Air Pollution: Sources and How to Curb It?

As we are embracing technological advancements in every field that is known to humankind, on the other hand, we are causing some irreversible devastations on planet Earth. Air pollution is one such problem, and addressing that is paramount to ensuring the safety and well-being of every living being on Earth. It is not only causing severe health conditions in humans but also affecting millions of species of plant and animal life surrounding us.

Millions worldwide are losing lives due to air pollution, and India is no exception. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in its latest guidelines about global air quality, has defined the guideline value of PM 2.5 pollution as 5 micrograms per cubic metre. But in India, it is well above the specified range.

Definition of Air Pollution

Air Pollution can be defined as the deterioration in air quality due to the release of harmful gases, smoke, and dust. As a result of air pollution, air changes its physical, chemical and biological conditions. It impacts Global Warming, the greatest threat to humanity because impure air increases the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The northern part of India, including the capital New Delhi and surrounding regions, experiences the highest levels of air pollution. In the past few years, it has gone to an extent where authorities had to cancel the functioning of schools and colleges to keep the children safe from the ill effects of air pollution. Increased concentration of Industries, agriculture, number of vehicles emitting smoke etc., are some of the reasons behind extreme air pollution plaguing these regions.

What Are Air Pollutants?

Air Pollutants are any natural or artificial air-borne substances that get mixed with the air and, in high concentrations, can become detrimental to humans, animals, crops and so on.

Types of Air Pollutants

Based on the source, pollutants can be classified into two types:

Primary pollutants
Secondary pollutants

Let us learn a little more about these air pollutants with some examples.

Primary Air Pollutant: Definition and Examples

Primary pollutants are those that directly cause air pollution. They result from direct formation or emission from any source such as cars, power plants running on coal, biomass burning and so on.

The best example that we could think of for a primary pollutant is Sulphur dioxide, which is produced from petroleum refineries and cement manufacturing facilities. Inhaling air polluted by SO2 causes mild to severe health problems such as shortness of breath, wheezing, reduced lung function and asthma.

Other examples of primary pollutant include;

Nitrogen oxides
Carbon monoxide
Sulphur oxides etc.

Secondary Air Pollutant: Definitions and Examples

Secondary air pollutants are formed in the lower atmosphere due to the chemical reaction between the pollutants released directly into the atmosphere and the molecules in the atmosphere.

We have all heard about ‘acid rain’. It is nothing but a secondary air pollutant that is formed when sulphur dioxide or nitrogen oxides react with water.

The most common example of a secondary pollutant is smog – the combined form of smoke and fog. Photochemical smog is another example of a secondary pollutant, which is nothing but the ozone formed closer to the ground level.

Sources of Air Pollution

As explained in the beginning, the sources of air pollution could be many and not always human activities. Sand storms occurring in the deserts, for example, cause air pollution. Identifying the source of air pollution is particularly important for creating an action plan to curb it. Most countries worldwide, including India, have set up dedicated facilities to continuously collect data regarding air pollutants so they can come up with efficient measures to keep them under control.

Classification of Sources Causing Air Pollution

Sources causing air pollution may be classified broadly into:

Mobile sources: All moving vehicles, including cars, buses, bikes, planes, trains etc.
Stationary sources: Industries, power plants, etc.
Area sources: Agricultural fields where crops are burnt periodically
Natural sources: Natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptions, sand storms, forest fires, etc.

In India, the most common sources of air pollution are vehicles, manufacturing industries, electricity-generating industries, burning of waste, combustion of oil, coal and biomass and so on. Road transport and construction projects contribute majorly to air pollution in metropolitan areas and cities.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

The NCAP is a national-level pollution control plan launched by the Central Government of India, in 2019, with a clear objective of bringing down the PM_2.5 pollution in India by 20–30%by 2024. Different state-level and national-level teams were formed to implement and monitor strategies to tackle the air pollution problem in 122 cities.

7 Ways We Can Contribute to Curb Air Pollution

As inhabitants of this planet and responsible citizens of this country, there is a lot that we can do to reduce air pollution, thereby improving the quality of the air we breathe. While the Automobile and Petroleum industries are doing their bit by spurring innovations through electric cars, quality of fuel and engine specifications, let us see how we can join the movement to battle air pollution and create a healthy world for everyone to live in.

Switch to carpooling
Use public transport whenever you can
Switch to EVs
Bicycle to work
Use fuel-efficient cars
Stop burning waste, dry leaves and tyres in open spaces
Using solar energy can bring down the load on thermal power plants

The Governments and a few NGOs are trying their best to raise awareness of the global problem of Air Pollution, which, if not tackled at the earliest, can cost us heavily. The efforts by the Government would only be successful if every one of us understood the gravity of the situation and behaved responsibly towards planet Earth.

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