AIR POLLUTION

Adriana Agovska, MD, PhD

Department of Hygiene, Medical
Ecology and Nutrition, Sofia
Definition
 Air pollution is the introduction of
particulates, biological molecules, or other
harmful materials into Earth's atmosphere,
causing disease, death to humans, damage
to other living organisms such as food crops,
or the natural or built environment.
 Air pollution may come from anthropogenic or
natural sources.
Atmospheric (Air) pollutant
• Any visible or invisible particle or gas
found in the air that is not part of the original,
normal composition,
that causes damage
to health and / or human life
MAC (Maximum Accetable Concentration -
limit concentration

 The maximum value of the atmospheric pollutant

which can be detected at a time in the air.
 Determined by the minimum value of the
atmospheric pollutant at which does not identify
deviations in the health and functional status of
the people in the time of exposure and lifetime
incl. and offspring .
 Types of MAC
(Maximum Accetable Concentration
(limit concentration)

 1. Maximum short LC (limit concentration) - for a

given pollutant is permissible concentration for 30-
or 60-minute exposure.
2. The average daily LC - permissible average
concentration of a pollutant throughout the day

Medical justification for LC:

MS LC - protect the population from the reflecting
effect of atmospheric pollutants:
AD LC - the resorptive effect of atmospheric
pollutants
 Types “Limits value (concentration)” of
Working Environment

 "Limits" - permissible concentration of a

chemical element in the air in the breathing
zone of the worker for a certain period of time

 "Biological limit values” - for chemical

elements permissible concentration of the
respective chemical agent or its metabolite in
a biological environment, or the reference
value of biomarkers for effect.
Hygiene standards for working
environment
 Average per shift (working hours) - LV (limit value) -
8 hour shifts

 Short term maximum LV = up to 15 minutes, no

more than 4 times per work shift

 Calculated using the formula: :

 LV = Average per shift х 8,5
hours of exposure
Summary MAC
 In the presence of several substances with an additive
effect on the body is the sum of the MAC according to the
equation:
C1 + C2 + C3 + ... Cn ≤ 1
MAC1 MAC2 MAC3 MACn

C1, C2, C3, Cn - the actual concentrations of the

chemicals measured in air
MAC1, MAC2, MAC3 - appropriate hygiene
standards (Max Accetable concentration)
Classification of air pollutants

Chemical Aggregative
Origin
 nature state

Primary
Inorganic Gases Solid
aerosols
Secondary
Organic Vapor

liquid
aerosols
Types of pollutants
 Natural: forest fires, pollen, dust storm
Unnatural: man-made; coal, wood and other
fuels used in cars, homes, and factories for
energy
 Sources of pollution
Industry and agriculture
 Iron and steel industry - CO, CO2, SO2, H2S, Pb, Mn, dust,
phenol, benzene.
 Ferrous metallurgy - Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Mn, SO2, dust, rare metals
and others.
 Cement and lime industry - dust, Pb, As, Mn, CO, CO2 and
others.
Chemical industry - ammonia, nitrogen oxides, acid, sulfur
oxides, hydrocarbons, CS2, Cl and others.
 Pharmaceutical industry - alcohols, esters, antibiotics,
chloroform, nitrogen oxides, ntetrahlormetan, aniline and the like.
 Agriculture - CO, CO2, dust, pesticides, ammonia, hydrogen
cyanide, plant aerosols
 Sources of pollution.
Transport, heating and home heating

 Internal combustion engines - CO, CO2,

hydrocarbons (incl. 3.4 benzpyrene), nitrogen
oxides, sulfur oxides, aldehydes and others.
 Gasoline engines - Pb, Cl, Br, tetraethyl lead,
formaldehyde
Diesel engines - soot, tar
Central heating and home heating - CO, CO2,
SO2, dust, soot, resins, tar, hydrocarbons (incl. 3.4
benzpyrene) and others.
 5 Major Pollutants:

1) Carbon Monoxide
2.) Sulfur Dioxide
3.) Nitrogen Dioxide
4.) Particulate Matter
5.) Ground Level Ozone
Carbon Monoxide -
CO
 colorless, odorless
 produced when carbon does not burn in
fossil fuels
 present in car exhaust
 deprives body of O2 causing headaches,
fatigue, and impaired vision
Sulfur Dioxide – SO2
 produced when coal and fuel oil are
burned
 present in power plant exhaust
 narrows the airway, causing wheezing and
shortness of breath, especially in those
with asthma
Nitrogen Dioxide – NO2
 reddish, brown gas
 produced when nitric oxide
combines with oxygen in the
atmosphere
 present in car exhaust and
power plants
 affects lungs and causes
wheezing; increases chance
of respiratory infection
 Particulate Matter
 particles of different sizes and
structures that are released into the
atmosphere
 present in many sources including
fossil fuels, dust, smoke, fog, etc.
 can build up in respiratory system
 aggravates heart and lung disease;
increases risk of respiratory
infection
Ground Level Ozone
 at upper level, ozone shields Earth
from sun’s harmful UV rays
 at ground level, ozone is harmful
pollutants
 formed from car, power and
chemical plant exhaust
 irritate respiratory system and
asthma; reduces lung function by
inflaming and damaging lining of
lungs
The 5 major pollutants
SMOG
 Combination of gases with water vapor and dust
 Combination of words smoke and fog
 Forms when heat and sunlight react gases (photochemical
smog)
 Occurs often with heavy traffic, high temperatures, and
calm winds
 Mechanism of the formation of
photochemical smog
Exhaust gases - CO
Metal aerosols solar radiation
Pb, Zn, SO2, NH3
Nitrogen dioxide UV –
radiation

Hydrocarbons -
Nitric oxide Ozone
aldehydes, ketones etc. .

UV

formardehid, acrolein,
peroxides, olefins, etc. .

I I II I II
II
Legend: I - primary pollutants; II - secondary pollutants (photo-oxidants) )
 Effects of Air Pollution on
humans
 Directly Indirectly
toxic
corrosive
irritation Changes in climate and weather
allergic Damage to ecosystems
gonadotrophic economic losses
embryogenic Negative aesthetic impact
teratogenic
mutagenic
carcinogen
fibrogenic
changes in
immune status
 Methodical approach to measuring air
pollution
 Before starting measurements is nessesery to gather
information on:
1. -Geographical climate of the region - altitude,
topography, temperature regime, number of days with
temperature inversions, direction and speed of prevailing
winds, rainfall and others.

 Characteristics of the economic activity of the area -

transportation, all potential sources of pollutants, water
treatment facilities, composition and quantity of
emissions.
 Methodical approach
The most commonly used sampling points for
monitoring of Air Pollution:

- Some industrial sources

- road transport
- Areas bordering highways
- Central part of the settlement (city)
- Various residential areas
- Recreation areas
- Others - specific area
 Seating arrangements
sampling
Height of sampling - 0.5 to 3.5 meters from ground level
 Duration of sampling:
- For maximum single concentrations - 20-30 minutes.
- For daily average concentrations - 24 hours
Working Environment
- For 8 hours and 15 minutes.
- Personal sample - 30 min.
 Aspiration at the beginning, middle and end of the work
shift.
Samples taken from the breathing zone of workers
 Types of places for sampling

 Stationary - providing a continuous record of

atmospheric pollution

 Mobile - sampling from different places

in the direction of movement of the emission

 Shuttle - sampling in the direction of traffic

emissions
 Methods for sampling
 Aspirational - contemporary, modern
method when the concentration of
contaminants is low

 In vessels of a certain size - old method,

where the concentrations of pollutants are
higher (used rarely
 Aspiration method
1. Absorption - quantitative absorption of the
considered substance in a suitable liquid medium.
2. Adsorption - gases and vapors toxic substances
persist over large-surface solid sorbents.

Facilities of aspiration method: simple equipment,

high speed aspiration, prolonged storage, a wide
selection of adsorbents, changing their properties
reuse.
 Aspiration method
 3. Condensation - advantage is that concentration is
not accompanied by the introduction of another substance
or chemical reaction.

Schematic diagram of the equipment for sampling air

Measure the
Entrance Retaining
volume Aspirator
opening device
or speed
 Sampling of dust
(solid aerosols)
 Carried out by the suction of a certain volume of air in
cellulose acetate or other suitable filters with good air
permeability and porosity, fixed on appropriate special
holders - alonzhi.

 The filters are mounted on automatic pumps with

electronic or electromechanical control the volume and
rate of aspirated air.

 It is important the separate яе of so-called. “respirable

fraction” - fine powder into 5-7 μm, with proven
pathogenic (fibrozogenic) action.
 Sampling in vessels of a
certain size
 Using a variety of vessels - Gas pipettes,
bottles, containers of polymers (plastic bags)
in verified tightness.

 By the exchange method (wet or dry -by

repeatedly blowing) and vacuum-way the
vessels (courts) is filled with air to be tested
 Modern methods for the analysis of
gases, vapors, aerosols

 Chromatography: paper, thin-layer and gas

chromatography

 And optical absorption-emission, colorimetric,

spectrophotometric, nuclear magnetic
resonance spectroscopy, atomic absorption
spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis and
others.

 Electrochemical: polarography, titrimetric, etc

Methods for express analysis
Gas analyzer:
 Optical principle (spectrophotometers)

 Principle of diffusion - electronic or electrochemical

sensor or by reporting concentrations indicator
papers, pre-processed to detect the pollutant.

The most frequently used are the indicator tubes

of linear-colorimetric principle. They contain
adsorbent and reagent that changes color in
response to the test substance. Aspiration is
performed by a pump -dreger or piston.
 Indicator tubes
Types of indicator tubes:

 For qualitative analysis - detect only the presence of

contaminant (s) without its quantity

 Tubes calibrated for one substance - short and long

term, to quantify the length of the colored column.

 Tubes calibrated for the study of more substances (eg

8 types of hydrocarbons)
 Analysis of particulate
pollutants
Pathogenic properties of dust depend most on:

 The total weight (konts.obsht dust)

 The fine fraction (conc. Fine dust)

 Content fibrogenic components (free crystalline

silica in the fine fraction)
Analysis of particulate
pollutants
The concentration of total and fine powder is determined
by weighing, where:
g2- mass of filter dust (mg)
g1 - mass of the clean filter (mg)
V0 - volume of aspirated air, aligned to normal (00С; 760
mmHg)

 (g2 - g1) x 1000

C=
V0
The main indicators in monitoring of air
pollution
Substance Formula Norm µg/m3
Nitrogen dioxide NO2 280

Sulphur dioxide SO2 350

Ammonia NH3
Carbon monoxide CO 10 000
Ozone O3 180
Particulate matter 55
Chlorine CL2 70

H2 S 5
Hydrogen sulfide
Planning and organizational measures for
prevention of air pollution

 Sanitary - protection zones - protection zones around

sources of pollution that do not build homes and public
buildings
 Zoning of settlements - in towns were separated different
zones: industrial zone (polluted); center, residential areas
and recreation zones (parks) that must be maintained
cleaner, with lower air pollution - for them take measures
to protect.
 Heat Supply of settlements – the centralized heating
produces less air pollutants
Planning and organizational measures for
prevention of air pollution

 Optimal organization and operation of

transport - less traffic in city centers, carrier transport
outside cities (ring roads)
 Planting of settlements – the landscaping, ensuring
a large green space in urban areas (settlements), wherever
possible, with appropriate vegetation. The green areas
reduce air pollution and noise in the settlements
 Technological prevention
measures
1. Introduction of modern technologies
- Non-waste technologies
- Closed production cycles

2. Hygienic standardization of raw materials

3. Encapsulation of machines and aggregates
 Sanitary - technical measures for
prevention
 Effective ventilation in enterprises - local
venrilation (hoods); general exchange ventilation
(fans); mixed ventilation.
 Effective treatment facilities - purification
facilities, filters, which help to dispose of the
pollutants emitted by industrial activity
 Planned repairs of machines and equipment
 Heath and Hygienic measures for
prevention
Hygiene standardization - Determine the hygiene standards
that protect the health and safety of people
 Hygiene control, controlling the air environment is compliance
with laws and regulations for air quality

 Hygiene regimen of work and rest period 'regulation of the

residence time in the polluted air

Health education - lifestyle, prevention of hazards in the

environment and air pollution

Medical examinations - general and specific depending on the

type of air pollution
 Answer the
questions in complete sentences

1. What is air pollution?

2. What causes air pollution?
3. What is an example of air pollution
4. What is at least one negative outcome
of air pollution?
5. How can air pollution be prevented?
6. What is something you could do to
reduce air pollution?
 Answers to air
pollution questions
 1. What is air pollution?
 Air pollution is the addition of gases, chemicals,
 and particle matter into the atmosphere.

 2. What causes air pollution?

 Air pollution primarily comes from burning fossil
 fuels such as natural gas, petroleum, and coal.
Answers to air
pollution questions
 3. What is an example of air pollution
 Industry, including factories and power plants,
 urn large quantities of fuel.
 Burning coal and petroleum releases sulfur
 Oxides and nitrogen oxide into the air.
 Airplanes, boats, and cars burn petroleum, releasing
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
 The waste in landfills releases methane.
 Animals emit carbon dioxide when they breathe
 volcanoes release sulfur oxide.
Answers to air
pollution questions
4. What is at least one negative
outcome of air pollution?
 A study has listed air pollution as the
 cause of four percent of the deaths in the
 United States

5. How can air pollution be prevented?

 By modifying human activity to burn a
smaller quantity of fossil fuels.
Answers to air
pollution questions
What is something you could do to
reduce air pollution?
Answers should vary, but may include:
 using less power (thus putting less
 demand on power plants); using cars
 less frequently; diminishing the amount
 of garbage so there will be less waste in
 the landfill.