Air pollution

Group member:
Muhammad Azmie bin Nazri
Muhammad Zahin Iman
Ariff Haiqal bin Johari
Siew Yan Yee
Chin Jia Xin
Introduction
Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, dust,
fumes or odour in harmful amounts. That is, amounts
which could be harmful to the health of humans and
animals or which could cause damage to plants and
materials. substances that cause air pollution are called
pollutants. There are two classification of air pollutants.
Two type of air pollution:
Visible air pollution.
Invisible air pollution.
Classification of air pollutants

primary pollutants secondary pollutants

pollution can arise if primary
Pollutants that are pumped
pollutants in the atmosphere
into our atmosphere and
undergo chemical reactions.
directly pollute the air are
The resulting compounds are
called primary pollutants.
called secondary pollutants.
Primary pollutant examples
Secondary pollutants that are
include carbon monoxide from
formed in the air by chemical
car exhausts and sulfur dioxide
and photochemical reactions on
from the combustion of coal.
primary pollutants.
 Classification of Air Pollutants
Categories of pollutants
Primary emitted directly from a source
Secondary formed in the atmosphere from a reaction of primary pollutants

It is a substance or effect dwelling temporarily or permanently in the air , which

adversely alters the environment by interfering with the health, the comfort, or the
food chain, or by interfering with the property values of people.
Basic Pollutants
Pollutant Abbreviation Type
Carbon Monoxide CO Primary
Sulfur Dioxide SO2 Primary
Ozone O3 Secondary
Nitrogen Dioxide NO2 Secondary
Hydrocarbon Compounds (also called VOCs
HC Primary & Secondary
volatile organic compounds )

Particulate Matter PM Primary & Secondary

Lead Pb Primary & Secondary
4
Effects of Air Pollution on Materials

Corrosion of metallic surfaces and tarnishing.

Readily damage the buildings materials like limestone
marble, heritage and etc.
Gases and coal particles also affect paints, paper and
leather.
Photochemical oxidants affect the material such as
textile fiber and rubber plants etc.
 Effects of Air Pollution on Materials

Air pollutants Effects

Ozone Deteriorate and crack rubber.

Hydrogen sulphide Darken lead based paints.

Sulphur dioxide Weaken the leather and textiles.

Picture above shows the Nitrogen peroxide Affect the dyes of printed clothes.
corrosion of statue and Sulphur dioxide and Disfigure the outer surface of buildings.
building. sulphur trioxide

Table shows the type of air

pollutants and its effect on
materials
Effects of Air Pollution to Humans

Human health affected

Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and

throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and
pneumonia. Others include headaches, nausea, and allergic
reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical
conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema.
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory
disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the
brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys.
Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing
children.
Effects of Air Pollution to Human
Health

Eye irritation
Nose and throat irritation
Respiratory system is affected
Increase in mortality and morbidity rate
Shortening of life span and mutation can be observed
Central Nervous System is affected
Effects of Air Pollution to Environment

Ozone Depletion

Ozone is gradually
being destroyed by
chlorofluorocarbons,
hydrochlorofluorocarb
ons, and halons.
Increased amounts of
UV radiation to reach
the Earth, which can
lead to more cases of
skin cancer,
cataracts, and
impaired immune
 Green House
Effects of Air Pollution to Environment
Effect
& Global Warming

Large amounts of
carbon dioxide
and methane are
trapped. As a
result, the Earth's
atmosphere
appears to be
trapping more of
the sun's heat,
causing the
Earth's average
temperature to
rise and this is
known as global
warming.
Effects of Air Pollution to Environment

Haze

Haze is caused when

sunlight encounters
tiny pollution particles
in the air. Air
pollutants emitted to
the atmosphere by
sources such as power
plants, industrial
facilities, trucks and
automobiles, open
burning and
construction activities.
Effects of Air Pollution to Environment
Acid Rain

Acid rain damages

trees and causes
soils and water
bodies to acidify,
making the water
unsuitable for some
fish and other
wildlife. It also
speeds the decay
of buildings,
statues, and
sculptures that are
part of our national
heritage.
Effects of Air Pollution on Plants and
Animals

Growth of plants and vegetables is affected

Bone lesions may develop in animals
Lack of appetite, rapid loss in weight, decline in health
and periodic diarrhea, muscular weakness and death
may also be the severe effect of pollution in animals.
METHODOLOGY
AIR POLLUTION CONTROL MEASURES

Improve dispersion
Reduce Emissions by Process Change,
Pollution Prevention
Use a Downstream Pollution Control
Device
 1. Improve dispersion
Tall stacks
I. Used to dilute pollutants before they came to the ground.
II. The power plants installed tall stacks to disperse pollutants and meet
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)s air quality
standards.
III. Stack should more than 3 m height.
IV. Coal power plants use tall smokestacks to release air pollutants like
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides high into the atmosphere, in an
effort to disperse pollution and decrease the impact on the local
community.
V. Decrease all the ground-level concentrations near the stack and
reduce pollution concentrations locally.
VI. However it does not actually reduce total emissions, which travel
downwind and can hurt air quality elsewhere.
Tall stack of plant
 1. Improve dispersion

Intermittent control schemes

- Predictive/Observational/Combined predictive-observational
- To reduce emissions then allowing emissions to return to
normal rates at other less critical times
- Short term emission reduction is brought
by:
(a) A plant shutdown
(b) Fuel switching
(c) Production curtailment during the period of control
 1. Improve dispersion

Relocate the plant

- New plant should located where its
emissions will have their greatest impact in
non-populated area
- Not a pleasant solution because of
economic impact
 2. Reduce Emissions by Process
Change, Pollution Prevention

Substitute water-based
paints for some of their oil-
based paints and greatly
reduce their hydrocarbon
emissions problem
Require the burning of
municipal waste or
industrial waste to be
carried out in closed
incinerators, which have
much better fuel-mixing,
fuel predrying, and heat
conservation than open
burning
 2.Reduce Emissions by Process
Change, Pollution Prevention

Installing basic
oxygen process
(BOP)
steelmaking
furnaces is that
the emissions are
more
concentrated and
thus easier to
control than those
from the open-
hearth furnaces
 2.Reduce Emissions by Process
Change, Pollution Prevention

Switching fuels
Switching vehicles from gasoline to compressed
natural gas, propane, or ethanol greatly reduces
the vehicles air pollutant emissions
Getting people to carpool
Any process change in any industry that reduces
the consumption of fuels or other raw materials
reduces air pollutants emissions
3. Use a Downstream Pollution Control
Device

Treats the contaminated gas stream to

remove or destroy enough of the
contaminant to make the stream
acceptable for discharge into the ambient
air
Devices to control particulate
contaminants : gravitational settling,
cyclone collector, scrubbers, electrostatic
precipitator, and fabric filters.
Devices to control contaminants