Module 3

Air
 Content
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
 Introduction to Air
Air is an essential natural resource that is vital
for all life on Earth.
 It is invisible, odorless and tasteless gases
(such as nitrogen and oxygen) that surrounds
the earth and serves as the source of oxygen
for breathing, facilitates photosynthesis in
plants, regulates climate and temperature, and
protects Earth from harmful solar radiation.
 “Every breath we take is a reminder:
the air is our most precious resource”.
 Composition of Air
 Nitrogen (N₂): The most abundant gas, making up about
78% of dry air.
 Oxygen (O₂): Essential for breathing and combustion, it
constitutes about 21% of the atmosphere.
 Argon (Ar): An inert gas that accounts for roughly 0.9% of
the air.
 Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): A trace gas (around 0.04%) vital for
plant photosynthesis and a greenhouse gas.
 Trace Gases: Other elements like neon, helium, methane,
and krypton are present in very small amounts.
 Water Vapor: A variable component of air that forms when
water evaporates and can condense into clouds and rain.
 Impurities: Air often contains various particles, such as dust,
pollen, and spores, as well as pollutants like smoke and
industrial emissions.
Composition of Air

Source: [Link]
 Atmosphere
Troposphere: lowest layer in the
atmosphere. It extends upward to
about 10 km above sea level
starting from ground level.
The troposphere contains 75% of
all air in the atmosphere.
Most clouds appear in this layer
because 99% of the water vapour
in the atmosphere is found here.
Temperature and air pressure
drop as you go higher in the
troposphere.
According to International
Standard Atmosphere (ISA),
temperature decreases by
approximately 6.5°C for every
1,000 meters of altitude increase
 Atmosphere
Stratosphere: Above the
troposphere lies the
stratosphere which
extends from the top of
the troposphere to about
50 km above the ground.
The ozone layer lies within
the stratosphere.
Mesosphere: it is above
the stratosphere and it
extends to a height of
about 85 km from the
ground.
 Atmosphere
 Thermosphere: It lies above the
mesosphere and this is a region
where the temperature increases
as you go higher up.
 It lies from around 85 kilometers
to 800 kilometers.
 The temperature increase is
caused due to the absorption of
energetic ultraviolet and X-ray
radiation from the sun.
 However, the air in this layer is so
thin that it would feel freezing cold
to us!
 Satellites orbit in the lower
exosphere, which is also the very
top of the thermosphere.
 Atmosphere
Exosphere: The outermost region
of a planet's atmosphere
extending from around 800 km to
10,000 km above the surface,
where the atmosphere thins out
and gradually merges into outer
space.
It is the planet's first line of
protection against the sun's rays.
 it is the outermost layer of Earth's
atmosphere,
Satellites orbit within the
exosphere.
 Air pollution
Air pollution refers to any physical, chemical or
biological change in the air.
It is the contamination of air by harmful gases,
dust and smoke which affects plants, animals
and humans drastically.
There is a certain percentage of gases present
in the atmosphere. An increase or decrease in
the composition of these gases is harmful to
survival. This imbalance in the gaseous
composition has resulted in an increase in
earth’s temperature, which is known as global
warming.
Sources of air pollution
 Sources of air pollutants
1) Natural Sources:
 Volcanic eruptions
 Forest fires
 Pollen and dust
 Decaying organic matter

2) Man-Made (Anthropogenic) Sources:

 Combustion Processes: Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil,
gas) in power plants, industries, and vehicles
 Industrial Processes: melting, chemical industries, and
petroleum refineries
 Vehicles: Exhaust from cars, buses, and trucks
 Mining
 Nuclear explosions
 Other: Agricultural activities, construction , dry
cleaning etc.
Sources of Emissions for Air Pollutants
in India

Source: [Link]
Flow of Atmospheric Pollutants

Source: [Link]
 Classification of air pollutants
1) By Origin (Formation)
 Primary Pollutants: Emitted directly from the source (e.g., sulfur
dioxide, carbon monoxide, dust).
 Secondary Pollutants: Formed in the atmosphere through
chemical reactions between primary pollutants and other
atmospheric components (e.g., ozone, smog, acid rain).
2) By State of Matter:
 Gaseous Pollutants: In a gaseous state at normal temperatures
(e.g., carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides).
 Particulate Pollutants: Solid or liquid particles suspended in the
air (e.g., dust, smoke, soot, mist, fumes, aerosols).
3) By Type of Source:
 Stationary Sources: Fixed locations, such as power plants and
factories
 Mobile Sources: Moving sources like vehicles, ships, and aircraft.
 Area Sources: Multiple small, dispersed sources, such as dry
cleaners or construction sites.
 Common Air Pollutants
 Carbon Monoxide (CO): A colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas
from incomplete combustion.
 Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂): A toxic, reactive gas produced from burning
coal and oil.
 Nitrogen Dioxide (NO₂): A reddish-brown gas formed from high-
temperature combustion or the oxidation of nitric oxide.
 Particulate Matter (PM): Small solid and liquid particles,
including dust, soot, and smoke, which can penetrate deep into the
lungs.
 Lead (Pb): A heavy metal found naturally but also in manufactured
products and emitted from some industrial activities.
 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): human-made or natural
chemicals that easily turn into gases at room temperature, found in
products like paints, cleaning supplies, and fuels. These invisible
gases, released through processes called "off-gassing," contribute
to indoor and outdoor air pollution and can cause short- and long-
term health problems
Primary Pollutants
India is adopting strong legislative, technological
and policy measures to combat air pollution &
safeguard public health
List of few initiatives
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981):
Control & prevention of air pollution, CPCB & SPCBs established

Environment (Protection) Act (1986): Empowers Govt. to set

air quality & emission norms

Factories Act (Amendment) (1987): Control industrial

emissions & workplace air safety.

Motor Vehicles Act (1988 (Amend. 2019)): Emission standards

(Bharat Stage norms).

National Green Tribunal Act (2010): Establishes NGT for

speedy resolution of environmental disputes
Rules & Standards

Environment (Protection) Rules (1986): Sets emission &

ambient air quality standards.

Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules (1982):

Procedures for Air Act implementation

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (1982):

Permissible limits for SO₂, NO₂, PM₂.₅, PM₁₀, CO, O₃, Pb

Hazardous Waste Management Rules (1989): Controls waste

disposal that causes air pollution

Solid Waste Management Rules (2016): Prohibits open burning

of municipal waste.
Policies & Programmes

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) (2019): Target: 20–

30% reduction in PM levels in major cities.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification,

2006: Requiring prior environmental clearance (EC) for new and
expanding industrial projects based on their potential environmental
impact.

Energy Conservation Act (2001): Promotes energy efficiency to

cut emissions

Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rule, 2000:

Address noise as a form of air pollution and are enacted under the
broader Environment (Protection) Act.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) Act

(2021): Apex body for coordination & control of air pollution in
National Capital Region.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS)
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are
standards for air quality that are set by the Central
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 1982 that are
applicable all over the country.
The CPCB draws this power from the Air (Prevention
and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
It regulations setting limits on the concentration of
common air pollutants in outdoor air to protect public
health and welfare.
The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme
(NAMP) (1984), overseen by the CPCB, monitors
ambient air quality to assess compliance with these
national standards.
Purpose of NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards)

Protect Public Health – Safeguard people from harmful

effects of polluted air

Preserve Environment – Protect plants, animals, and

ecosystems

Uniform Standards – Provide nationwide benchmarks for

permissible pollutant levels

Policy & Regulation – Guide governments in framing

pollution control measures

Monitoring & Compliance – Ensure effective air quality

assessment across India
Source: [Link]
Air quality index
Air Quality Index (AQI) is a number that
communicates daily air quality status, helping people
understand potential health risks from polluted air.
It uses a 0-500 scale, with increasing numbers
indicating worse air quality and associated health
impacts.
 By measuring major pollutants like PM2.5, ozone,
and carbon monoxide, the AQI helps governments
and the public make informed decisions to reduce
exposure to air pollution.
AQI is based on the concentration of five major
air pollutants:
1) Particulate Matter (PM2.5/PM10): Tiny
particles that can be inhaled and affect the
lungs.
2) Ground-level Ozone (O3): A gas that can
irritate the lungs.
3) Carbon Monoxide (CO): A harmful gas that
reduces oxygen delivery to the body's
organs.
4) Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): A gas that can cause
respiratory problems.
5) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2): A gas that can
 AQI Scale
 0-50 (Good): Air quality is satisfactory.

 51-100 (Moderate): Air quality is acceptable, but may

pose a risk for people with unusual sensitivity.

 101-150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups): People with

lung disease, children, and older adults may experience
health effects.

 151-200 (Unhealthy): Everyone may begin to experience

health effects.

 201-300 (Very Unhealthy): Health alert: everyone may

experience more serious health effects.

 301+ (Hazardous): Health emergency.

AQI: Health Impacts
Why AQI important?
Public Health Protection: AQI helps protect
vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and
people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular
conditions, who are at higher risk from poor air quality.
Informed Decision-Making: It empowers individuals
to make well-informed decisions about their daily
activities and take proactive steps to safeguard their
health.
Government and Public Alerts: Public health
agencies use AQI data to issue warnings and advisories,
alerting communities to dangerous air quality levels.
Monitoring and Improvement: By tracking AQI,
authorities can monitor air quality trends, recognize
areas needing better monitoring programs, and identify
changes in air quality over time.
Steps for Calculating an AQI
1) Measure Pollutant Concentrations: Collect data on
the concentrations of various pollutants, such as PM2.5,
PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, CO, and NH3.
2) Determine the Averaging Time: Use either the 24-
hour average concentration (for most pollutants) or the
8-hour average (for CO and O3) as specified by the local
standard.
3) Calculate the Pollutant Sub-Index: For each
pollutant, convert its concentration into a sub-index
value using a linear interpolation formula based on the
pollutant's specific concentration ranges and
corresponding AQI ranges.
4) Identify the Overall AQI: Select the maximum sub-
index value among all the calculated sub-indexes for
that location. This maximum value becomes the overall
Air Quality Index (AQI).
Effects of air pollution on human health
Air pollution has significant effects on human
health, ranging from respiratory and
cardiovascular diseases like asthma, Chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart
disease, and stroke, to lung cancer and
neurological issues such as cognitive decline.
Short-term exposure can cause irritation, while
long-term exposure can lead to chronic
conditions, increased risk of premature
death, and exacerbate existing health problems.
Vulnerable groups including children, the elderly
and low-income communities are excessively
affected.