AIr Pollution Info Sharing

Introduction
Particles released into the atmosphere of various gases, finely divided solids, or finely dispersed liquid aerosols at rates that exceed the natural capacity of the environment to dissipate and dilute or absorb them. These substances may reach concentrations in the air that cause undesirable health, economic, or aesthetic effects.

Major air pollutants

Clean, dry air consists primarily of nitrogen and oxygen—78 percent and 21 percent respectively, by volume. The remaining 1 percent is a mixture of other gases, mostly argon (0.9 percent), along with trace (very small) amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, helium, and more. Water vapour is also a normal, though quite variable, component of the atmosphere, normally ranging from 0.01 to 4 percent by volume; under very humid conditions the moisture content of air may be as high as 5 percent.
The gaseous air pollutants of primary concern in urban settings include sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon monoxide; these are emitted directly into the air from fossil fuels such as fuel oil, gasoline, and natural gas that are burned in power plants, automobiles, and other combustion sources. Ozone (a key component of smog) is also a gaseous pollutant; it forms in the atmosphere via complex chemical reactions occurring between nitrogen dioxide and various volatile organic compounds (e.g., gasoline vapours).
Airborne suspensions of extremely small solid or liquid particles called “particulates” (e.g., soot, dust, smokes, fumes, mists), especially those less than 10 micrometres (μm; millionths of a metre) in size, are significant air pollutants because of their very harmful effects on human health. They are emitted by various industrial processes, coal- or oil-burning power plants, residential heating systems, and automobiles. Lead fumes (airborne particulates less than 0.5 μm in size) are particularly toxic.
The six major air pollutants listed above have been designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as “criteria” pollutants—criteria meaning that the concentrations of these pollutants in the atmosphere are useful as indicators of overall air quality.
Except for lead, criteria pollutants are emitted in industrialized countries at very high rates, typically measured in millions of tons per year. All except ozone are discharged directly into the atmosphere from a wide variety of sources. They are regulated primarily by establishing ambient air quality standards, which are maximum acceptable concentrations of each criteria pollutant in the atmosphere, regardless of its origin.

Criteria pollutants

The six criteria pollutants are described in turn below.

Fine particulates

Very small fragments of solid materials or liquid droplets suspended in air are called particulates. Except for airborne lead, which is treated as a separate category (see below), they are characterized on the basis of size and phase (i.e., solid or liquid) rather than by chemical composition. For example, solid particulates between roughly 1 and 100 μm in diameter are called dust particles, whereas airborne solids less than 1 μm in diameter are called fumes.
The particulates of most concern with regard to their effects on human health are solids less than 10 μm in diameter, because they can be inhaled deep into the lungs and become trapped in the lower respiratory system. Certain particulates, such as asbestos fibres, are known carcinogens (cancer-causing agents), and many carbonaceous particulates—e.g., soot—are suspected of being carcinogenic. Major sources of particulate emissions include fossil-fuel power plants, manufacturing processes, fossil-fuel residential heating systems, and gasoline-powered vehicles.

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, invisible gas formed as a result of incomplete combustion. It is the most abundant of the criteria pollutants. Gasoline-powered highway vehicles are the primary source, although residential heating systems and certain industrial processes also emit significant amounts of this gas. Power plants emit relatively little carbon monoxide because they are carefully designed and operated to maximize combustion efficiency. Exposure to carbon monoxide can be acutely harmful since it readily displaces oxygen in the bloodstream, leading to asphyxiation at high enough concentrations and exposure times.

Sulfur dioxide

A colourless gas with a sharp, choking odour, sulfur dioxide is formed during the combustion of coal or oil that contains sulfur as an impurity. Most sulfur dioxide emissions come from power-generating plants; very little comes from mobile sources. This pungent gas can cause eye and throat irritation and harm lung tissue when inhaled. It also reacts with oxygen and water vapour in the air, forming a mist of sulfuric acid that reaches the ground as a component of acid rain. Acid rain is believed to have harmed or destroyed fish and plant life in many thousands of lakes and streams in parts of Europe, the northeastern United States, southeastern Canada, and parts of China. It also causes corrosion of metals and deterioration of the exposed surfaces of buildings and public monuments.

Nitrogen dioxide

Of the several forms of nitrogen oxides, nitrogen dioxide—a pungent, irritating gas—is of most concern. It is known to cause pulmonary edema, an accumulation of excessive fluid in the lungs. Nitrogen dioxide also reacts in the atmosphere to form nitric acid, contributing to the problem of acid rain. In addition, nitrogen dioxide plays a role in the formation of photochemical smog, a reddish brown haze that often is seen in many urban areas and that is created by sunlight-promoted reactions in the lower atmosphere.
Nitrogen oxides are formed when combustion temperatures are high enough to cause molecular nitrogen in the air to react with oxygen. Stationary sources such as coal-burning power plants are major contributors of this pollutant, although gasoline engines and other mobile sources are also significant.

Ozone

A key component of photochemical smog, ozone is formed by a complex reaction between nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons in the presence of sunlight. It is considered to be a criteria pollutant in the troposphere—the lowermost layer of the atmosphere—but not in the upper atmosphere, where it occurs naturally and serves to block harmful ultraviolet rays from the Sun. Because nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons are emitted in significant quantities by motor vehicles, photochemical smog is common in cities such as Los Angeles, where sunshine is ample and highway traffic is heavy. Certain geographic features, such as mountains that impede air movement, and weather conditions, such as temperature inversions in the troposphere, contribute to the trapping of air pollutants and the formation of photochemical smog.

Lead

Inhaled lead particulates in the form of fumes and dusts are particularly harmful to children, in whom even slightly elevated levels of lead in the blood can cause learning disabilities, seizures, or even death. Sources of airborne lead particulates include oil refining, smelting, and other industrial activities. In the past, combustion of gasoline containing a lead-based antiknock additive called tetraethyl lead was a major source of lead particulates. In many countries there is now a complete ban on the use of lead in gasoline. In the United States, lead concentrations in outdoor air decreased more than 90 percent after the use of leaded gasoline was restricted in the mid-1970s and then completely banned in 1996.