पर्यावरण एवं संपोष्र् ववकयस संस्थयनInstitute of Environment and Sustainable

Development

AMBIENT CONCENTRATION OF AIR

POLLUTANTS AND TRACE GASES

AIR POLLUTION:

• introduction of particulates, biological molecules, or other harmful materials into the Earth's atmosphere, possibly causing disease, death to humans, damage to other living organisms such as food crops, or the natural or built environment.

Types:• OUTDOOR• INDOOR

AIR POLLUTANTS: substance in the air that can have adverse effects on humans and the ecosystem. The substance can be solid

particles, liquid droplets, or gases.

CRITERIA POLLUTANTS

NOx

SOx

CO

LEAD

PARTICULATES

OZONE

CRITERIA POLLUTANTS

VOCs HAPS

WHY MONITOR POLLUTANTS?

Effect of Air on Public health

Policy Making

Legal purpose

SOME MONITORING AGENCIES

National Ambient Air Quality Standards:

STANDARDS FOR CRITERIA POLLUTANTS SET BY US,EPA

METHODOLOGY:

Emissions Monitoring

Ambient MonitoringDeposition Monitoring

Visibility Monitoring Upper Air Monitoring Health Monitoring

Trends in Ambient Concentration Of Criterion Air Pollutants:

•Carbon monoxide (CO) = colorless, odorless gas from vehicle exhaust and other sources; dangerous—prevents oxygen uptake• First set in 1971 ; Standard retained 1994

SOx

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) = colorless gas from coal burning for electricity and industry; contributes to acid precipitation

NOx foul-smelling red gas from vehicle exhaust, industry, and electricity

generation; contributes to smog and acid precipitation

Set in 1971; Reviewed in 1996

EPA declined to set short-term standard

PARTICULATE POLLUTION any solid (or liquid) particles small enough to be carried aloft

in air; dust, soot, sulfates, nitrates; causes respiratory damage

• Larger particles (> PM10) deposit in the upper respiratory tract

• Smaller, inhalable particles (≤ PM10) penetrate into the lungs

• PM10-2.5 are thoracic coarse PM

• PM2.5 go deeper than PM10-2.5

OZONE

colorless gas; secondary pollutant from sunlight, heat, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and C-containing chemicals; contributes to smog; harmful to living tissues

high toxicity and involvement in production of other pollutants -very important atmospheric pollutant

Over 90% of photochemical smog is ozone

LEAD

metal in atmosphere as particulate; from gasoline additive, phased out in 1980s; diverse health impacts

Atmospheric lead normally a chronic cumulative poison, mostly affecting the central nervous system, blood & kidney

at highest concentrations in particles of 0.2m or less, which increases its access to animals by allowing access to the deep lung tissue

First set in 1978

Most recent Criteria Document completed in 1986, supplemented in 1990

EPA started review in 2004

TRENDS:

Volatile organic compounds

“VOCs” are regulated by many governments.

Large group of potentially harmful carbon- containing chemicals used in industrial processes.

Hydrocarbons are one example.

About half are human-made, half natural.

VOCs contribute to smog, produce secondary pollutants.

HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS

chemicals known to cause serious health or environmental problems

Include substances known to cause cancer and reproductive defects, and substantial ecological harm

Most produced by human activities

Air Quality Index

AQI helps in understanding the level at which air is polluted and the associated health effects that might concern.

EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants : ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to protect public health.

The EPA has developed the pollutant standard index (PSI) for introducing consistency in providing information regarding the air quality throughout the US. The system is based on a scale of 0-500.

AIR QUALITY INDEX

Good: The AQI value for a community is between 0 and 50 then the air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

Moderate: The AQI is between 51 and 100 then the Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people.

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: When AQI values are between 101 and 150, members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. This means they are likely to be affected at lower levels than the general public.

Unhealthy: Everyone may begin to experience health effects when AQI values are between 151 and 200. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.

Very Unhealthy: AQI values between 201 and 300 trigger a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects.

Hazardous: AQI values over 300 trigger health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

CONCLUSION

Outdoor air pollution is a major environmental health problem affecting everyone in developed and developing countries alike

Ambient (outdoor air pollution) in both cities and rural areas was estimated to cause 3.7 million premature deaths worldwide per year in 2012

It should be our responsibility to preserve the quality and standard of air not only for our future generation but also for all living beings on this planet earth.

QUESTIONS