AIR POLLUTION,

EFFECTS ON HEALTH

AND ITS CONTROL

MEASURES

Sundeep Kumar Magar

MPH, Third batch

National Medical College Teaching

Hospital

Birgunj

Atmosphere as a Resource Atmospheric

Composition

◦ Nitrogen 78.08%

◦ Oxygen 20.95%

◦ Argon 0.93%

◦ Carbon dioxide 0.04%

Types and Sources of Air

Pollution

Air Pollution◦ Chemicals added to the atmosphere by natural

events or human activities in high enough concentrations to be harmful

Two categories◦ Primary Air Pollutant Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the

atmosphere

◦ Secondary Air Pollutant Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when

a primary air pollutant reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air pollutants

5 Major Pollutants:

1..) Carbon Monoxide

2.) Sulfur Dioxide

3.) Nitrogen Dioxide

4.) Particulate Matter

5.) Ground Level Ozone

SMOG

Carbon Monoxide

•colorless, odorless

•produced when carbon does not

burn in fossil fuels

•present in car exhaust

•deprives body of CO causing

headaches, fatigue, and impaired

vision

Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides

Nitrogen Oxides◦ Gases produced by the chemical interactions

between atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen at high temperature

◦ Problems Greenhouse gases

Cause difficulty breathing

Sulfur Oxides◦ Gases produced by the chemical interactions

between sulfur and oxygen

◦ Causes acid precipitation

Particulate Material

Thousands of different solid or liquid

particles suspended in air

◦ Includes: soil particles, soot, lead,

asbestos, sea salt, and sulfuric acid

droplets

Dangerous for 2 reasons

◦ May contain materials with toxic or

carcinogenic effects

◦ Extremely small particles can become

lodged in lungs

Ozone

Tropospheric Ozone◦ Man- made pollutant in the lower atmosphere

◦ Secondary air pollutant

◦ Component of photochemical smog(Photochemical Smog) Brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions involving

sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons

Stratospheric Ozone◦ Essential component that screens out UV

radiation in the upper atmosphere

◦ Man- made pollutants (example: CFCs) can destroy it

Air Pollution Around the World

Air quality is deteriorating rapidly in

developing countries

Residents only see sunlight a few weeks

each year

Developing countries have older cars

Still use leaded gasoline

5 worst cities in world

Beijing, China; Mexico City, Mexico;

Shanghai, China; Tehran, Iran; and

Calcutta, India

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 3 million people die each year due to air pollution in the world (World Bank 2003, ‘Health

Impacts of Outdoor Air Pollution’. South Asia Urban Air Quality Management Briefing, paper No. 11).

According to the WHO, air pollution is responsible for increases in outpatient visits due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, hospital admissions and mortality.

Rescent studies have shown that global average temperature

has increased by 0.74°C during the period of 1906-2005

2,323 glacier lake have so far been identified in Nepal. Out of

these, 20 lakes are considered to be in danger of bursting their

banks(mool et. al 2001)

Scientists predicts that earth’s mean surface temperature will rise by

between 1.5 – 4.5°C by 2050 if green house gas continue to rise at the

present rate.

Carbon dioxide 62%

Methane 20%

Nitrous oxide4%

CFCs 12%

HCFCs and HFCs

2%

Ozone Depletion in Stratosphere

Ozone thinning/hole

◦ First identified in 1985

over Antarctica

Caused by

◦ human-produced bromine

and chlorine containing

chemicals

◦ Example: CFCs

Effects of Ozone Depletion

Higher levels of UV-radiation hitting the earth◦ Eye cataracts

◦ Skin cancer

◦ Weakened immunity

May disrupt ecosystems

May damage crops and forests

Recovery of Ozone Layer

Montreal Protocol (1987)

◦ Reduction of CFCs

◦ Started using HCFCs (greenhouse gas)

Phase out of all ozone destroying

chemicals is underway globally

Full recovery will not occur until 2050

Health Effects of Air Pollution

Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate material◦ Irritate respiratory tract and impair ability of

lungs to exchange gases

Nitrogen Dioxides◦ Causes airway restriction

Carbon monoxide◦ Binds with iron in blood hemoglobin

◦ Causes headache, fatigue, drowsiness, death

Ozone◦ Causes burning eyes, coughing, and chest

discomfort

Children and Air Pollution

Greater health threat to children than

adults

◦ Air pollution can restrict lung development

◦ Children breath more often than adults

Children who live in high ozone areas

are more likely to develop asthma

Cost of air pollution can be

evaluated in following ways: Medical care of health

due to ARI, dermatitis, cancer etc.

Pollution control involves money, manpower, etc for disposal of pollutants and for control device development

Damage of crop production

Corrosion of metals and soiling of buildings.

National indoor air quality standard

and implementation guidelines

4/4/2009 by GoN

POLLUTANTS MAXIMUM

CONCENTRATION

AVERAGING TIME

(PM10) 120 mg/m3

200 mg/m3

24 hrs

1 hrs

(PM2.5) 60 mg/m3

100 mg/m3

24 hrs

1 hrs

CO 9 ppm mg/m3

35 ppm mg/m3

8 hrs

1 hrs

CO2 1000 ppm mg/m3 8 hrs

Measures of pollution control

1. Legislation

The vehicle and transport management act, 2049(1993)

This includes

Mechanical control of the vehicle

Amount of pollution discharged by the vehicle

Life span of the vehicle

Appearance of the vehicle

Contd…

In January 1998, HMG, Nepal specified standards for petrol and diesel engine vehicles as follows:

for petrol engines vehicles 4.5 percent carbon monoxide by volume and

for diesel engines 65 HSU (HartridgeSmoke Unit) for vehicles manufactured before 1994

and 75 HSU for vehicles manufactured after 1994

International legislations

Montreal protocol on substance that Deplete ozone layer(16th september1987) – Nepal signed 6 July 1994

Kyoto protocol, 1997 : it introduce the concept of clean development mechanism and emission trading.

Copenhagen Summit,2009

Bella center in Copenhagen Denmark

between 7-18th dec

(REDD) reduce emissions from deforestration and degradations.

2. Containment

Containment achieved by

engineering measures like

enclosures, ventilation and air

cleaning

3 Replacement.

Use of electricity

instead of coal.

Using eco friendly

vehicles instead of

diesel or petrol

engines.

Some practical steps;

Modification of industrial

process, wherever

possible in order to

minimize harmful

chemicals.

Use of electricity and

natural gases in place of

wood, coal

Discontinuous use of

insecticides and

pesticides.

Traffic management and

reduction of pollution

through proper turning

of the vehicles

Establishment of green

belts between residental

and industrial areas

Health education on

public about methods of

control like provision of

chimney.

Speaking critically

Lack of a strategic air quality monitoring policy, infrastructure and technology.

Air Quality Management System (AQMS) is absent from the national policy.

• Similarly, there is no Air Quality Information system (AQMS) and

This has limited the scope for comprehensive presentation of the state of the atmospheric environment.

• No ambient air quality standards.

• No organization responsible for air quality monitoring.

• Lack of scientific data on human health impact, since URBAIR-1996 report.

For the better air quality:

establishment of air quality monitoring

system

mass public awareness and education

programmes

studies on impact of air pollution on

the health of people

on the basis of above, air quality

standards to be established and

maintained.

•http://edugreen.teri.in/explore/air.htm

•http://www.oneworld.net/penguin/pollution/pollution_

home.html

•http://www.rcc.org/oem/aqindex.html

•URBAIR-1996 report.

THANKYOU