AIR POLLUTION

METEOROLOGY AND
DISPERSION
 ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE
The atmosphere is somewhat like an
engine. It is continually expanding and
compressing gases, exchanging heat,
and generally raising chaos.
The Coriolis effect (rotation of Earth),
coupled with the different heat
conductivities of the oceans and land
produce weather.
METEOROLOGICAL FACTORS
The degree to which air pollutants
discharged from various sources
concentrate in a particular area
depends largely on meteorological
conditions.
Types:
Primary parameters
secondary parameters
 Primary Parameters

1. Wind direction and speed

2. Temperature
3. Atmospheric stability
4. Mixing height
 Secondary Parameters
1. Precipitation
2. Humidity
3. Solar radiation
4. Visibility

The parameters vary widely as a

function of latitude, season and
topography
 DISPERSION OF POLLUTANTS
Dispersion is the process of
spreading out the emission over a
large area and thereby reducing the
concentration of the specific
pollutants. Dispersion is in two
dimensions: horizontal or vertical. The
amount of dispersion is directly related
to the stability of the air, or how much
vertical air movement is taking place.
 DISPERSION OF
POLLUTANTS
Higher wind speed dilution of pollutants
Gustiness an important characteristics of
surface winds that is directly proportional to
its speed and determines the extent to which
the pollutants are mixed and diluted to the
surrounding air.
Rough terrain wind direction and speed
may not govern the subsequent motion of
contaminants
 DISPERSION OF
POLLUTANTS
VALLEYS
- When the general circulation imposes
moderate to strong winds, valleys that
are oriented at an acute angle to the
wind direction channel the wind. The
valley effectively peels off part of the
wind and forces it to follow the
direction of the valley floor.
 STABILITY
STABILITY
-The tendency of the atmosphere to
resist or enhance vertical motion
-Related to both wind speed and the
change of air temperature with height
(lapse rate)
 ATMOSPHERIC ENGINE
Anticyclones
-associated with good weather

Cyclones
- Associated with foul weather
(tornados, hurricanes)
 STABILITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE
As the air rises in the earths atmosphere, it
experiences lower and lower pressure from
the surrounding air molecules and thus
expands. This expansion lowers the
temperature of the air.
Ideally, a rising air cools at a rate of 1C/100
m and warms at a rate of 1C/100 m if it is
coming down.
The warming or cooling is termed the dry
adiabatic lapse rate
The adiabatic lapse rate is independent of
prevailing atmospheric temperatures
When there is moisture in the air, the lapse
rate becomes the wet adiabatic lapse
rate
1) Superadiabatic lapse rate strong lapse
rate
- Occurs when the atmospheric
temperature drops more than 1C/100 m
- Atmospheric conditions are unstable
- A great deal of vertical movement and
turbulence are produced, and dispersion
is enhanced.
2) Subadiabatic lapse rate weak lapse
rate
- Characterized by a drop of less than
1C/100 m, stable atmospheric condition
3) Inversion special case of a weak
lapse rate
- Extreme subadiabatic condition
- A condition that has warmer air
above colder air
- Stable atmospheric condition
4) Adiabatic
5) Inversion over superadiabatic
 Mixing Height
Mixing Height height above the
earths surface to which related
pollutants will extend, primarily
through the action of atmospheric
turbulence.
 Precipitation
Rainfall or precipitation exerts a two
fold cleansing action on pollutants
discharged into the atmosphere.
Accelerates deposition of particulate
matter on the ground
Decreases concentration of gaseous
pollutants that are soluble in water
 Humidity
The moisture content of the
atmosphere influences the corrosive
action of air pollutants and indicates
the potential for fog formation.
 Solar Radiation
Solar radiation have a pronounced
effect on the type and rate of
chemical reactions in the
atmosphere.
i.e. PAN formation, smog formation,
destruction of chlorine compounds
 Methods for
Measurement of
Meteorological Variables
Wind Direction Recorder
Plume Behavior
Stack Height
 PLUMES
PLUMES
- The smoke trail or plume from a stack
located on flat terrain exhibiting a
characteristic shape that is dependent
on the stability of the atmosphere
 LOOPING PLUMES

LOOPING: It is a type of plume which has

a wavy character. It occurs in a highly
unstable atmosphere because of rapid
mixing. The high degree of turbulence
helps in dispersing the plume rapidly but
high concentrations may occur close to
the stack if the plume touches the
 CONING PLUME

CONING: It is a type of plume which is

shaped like a cone. It takes place in a near
neutral atmosphere (adiabatic condition)
when the wind velocity is greater than 32
km/h but reaches the ground at greater
distances than with looping.
 FANNING PLUMEs

FANNING: It is a type of plume emitted

under extreme inversion conditions. The
plume will spread horizontally, but little,
if at all vertically. Therefore, the
prediction of ground level concentration
is difficult.
 LOFTING PLUMES

LOFTING: Lofting occurs when there

is a strong lapse rate above a surface
inversion. Diffusion is rapid upward,
but downward diffusion does not
penetrate the inversion layer.
 FUMIGATION PLUME

FUMIGATION: It is a phenomenon in
which pollutants that are aloft in the
air are brought rapidly to ground
level when the air destabilizes.
 TRAPPING PLUMES

TRAPPING: This refers to conditions

where the plume is caught between
inversions and can only diffuse within
a limited vertical height.
 Stack Height
The height of stack and the height of
the rise of the plume above the stack play a
major role in the ground level concentration
expected on the down wind side.
for a given stack height, the
concentration at ground level decreases
with increase in wind velocity. However,
there is a critical velocity when the ground
concentration attain its maximum value
 Cm = M.K 3 1
H2 V.AT
Cm = maximum concentration of pollutants on
ground level
H = height of stack
M = mass of the pollutant gases discharged per
unit time
AT = difference in temperature of stack gases and
surrounding air
K = constant which accounts for factors as
1.Horizontal and vertical mixing of pollutants in air
2.Settling velocity of polluting substance
3.Discharge characteristics of gases from stack
 Cmax = AFMm n 1/3

H2 V.t
Cmax = maximum concentration of pollutants
A = coefficient, depends upon atmospheric conditions
F = coefficient, depends upon dust precipitation
efficiency, ranges from 0.8 to 0.95
M = quantity of flue gases, g/s
m = coefficient depends upon velocity of flue gases
H = height of stack or chimney in m
n = number of emitting sources
V = volume of gases leaving the chimney in m3/s
t = difference in temperature between flue gases and
atmospheric temperature at the top of the stack.
 Stack Height
H = CQ0.27
Q = pollutant emission in tonnes per
hour
H = height of chimney in meters
C = constant, depends on type of
pollutant
C = 74, particulate matter
C = 14, SO2
 Effects of Air Pollution on
Human Health

Nature of pollutants
Concentration of pollutants
Duration of exposure
State of health of receptor
Age of the receptor
 Mechanism of Action
Contact with exposed membranous
surfaces is of utmost importance
because of their high absorptive
capacity compared to that of the skin.
 Effects of Air Pollution on
Animals
In case of farm animals, the processes
by which farm animals get poisoned are:
1.Accumulation of air-borne contaminant
in the vegetation ad forage
2.Subsequent poisoning of animals when
they eat the contaminated vegetation.
 Major Animal Toxins
Fluorine Toxicosis
Chronic fluorosis, lack of appetite, rapid loss of
weight, decline in health and vigor, lameness,
periodic diarrhea, muscular weakness and death
Arsenic Poisoning
Severe salivation, thirst, vomiting, uneasiness,
feeble, irregular pulse and respiration.
Lead Poisoning
Impotence, loss of appetite, paralysis, nervous
depression, lethargy, death
 Effects of Air Pollution on
Plants
The primary factor which controls gas
absorption by the leaves is the degree
of opening of stomata which usually
happens at high light intensity
(especially in the morning), high
relative humidity, adequate moisture
on roots and moderate temperature.
 Air Pollutants Affecting
Plants
Sulfur dioxide mercury
Fluoride PAN
Ozone hydrogen cyanide
Chlorine herbicides
Hydrogen chloride smog
Nitrogen oxide
Ammonia
Hydrogen sulfide
Forms of Damage to Leaves
Necrosis killing or collapse of tissue
Chlorosis loss or reduction of green
plant pigment, chlorophyll.
Abscission dropping of leaves
Epinasty downward curvature of
leaf due to higher rate of growth on
the upper surface
 Injury to Leaves

Bleaching sulfur dioxide

Yellowing ammonia
Browning fluoride
Silver/bronzing PAN injury