THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Department of Computer Science & Engineering

Semester- VII
BCV755B – CNR
MODULE 3
Part 1
AIR
Module 3: Air and Minerals
Air: Introduction, composition, sources and classification of air pollutants, National Ambient Air
quality standards (NAAQS), Air quality index, effects of air pollution on human health.
Economic effects of air pollution. Control of air pollution by equipment, smoke and its control.
Ozone depletion impacts, photochemical changes.
Minerals and rocks: Minerals, important rock forming minerals like Quartz, Mica, Feldspar and
Amphibole, lithification & metamorphism, weathering: physical, biogeochemical processes,
erosion, agent of erosion

Air

Air is a non-homogeneous mixture of different gases in the atmosphere.

The composition of air refers to the chemical composition of the troposphere. The troposphere is
the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the surface to about 12 km or 39000 ft. The
troposphere contains about 80% of the mass of the Earth’s atmosphere. Nearly all of the
atmosphere’s water vapor exists in this layer. Just three gases account for 99% of dry
air: nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.
Air pollution
Means the presence in the atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities and of
such duration as is or tends to be injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or
property, or would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property.
Air pollution may be defined as the
presence in the air (outdoor atmosphere) of one or more contaminants or combinations thereof 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.
⏵ Air pollutants come in the form of gases and finely divided solid and liquid aerosols.
⏵ Aerosols are loosely defined as “any solid or liquid particles suspended in the air”

Air Pollutant
▪ A pollutant can be solid (large or sub-molecular), liquid or gas .
▪ It may originate from a natural or anthropogenic source (or both).
▪ It is estimated that anthropogenic sources have changed the composition of global air by
less than 0.01%.
▪ Examples of “natural” air pollution include:

▪ Ash,
▪ salt particles,
▪ pollen and spores,
▪ smoke and
 ▪ windblown dust

Sources and Classification of Air Pollution

The air pollutants can be classified in many ways as shown below:-

1. According to origin:
The air pollutants are classified into:

Primary pollutants:
The pollutants that are emitted directly from identifiable sources produced by natural
events ( eg: dust storms and volcanic eruptions) and human activities (eg: emissions
from vehicles, industries etc.) are called primary pollutants. Eg: smoke, dust, oxides of
sulphur & nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulate matter etc.

Secondary pollutants:

The pollutants that are formed in the atmosphere by chemical interactions between
primary pollutants and atmospheric constituents are known as secondary pollutants. Eg.
Sulphur trioxide, ozone, ketones, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid etc.

2. According to state of matter:

The pollutants are classified into:-

Gaseous air pollutants:

These pollutants exist in a gaseous state at normal temperature and pressure. They are
carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur oxides etc.

Particulate air pollutants:

 These are not gaseous substances. They are suspended droplets, solid particles or
mixtures of the two.

3. According to sources:
Pollutants originate from
Natural sources:
These include volcanic eruptions, deflation of sand and dust, forest or wild fires of
natural vegetation, sulphur springs, natural geysers, organic and inorganic decays,
vegetative decays, marsh gases, cosmic dust, pollen grains of flowers, photochemical
reactions, soil debris etc. Wild animals in their natural habitat are also considered
natural sources of pollution – decomposition gases, waste

Man-made sources:
These include human activities such as industries, factories, urban centres, aircraft,
nuclear experiments, automobiles, agriculture, domestic burning of wood and burning
of fossil fuels, deforestation, mining, waste treatment plants and power plants.

Sources of Air Pollution - contd

Stationary Sources
⏵ A stationary source of air pollution refers to an emission source that does not move
(i.e., power plants, chemical and manufacturing industries).
⏵ Often stationary sources are defined as large emitters who release relatively consistent
qualities and quantities of pollutants.

POINT SOURCE
⏵ Point sources include-
⏵ industrial and nonindustrial stationary equipment or processes considered significant
sources of air pollution emissions.
⏵ A facility is considered to have significant emissions if it emits about one ton or more in
a calendar year.
⏵ Point sources include-
⏵ industrial and nonindustrial stationary equipment or processes considered significant
sources of air pollution emissions.
⏵ A facility is considered to have significant emissions if it emits about one ton or more in
a calendar year.
Area Sources
⏵ The term AREA SOURCE is used to describe the many smaller stationary sources
located together whose individual emissions may be low but whose collective emissions
can be significant.
⏵ Typically area sources are those that emit < 25 tons per year of any combination of
hazardous air pollutants, or < 10 tons per year of any single hazardous air pollutant.
Examples
⏵ locomotives operating within a railyard
⏵ Multiple flue gas stacks within a single industrial plant
⏵ Open burning and forest fires
⏵ Evaporation losses from large spills of volatile liquids
⏵ Area sources that may fall under the “point source” definition are piping leaks, industrial
wastewater treatment ponds, rock and quarry operations, and tank farms.
Factors that affect air pollution
⏵ Emissions (traffic, industrial, domestic)
⏵ Geography (terrain)
⏵ Weather conditions (rain, winds, humidity)
⏵ Season
⏵ Time of day
⏵ Population density
⏵ Indoor vs outdoor
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

Ambient air quality refers to the condition or quality of the outdoor air. NAAQs are the standards for
ambient air quality with reference to various identified pollutant notified by the CPCB under the Air
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Major objectives of NAAQS are:
 (i) to indicate necessary air quality levels and appropriate margins required to ensure the
protection of vegetation, health, and property,
(ii) to provide a uniform yardstick for the assessment of air quality at the national level
and
(iii) to indicate the extent and need of the monitoring programme.

Annual standards are basically the annual arithmetic mean of a minimum 104 measurements in a
year, at a particular site taken twice a week, at a uniform 24-hourly interval and at either a 24
hourly, 8 hourly, or 1 hourly monitored values, as applicable, shall be complied with 98% of the
time in a year. However, there is a 2% chance of exceeding the limits but not on two consecutive
days of monitoring.
Air Quality Index

The AQI was launched by the Prime Minister in April, 2015 starting with 14 cities and now
extended to 71 cities in 17 states. The AQI is a tool for the effective communication of air
quality status to people in terms, which are easy to understand. It transforms complex air quality
data of various pollutants into a single number (index value), nomenclature and colour. There are
six AQI categories, namely, good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe.
Each of these categories is decided based on the ambient concentration values of air pollutants
and their likely health impacts (known as health breakpoints). The AQ sub-index and health
breakpoints are evolved for eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Lead
(Pb)) for which short-term (upto 24-hours) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are
prescribed. Based on the measured ambient concentrations of a pollutant, a sub-index is
calculated, which is a linear function of concentration (e.g., the subindex for PM2.5 will be 51 at
concentration 31 μg/m3, 100 at concentration 60 μg/ m3, and 75 at concentration of 45 μg/m3 ).
The worst sub-index determines the overall AQI.
Effect of Air Pollution on human health

Human respiratory system

Tobacco smoke. Tobacco smoke generates a wide range of harmful chemicals and is a major
cause for health illness, which known to cause for cancer. It is well-known that smoking
affects the passive smoker (the person who is in the vicinity of a smoker and is not
himself/herself a smoker) ranging from burning sensation in the eyes or nose, and throat
irritation, to cancer, bronchitis, severe asthma, and a decrease in lung function.

Biological pollutants. These are mostly allergens that can cause asthma, hay fever, and other
allergic diseases.

Volatile organic compounds. Volatile compounds can cause irritation of the eye, nose and
throat. In severe cases there may be headaches, nausea, and loss of coordination. In the
longer run, some of them are suspected to cause damage to the liver and other parts of the
body.

Formaldehyde. Exposure causes irritation to the eyes, nose and may cause allergies in some
people.

Lead. Prolonged exposure can cause damage to the nervous system, digestive problems, and
in some cases cause cancer. It is especially hazardous to small children.

Radon. A radioactive gas that can accumulate inside the house, it originates from the rocks
and soil under the house and its level is dominated by the outdoor air and also to some extent
the other gases being emitted indoors. Exposure to this gas increases the risk of lung cancer.

Ozone. Exposure to this gas makes our eyes itch, burn, and it has also been associated with
increase in respiratory disorders such as asthma. It lowers our resistance to colds and
pneumonia.

Oxides of nitrogen. This gas can make children susceptible to respiratory diseases in the
winters.

Carbon monoxide. CO (carbon monoxide) combines with hemoglobin to lessen the amount
of oxygen that enters our blood through our lungs. The binding with other proteins causes
changes in the function of the affected organs such as the brain and the cardiovascular
system, and also the developing fetus. It can impair our concentration, slow our reflexes, and
make us confused and sleepy.
Sulphur dioxide. SO2 (sulphur dioxide) in the air is caused due to the rise in combustion of
fossil fuels. It can oxidize and form sulphuric acid mist. SO2 in the air leads to diseases of the
lung and other lung disorders such as wheezing and shortness of breath. Long-term effects
are more difficult to ascertain as SO2 exposure is often combined with that of SPM.

SPM (suspended particulate matter). Suspended matter consists of dust, fumes, mist and
smoke. The main chemical component of SPM that is of major concern is lead, others being
nickel, arsenic, and those present in diesel exhaust. These particles when breathe in, lodge in
our lung tissues and cause lung damage and respiratory problems.
The importance of SPM as a major pollutant needs special emphasis as
a) It affects more people globally than any other pollutant on a continuing basis.
b) There is more monitoring data available on this than any other pollutant.
c) More epidemiological evidence has been collected on the exposure to this than
to any other pollutant.