2/8/2016

Lecture 4- Environmental
Pollution Issues

Engr. Haroon Rashid

Lecturer,
Institute of Environmental Engineering & Research (IEER)
University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

[email protected]

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Introduction
• pH of pure water is 7

• Rainwater is naturally acidic

because its equilibrium

with carbon dioxide

• So due to the presence of

H2CO3 , the pH of natural
rain is about 5.7

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Acid Rain

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Introduction
• It is defined as precipitation in which has pH < 5.6
• Acid rain or acid snow is a direct result of the
method that the environment clean itself.
• The tiny droplet of water that make up clouds
continuously capture solid particles and gases in the
atmosphere.
• When enough of the tiny cloud droplets clump
together to form a larger water drop it may fall to
the earth as “wet” acid precipitation including rain,
snow , ice , sleet, or fog.

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Acid Rain Formation

SOx + H2O H2SO4

NOx + H2O HNO3

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Acid Rain Transport

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Acid Rain Transport

• The reactions of sulfur oxide to form sulfuric acid
are quite slow
• Sulfur dioxide may remain airborne for 3-4 days
• As a consequence acid rain derived from sulfur
oxides may travel for hundreds of miles or even a
thousand miles
• Nitrogen oxides may persist for only one half day
and therefore may travel only tens or hundreds of
miles

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Acid Rain Transport

• Once airborne, the sulfur and nitrogen oxides
eventually come down in one form or another.
• Where they come down depends on the height of the
smokestack and the prevailing weather conditions.
• In general, prevailing winds in North America
transport pollutants from west to east or northeast.

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Causes of Acid Rain

• The main precursors of acid rain are emissions of
SOx and NOx, are primarily responsible for the
harmful effects on environment.
Sources of SOx:
Anthropogenic (Man made):
• Fuel combustion in power plant
• Exhaust pipes in automobiles
• Industrial emissions(pulp and paper)
• Incineration of refusal waste
• Smelting of sulphur
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Causes of Acid Rain

Natural:
• Volcanic eruptions
• Forest fires
• Out gassings from anaerobic wetlands(decay process)
Sources of NOx:
Anthropogenic:
• Fertilizers
• Fuel burning in automobiles
Natural:
• Terrestrial , tidal, and nutrient- rich oceanic areas
• Decomposition of organic matter
• Sedimentation of rocks
• Lightening strokes
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Environmental Effects

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Environmental Effect
Water and marine life:
• Extinction of fish in lakes

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• Vegetation:

Necrosis Epinasty

Abscission Chlorosis
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Human health:
• Respiratory problems
• Failure of Kidney (Norway)
• Irritation to eyes , etc.
Building / Monuments:
• Sandstone, granite- discoloured
• Eroding of building surfaces

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Stone Cancer

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Control
Reduced Fossil fuel Emissions:
• Fuel desulfurization (remove S from fuel)
• Fluidized bed technology (reduce SO2 during
combustion)
• Flue gas desulfurization (remove sulphur gases
using lime slurry in scrubbers)
• Scrubbers can be used to remove NOx from
industrial emissions
• Catalytic converter and lean burn engines (reduce
NOx in motor vehicles)

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Introduction
Global Warming

“It is the natural or human induced increase in the

average Global Temperature of the atmosphere near
the earth surface or troposphere is known as “Global
Warming”.

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Global Warming
Mechanism:

The incoming solar radiations are in the form of:

UV Rays (0.1-0.4 μ), 9 %

Visible Light (0.4-0.7 μ), 45 %
Infrared Rays(0.7-4.0 μ), 46 %

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The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

1. Incoming Energy

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The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

2. Absorption

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The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

3. Emission

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The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

4. Role of Greenhouse Gases

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The “GREEN HOUSE EFFECT”

5. Human Role

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Green House Gases(GHG)

• Water vapors account for 97 % of greenhouse process
(Their concentration remains almost constant)
• Due to anthropogenic activities, concentration of
• GHGs is increasing, thus resulting in Global Warming.

 GHGs contribute 3 %,

CO2, N2O, CH4, CFCs

76 % 6 % 13 % 5%

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GHGs
1. CO2:

Present Concentration = 397 ppm

Increasing rate = 0.5 % per year
Expected level in 2050 = > 450 ppm

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GHGs
1. CH4

Present Concentration = 1750 ppb

Increasing rate = 0.5 % per year

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GHGs
1. N2O

Present Concentration = 322 ppb

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GHGs
1. CFCs:

Present Concentration = 532 ppt

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GHGs

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GHGs

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Consequences of Global Warming

Global temperature may rise (1.5 – 5.5 oC) by 2050.

Climatic Change
• A warmer northern hemisphere
• Changes in precipitation patterns
• More droughts, more storms
• More incidents of Malaria
• Extinction of Animal and Plant species

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Consequences of Global Warming

Impact on Crop Yield:
 Faster plant growth
 Plants prone to pest attack
 More fertilizers, pesticides needed.
 Global yield of key crops may decrease by 30-70 % by
2050
Rise in Sea level
 0.2-2.2 m rise by 2050 (Maldives, Bangkok may be
flooded,Threats to ports)

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Consequences of Global Warming

Impacts on Socio-economics:

 Displacement of people
 Changes of occupation
 Sufferings, Miseries

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Control Strategies
1. Reduce emissions of GHGs

2. Reduce use of fossil fuels

3. Encourage use of hydal power and solar energy

4. Control gas leaks

5. Employ less fertilizers

6. Stop using CFCs

7. Plant as many trees as possible

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Introduction
Ozone
• Ozone is a gas that is naturally present in our atmosphere.

• Each ozone molecule contains three atoms of oxygen and is

denoted chemically as O3

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Chemistry of Ozone

UV-C(0.1-0.28um)
UV-B(0.28-0.32um)

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Chemistry of Ozone
• In stratosphere
O2 O+O
O+O2O3

O3O2+O
• UV-A(0.32-0.4um)  Not affected by O3, All reaches to
earth
• Ozone Hole: refers to >50% reduction in O3 conc. Over a
particular area

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Effects
• Significance of UV-B
 Damage cells, tissues, DNA

 Inhibit photosynthesis, kills phytoplankton

 Lower crop and sea food yield

 Sunburns, skin cancer

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Causes of Ozone Depletion

Cholofluoro-carbons (CFCs)
Used as : refrigerators, air conditioning, foam production,
solvents, aerosols, insulation material

• CFC-11(CFCl3),CFC-12(CF2Cl2)

• O3 + Cl  ClO + O2

• ClO + O3Cl +2O2

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Ultraviolet rays
from Sun

Chlorofluorocarbons
The Ozone layer in
are entering in to
stratosphere atmosphere releasing
blocks these chlorine. The chlorine
harmful UV rays than break down the
ozone

Oxygen
ozone

Whole in
Ozone layer

chlorine

The chlorine released from CFCs break

down the ozone molecule. More ultraviolet radiations are reaching in to earths
surface as there is a whole in ozone layer.

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Causes of Ozone Depletion

Nitric oxide (NO)
(50-70% ozone depletion)
• N2O +O 2NO
• NO + O2  NO2 + O2
• NO2 + O NO + O2

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Protection of O3 Layer:

 Montreal Protocol (Sept,1982)

 CFCs production to stop by 2000

 Available CFCs to be recycled

 Best alternatives of CFCs:

 Butane (C2H10) + Propane (C3H8)

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