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IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH

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 Chapter-11
IMPACT OF AIR POLLUTION ON
ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN HEALTH
1a 1
Pradeep Kumar , Akhilesh Kumar Vishwakarma , Dharmendra Kumar
1 1 1 2
Yadav , Shweta Pandey , Durgvijay Ram and Sanjeev Arora
1a
Department of Zoology, S.G.N. Govt. P.G College, Muhammadabad, Gohna, Mau (U.P.), India.
2
Department of Zoology, Government Model Degree College, Arniya, Bulandshar (U.P.)
Email: pkumar_gpu@yahoo.co.in

Introduction
Chapter Content Human activities have a contrary effect on the
environment by contaminating the water we drink, the
@ Introduction air we breathe, and the soil in which plants grow.
@ Causes of Air Pollution Although the industrial revolution was a great success in
@ Anthropogenic Sources terms of technology, society, and the provision of multiple
@ Non-Anthropogenic Sources (Natural) services, it also introduced the production of huge
@ Primary Pollutants quantities of different pollutants which emitted into the
@ Secondary Pollutants air that are harmful to human health. Without any doubt,
@ Effects of Air pollution the global environmental pollution is considered an
n Effects on Health international public health issue with multiple facets.
n Effects on Environment Social, economic, and administrative concerns and
n Effects on Economical Values
lifestyle habits are related to this major problem.
@ Control of Air Pollution Therefore, clearly urbanization and industrialization are
n Measures to Reduce
reaching unprecedented and disconcerting proportions
n Government Level Prevention
worldwide in our era. Anthropogenic air pollution is one
n Individual Level Prevention
of the biggest public health risks worldwide which given
n Control Devices
that it accounts for about 9 million deaths per year
@ Some Facts and Statistics About Air
Pollution
(WHO, 2019).
@ Reference Air pollution can be defined as, “the introduction into
the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological
materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to
humans, damage other living organisms such as food
crops, or damage the natural environment or built
environment.” A substance in the air that can be contrary
to humans and the environment is known as an air
pollutant. These pollutants may be in the form of liquid
droplets, solid particles, or gases.
 72
Emerging Trends in Environmental Science
6. Waste deposition in landfills, which generate
Causes of Air pollution methane. Methane is highly flammable and may
Air pollution can result from both human and form explosive mixtures with air.
natural activities. The sources of air pollution
refer to the various locations, activities or factors Non-Anthropogenic sources
which are responsible for the releasing of
pollutants into the atmosphere. It is known that
(Natural)
the majority of environmental pollutants are 1. Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of
emitted through large-scale by the human land with few or no vegetation.
activities such as the use of industrial machinery, 2. Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by
power-producing stations, combustion engines, animals, for example cattle.
and motor vehicles. Because these activities are 3. Radon gas from radioactive decay within the
performed at such a large scale, they are by far the Earth’s crust. Radon is a colorless, odorless,
major contributors to air pollution, with motor naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is
formed from the decay of radium. It is considered
vehicles estimated to be responsible for
to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural
approximately 80% of today’s pollution (Moller et sources can accumulate in buildings, especially
al., 1994). Some other human activities are also in confined areas such as the basement and it is
influencing our environment to a lesser extent, the second most frequent cause of lung cancer,
such as field cultivation techniques, gas stations, after cigarette smoking.
fuel tanks heaters, and cleaning procedures 4. Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires.
(Jacobson and Jacobson, 2002), as well as several 5. Vegetation, in some regions, emits
natural sources, such as forest fires, volcanic environmentally significant amounts of VOCs
eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, on warmer days. These VOCs react with primary
evaporation of organic compounds and natural anthropogenic pollutants-specifically, NOx, SO2,
radioactivity. and anthropogenic organic carbon compound to
produce a seasonal haze of secondary pollutants.
Anthropogenic Sources 6. Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine,
and ash particulates.
1. Different mobile sources include motor vehicles,
A lack of ventilation indoors concentrates of air
marine vessels, aircraft etc.
pollution where people often spend the majority of
2. Stationary sources which include smoke stacks
their time. Radon (Rn) gas, a carcinogen, is exuded
of power plants, manufacturing factories and
waste incinerators, as well as furnaces and other from the earth in certain locations and trapped
types of fuel-burning heating devices. In inside houses. Building materials including
developing and poor countries, traditional carpeting and plywood emit formaldehyde (H2CO)
biomass burning is the major source of air gas. Paint and solvents give off volatile organic
pollutants; traditional biomass includes wood, compounds (VOCs) as they dry. Lead paint can
crop waste and dung. degenerate into dust and be inhaled. Intentional
3. Chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in air pollution is introduced with the use of air
agriculture and forestry management. fresheners, incense, and other scented items.
Controlled or prescribed burning is a technique Controlled wood fires in stoves and fireplaces can
sometimes used in forest management, farming add significant amounts of smoke particulates into
or greenhouse gas abatement. Fire is a natural the air, inside and out. Indoor pollution fatalities
part of both forest and grassland ecology and
may be caused by using pesticides and other
controlled fire can be a tool for foresters.
Controlled burning stimulates the germination chemical sprays indoors without proper
of some desirable forest trees, thus renewing the ventilation. Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning and
forest. fatalities are often caused by faulty vents and
4. Fumes from paint, varnish, aerosol sprays, hair chimneys, or by the burning of charcoal indoors.
spray and other solvents. Biological sources of air pollution are also found
5. Military, such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, indoors, as gases and airborne particulates.
germ warfare and rocketry. Pets produce dander, people produce dust from
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health 73

minute skin flakes and decomposed hair, dust chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is
mites in bedding, carpeting and furniture produce one of the several nitrogen oxides. This
enzymes and micrometre-sized fecal droppings, reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic
inhabitants emit methane, mold forms in walls sharp, biting odor. NO2 is one of the most
prominent air pollutants.
and generates mycotoxins and spores, air
conditioning systems can incubate legionnaires’ 2. Carbon monoxide (CO): It is a colourless,
odorless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas.
disease and mold, and houseplants, soil and
It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel
surrounding gardens can produce pollen, dust, and such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular
mold. Indoors, the lack of air circulation allows exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide.
these airborne pollutants to accumulate more than 3. Sulphur oxides (SOx): Sulphur dioxide is a
they would otherwise occur in nature. chemical compound with the formula SO2.
On the basis of nature of the pollutants it can Sulphur dioxide is produced by volcanoes and in
be classified in to following groups- various industrial processes. Since coal and
A. Primary pollutants: These pollutant directly gasoline often contain sulphur compounds, their
produced from a process, such as ash from a combustion generates sulfur dioxide. Further
volcanic eruption, the carbon monoxide gas from oxidation of SO2, usually in the presence of a
a motor vehicle exhaust or sulphur dioxide catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4, and thus
released from factories. acid rain. This is one of the causes for concern
over the environmental impact of the use of
B. Secondary pollutants: These are not emitted
these fuels as power sources.
directly. Rather, they form in the air when
primary pollutants react or interact. An 4. Ammonia (NH3): It emitted from agricultural
important example of a secondary pollutant is processes. Ammonia is a compound with the
ground level ozone one of the many secondary formula NH3. It is normally encountered as a
pollutants that make up photochemical smog. gas with a characteristic pungent odor.
Ammonia, either directly or indirectly, is also a
Some pollutants may be both primary and building block for the synthesis of many
secondary that is, they are both emitted directly pharmaceuticals. Although in wide use,
and formed from other primary pollutants. World ammonia is both caustic and hazardous.
Health Organization (WHO) has been reports on 5. Particulate matter (PM): It is an alternatively
six major air pollutants such as particulate referred to as particulates, atmospheric
matter, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, particulate matters, or fine particles, are tiny
sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. Therefore, particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas. In
air pollution can have a disastrous effect on all contrast, aerosol refers to particles and the gas
components of the environment, including together. Sources of particulates can be
groundwater, soil, and air. Additionally, it poses a man-made or natural. Some particulates occur
serious threat to living organisms. In this vein, our naturally, originating from volcanoes, dust
storms, forest and grassland fires, living
interest is mainly to focus on these pollutants, as
vegetation, and sea spray. Human activities,
they are related to more extensive and severe such as the burning of fossil fuels in vehicles,
problems in human health and environmental power plants and various industrial processes
impact such as acid rain, global warming, also generate significant amounts of aerosols.
greenhouse effect and climate changes have an Averaged over the globe, anthropogenic aerosols
important ecological impact on air pollution (those made by human activities) currently
(Manisalidis et al., 2020). account for about 10 percent of the total amount
of aerosols in our atmosphere. Increased levels
Primary Pollutants of fine particles in the air are linked to health
hazards such as heart disease, altered lung
1. Nitrogen oxides (NOx): The nitrogen dioxides function and lung cancer.
are emitted from high temperature combustion, 6. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): It is an
and are also produced naturally during important outdoor air pollutant. In this field
thunderstorms by electric discharge. It can be they are often divided into the separate
seen as the brown haze dome above or plume categories of methane (CH4) and non-methane
downwind of cities. Nitrogen dioxide is the (NMVOCs). Methane is an extremely efficient
74

greenhouse gas which contributes to enhance increases DNA damage in epidermal

global warming. Other hydrocarbon VOCs are keratinocytes and leads to impaired cellular
also significant greenhouse gases via their role function (McCarthy, et al 2013).
in creating ozone and in sustaining the life of 2. Particulates: It’s created from gaseous primary
methane in the atmosphere, although the effect pollutants and compounds in photochemical
varies depending on local air quality. Within the smog. Smog is a kind of air pollution; the word
NMVOCs, the aromatic compounds toluene, “smog” is a blend or mixture of smoke and fog.
benzene and xylene are suspected carcinogens Classic smog results from large amounts of coal
and may lead to leukemia through prolonged burning in an area caused by a mixture of smoke
exposure. 1, 3-butadiene is another dangerous and sulphur dioxide. Modern smog does not
usually come from coal but from vehicular and
compound which is often associated with
industrial emissions that are acted on in the
industrial uses. atmosphere by ultraviolet light from the sun to
7. Radioactive pollutants: The radioactive form secondary pollutants that also combine
pollutants are produced by nuclear explosions, with the primary emissions to form
nuclear events, war explosives, and natural photochemical smog.
processes such as the radioactive decay of radon.
8. Toxic metals: The major toxic metals are lead Effects of Air pollution
and mercury, especially their compounds.
The effect of air pollutions are as follow:
9. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): It is harmful to
the ozone layer emitted from products currently Effects on health
banned from use.
Air pollution is a significant hazards factor for
10. Lead: It is a heavy metal which used in different
industrial plants and emitted from some petrol
multiple health conditions including respiratory
motor engines, batteries, radiators, waste infections, heart disease, and lung cancer,
incinerators, and waste waters. Exposure to lead according to the WHO. The health effects caused by
can occur through inhalation, ingestion, and air pollution may include difficulty in breathing,
dermal absorption. Lead, when inhaled, coughing, wheezing, asthma and aggravation of
accumulates in the blood, soft tissue, liver, lung, existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. These
bones, and cardiovascular, nervous, and effects can result in increased medication use and
reproductive systems. Moreover, loss of may cause premature death. The human health
concentration and memory, as well as muscle effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but
and joint pain, were observed in adults. Elevated
principally affect the body’s respiratory system and
amounts of lead in the environment are harmful
to plants and crop growth. Neurological effects
the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to
are observed in vertebrates and animals in air pollutants depend on the type of pollutant a
association with high lead levels (Manisalidis et person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, health
al., 2020). status of individuals and genetics.
The most common sources of air pollution
Secondary Pollutants include particulate matter (PM), ground-level
1. Ground level ozone: Ozone (O3) is a gas which
ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen
formed from oxygen under high voltage electric oxides, and lead. Both indoor and outdoor air
discharge. It arises in the stratosphere, but it pollution have caused approximately 3.3 million
could also arise chain reactions of photochemical deaths worldwide. Children aged less than five
smog in the troposphere. Ground-level ozone years that live in developing countries are the
(GLO) is generated through a chemical reaction most vulnerable population in terms of total
between oxides of nitrogen and VOCs emitted deaths attributable to indoor and outdoor air
from natural sources or anthropogenic activities. pollution. The World Health Organization states
It becomes harmful for cultures, forests, and that 2.4 million people die each year from causes
vegetation as it is reducing carbon assimilation.
directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5
Ozone reduces growth and yield and affects the
plant microflora due to its antimicrobial
million of these deaths attributable to indoor air
capacity. In this regard, ozone acts upon other pollution.
natural ecosystems, with microflora. Ozone The worst short term civilian pollution crisis in
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health 75

India was the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Leaked dispersed in the air and reduce the transparency
industrial vapors of methyl isocynate (MIC) from of the atmosphere. It is caused by gas emissions
the Union Carbide factory, belonging to Union in the air coming from industrial facilities,
Carbide, Inc., U.S.A., killed more than 25,000 power plants, automobiles, and cars.
people outright and injured anywhere from (v) Ozone: It has been discussed previously; in
150,000 to 600,000. The United Kingdom suffered contrast, ground-level ozone is harmful to
human health and is a pollutant. Unfortunately,
its worst air pollution event when the December 4
stratospheric ozone is gradually damaged by
Great Smog of 1952 formed over London. In six ozone-depleting substances (i.e., chemicals,
days more than 4,000 died, and 8,000 more died pesticides, and aerosols). If this protecting
within the following months. An accidental leak of stratospheric ozone layer is thinned, then UV
anthrax spores from a biological warfare radiation can reach our earth, with harmful
laboratory in the former USSR in 1979 near effects for human life (skin cancer) and crops. In
Sverdlovsk is believed to have been the cause of plants, ozone penetrates through the stomata,
hundreds of civilian deaths (Rao and Rao, 2007). inducing them to close, which blocks CO2
transfer and induces a reduction in
Around the world, children living in cities with
photosynthesis (Singh, et al., 2011).
high exposure to air pollutants are at increased
(vi) Wildlife: It is burdened by toxic pollutants
risk of developing pneumonia, asthma and other
coming from the air, soil, or the water ecosystem
lower respiratory infections. Because children are and, in this way; animals can develop health
outdoors more and have higher minute ventilation problems when exposed to high levels of
they are more susceptible to the dangers of air pollutants.
pollution. Risks of low initial birth weight are also It’s also causes impact on watery bodies is
heightened in such cities. associated with the survival of living organisms
Effects on Environment and fishes and their productivity potential.
Impairment in photosynthetic rhythm and
Air pollution is harming not only human metabolism is observed in plants exposed to the
health but it also causes effect on the environment. effects of ozone (Zuhara and Isaifan, 2018).
The most important air pollution and their effect
on the environment are as follows: Effects on Economical Values
(i) Acid rain: It is wet (rain, fog, snow) or dry The effect of air pollution on the economy may
(particulates and gas) precipitation containing be a derived one. In simple language, the economy
toxic amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. They
thrives when people are healthy, and business
are able to acidify the water and soil
environments, damage trees and plantations,
that depends on cultivated raw materials and
and even damage buildings and outdoor natural resources are running at full efficiency.
sculptures, constructions, and statues. Air pollution reduces agricultural crop and
(ii) Eutrophication: It is occurring when elevated commercial forest yields by billions of money each
concentrations of nutrients (especially nitrogen) year. Health related damages account for 85% of
stimulate the blooming of aquatic algae, which total damages. Global damage costs are on a
can cause a dis equilibration in the diversity of downward trend: starting from around 23% of
fish and their deaths Gross World Product (GWP) in the year 1900, the
(iii)Global climate change: It is an important damage costs are predicted to fall to below 3% of
issue that concerns mankind. As is known, the GWP by 2050 (Guy Hutton, 2011) This in addition
“greenhouse effect” keeps the Earth’s to people staying off work for health reasons can
temperature stable. Unhappily, anthropogenic costs the economy greatly.
activities have destroyed this protecting
temperature effect by producing large amounts
of greenhouse gases, and global warming is Control of Air Pollution
mounting, with harmful effects on human Air pollution can be controlled by the
health, animals, forests, wildlife, agriculture, following:-
and the water environment.
(iv) Haze: It is produced when fine particles are Measures to Reduce
 76

Air pollution is always a big problem. This is particles from gas (such as air) using the force of
why prevention interventions are always a better an induced electrostatic charge. Electrostatic
way of controlling air pollution. These prevention precipitators are highly efficient filtration
methods can either come from government (laws) devices that minimally impede the flow of gases
through the device and can easily remove fine
or by individual actions. In many big cities,
particulates such as dust and smoke from the air
monitoring equipments have been installed at stream.
many points in the city. Authorities read them
(c) Bag houses: This device designed to handle
regularly to check the quality of air. heavy dust loads, a dust collector consists of a
Government Level Prevention blower, dust filter, a filter-cleaning system, and
a dust receptacle or dust removal system
Governments throughout the world have (distinguished from air cleaners which utilize
already taken action against air pollution by disposable filters to remove the dust).
introducing green energy. Some governments are (d) Particulate scrubbers: Wet scrubber is a form
investing in wind energy and solar energy, as well of pollution control technology. The term
as other renewable energy, to minimize burning of describes a variety of devices that use pollutants
fossil fuels, which cause heavy air pollution. from a furnace flue gas or from other gas
Governments are also forcing companies to be streams. In a wet scrubber, the polluted gas
stream is brought into contact with the
more responsible with their manufacturing
scrubbing liquid, by spraying it with the liquid,
activities, so that even though they still cause by forcing it through a pool of liquid, or by some
pollution, they are a lot of controlled. other contact method, so as to remove the
Individual Level Prevention pollutants.

Encourage your family to use the bus, train or Some Facts and Statistics
bike when commuting. If we all do this, there will
be fewer cars on road and less fumes. about Air Pollution
Use energy such as light, water, boiler, kettle (i) Air pollution affects kids more than adults due to
and fire woods wisely. This is because lots of fossil higher concentrations of polluted air in their
fuels are burned to generate electricity, and so if systems per body size.
we can cut down the use, we will also cut down the (j) India is the country with the worst air quality in
amount of pollution we create. the world.
Recycle and re-use things. This will minimize (k) The European Union would save 161 billion
Euros a year if deaths caused by air pollution
the dependence of producing new things.
were diminished.
Remember manufacturing industries create a lot
(l) In large cities, over 80% of fatal pollutants that
of pollution, so if we can re-use things like
cause lung damage come from cars, buses,
shopping plastic bags, clothing, paper and bottles, motorcycles and other vehicles on the road.
it can help. (m) According to the World Health Organization,
Control Devices there are as many deaths (1.3 million per year)
in the world due to air pollution as there are
The following items are commonly used as deaths due to car accidents.
pollution control devices by industry or (n) The average adult breathes 3,000 gallons of air
transportation devices. They can either destroy every day.
contaminants or remove them from an exhaust (o) The Great Smog of London in 1952 was one of the
stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere. worst air pollution events in history with over
(a) Mechanical collectors: It is dust cyclones, 8,000 deaths.
multi-cyclones. (p) The largest cause of air pollution in Europe is
(b) Electrostatic precipitators: An electrostatic road transportation with over 5,000 people
precipitator or electrostatic air cleaner is a dying each year from lung cancer and heart
particulate collection device which removes attacks caused by vehicle exhaust fumes.
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health 77

Therefore, air pollution can be prevented only if individuals and businesses stop using toxic
substances that cause air pollution in the first place. This would require the cessation of all fossil
fuel-burning processes, from industrial manufacturing to home use of air conditioners. This is an
unlikely scenario at this time. However, we have to make rules which set stringent regulations on
industrial and power supply manufacturing and handling. The regulations are to be designed to further
reduce harmful emissions into the earth’s atmosphere.
References
— Choudhary MP, Garg V (2015). Causes consequences and control of air pollution; Research Gate 2015.
— Guy Hutton (2011). Air pollution global damage costs of air pollution from 1900 to 2050; Assessment Paper Copenhagen
Consensus on Human Challenges (2011).
— Jacobson MZ, Jacobson PMZ (2002). Atmospheric pollution: History, Science, and Regulation; Cambridge University Press, p.
206.
— Manisalidis I, Stavropoulou E, Stavropoulos A, Bezirtzoglou E (2020). Environmental and Health Impacts of Air Pollution: A
Review; Frontiers in Public Health, 2020 Vol 8.
— McCarthy JT, Pelle E, Dong K, Brahmbhatt K, Yarosh D and Pernodet N (2013). Effects of ozone in normal human epidermal
keratinocytes; Exp Dermatol, 22:360-1.
— Möller L, Schuetzle D, Autrup H (1994). Future research needs associated with the assessment of potential human health risks
from exposure to toxic ambient air pollutants; Environ Health Perspect, 102(Suppl. 4):193-210.
— Rao M N, Rao HVN (2007). Air Pollution; Tata McGraw-Hill, 2007.
— Singh E, Tiwari S, Agrawal M (2009). Effects of elevated ozone on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of two soybean
varieties: a case study to assess impacts of one component of predicted global climate change; Plant Biol Stuttg Ger,
11(Suppl.1):101-8.
— WHO (2018). First WHO Global Conference on Air Pollution and Health. Available online at:
https://www.who.int/airpollution/events/conference/en/(accessed October 6, 2019).
— WHO (2019). Air Pollution; WHO. Available online at: http://www.who.int/ air pollution/en/ (accessed October 5, 2019).
— Zuhara S, Isaifan R (2018). The impact of criteria air pollutants on soil and water: a review, 278-84.

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