MODULE 3
AIR
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Module 3: Air and Minerals
Air: Introduction, composition, sources and classification of air pollutants, National Ambient Air
quality standards (NAAQS), Air quality index, effects of air pollution on human health. Economic
effects of air pollution. Control of air pollution by equipment, smoke and its control. Ozone
depletion impacts, photochemical changes.
Minerals and rocks: Minerals, important rock forming minerals like Quartz, Mica, Feldspar and
Amphibole, lithification & metamorphism, weathering: physical, biogeochemical processes,
erosion, agent of erosion
Air
Air is a non-homogeneous mixture of different gases in the atmosphere.
The composition of air refers to the chemical composition of the troposphere. The troposphere is
the lowest layer of the atmosphere, extending from the surface to about 12 km or 39000 ft. The
troposphere contains about 80% of the mass of the Earth’s atmosphere. Nearly all of the
atmosphere’s water vapor exists in this layer. Just three gases account for 99% of dry
air: nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.
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Air pollution
Means the presence in the atmosphere of one or more air contaminants in such quantities and of
such duration as is or tends to be injurious to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or
property, or would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property.
Air pollution may be defined as the
presence in the air (outdoor atmosphere) of one or more contaminants or combinations thereof in
such quantities and of such durations as may be or tend to be injurious to human, animal or plant
life, or property, or which unreasonably interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or
property or conduct of business.
⏵ Air pollutants come in the form of gases and finely divided solid and liquid aerosols.
⏵ Aerosols are loosely defined as “any solid or liquid particles suspended in the air”
Air Pollutant
▪ A pollutant can be solid (large or sub-molecular), liquid or gas .
▪ It may originate from a natural or anthropogenic source (or both).
▪ It is estimated that anthropogenic sources have changed the composition of global air by
less than 0.01%.
▪ Examples of “natural” air pollution include:
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▪ Ash,
▪ salt particles,
▪ pollen and spores,
▪ smoke and
▪ windblown dust
Sources and Classification of Air Pollution
The air pollutants can be classified in many ways as shown below:-
1. According to origin:
The air pollutants are classified into:
Primary pollutants:
The pollutants that are emitted directly from identifiable sources produced by natural
events ( eg: dust storms and volcanic eruptions) and human activities (eg: emissions from
vehicles, industries etc.) are called primary pollutants. Eg: smoke, dust, oxides of sulphur
& nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulate matter etc.
Secondary pollutants:
The pollutants that are formed in the atmosphere by chemical interactions between primary
pollutants and atmospheric constituents are known as secondary pollutants. Eg. Sulphur
trioxide, ozone, ketones, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, carbonic acid etc.
2. According to state of matter:
The pollutants are classified into:-
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Gaseous air pollutants:
These pollutants exist in a gaseous state at normal temperature and pressure. They are
carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur oxides etc.
Particulate air pollutants:
These are not gaseous substances. They are suspended droplets, solid particles or mixtures
of the two.
3. According to sources:
Pollutants originate from
Natural sources:
These include volcanic eruptions, deflation of sand and dust, forest or wild fires of natural
vegetation, sulphur springs, natural geysers, organic and inorganic decays, vegetative
decays, marsh gases, cosmic dust, pollen grains of flowers, photochemical reactions, soil
debris etc. Wild animals in their natural habitat are also considered natural sources of
pollution – decomposition gases, waste
Man-made sources:
These include human activities such as industries, factories, urban centres, aircraft, nuclear
experiments, automobiles, agriculture, domestic burning of wood and burning of fossil
fuels, deforestation, mining, waste treatment plants and power plants.
Sources of Air Pollution - contd
Stationary Sources
⏵ A stationary source of air pollution refers to an emission source that does not move
(i.e., power plants, chemical and manufacturing industries).
⏵ Often stationary sources are defined as large emitters who release relatively consistent
qualities and quantities of pollutants.
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POINT SOURCE
⏵ Point sources include-
⏵ industrial and nonindustrial stationary equipment or processes considered significant
sources of air pollution emissions.
⏵ A facility is considered to have significant emissions if it emits about one ton or more in
a calendar year.
⏵ Point sources include-
⏵ industrial and nonindustrial stationary equipment or processes considered significant
sources of air pollution emissions.
⏵ A facility is considered to have significant emissions if it emits about one ton or more in
a calendar year.
Area Sources
⏵ The term AREA SOURCE is used to describe the many smaller stationary sources
located together whose individual emissions may be low but whose collective emissions can
be significant.
⏵ Typically area sources are those that emit < 25 tons per year of any combination of
hazardous air pollutants, or < 10 tons per year of any single hazardous air pollutant.
Examples
⏵ locomotives operating within a railyard
⏵ Multiple flue gas stacks within a single industrial plant
⏵ Open burning and forest fires
⏵ Evaporation losses from large spills of volatile liquids
⏵ Area sources that may fall under the “point source” definition are piping leaks, industrial
wastewater treatment ponds, rock and quarry operations, and tank farms.
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Factors that affect air pollution
⏵ Emissions (traffic, industrial, domestic)
⏵ Geography (terrain)
⏵ Weather conditions (rain, winds, humidity)
⏵ Season
⏵ Time of day
⏵ Population density
⏵ Indoor vs outdoor
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