AIR POLLUTION

What is pollution….?

• “Pollution is an undesirable change in the physical,

chemical or biological characteristics of our air, land and
water that may or will harmfully affect human life or that of
desirable species, or industrial processes, living conditions,
and cultural assets; or may or will waste or deteriorate our
raw material resources”
………”Waste management and control”
Committee on Pollution, National
Academy of Sciences, 1966
 Air pollution definition
WHO definition “Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor
environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the
natural characteristics of the atmosphere. Household combustion devices, motor
vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.”

EPA definition “Air pollution is one or more chemicals or substances in high

enough concentrations in the air to harm humans, other animals, vegetation, or
materials. Such chemicals or physical conditions (such as excess heat or noise)
are called air pollutants.”
Meteorology
Sources of
&Topograph
air pollution
y
Air
Quality
Effects on
receptors
Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Era’s of air pollution

Early-Industrial Era Per-Industrial Era

Early 20th Century Late 20th Century Early 21st Century

Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Critically Polluted Areas: 24
• critically polluted areas have been
identified in India
where the problem of pollution exists.
These areas are as follows:
Reasons for High Air Pollution in India
• Poor Quality of Fuel
• Old Process Technology
• Wrong Siting of Industries
• No Pollution Preventive Step in Early Stage
of Industrialization
• Poor Vehicle Design
• Uncontrolled Growth of Vehicle Population
• Poor Compliance of Standard in
Small/Medium Scale Industries
 Air pollution disasters
Bhopal gas tragedy
• December, 1984
• At Union Carbide Limited pesticide
plant
• 4000 kg of MIC was released in Bhopal
• Approx. 20,000 died, 520000 affected
and 2000 buffaloes, goats and other
animals were collected and buried

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- International
The “Great” London smog
• December, 1952
• Lasted 5 days
• A period of cold weather,
anticyclone, and also pollutants
from use of coal
• Approx. 4000 died, 100000 ill
and 12000 fatalities

Chernobyl nuclear disaster

• April, 1986
• Clouds of deadly radioactive
material for over 10 days
• People were exposed to
radioactivity 100 times greater
than the Hiroshima bomb
• 20 million Soviets were exposed
to radioactivity, resulting in as
many as 5,000 deaths
Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- National capital
• A World Health Organization report has claimed 2.5 million Indians died of
pollution in 2015 alone—the largest number of pollution deaths in the world.
• In May 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced New Delhi as
the most polluted city in the world
• Delhi faced the worst smog in 17 years
• Breathing the Delhi air is said to be like smoking 45 cigarettes a day.

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- National
capital

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- National
capital

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- Punjab

Sector-wise emissions and predicted

emissions for criteria pollutants from
different sources in Punjab (TERI,
2015)

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Air pollution disasters- Punjab
• Punjab's Air Quality Index (AQI) has already fallen into the
category of 'poor quality zone' ahead of Diwali, 2015

• The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) crossed

permissible limits of 100 microgram / cubic meter (µg/m3) in
residential/commercial areas over 300 times

• Punjab is already facing a challenge due to the burning of

stubble in the state

• In October and November every year, nearly 19.7 million

tonnes of paddy straw is burnt in the state

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Are we affected by poor air
quality?
• The very young are at risk
– Lungs are not fully developed
– Faster breathing rate: more air volume/body weight
• The very old are at risk
– Undiagnosed lung or heart diseases
– Pollution can exacerbate these conditions
• Persons with chronic illnesses: Respiratory,
circulatory, or cardiac diseases
ü Yes, EVERYONE!
• Even healthy persons can be affected
when they exercise outdoors, or if the
concentration of pollutants is very high

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 How do we know if air quality is
poor?
Ø AQI is an overall scheme that transforms
individual air pollutant (e.g. SO2, CO, PM10)
levels into a single number, which is a
simple and lucid description of air quality for
the citizens.
Ø AQI relates to health impacts and citizens
can avoid the unnecessary exposure to air
pollutants;
Ø AQI indicates compliance with National Air
Quality Standards;
Ø AQI prompts local authorities to take quick
actions to improve air quality;
Ø AQI guides policy makers to take broad
decisions; and
Ø AQI encourages citizens to participate in air
quality management

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 AQI: Health Impacts
AQI Possible Health Impacts
Good minimal impact

Satisfactory minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people

breathing discomfort to the people with lung disease such as asthma and
Moderate
discomfort to people with heart disease, children and older adults

breathing discomfort to people on prolonged exposure and discomfort to people

Poor
with heart disease with short exposure
respiratory illness to the people on prolonged exposure. Effect may be
Very Poor
more pronounced in people with lung and heart diseases

respiratory effects even on healthy people and serious health impacts on people
Severe
with lung/heart diseases

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Pollutants considered for AQI
and air quality standards
Pollutant SO2 NO2 PM2.5 PM10 O3 CO (mg/m3) Pb NH3

Averaging time (h) 24 24 24 24 1 8 1 8 24 24

Indian Standard (µg/m3) 80 80 60 100 180 100 4 2 1 400

Particulate matter is generally classified by particle size

Ø PM10 – i.e. Particulate Matter of less than 10 millionths of a metre (10
micrometres or 10µm) in diameter. In general particles in this size range are not
visible to the naked eye.
Ø PM2.5 –this is a subset of PM10 and relates to Particulate Matter of less the 2.5
millionths of a metre (2.5µm) in diameter.
(in ambient air PM2.5 fraction approx. 70% of total PM10)

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 AQI categories and range
AQI categories and breakpoint concentrations with averaging times
(units: µg/m3 unless mentioned otherwise)
AQI Category PM10 PM2.5 NO2 O3 CO SO2 NH3 Pb
(Range) 24-hr 24-hr 24-hr 8-hr 8-hr 24-hr 24-hr 24-hr
(mg/m3)
Good (0-50) 0-50 0-30 0-40 0-50 0-1.0 0-40 0-200 0-0.5
Satisfactory 51-100 31-60 41-80 51-100 1.1-2.0 41-80 201-400 0.6 –1.0
(51-100)
Moderate 101-250 61-90 81-180 101-168 2.1- 10 81-380 401-800 1.1-2.0
(101-200)
Poor 251-350 91-120 181-280 169-208 10.1-17 381-800 801-1200 2.1-3.0
(201-300)
Very poor 351-430 121-250 281-400 209-748* 17.1-34 801-1600 1201-1800 3.1-3.5
(301-400)
Severe 430 + 250+ 400+ 748+* 34+ 1600+ 1800+ 3.5+
(401-500)

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Sources of air pollution

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Classification of air pollution
Ø Primary air pollutants - Materials that when released pose health risks in their
unmodified forms or those emitted directly from identifiable sources
Ø Secondary air pollutants - Primary pollutants interact with one another in
presence of sunlight, or natural gases to produce new, harmful compounds

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Primary Pollutant Components
Suspended particulate matter (SPM)
• PM is a complex mixture of air borne particles that differ in size,
origin and chemical composition
• One of the six EPA “Criteria Pollutant” (SO2, NOx, CO, Pb,
VOC’s & PM)
• ‘consists of solids in the air in the form of smoke, dust, and
vapour that can remain suspended for extended periods
• is also the main source of haze which reduces visibility.
• The finer of these particles, when breathed in can lodge in our
lungs and cause lung damage and respiratory problems.
• SPM can also constitute pollen dust and microbial organisms
 Particle Sizes
PM10 means particulate size less than 10 µm
PM2.5 means particulate size less than 2.5 µm
PM1.0 means particulate size less than 1.0 µm

PM10
PM2.5 PM1.0

Coarse Fine Ultrafine

(Inhalable) (Lungs) (Blood)
 Primary Pollutant components
Carbon monoxide (CO)
• is a colourless, odourless gas
• produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels
including petrol, diesel, and wood.
• also produced from the combustion of natural and synthetic
products such as cigarettes.
• It lowers the amount of oxygen that enters our blood.
• It can slow our reflexes and make us confused and sleepy.
 Primary Pollutant components
Chloroflorocarbons (CFC)
• are gases that are released mainly from air-conditioning systems
and refrigeration.
• CFCs rise to the stratosphere, where they come in contact with
few other gases, which leads to a reduction of the ozone layer
that protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• is the principle greenhouse gas emitted as a result of human
activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and natural gases.
 Primary Pollutant Components
Nitrogen oxide (NOx)
• It is produced from burning fuels including petrol, diesel, and
coal.
• At high temperature, nitrogen present in the air can combine with
oxygen to produce NOx.
• Nitrogen oxides can make children susceptible to respiratory
diseases in winters.
• causes smog and acid rain.
Sulphur dioxide (SO2)
• is a gas produced from burning fuel due to presence of sulphur
in fuel
• Some industrial processes, such as production of paper and
smelting of metals, produce sulphur dioxide.
• It is a major contributor to smog and acid rain.
• Sulfur dioxide can lead to lung diseases.
 Sources of air pollutants
Activities Pollutants
Transportation Lead & carbon Particulates,
SOx, NOx, CO, Benzopyrene
Thermal Power Particulates, SOx, NOx
Plants
Industrial Activities Particulates, SOx, NOx, metals
Lead, CFCs
Biomass burning Particulates, SOx, NOx, CO

Domestic activites Minor combustion gases

Emission sources in a gasoline fuelled car
 The Combustion Process
In a “perfect” engine, oxygen in the air would
convert all the hydrogen in the fuel to water and
all the carbon in the fuel to carbon dioxide.
Nitrogen in the air would remain unaffected. In
reality, the combustion process cannot be
“perfect,” and automotive engines emit several
types of pollutants.
Typical Engine Combustion

FUEL + AIR UNBURNED HYDROCARBONS + NITROGEN OXIDES

+ CARBON MONOXIDE + CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER
The Combustion Process
Spark ignition (SI) and Compression ignition
(CI)
Induction stroke, Compression stroke,
Power stroke & Exhaust stroke
 Engine Emissions Vs Combustion Strategy

Principal Engine Emissions

• SI Engines : CO, HC and NOx
• CI Engines : CO, HC, NOx and PM

34
 Emissions/Safety Regulations Progression in India

1992 1996 2000 2005 2010 2014 2017 2020 2022 2024 2026
Emission
EURO1
EURO2
EURO3
EURO4
EURO5
EURO6

Major cities BS1

BS2 BS3 2013
BS4
BS4 OBDII

BS1
Nationwide BS2
BS3 BS4 BS6

Fuel Consumption

Nationwide for FE Regulation 1

M1 Vehicles FE Regulation 2

Safety

Offset Crash
Full Frontal
Side Impact
 BS-VI From April 2020
• A derivative of EURO VI standards, BS VI standards require
a 68 percent reduction in NOx emissions from compression
ignition (diesel) engines and set a limit of 4.5 mg/km of
particulate matter (PM) emissions in engines with direct fuel
injection.
• In addition to tailpipe emission norms, fuel emission norms
are becoming more stringent: a vehicle weighing around
1040 kg in 2016 will have to improve its fuel efficiency from
about 18km/L to 22 km/L in 2020.
• Diesel engines will be more expensive once BS VI
norms are implemented. With introduction of real
driving emission testing, selective catalytic reduction
systems will be required in many diesel engines for NOx
reduction.
 Scales of air pollution problems
• Local Scale
Up to 5 km of the earth surface
Impacts from a single source or group of sources
Health impacts on specific receptors
• Urban Scale
Order of 50 km
• Regional Scale
500 to several thousand km2
• County to Continental Scale
Tens of thousands of km2
May address international transboundary pollution
• Global Scale
Extends worldwide
Transport of pollutants across globe

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Scales of air pollution problem
LOCAL
• Characterized by one or several large emitters or a large number of
small emitters
• Low release height

URBAN
• Consists of centre of the city surrounded by suburbs which in turn
surrounded by nonurban hinterland (villages).
• Two types of problem:
(i) Release of primary pollutants i.e. CO
(ii) formation of secondary pollutants i.e. O3

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Scales of air pollution problem
REGIONAL
• Urban oxidants
Release of relatively slow reacting primary air pollutants
SO2 + O2 = 2 SO3
SO3 + HO2 = 2 H2SO3
Sulfuric acid reacts with numerous compounds to form sulfates

• Acid rain
- Rainout: occurs when particles serve as condensation nuclei
that lead to the formation of clouds and fall as raindrops (after
sufficient growth of particles)
- Washout- particles in air captured by raindrops
Both mechanisms contribute to acid rain
• Visibility: Reduced by specific plumes or regional levels of PM that
produce various intensities of haze

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Scales of air pollution problem
Continental
In Europe little difference between continental and
regional scale
- Acid rain in Scandinavia has been considered
to have impacts from Great Britain and Western
Europe
- (SO2 transfer from UK to European continent)
- North American acid rain problem
Global
The next scale of air pollution is its effect on global
dimensions, such as the destruction of
stratospheric ozone due to emissions of CFC’s
(chlorofluorocarbon compounds). This issue was
given a lot of attention in the period 1985–1995, as
it was revealed that the destruction of
stratospheric ozone leads to higher UV-light
intensities and a higher incidence of skin cancer.
Ex. Antarctic ozone hole.
Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Effects of air pollution

Human

Effects
Animals of air Plants
pollution

Materials

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Effects of air pollution- Human health
v Particulate matter – respiratory disease (silicosis,
asbestosis etc.,). Heavy metals causes poisonous in the
lungs. Black- lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis and
emphysema are examples of lung damage.
• CO – Effects on Central Nervous Systems, cardiac and
pulmonary functional changes, headache, fatigue,
drowsiness, coma, respiratory failure and death.
• SOx – causes corrosive action on mucous membrane,
branchopasms.
• NOx – eye and nasal irritation, inflammation of lung tissue
and death.
• Ozone and PAN – irritation to eyes and respiratory tract, at
higher concentration mortality due to pulmonary edema.
• Fluorides – irritants and prolonged exposure causes
fluorosis.
• HC vapors – eye irritants and respiratory tract irritation.
• Carcinogens – PAH, Lead etc.,
Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Effects of air pollution – Plants
• The influencing factor for plants injury are species type, age, temperature,
humidity and sun light.
• Injury is observable alteration in the plant when exposed to air pollution.
• Damage is the economic or aesthetic loss due to interference with the intended
use of plant.

Necrosis due to HF emission Chlorosis

Necrosis: death or collapse of the tissue is called necrosis

Chlorosis: it is the loss of green pigment (chlorophyll).
The leaf becomes either pale green or yellow in color due
to loss of chlorophyll.
Abscission: dropping of leaves is called abscission
Epinasty: it is a downward curvature of the leaf due to
high growth on the upper surface.
Dr. Amit Dhir
School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
 Effects of air pollution –
Materials
• Effects of dry deposition of sulfur dioxide, which causes the formation of
gypsum. Gypsum traps particulate matter to form heavy, black
incrustation.
• Air pollution is fast leading to the discolouration of the Taj Mahal, India’s
famous white-marble monument of love

Dr. Amit Dhir

School of Energy and Environment
TIET, Patiala
THANKS