Environmental Engineering – I

“We won't have a society if we destroy

the environment. The future will either
be green or not at all.”

The University of Lahore

Assistant Professor Zain Saeed
Introduction to Air & Noise
Pollution

Major Public Health Issue

What is Air Pollution?
 Contamination of the air by noxious gases and minute
particles of solid and liquid matter (particulates) in
concentrations that have undesirable effect on living being.

 Modernization and progress have led to air getting more and

more polluted over the years. Industries, vehicles, increase in
the population, and urbanization are some of the major
factors responsible for air pollution. The following industries
are among those that emit a great deal of pollutants into the
air: thermal power plants, cement, steel, refineries, petro-
chemicals, and mines.

 Types

> > Indoor Pollution > > Outdoor Pollution

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
POLLUTANT

1. PRIMARY POLLUTAN

 Those emitted directly into air

2. SECONDARY POLLUTANT

 produced through reactions

between primary pollutants and
natural atmospheric compound
Pollutants of Air :
Particulate pollutants
Solids or liquids with size < 100 microns that remain suspended
in the atmosphere .e.g. Dust, Fumes, Smoke, Mist, Fog, Bacteria

Gaseous
Toxic and poisonous e.g. CO (deprives body of O2 causing headaches,
fatigue, and impaired vision), chlorine, NH3, H2S, SO2(present in power

plant exhaust), NO2 (affects lungs and causes wheezing; increases chance

of respiratory infection),CO2.
Sources of Outside Air Pollution

 Combustion of gasoline and other hydrocarbon

fuels in cars, trucks, and airplanes
 Burning of fossil fuels (oil, coal, and dinosaur
bones)
 Insecticides
 Herbicides
 Everyday radioactive fallouts
 Dust from fertilizers
 Mining operations, Livestock feedlots
SOx and NOx pollution
Transportation related causes of
air pollution
Aggravated Air Pollution – industry
Effects on the Environment

 Acid rain (contains high levels of sulfuric or nitric

acids - contaminate drinking water and vegetation )

 Ozone depletion
 Global warming
 In human population- respiratory
problems, allergies, strengthens lugs,
and a risk for cancer
*Howstuffworks.com
Effects on Health
Effects on Health

Around 30-40% of cases of asthma and

20-30% of all respiratory diseases may
be linked to air pollution

- increased acute respiratory diseases

- lowered lung function in children
- increased sickness rates;
- increases in mortality
Air Quality Monitoring

•Indicates whether pollutant levels in

air may cause health concerns.
•Ranges from 0 (least concern) to 500
(greatest concern)
 Air Quality Air Quality Index Protect Your Health

Good 0-50 No health impacts are expected when

air quality is in this range.

Moderate 51-100 Unusually sensitive people should

consider limiting prolonged outdoor
exertion.

Unhealthy for 101-150 Active children and adults, and people

Sensitive Groups with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion.

Unhealthy 151-200
Active children and adults, and people
with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion, everyone else, especially
children should limit prolonged outdoor
excertion.

Very Unhealthy (Alert)
201-300 Active children and adults, and people
with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion everyone else, especially
children, should limit outdoor exertion.
Smog over Los Angeles`
Aerial spraying
• Deteriorated air quality

• Pollution control experts to use aerial

spraying to tackle dust pollution over
a city
• choppers are being used for aerial
sprinkling to tackle pollution

• smog-fighting drones that spray

chemicals to capture air pollution -
China's Meteorological Administration
Control of air pollution
Reducing Air Pollution
Society
Industries
 Legislation
 guidelines for siting of industries
 emission standards for industries
 development of pollution prevention technologies

Vehicular pollution
 stringent emission norms
 cleaner fuel quality
Strategies
 Air Quality Management
Plan
 Development of new
technology- electric
cars, cleaner fuels, low
nitrogen oxide boilers
and water healers, zero
polluting paints, less
polluting BBQ lighter
fluids
 Use of natural gas
 Carpooling
 Follow the laws enacted
•Ride your bike

•Tell your friends and family about pollution

•Make sure your parents get pollution checks

on their cars

•Ride the school bus

•Learn more; stay up to date

•Join a group to stop pollution

•Encourage your parents to carpool to

work

•Switch off lights, fan, heat, etc. when

you leave the room
Noise Pollution

Definition:
Pollution is simply defined as the introduction into the environment,
by people, of substances or energy liable to cause harm to living
creatures or ecological systems.
Noise Pollution:
Production of unwanted sounds that are annoying, distracting or
damaging to one’s hearing.
• More sophisticated lifestyles.

• Growing needs of people.

• Accelerated rates of human

and economic activities.
 NOISE
“The word noise comes from the Latin word noxia
meaning "injury" or "hurt" .” Noise is an unwanted,
unpleasant and annoying sound caused by vibration of
the matter.

Vibrations impinge on the ear

drum of a human or animal and
setup a nervous disturbance,
which we call sound. When the
effects of sound are undesirable
that it may be termed as “Noise”.
What is noise pollution?

Any unwanted sound that penetrates the environment

is noise pollution.

In general noise pollution refers to any noise irritating

to one's ear which comes from an external source.
Sources of Noise Pollution

 Street traffic  Construction Noise

 Rail roads  Noise in Industry
 Airplanes  Noise in building
 Consumer products  Noise from Consumer products
 Road Traffic noise  Loud Speakers / Public Address
 Air Craft Systems

 Noise from railroads  Firecrackers

Animation for Noise Pollution
Tolerance Level & Effects of
Noise Pollution
 Normal level of tolerance is 80dbA.
 Sound level below and above this is considered to be as
noise pollution.
 There are about 25000 hair cells in our ear which create
wave in our ear, responding to different levels of
frequencies.
 With increasing levels of sound the cells get destroyed
decreasing our ability to hear the high frequency sound.
 Be cautious from today
 Irreversible hearing loss.
 Blood pressure rise of 5 to 10 mmHg on 8 hrs of
exposure to even 70 db of sound level.
 Hearing loss begins at 80- 90 dbA. 140 dbA is
painful and 180 dbA can even kill a person.
 Amplified rock music is 120 dbA.
 Most of the electronic vehicles and motors are
above 80 dbA level.
 High noise levels may interfere with the natural
cycles of animals, including feeding behavior,
breeding rituals and migration paths.
Symptoms of occupational Hearing Loss

 Feeling of fullness in the ear.

 Sounds may seem muffled.

 Cannot hear high frequency sounds.

 Ringing in the ears while listening to the high

frequency sounds.

 Loud noise for a long period of time, or sudden

burst of sound can cause occupational hearing
loss.
Actions taken and to be taken

 There are a variety of effective strategies for

mitigating adverse sound levels
 use of noise barriers.
 limitation of vehicle speeds
 alteration of roadway surface texture.
 limitation of heavy duty vehicles
 use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle
flow to reduce braking and acceleration,
innovative tire design and other
Legistation

 Noise Regulation Rules under the

Environment (Protection) Act.
 Features
 Industrial- 75db
 Commercial- 65 db
 Residential zones- 55 db
 Zones of silence
Frequently Asked
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions

 Is noise pollution a health issue?

 Yes, exposure to daily levels of noise pollution causes
hearing loss, hypertension, increased blood pressure and
headaches
 Excessive noise causes depression in many people and can
lead to loss of productivity and even violence
 When people lose sleep at night, it affects their day
Frequently Asked Questions

 If you don't like noise, why not move away?

 Noise pollution is everywhere
 Families moved out of cities to suburbs because of the
noise from car alarms, boom cars and nightclubs
 Gas powered lawn equipment such as leaf blowers ruined
the tranquility that once made suburbs so attractive
 One noisy neighbor can ruin a neighborhood
Frequently Asked Questions

 Don’t people have the right to make noise?

 People do not have absolute rights to do anything they
want on their property
 We all share a common environment and we have limited
rights to ensure our mutual quality of life
 Noise ordinances
 Quality of Life
 Environmental Landscape
 Property Values
 Neighbor Relations
THANK YOU