Sustainable Engineering

(22CET-323)
Dr Aditya Rana
Associate Professor
Department Of Civil Engineering
Chandigarh University
Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab

DISCOVER . LEARN . EMPOWER

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 Pollution
United States EPA defines pollution as "Any substances in water,
soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment,
offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health
hazard. The usefulness of the natural resource is usually
impaired by the presence of pollutants and contaminants.“

Pollution includes the contaminants that have an anthropogenic

source–a source created by human activities, such
as manufacturing, extractive industries, poor waste
management, transportation or agriculture.

Pollution is often classed as point source (coming from a highly

concentrated specific site, such as a factory, mine, construction
site), or non-point source pollution (coming from a widespread
distributed sources, such as microplastics or agricultural runoff).

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 Air Pollution
• Atmospheric pollution is defined as the presence in the air of
one or more contaminants in such a concentration and of such
duration as causing a nuisance or being injurious to human life,
animal life, or vegetation.
• Therefore, atmospheric pollution and air quality are intimately
linked, so a lower level of atmospheric pollution carries a higher
air quality and vice versa.
• Atmospheric pollution covers a wide variety of pollutants, such
as gaseous compounds (organic and inorganic chemicals) and
airborne particulate matter.
• The pollutants used as air quality indicators are defined as
“criteria air pollutants”. Polluting species as nitrogen oxides
(NOx), sulfur oxides (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3),
particulate matter (PM), and lead (Pb) are air pollutants
commonly found in urban environments.
• Benzene (C6H6) is considered the major VOC with particular
attention to urban environments.

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 Types of Pollutants
A pollutant is a substance or factor introduced into the
environment that has undesired effects, or adversely
affects the usefulness of a resource.

Air Pollutants can be ranked in terms of

the type of emission chemical place of release into

source (primary or composition the atmosphere
secondary (gaseous agents or (indoor or outdoor
pollutant), particulate matter), site).

In 2013, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) classified air pollution as a human carcinogen
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Primary Secondary
pollutants pollutants

Secondary air pollutants are

Primary polluting compounds not generated from emission
involve those pollutants that sources, but they need at
are directly emitted into the least two primary pollutants
atmosphere. to react with each other to
yield a secondary agent.

Their origin can be natural O3 and Peroxy Acyl Nitrates

(for example, volcanos or (such as peroxyacetyl nitrate,
grassland fires) and peroxy-propionyl nitrate, and
anthropogenic (industrial and peroxy benzoyl nitrate) are
vehicular emissions). secondary pollutants.

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Over 120,000 people died in India (at least 12,000 in Bengaluru alone) in 2020 as a result of air pollution and related problems,
according to the Greenpeace Southeast Asia Analysis of IQAir data.
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Most Polluted Cities in the World (2023 Rankings)
based on PM2.5 data

Bangladesh is the world’s most polluted

country and Delhi is the most polluted capital
(IQAir,2023).

• The World’s most polluted city is Begusarai, Bihar. Its pollution level averaged 118.9
micrograms/cubic meter, 24 times the WHO’s safe limit.
• Around 136 million Indians (96% of the Indian population) face PM2.5 concentrations (seven
times) higher than the WHO's recommended levels of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
• The most polluted country is Bangladesh which, at 79.9 micrograms, is more than 15 times
higher than the safe limit.
• Seven countries that met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline (annual average of 5 µg/m 3 or less)
included Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand.
World Air Quality Report, 2023 • Climate change could be exacerbating air pollution. Fossil fuel emissions account for 65% of
global CO2 emissions and are also the primary cause of the majority of PM2.5-related deaths.
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 Air Quality Index (AQI)
• Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air
quality status. 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 ambient concentration values of air
pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health
breakpoints).
• AQ sub-index and health breakpoints are evolved for eight
pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) for which
short-term (upto 24-hours) National Ambient Air Quality
Standards are prescribed.
• Based on the measured ambient concentrations of a pollutant,
sub-index is calculated, which is a linear function of concentration
(e.g. the sub-index 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 ).
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 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

The objectives of air quality standards are:

• To indicate the levels of air quality necessary with an adequate margin of safety to
protect the public health, vegetation and property;
• To assist in establishing priorities for abatement and control of pollutant level;
• To provide uniform yardstick for assessing air quality at national level;
• To indicate the need and extent of monitoring programme.

The compliance of the NAAQS is monitored under the National Air Quality Monitoring
Programme (NAMP). NAMP is implemented by the CPCB.

• Particulate Matter 10 (PM10)

• Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM2.5)
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
The current • Carbon Monoxide (CO)
standards • Ozone (O3)
(2009) • Ammonia (NH3)
comprise 12 • Lead (Pb)
pollutants: • Benzene
• Benzopyrene
• Arsenic Source: http://www.cpcbenvis.nic.in/
• Nickel
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 Formation of Secondary Pollutants- Photochemical smog

• Secondary pollutants are of much concern as they can be formed

from many different compounds.
• The phenomena of photochemical smog (seen in high-density cities)
are a result of the interactions of primary pollutants with other
molecules in the air such as molecular oxygen, water, and
hydrocarbons.
• When ultraviolet light from the sun reacts with nitrogen oxides in
the atmosphere, photochemical smog is produced.
• Brown haze is commonly seen, and is most prominent during the
morning and afternoon, especially in densely populated, warm cities.
• Nitrogen oxides emitting from the car engine come into the
atmosphere, which may combine with water to form nitric acid or
react with sunlight to produce singular oxygen atoms.
• These atoms combine with molecular oxygen to produce ozone. As
the nitrogen oxide directly comes from the vehicles, the smog forms
over cities where many people may encounter adverse health effects.
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 Ground-level ozone
• It is a highly reactive secondary pollutant.
• This formation occurs when primary pollutants, like
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, react with sunlight.
• High temperatures and sun both act as catalysts to this reaction.
Ground-level ozone has adverse effects on people.
• The effects are breathing problems, coughing, and irritation to the
eyes, nose, and throat.
• Ground-level ozone causes aggravated symptoms to people with
asthma, bronchitis, emphysema when they were exposed to that.
It also reduces the body’s immune system, increasing the
tendency for more colds and flu.

Ground-level ozone in the form of smog, Denver, Colorado

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 Acid Deposition
• It is a type of precipitation – rain, snow, sleet, hail, or
fog – that has a lower pH (and is, therefore, more
acidic) than normal.
• This higher acidity causes problems in ecosystems
and the environment and remains one of the major
environmental concerns.
• Acid rain forms when water in the air combines with
nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide (two types of
pollutants) and then falls down the surface of the
Earth.
• It has many damaging effects on vegetation, lakes,
fish, buildings and other structures. It also causes
respiratory diseases in humans, especially those that
have bad health.

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 Particulate Matter
• Particulate matter (PM) is a combination of solid particles and liquid droplets that can be found in the air.
• PM contains hazardous elements such as arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, lead, manganese, and nickel.
• PM causes significant health problems in humans—specifically, particles that are smaller than 10 micrometers.
• These particles are harmful as they can penetrate past a lung’ barrier defenses and lodge themselves deep in the lungs.
• Chronic exposure to these particles increases the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases as well as
increasing the risk of developing lung cancer.

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 Peroxy Acetyl Nitrate (PAN)
• PANs are secondary pollutants, which means they are
not directly emitted as exhaust from power
plants or internal combustion engines, but they are
formed from other pollutants by chemical reactions in
the atmosphere.
• It is produced in the atmosphere when oxidized volatile
organic compounds combine with nitrogen oxide.
• It is a component of photochemical smog.
• They are good markers for the source of VOCs as either
biogenic or anthropogenic.
• PANs create health problems such as reduced
respiratory function and eye irritation, and may also be
linked to emphysema, impaired breathing and other
lung problems.

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 Volatile Organic compounds
(VOCs)
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from
certain solids or liquids. VOCs include a variety of chemicals, some
of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects.
• VOCs are often components of petroleum fuels, hydraulic fluids,
paint thinners, and dry cleaning agents.
• Concentrations of many VOCs are consistently higher indoors (up
to ten times higher) than outdoors.
• VOCs are emitted by a wide array of products such as paints and
lacquers, paint strippers, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building
materials and furnishings, copiers and printers, correction fluids and
carbonless copy paper.
• Benzene, formaldehyde, diesel exhaust, styrene, and
perchloroethylene are known or suspected carcinogens and their
exposure can pose serious health risks. Similarly, Toluene,
ethylbenzene, o-, m-, and p- xylenes have been found to develop
adverse health impacts on respiratory and neurological effects.
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 Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs)
• PAHs are a class of organic compounds produced by incomplete
combustion or high-pressure processes. PAHs form when complex
organic substances are exposed to high temperatures or
pressures.
• The more common PAHs include
benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(e)pyrene
• PAH pollutants have been determined to be highly toxic,
mutagenic, carcinogenic, teratogenic, and immunotoxicogenic to
various life forms.
• In the atmosphere, PAHs may be subject to direct photolysis.
• PAHs can also react with pollutants such as ozone, hydroxyl
radicals, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide, yielding diones,
nitro- and dinitro-PAHs, and sulfonic acids, respectively.
• PAHs may also be degraded by some fungi and microorganisms in
the soil and can be metabolized by a wide variety of terrestrial
and aquatic organisms, although they are expected to
bioconcentrate in organisms (aquatic and terrestrial) that cannot Chandigarh University
metabolize them.
 Persistent Organic Pollutants
(POPs)
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are hazardous chemicals that
threaten human health and the planet’s ecosystems. POPs remain
intact for a long time, widely distributed throughout the
environment, accumulate and magnify in living organisms through the
food chain, and are toxic to both humans and wildlife.
• Humans are exposed to POPs mainly through the food we eat, the air
we breathe, in the outdoors, indoors and at the workplaces.
• Long‐term exposure – to certain compounds under certain conditions
–even to low levels of POPs can lead to increased cancer risk,
reproductive disorders, alteration of the immune system,
neurobehavioral impairment, endocrine disruption, genotoxicity and
increased birth defects.
• The Stockholm Convention (2004) on persistent organic pollutants calls
for reduction or elimination of releases of POPs globally.

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are a class of POPs which were used in closed
applications, such as electric transformers and capacitors and in open applications such as
paint, buildings, installations and machinery.
They posed a significant risk to direct human exposure in daily life. Although no longer
allowed to be produced, PCBs can still be found everywhere.
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References

• Fuller, Richard; Landrigan, Philip J; Balakrishnan, Kalpana; Bathan, Glynda; Bose-

O'Reilly, Stephan; Brauer, Michael; Caravanos, Jack; Chiles, Tom; Cohen, Aaron;
Corra, Lilian; Cropper, Maureen; Ferraro, Greg; Hanna, Jill; Hanrahan, David; Hu,
Howard (17 May 2022). "Pollution and health: a progress update". The Lancet
Planetary Health. 6 (6): e535–e547.
• https://cpcb.nic.in/upload/NAAQS_2019.pdf
• Ohura T, et al. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in indoor and outdoor
environments and factors affecting their concentrations. Environmental Science
& Technology. 2004;38:77–83.

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Frequently Asked Questions:
• What is air pollution its effects?
• What are five common air pollutants?
• How air pollution causes global warming?
• What is acid rain? Name the gases responsible for acid rain.
• Deforestation is a major reason for air pollution. Explain.

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THANKS

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