Air Pollution

1
Air Pollution

• Causes and Effects

2
Definition

• Contamination of the air by the discharge of
  harmful substances

3
Major Air pollutants

• CO carbon monoxide
• Odorless and colourless
• Can deprive blood stream from the intake of
  oxygen
• Mild cases dizziness, headaches and fatigue
• Serious cases Death
• Source Can occur in areas that are extremely
  heavy in traffic flow

4
Carbon Dioxide

• Greenhouse gas
• Caused by
• Burning of fossil fuels
• Effects
• Can cause frostbites and blindness
• Too much in the blood, can cause increase in
  breathing rate
• Lead to unconsciousness
• Death

5
CFCs

• Used in industry for refrigeration and air
  conditioning
• They rise to the stratosphere when released into
  the air
• Reduces ozone layer
• Eliminates ozone destroying chemicals in the
  stratosphere

6
Hazardous Air Pollutants

• Chemicals that can cause serious health and
  environmental effects
• These are released from chemical plants, dry
  cleaners, printing plants and motor vehicles

7
Lead

• Highly toxic metal
• Can cause nervous system damage
• Can cause digestive problems

8
Ozone

• At ground level, Ozone damages human health, the
  environment, crops and natural and artificial
  materials
• It can irritate respiratory tract
• Cause chest pain
• Reduces visibility

9

• Sources of ozone
• From solvents
• Reactions of chemicals by burning coal, gasoline
• Chemicals in paints and hair sprays
• Vehicles and industry

10
Nitrogen Oxide

• Produced by the burning of fuels
• Major contributor to smog and acid rain
• Smog can
• Cause breathing difficulty
• Acid rain harm vegetation

11
Sulfur Dioxide

• Produced by power plants and the burning of coal
• Also a major contributor to smog and acid rain
• Harms vegetation and metals
• Cause lung problems

12

• The common picture of air pollution is of smoking
  industrial chimneys and traffic exhausts
  affecting the surrounding populations ambient
  air pollution.
• Even though the main sources of air pollutants
  are man-made traffic and industry natural
  sources also contribute (e.g. volcanoes).

13

• Indoor air pollutants are an even greater threat
  to the health of millions.

14
http//healthandenergy.com/air_pollution_causes.ht
m
15
What are the health effects of motor vehicle
emissions?

• Diesel particulates consist of a solid
  carbonaceous core on which compunds such as
  unburnt hydrocarbons, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen
  dioxide and sulphuric acid are absorbed. Recent
  studies have suggested that the diesel particle
  itself. stripped of the organic and other
  materials on the surface, may be carcinogenic. 
• Carbon Monoxide is harmful because of the
  affinity of haemoglobin in the blood  for carbon
  monoxide is 200 times greater than for oxygen.
  Carbon monoxide is known to hinder oxygen
  transport to tissues.
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emissions from vehicles
  and other sources produce a variety of adverse
  health and environmental effects. NOx also react
  chemically with other pollutants to form ozone.
  Exposure to nitrogen dioxide emissions is linked
  with increased susceptibility to respiratory
  infection, increased airway resistance in
  asthmatics and decreased pulmonary function. 
• Benzene is present in the exhaust of petrol
  vehicles and is harmful to humans. Exposure to
  high concentrations of benzene may cause
  disorders to the blood system. 
• Formaldehyde and other aldehydes are emitted in
  the exhaust of both petrol and diesel vehicles.
  Formaldehyde is of particular interest both due
  to its photochemical reactivity in ozone
  formation and suspected carcinogenicity.
  Formaldehyde can also be a short-term respiratory
  and skin irritant. 

16
Air Pollution in China causes
17
Air Pollution in China causes
18
Effects

• Health impact
• According WHO
• 3 million people die each year because of air
  pollution
• Around 30-40 of cases of asthma and 20-30 of
  all respiratory diseases may be linked to air
  pollution in some populations
• Studies in São Paulo, Brazil, have shown that a
  75 µg/m³ increase in concentrations of nitrogen
  dioxide (NO2) was related to a 30 increase in
  deaths from respiratory illness in children under
  five years of age.
• In adult non-smokers chronic exposure to
  environmental tobacco smoke increases mortality
  from lung cancer by between 20 and 30.

19
Air pollution affects workforce

• Affects as many as 50 million cases of
  occupational chronic respiratory disease each
  year