calculates that one mile on a bike is worth
$0.42 [27p] to society, while one mile in a car is a 15p ($0.20)
loss. Large parts of the Danish capital have been closed to
vehicles for decades and the city plans to become carbon
neutral by 2025.

Air pollution level in Norway

 Oslo
Oslo plans to halve its climate emissions by 2020 and proposes
a large no-car zone, the building of 40 miles of new bike lanes,
steep congestion charges, a rush-hour fee for motorists, and the
removal of many parking spaces.
Helsinki
The Finnish capital plans to drastically reduce the number of
cars on its streets by investing heavily in better public transport,
imposing higher parking fees, encouraging bikes and walking
and converting inner city ring roads into residential and walking
areas. The idea is to make the city’s public transport so good
that no one will want a car by 2050.
 Zurich
Zurich has capped the number of parking spaces in the city, only
allows a certain number of cars into the city at any one time,
and is building more car-free areas, plazas, tram lines and
pedestrianised streets. The result has been a dramatic
reduction in traffic jams, and less pollution.
Curitiba
The southern Brazilian city of 2 million people has one of the
biggest and lowest cost bus systems in the world. Nearly 70% of
the city goes to work by public transport and the result is
pollution-free air and traffic-free streets.
Bangalore
The Indian city is converting its 6,000 buses to compressed
natural gas and discouraging the car. So far, says the city, it has
reduced traffic pollution by about 20% in a few years and one in
four people who used to travel by car now use public transport.
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