Unit 5

Environmental Pollution

Pollution is when some harmful substances are added in the environment which alter its
natural composition. Polluted water or garbage in the water bodies is a type of pollution. ...
When people use these alternative forms of energy, they put less carbon dioxide into the
environment.

or

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse
change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or
light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or
naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint
source pollution.

A point source of pollution is a single identifiable source

of air, water, thermal, noise or light pollution. A point source has negligible extent,
distinguishing it from other pollution source geometries.

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is pollution resulting from many diffuse sources, in direct
contrast to point source pollution which results from a single source. Nonpoint source
pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage,
seepage, or hydrological modification (rainfall and snowmelt) where tracing pollution back to
a single source is difficult.

Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life
forms on our planet today. Environmental pollution is defined as “the contamination of the
physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent
that normal environmental processes are adversely affected.” Pollutants can be naturally
occurring substances or energies, but they are considered contaminants when in excess of
natural levels. Any use of natural resources at a rate higher than nature’s capacity to restore
itself can result in pollution of air, water, and land.

Environmental pollution is one of the most serious global challenges. Wild-type organisms
have a slower degradation rate of hazardous materials. Currently, advanced molecular
biology tools along with conventional approaches allow us to rapidly degrade or accumulate
 hazardous materials from environments. This can help modify microorganisms to gain the
ability to sense and degrade hazardous chemicals from contaminated sites, in turn, allowing
us to grow vegetation and improve crop productivity.

All kinds of pollution including air, water, soil pollution, etc. have an impact on the
environment.

 Air Pollution.
 Water Pollution.
 Land Pollution (soil pollution)
 Noise Pollution.
 Radioactive/ Nuclear Pollution.
 Thermal Pollution, etc.
 Light pollution.
 Marine Pollution/ Ocean Pollution

Pollutants:

A pollutant is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired
effects, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. A pollutant may cause long- or
short-term damage by changing the growth rate of plant or animal species, or by interfering
with human amenities, comfort, health, or property values. Some pollutants
are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the long term.
However, the degradation products of some pollutants are themselves polluting such as the
products DDE and DDD produced from the degradation of DDT.

Air Pollution:

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car emissions, chemicals
from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas, is a
major part of air pollution in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog.
Some air pollutants are poisonous.

Two type: Primary Pollutants and Secondary pollutants

A primary pollutant is an air pollutant emitted directly from a source. A secondary
pollutant is not directly emitted as such, but forms when other pollutants (primary
pollutants) react in the atmosphere.

Examples of a secondary pollutant include ozone, which is formed when hydrocarbons (HC)
and nitrogen oxides (NOx) combine in the presence of sunlight; NO2, which is formed as NO
combines with oxygen in the air; and acid rain, which is formed when sulfur dioxide or
nitrogen oxides react with water. Other is PAN

Primary pollutants are like NO, CO, CO2 and SO2

Causes of Air Pollution

Most air pollution comes from energy use and production. Burning fossil fuels releases gases
and chemicals into the air.” And in an especially destructive feedback loop, air pollution not
only contributes to climate change but is also exacerbated by it. “Air pollution in the form of
carbon dioxide and methane raises the earth’s temperature,”

“Another type of air pollution is then worsened by that increased heat: Smog forms when the
weather is warmer and there’s more ultraviolet radiation.” Climate change also increases the
production of allergenic air pollutants including mold (thanks to damp conditions caused by
extreme weather and increased flooding) and pollen (due to a longer pollen season and more
pollen production).

Effects of Air Pollution

Smog and soot

These two are the most prevalent types of air pollution. Smog, or “ground-level ozone,” as it
is more wonkily called, occurs when emissions from combusting fossil fuels react with
sunlight. Soot, or “particulate matter,” is made up of tiny particles of chemicals, soil, smoke,
dust, or allergens, in the form of gas or solids, that are carried in the air. The sources of smog
and soot are similar. “Both come from cars and trucks, factories, power plants, incinerators,
engines—anything that combusts fossil fuels such as coal, gas, or natural gas,”. The tiniest
airborne particles in soot—whether they’re in the form of gas or solids—are especially
dangerous because they can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and worsen bronchitis, lead
to heart attacks, and even hasten death.
Smog can irritate the eyes and throat and also damage the lungs—especially of people who
work or exercise outside, children, and senior citizens. It’s even worse for people who have
asthma or allergies—these extra pollutants only intensify their symptoms and can trigger
asthma attacks.

Hazardous air pollutants

These are either deadly or have severe health risks even in small amounts. Almost 200 are
regulated by law; some of the most common are mercury, lead, dioxins, and benzene. “These
are also most often emitted during gas or coal combustion, incinerating, or in the case of
benzene, found in gasoline,”. Benzene, classified as a carcinogen, can cause eye, skin, and
lung irritation in the short term and blood disorders in the long term. Dioxins, more typically
found in food but also present in small amounts in the air, can affect the liver in the short
term and harm the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems, as well as reproductive
functions. Lead in large amounts can damage children’s brains and kidneys, and even in
small amounts it can affect children’s IQ and ability to learn. Mercury affects the central
nervous system.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, are toxic components of traffic exhaust and
wildfire smoke. In large amounts, they have been linked to eye and lung irritation, blood and
liver issues, and even cancer. In one recent study, the children of mothers who’d had higher
PAH exposure during pregnancy had slower brain processing speeds and worse symptoms of
ADHD.

Greenhouse gases

By trapping the earth’s heat in the atmosphere, greenhouse gases lead to warmer temperatures
and all the hallmarks of climate change: rising sea levels, more extreme weather, heat-related
deaths, and increasing transmission of infectious diseases like Lyme., carbon dioxide was
responsible for 81 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, and methane made
up 11 percent. “Carbon dioxide comes from combusting fossil fuels, and methane comes
from natural and industrial sources, including the large amounts that are released during oil
and gas drilling,”. “We emit far larger amounts of carbon dioxide, but methane is
significantly more potent, so it’s also very destructive.” Another class of greenhouse gases,
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in
their ability to trap heat. In October 2016, more than 140 countries reached an agreement to
reduce the use of these chemicals—which are used in air conditioners and refrigerators—and
find greener alternatives over time.

Pollen and mold

Mold and allergens from trees, weeds, and grass are also carried in the air, are exacerbated by
climate change, and can be hazardous to health. They are not regulated by the government
and are less directly connected to human actions, but they can be considered air pollution.
“When homes, schools, or businesses get water damage, mold can grow and can produce
allergenic airborne pollutants,” Knowlton says. “Mold exposure can precipitate asthma
attacks or an allergic response, and some molds can even produce toxins that would be
dangerous for anyone to inhale.”

Pollen allergies are worsening because of climate change. “Lab and field studies are showing
that the more carbon dioxide pollen-producing plants—especially ragweed—are grown in,
the bigger they grow and the more pollen they produce,” “Climate change also extends the
pollen production season, and some studies are beginning to suggest that ragweed pollen
itself might be becoming a more potent allergen.” That means more people will suffer runny
noses, fevers, itchy eyes, and other symptoms.

Control of pollutants
Gaseous pollutants and particulate matter can be control by using various equipments and
techniques .

Gaseous pollutants can remove by physical absorption method using charcoal or silica gel.

Particulate matter (Particulate matter is the sum of all solid and liquid particles suspended
in air many of which are hazardous. This complex mixture includes both organic and
inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. These particles vary
greatly in size, composition, and origin) can be removed by using various filter at source
level.

Airborne particles can be removed from a polluted airstream by a variety of physical

processes. Common types of equipment for collecting fine particulates include cyclones,
scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators, and baghouse filters. Once collected, particulates adhere
to each other, forming agglomerates that can readily be removed from the equipment and
disposed of, usually in a landfill.

Cyclone

A cyclone removes particulates by causing the dirty airstream to flow in a spiral path inside a
cylindrical chamber. Dirty air enters the chamber from a tangential direction at the outer wall
of the device, forming a vortex as it swirls within the chamber. The larger particulates,
because of their greater inertia, move outward and are forced against the chamber wall.
Slowed by friction with the wall surface, they then slide down the wall into a conical dust
hopper at the bottom of the cyclone. The cleaned air swirls upward in a narrower spiral
through an inner cylinder and emerges from an outlet at the top. Accumulated particulate dust
is periodically removed from the hopper for disposal.

cyclone collectorCyclone collector, for removing relatively coarse particulates from the air.
Small cyclone devices are often installed to control pollution from mobile sources.
Cyclones are best at removing relatively coarse particulates. They can routinely
achieve efficiencies of 90 percent for particles larger than about 20 micrometres (μm; 20
millionths of a metre). By themselves, however, cyclones are not sufficient to meet stringent
air quality standards. They are typically used as pre-cleaners and are followed by more
efficient air-cleaning equipment such as electrostatic precipitators and baghouses (described
below).

Scrubbers

Devices called wet scrubbers trap suspended particles by direct contact with a spray of water
or other liquid. In effect, a scrubber washes the particulates out of the dirty airstream as they
collide with and are entrained by the countless tiny droplets in the spray.
Several configurations of wet scrubbers are in use. In a spray-tower scrubber, an upward-
flowing airstream is washed by water sprayed downward from a series of nozzles. The water
is recirculated after it is sufficiently cleaned to prevent clogging of the nozzles. Spray-tower
scrubbers can remove 90 percent of particulates larger than about 8 μm. In orifice scrubbers
and wet-impingement scrubbers, the air-and-droplet mixture collides with a solid surface.
Collision with a surface atomizes the droplets, reducing droplet size and thereby increasing
total surface contact area. These devices have the advantage of lower water-recirculation
rates, and they offer removal efficiencies of about 90 percent for particles larger than 2 μm.
Venturi scrubbers are the most efficient of the wet collectors, achieving efficiencies of more
than 98 percent for particles larger than 0.5 μm in diameter. Scrubber efficiency depends on
the relative velocity between the droplets and the particulates. Venturi scrubbers achieve high
relative velocities by injecting water into the throat of a venturi channel—a constriction in the
flow path—through which particulate-laden air is passing at high speed.

Electrostatic precipitators
Electrostatic precipitation is a commonly used method for removing fine particulates from
airstreams. In an electrostatic precipitator, particles suspended in the airstream are given
an electric charge as they enter the unit and are then removed by the influence of an electric
field. The precipitation unit comprises baffles for distributing airflow, discharge and
collection electrodes, a dust clean-out system, and collection hoppers. A high voltage
of direct current (DC), as much as 100,000 volts, is applied to the discharge electrodes to
charge the particles, which then are attracted to oppositely charged collection electrodes, on
which they become trapped.

electrostatic precipitatorElectrostatic precipitator, a common particle-collection device at

fossil-fuel power-generating stations..

In a typical unit the collection electrodes comprise a group of large rectangular metal plates
suspended vertically and parallel to each other inside a boxlike structure. There are often
hundreds of plates having a combined surface area of tens of thousands of square metres.
Rows of discharge electrode wires hang between the collection plates. The wires are given a
negative electric charge, whereas the plates are grounded and thus become positively
charged.

Particles that stick to the collection plates are removed periodically when the plates are
shaken, or “rapped.” Rapping is a mechanical technique for separating the trapped particles
from the plates, which typically become covered with a 6-mm (0.2-inch) layer of dust.
Rappers are either of the impulse (single-blow) or vibrating type. The dislodged particles are
collected in a hopper at the bottom of the unit and removed for disposal. An electrostatic
precipitator can remove particulates as small as 1 μm with an efficiency exceeding 99
percent. The effectiveness of electrostatic precipitators in removing fly ash from the
combustion gases of fossil-fuel furnaces accounts for their high frequency of use at power
stations.

Baghouse filters

One of the most efficient devices for removing suspended particulates is an assembly of
fabric-filter bags, commonly called a baghouse. A typical baghouse comprises an array of
long, narrow bags—each about 25 cm (10 inches) in diameter—that are suspended upside
down in a large enclosure. Dust-laden air is blown upward through the bottom of the
enclosure by fans. Particulates are trapped inside the filter bags, while the clean air passes
through the fabric and exits at the top of the baghouse.

fabric-filter baghouseBaghouse employing an array of fabric bags for filtering the

airstream.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

A fabric-filter dust collector can remove very nearly 100 percent of particles as small as 1 μm
and a significant fraction of particles as small as 0.01 μm. Fabric filters, however, offer
relatively high resistance to airflow, which leads to substantial energy usage for the fan
system. In addition, in order to prolong the useful life of the filter fabric, the air to be cleaned
must be cooled (usually below 300 °C [570 °F]) before it is passed through the unit; cooling
coils needed for this purpose add to the energy usage. (Certain filter fabrics—e.g., those made
of ceramic or mineral materials—can operate at higher temperatures.)
Several compartments of filter bags are often used at a single baghouse installation. This
arrangement allows individual compartments to be cleaned while others remain in service.
The bags are cleaned by removing the excess layer of surface dust. This is done in several
different ways: by mechanically shaking them; by temporarily reversing the flow of air and
causing them to collapse; or by sending a short burst of air down through the bag, causing it
to briefly expand. After the dust is removed from the filters, it falls into a hopper below and
can be collected for disposal or further use. Care must be taken not to remove too much of the
built-up surface dust, or “dust cake,” when cleaning the filters. In most filter types the filter
itself is only a substrate that allows for the formation of a layer of dust cake, which then
captures the majority of the particulates. Filters with an applied membrane coating such
as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) do not require the use of dust cake to operate at their
highest efficiency.

Control Of Gases

Gaseous criteria pollutants, as well as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other
gaseous air toxics, are controlled by means of three basic techniques: absorption, adsorption,
and incineration (or combustion). These techniques can be employed singly or in
combination. They are effective against the major greenhouse gases as well. In addition, a
fourth technique, known as carbon sequestration, is in development as a means of controlling
carbon dioxide levels.
Absorption
In the context of air pollution control, absorption involves the transfer of a gaseous pollutant
from the air into a contacting liquid, such as water. The liquid must be able either to serve as
a solvent for the pollutant or to capture it by means of a chemical reaction.
Wet scrubbers and packed scrubbers
Wet scrubbers similar to those described above for controlling suspended particulates may be
used for gas absorption. Gas absorption can also be carried out in packed scrubbers, or
towers, in which the liquid is present on a wetted surface rather than as droplets suspended in
the air. A common type of packed scrubber is the countercurrent tower. After entering the
bottom of the tower, the polluted airstream flows upward through a wetted column of light,
chemically inactive packing material. The liquid absorbent flows downward and is uniformly
spread throughout the column packing, thereby increasing the total area of contact between
gas and liquid. Thermoplastic materials are most widely used as packing for countercurrent
scrubber towers. These devices usually have gas-removal efficiencies of 90–95 percent.
Cocurrent and cross-flow packed scrubber designs are also used for gas absorption. In the
cocurrent design, both gas and liquid flow in the same direction—vertically downward
through the scrubber. Although not as efficient as countercurrent designs, cocurrent devices
can work at higher liquid flow rates. The increased flow prevents plugging of the packing
when the airstream contains high levels of particulates. Cocurrent designs afford lowered
resistance to airflow and allow the cross-sectional area of the tower to be reduced. The cross-
flow design, in which gas flows horizontally through the packing and liquid flows vertically
downward, can operate with lower airflow resistance when high particulate levels are present.
In general, scrubbers are used at fertilizer production facilities (to remove ammonia from the
airstream), at glass production plants (to remove hydrogen fluoride), at chemical plants (to
remove water-soluble solvents such as acetone and methyl alcohol), and at rendering plants
(to control odours).
Flue gas desulfurization

Sulfur dioxide in flue gas from fossil-fuel power plants can be controlled by means of an
absorption process called flue gas desulfurization (FGD). FGD systems may involve wet
scrubbing or dry scrubbing. In wet FGD systems, flue gases are brought in contact with an
absorbent, which can be either a liquid or a slurry of solid material. The sulfur dioxide
dissolves in or reacts with the absorbent and becomes trapped in it. In dry FGD systems, the
absorbent is dry pulverized lime or limestone; once absorption occurs, the solid particles are
removed by means of baghouse filters (described above). Dry FGD systems, compared with
wet systems, offer cost and energy savings and easier operation, but they require higher
chemical consumption and are limited to flue gases derived from the combustion of low-
sulfur coal.
FGD systems are also classified as either regenerable or nonregenerable (throwaway),
depending on whether the sulfur that is removed from the flue gas is recovered or discarded.
In the United States most systems in operation are nonregenerable because of their lower
capital and operating costs. By contrast, in Japan regenerable systems are used extensively,
and in Germany they are required by law. Nonregenerable FGD systems produce a sulfur-
containing sludge residue that requires appropriate disposal. Regenerable FGD systems
require additional steps to convert the sulfur dioxide into useful by-products like sulfuric
acid.
Several FGD methods exist, differing mainly in the chemicals used in the process. FGD
processes that employ either lime or limestone slurries as the reactants are widely applied. In
the limestone scrubbing process, sulfur dioxide reacts with limestone (calcium carbonate)
particles in the slurry, forming calcium sulfite and carbon dioxide. In the lime scrubbing
process, sulfur dioxide reacts with slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), forming calcium sulfite
and water. Depending on sulfur dioxide concentrations and oxidation conditions, the calcium
sulfite can continue to react with water, forming calcium sulfate (gypsum). Neither calcium
sulfite nor calcium sulfate is very soluble in water, and both can be precipitated out as a
slurry by gravity settling. The thick slurry, called FGD sludge, creates a significant disposal
problem. Flue gas desulfurization helps to reduce ambient sulfur dioxide levels
and mitigate the problem of acid rain. Nevertheless, in addition to its expense (which is
passed on directly to the consumer as higher rates for electricity), millions of tons of FGD
sludge are generated each year.
flue gas desulfurization (FGD) limestone wet scrubberWet scrubber using a limestone
slurry to remove sulfur dioxide from flue gas.Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Adsorption
Gas adsorption, as contrasted with absorption, is a surface phenomenon. The gas molecules
are sorbed—attracted to and held—on the surface of a solid. Gas adsorption methods are used
for odour control at various types of chemical-manufacturing and food-processing facilities,
in the recovery of a number of volatile solvents (e.g., benzene), and in the control of VOCs at
industrial facilities.
Activated carbon (heated charcoal) is one of the most common adsorbent materials. It is very
porous and has an extremely high ratio of surface area to volume. Activated carbon is
particularly useful as an adsorbent for cleaning airstreams that contain VOCs and for solvent
recovery and odour control. A properly designed carbon adsorption unit can remove gas with
an efficiency exceeding 95 percent.

Adsorption systems are configured either as stationary bed units or as moving bed units. In
stationary bed adsorbers, the polluted airstream enters from the top, passes through a layer, or
bed, of activated carbon, and exits at the bottom. In moving bed adsorbers, the activated
carbon moves slowly down through channels by gravity as the air to be cleaned passes
through in a cross-flow current.

Incineration
The process called incineration or combustion—chemically, rapid oxidation—can be used to
convert VOCs and other gaseous hydrocarbon pollutants to carbon dioxide and water.
Incineration of VOCs and hydrocarbon fumes usually is accomplished in a special incinerator
called an afterburner. To achieve complete combustion, the afterburner must provide the
proper amount of turbulence and burning time, and it must maintain a sufficiently high
temperature. Sufficient turbulence, or mixing, is a key factor in combustion because it
reduces the required burning time and temperature. A process called direct flame incineration
can be used when the waste gas is itself a combustible mixture and does not need the addition
of air or fuel.
An afterburner typically is made of a steel shell lined with refractory material such
as firebrick. The refractory lining protects the shell and serves as a thermal insulator. Given
enough time and high enough temperatures, gaseous organic pollutants can be almost
completely oxidized, with incineration efficiency approaching 100 percent. Certain
substances, such as platinum, can act in a manner that assists the combustion reaction. These
substances, called catalysts, allow complete oxidation of the combustible gases at relatively
low temperatures.
Afterburners are used to control odours, destroy toxic compounds, or reduce the amount of
photochemically reactive substances released into the air. They are employed at a variety of
industrial facilities where VOC vapours are emitted from combustion processes or solvent
evaporation (e.g., petroleum refineries, paint-drying facilities, and paper mills).
Carbon sequestration
The best way to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide in the air is to use energy more efficiently
and to reduce the combustion of fossil fuels by using alternative energy sources
(e.g., nuclear, wind, tidal, and solar power). In addition, carbon sequestration can be used to
serve the purpose. Carbon sequestration involves the long-term storage of carbon dioxide
underground, as well as on the surface of Earth in forests and oceans. Carbon sequestration in
forests and oceans relies on natural processes such as forest growth. However, the clearing of
forests for agricultural and other purposes (and also the pollution of oceans) diminishes
natural carbon sequestration. Storing carbon dioxide underground—a technology under
development that is also called geosequestration or carbon capture and storage—would
involve pumping the gas directly into underground geologic “reservoir” layers. This would
require the separation of carbon dioxide from power plant flue gases (or some other
source)—a costly process.

How to Help Reduce Air Pollution

“The less gasoline we burn, the better we’re doing to reduce air pollution and harmful effects
of climate change,”. “Make good choices about transportation. When you can, walk, ride a
bike, or take public transportation. For driving, choose cars that get better miles per gallon of
gas or choose an electric car.” You can also investigate your power provider options—you
may be able to request that your electricity be supplied by wind or solar. Buying your food
locally cuts down on the fossil fuels burned in trucking or flying food in from across the
country. And perhaps most important, “Support leaders who push for clean air and water and
responsible steps on climate change,
How to Protect Your Health

 “When you see in the newspaper or hear on the weather report that pollution levels are
high, it may be useful to limit the time when children go outside or you go for a jog,”
Walke says. Generally, ozone levels tend to be lower in the morning.

 When you do exercise outside, stay as far as you can from heavily trafficked roads.
Then shower and wash your clothes to remove fine particles.

 If the air quality is bad, stay inside with windows closed.

 Wear sunscreen. When ultraviolet radiation comes through the weakened ozone layer, it
can cause skin damage and skin cancer.