AIR POLLUTION: Pollutants Other Than Vehicles - Kailasha Online Learning LLP

AIR POLLUTION: Pollutants Other Than Vehicles

“Pollution”, when one hears the word, the first few things that come to mind is dirty water coming out of factories, smoke from vehicles, burning wastes, rotten agricultural leftovers in barren lands, etc. the way this world has been working, every aspect of natural life is affected by pollution be it breathing, eating or even psychological exercise. Life across the globe has been mostly affected by air pollution, soil pollution, water pollution and with the new developments, noise pollution, thermal pollution has also made adverse effects on day to day lives. Here, various aspects of Air Pollution and the major pollutants contributing to it have been discussed.

Air pollution

Industrial and certain domestic activities result in air pollution. Disproportionate use of fossil energies in power plants, industries, transportation systems, mines, construction activities, stone quarries lead to air pollution. Air pollution is the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

There are two types of air pollutants i.e. (1) suspended particulate matter, and (2) gaseous pollutants like carbon dioxide (CO2), NOx, etc.

Particulate pollutants

Particulate matter differed in the air are dust and dirt released from the industrial chimneys. Their size ranges from 0.001 to 500 µm in diameter. Those less than 10µm hover and move freely with the air. Particles which are larger than 10µm in diameter settle down. Particles that are less than 0.02 µm form persistent aerosols. Major sources of suspended particulate matter are vehicles, energy plants, construction sites, oil-refinery, railways, market areas, factories, etc.

Fly ash, evicted mostly by thermal power plants as by-products of coal-burning actions pollutes air and water and causes heavy metal pollution in water bodies. It affects vegetation as a result of its direct deposition on leaf surfaces or indirectly through its deposition in soil. Lead and other metals particles [Tetraethyl lead (TEL)] is used in petrol for smooth and easy running of vehicles. The lead evicting from the exhaust pipes of vehicles is mixed with air and if inhaled it produces adverse effects on the kidney and liver and interferes with the growth of red blood cells. Lead mixed with water and food can cause cumulative poisoning. It affects in long terms on children as it lowers intelligence. Oxides of iron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, zinc, and other metals have a hostile effect on plants during mining operations and metallurgical processes. Such pollutants create physiological, biochemical and developmental disorders in plants and contribute to reproductive failure in plants.

Gaseous pollutants

Energy plants, industries, vehicles – both private and commercial use petrol and diesel as fuel and emit gaseous pollutants like Carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and Sulphur dioxide along with particulate matter in the form of smoke. They have harmful effects on plants and humans. Major pollutants, their sources, and effects have been shown in a chart below:

Major Pollutants:

Vehicular Exhaust

One source that contributes to air pollution most is vehicle exhaust fumes, which release a high percentage of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is also the largest air pollutant in the United States of America. Millions of vehicles run daily on the roads, each one leaving its own carbon footprint on the environment. The global transport sector accounts for almost one-quarter of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and this proportion is ever rising. Air pollution caused by transport has been linked to almost 400,000 premature deaths. Almost half of all deaths by air pollution from transport are due to diesel emissions. The disturbing fact is – those living closest to major traffic arteries are up to 12 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia. Vehicular exhaust may be one of the largest causes of air pollution but other sources too contribute to the problem to a large extent and their damage to daily lives is not any less.

Power Plants

In addition to vehicular exhaust pollution, fossil fuels also have a wider scale problem when they’re burned for energy in power plants. Chemicals like sulfur dioxide when released during the burning process, travel straight into the atmosphere. These pollutants react with water molecules to yield something known as acid rain. Similar to the exhaust being released from vehicles, heavier machinery located inside big factories and industrial plants also emit pollutants into the air.

In developing countries, power generation is a leading source of air pollution. Coal-burning power plants are a major contributor, while diesel generators are a growing concern in rural areas. Increasing energy productivity from renewable sources have a direct bearing on a country’s air quality. At present, 82 countries out of 193 promote investment in renewable energy production, cleaner production, energy efficacy, and pollution control.

This is one of the motives that alternative energy sources, such as nuclear, solar, and wind are being discovered in greater detail. They tend to release fewer pollutants into the environment to produce equal amounts of energy.

Agricultural Activities:

In agricultural activities, ammonia is a frequent by-product and that just happens to be one of the most dangerous gases in our environment. There are also plenty of nasty chemicals that come into the atmosphere from pesticides and fertilizers, which are being used at ever more higher rates.

[i]

The major contribution of air pollution from agriculture include livestock, which produces methane and ammonia, rice paddies, which produce methane, and the burning of agricultural waste. Methane emissions result in the formation of ground-level ozone, which causes asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Methane is also a more forceful global warming gas than carbon dioxide – its impact is 34 times greater over a 100-year period. Around 24 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted worldwide come from agriculture, forestry, and other land-use.

Household Activities

Common household chemicals like bleach (without proper ventilation) is one of the sources of indoor air pollution. Cigarettes and cigars, smoking tobacco also release toxic pollutants into the air. Apart from that indoor burning of fossil fuels, wood and other biomass-based fuels used for cooking, heating, and lighting homes do contribute to air pollution massively. Around 3.8 million premature deaths each year, the vast majority of them being in the developing world, are caused by indoor air pollution.

Out of 193 countries, 97 countries have increased the percentage of households that have access to cleaner-burning fuels to over 85 percent. However, 3 billion people continue to use solid fuels and open fires for cooking, heating, and lighting.

[ii]

Waste Disposal

Waste burning in open areas and organic waste in landfills release harmful dioxins, furans, methane, and fine particulate matter like black carbon into the atmosphere. An estimated 40% of waste is openly burned globally. The problem arises the most in urbanizing regions and third world countries. 166 out of 193 countries practice open burning of agricultural and household waste.

Natural Causes

It is foolish to believe that only humans cause pollution. Not all air pollution comes from human activity. The Earth itself is one of the biggest polluters itself, though. Volcanoes, forest fires, and dust storms are nature-born events that create massive amounts of air pollution in the environment. Humans are not even close to volcanoes when it comes to air pollutants. Volcanic eruptions, dust storms and other natural processes cause major problems. Sand and dust storms, in particular, affect life most. Fine particles of dust travel miles with these storms, which also carry pathogens and harmful substances, causing acute and chronic respiratory problems.

Other than these contributors to air pollution, there are certainly other sources that cause different types of pollution, viz., –

Noise pollution: Noise in industrial plants such as stone cutting and crushing, steel factories, loudspeakers, noise by hawkers vending their wares, movement of heavy carriage vehicles, railways and airports, activities such as those at market place, religious, social, and cultural functions, sports and political rallies lead to irritation and an increased blood pressure, loss of temper, decrease in work efficiency, loss of hearing which may be first temporary or even permanent in the noise stress parts of the world.

Indoor sources such as noise produced by radio, television, generators, electric fans, air coolers, air conditioners, different home appliances, and family conflict also result in noise pollution to a great extent.

Water Pollution: It is one of the gravest ecological problems. a variety of human activities such as industrial, agricultural and domestic causes water pollution. Agricultural lands with excess fertilizers and pesticides, industrial effluents with toxic substances and sewage water with human and animal wastes pollute our water above and beneath. Natural sources of pollution of water are soil erosion, leaching of minerals from rocks and decaying of organic matter. The main sources of water pollution are – pollution due to pesticides and inorganic chemicals, Pesticides like DDT, Metals like lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, mercury, and cadmium in industrial wastewaters, etc. Oil pollution of sea happens from leakage from ships, oil tankers, rigs, and pipelines. Accidents of oil tankers spill a large quantity of oil in seas which kills marine birds and badly affects other marine life and beaches.
Soil Pollution: Accumulation of substances which poorly affect the quality of soil or its productiveness is known as soil pollution. Polluted water too pollutes the soil. The mixture of plastics, cloth, glass, metal and organic matter, sewage, sewage sludge, building debris, generated from households, commercial and industries plants add to soil pollution. Plastic bags made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), virtually indestructible, create an environmental hazard. Burning of plastic in garbage dumps releases extremely toxic and poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, phosgene, dioxin, and other toxic chlorinated compounds.

Pollution is killing hundreds and thousands of people daily. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the world saw two major developments in human life, one being the comfortable lifestyle and the other being the complete opposite of it, i.e. the adverse effect of the industrial advancements, ‘Pollution’. In the latter half of the 20th century, the world community has shown some concern but that have not got the desired results. With the day to day technological, industrial advancements and them being an inseparable part of human life, pollution is an ever-increasing phenomenon and if people at large do not work towards sustainable development, the future is nothing but dreadful.

[i] https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution

[ii] Ibid

other sources:

https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/air-pollution

https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/what-causes-air-pollution

https://www.renewableresourcescoalition.org/air-pollution-causes-effects-solutions/