AIR Pollution!
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil. Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, the concentration and the persistence.
What is the Air Pollution?
It is the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. Common gaseous air pollutants include Carbon monoxide, Sulphur dioxide, Nitrogen oxides and Lead compounds produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight.
Fossil Fuels!
Fossil fuels are fuels formed by natural resources such as anaerobic decomposition of buried dead organisms. The age of the organisms and their resulting fossil fuels is typically millions of years, and sometimes exceeds 650 million years. Fuels contain a high percentage of carbon and hydrocarbonns.
The main air pollutants
Carbon monoxide (colourless gas,insoluble,no smell)
Its formed when the carbon compounds in fossil fuels burn in too little air. For example inside car engines and furnaces. It is poisonous even in low concentrations. It reacts with the haemoglobin in blood and prevents oxygen around the body...So you can die from oxygen starvation.
Sulphur dioxide (colourless acidic gas,sharp smell,soluble)
Its naturally in the fossil fuels mainly from oil and coal and forms sulphur dioxide when it burns. It gives us the eyes irritate and throat and causes respiratory problems.
Nitrogen oxide (acidic gas)
Its formed when the nitrogen and oxygen in air react together inside car engines and in hot furnaces. It causes respiratory problems and it dissolve in rain to form acid rain.
Lead compounds
A compound called tetra-ethyl lead was added to petrol to help it burn smoothly in engines. On burning,it produced particles of the lead compounds, mainly lead halides such as PbBrCl. Lead damages children's brains. It damages the kidneys and nervous system in adults.
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