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ECW445
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
AND SUSTAINABILITY
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this chapter, students should be
able to :
- Identify the sources of air pollution
- Explain on air quality assessment and the
tools of measurement
- discuss the impact of air pollution to
environment, economic and human health
Air pollution is the modification of
the natural characteristics of the
mixture of invisible tasteless gases
(atmosphere) by a chemical,
particulate matter, or biological agent.
ATMOSPHERE LAYERS
GASES COMPOSITION
POLLUTANT FORM
ρ = (1/R)(PM/T)
The density is mass per unit volume, or number of moles per unit volume, n/𝛻 ,
the expression may be rewritten in the general from as
P 𝛻 = nRT
Where:𝛻 is the volume occupied by n moles of gas. At 273.15K and 101.325
kPa, 1 mole of an ideal gas occupies 22.414 L
DALTON’S LAW OF PARTIAL PRESSURES
Stack and exhaust sampling measurements are made with instruments
calibrated with air. Combustion products have an entirely different composition than
air, the readings must be adjusted (corrected) to reflect the difference.
Dalton’s Law forms the basis for the calculation of the correction factor.
Dalton found that the total pressure exerted by a mixture of gases is equal to the
sum of the pressure that each type of gas would exert if it alone occupied the
container.
Pt = P1 + P2 + P3 + ……
S + O2 SO2
N + O2
REFER EXAMPLE 9-1 PAGE 582
MECHANISMS
Abrasion/scuff
Deposition and Removal
Direct Chemical Attack
Indirect Chemical Attack
Electrochemical Corrosion
EFFECT OF MOISTURE
HIGHER HUMIDITY INCREASES RATE OF DETERIORATION.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE
H I G H E R T E M P E R AT U R E I N C R E A S E S R AT E O F
D E T E R I O R AT I O N .
EFFECT OF SUNLIGHT
M O R E S U N L I G H T I N C R E A S E S R AT E O F
D E T E R I O R AT I O N .
IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION
HEALTH IMPACTS OF AIR
POLLUTIONS
From WHO statistics;
2.4 million people die each year from causes directly
attributable to air pollution . Many of these mortalities
are attributable to indoor air pollution.
Worldwide more deaths per year are linked to air
pollution than to automobile accidents. Published in
2005 suggests that 310,000 Europeans die from air
pollution annually.
Direct causes of air pollution related deaths include
aggravated asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung and
heart diseases, and respiratory allergies.
Pollutant Acute health effect Chronic or toxic health effect
SO2 Narrowing down the airways, particularly Increase prevalence to chronic
in sensitive individuals, producing bronchitis and other respiratory
Sulfur symptoms ranging from coughing and diseases; differences in lung function
dioxide wheezing to bronchitis and asthma; no
observable threshold (NOT)
SPM Increase mortality from cardiovascular Increased respiratory mortality and
and respiratory diseases; NOT morbidity; decreased pulmonary
Suspended function; NOT
particulate
matter
NO2 Sensitises lungs to other pollutants and No definite effects from outdoor
Nitrogen allergens; increase frequency of eye exposure but indoor exposure suggest
dioxide irritation; sore throat and phlegm a range of effects upon lung function; in
animal studies morphological,
biochemical and immunological changes
were detected.
O3 Powerful oxidant reacting with most It has been recently suggested that O3 is
ozone biological substances; a lung irritant and a genotoxin but adequate investigations
sensitises to other pollutants and are not available; high level long-term
allergens; can produce runny eyes and exposure in animal studies induced
sore throats morphological changes in lung
Pollutant Acute health effect Chronic or toxic health effect
CO Reduce oxygen carrying capacity of the Excess risk from arteriosclerotic heart
blood by binding with hemoglobin. disease; affects developing fetus.
Lead None known Neurotoxin (suggestion of impaired
cognitive recognition); affect blood
chemistry and can raise blood pressure.
1) Wind Character
a) Wind Speed
b) Wind Direction
2) Turbulence
a) Temperature
b) height
WIND
VELOCITY
AIR
DISPERSION
COMMON FEATURES OF AIR POLLUTION
EPISODES
• Large Source
• Not recognized
• Stable atmosphere
• Water droplets (fog)
ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS
WHICH AFFECT AIR POLLUTION
Thermal oxidizers
activated carbon
Acid Gas / SO2 control
Wet scrubbers
Dry scrubbers
Flue gas desulfurization
Mercury control
Sorbent Injection Technology
Electro-Catalytic Oxidation (ECO)
K-Fuel
Miscellaneous associated equipment
Source capturing systems
Continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS)
AIR POLLUTION MITIGATION
STRATEGIES
3. Public Awareness
Education
Reduce consumption
Refrain from using polluting products
User pay principle
Change travel habits – use public transport;
TRAGEDIES OF AIR
POLLUTION
Case 1;
During the early hours of 3 December 1984 the world’s worst
industrial accident unfolded in the Indian city of Bhopal.
Poisonous gas escaped from a chemical plant and killed 3,000
people, according to official estimates. Other estimates put the
number at between 8,000 and 10,000.Around 50,000 suffered
permanent disabilities, and more died later.
Case 2;
The United Kingdom suffered its worst air pollution event
when the December 4th Great Smog of 1952 formed over
London. In six days more than 4,000 died, and 8,000 more died
within the following months.
TRAGEDIES OF AIR POLLUTION
Case 3;
An accidental leak of anthrax spores from a biological warfare
laboratory in the former USSR in 1979 near Sverdlovsk is
believed to have been the cause of hundreds of civilian deaths.
Case 4;
The worst single incident of air pollution to occur in the United
States of America occurred in Donora, Pennsylvania in late
October, 1948, when 20 people died and over 7,000 were injured.
An air inversion trapped industrial effluent (air pollution) from
the American Steel and Wire plant and Donora Zinc Works
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