AIR POLLUTION
ABSTRACT
Air pollution is one of the biggest problems of our day, not only because it
contributes to climate change but also because it has a negative effect on public
and individual health. Basically, any physical, chemical, or biological change in the
air can cause air pollution.
Decades of research have shown that air pollutants such as ozone and particulate
matter (PM) increase the amount and seriousness of lung and heart disease and
other health problems. Children, the elderly, and people living in areas with high
levels of air pollution are especially susceptible.
It is indeed an alarming issue for the health of our future generations in India
because out of twenty-five most polluted cities in the world, eighteen are in India
(https://www.iqair.com/in-en/world-most-polluted-cities). Delhi, Noida,
Darbhanga, Patna, Ghaziabad, Bahadurgarh are among the list of 25 most
polluted cities in the world.
Some significant measures should be taken, and some strict laws should be made
to prevent environmental pollutions in the major cities of India.
Introduction
As we are aware of the ill effects of environmental pollutants and toxicants on the
health status of humans as well as other living organisms and the environment.
We collectively need to take major steps in minimizing air pollution.
Our project is dedicated to the same concern. We collect data related to prime air
pollutants of different states in India on daily basis for one month (February) ,
then we analyze the data and further results from this project are used to identify
the major polluting states, prime air pollutants, their sources of pollution and
steps to control the same which further contribute to improvements in public
health.
Pollutants-
Pollutants are the substances which cause pollution; air pollution is caused by air
pollutants.
Prime air pollutants (OUR VARIABLES)
PM2.5
Particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), refers to tiny particles or droplets in the air that are
two- and one-half microns or less in width.
SOURCES- They primarily come from car, truck, bus and off-road vehicle (e.g.,
construction equipment, snowmobile, locomotive) exhausts, other operations that
involve the burning of fuels such as wood, heating oil or coal and natural sources
such as forest and grass fires
IMPACT- Exposure to fine particles can cause short-term health effects such as eye,
nose, throat and lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of
breath. Exposure to fine particles can also affect lung function and worsen medical
conditions such as asthma and heart disease.
PM2.5 particles (2.5 µm or less) are declared as one of the most harmful
particulate pollutants by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
PM10
PM10 describes inhalable particles, with diameters that are generally 10
micrometers and smaller.
SOURCES- They include dust from construction sites, landfills and agriculture,
wildfires and brush/waste burning, industrial sources, wind-blown dust from open
lands, pollen and fragments of bacteria.
IMPACT- As PM2.5 they also cause irritated eyes, nose and throat, worsening
asthma and lung diseases such as chronic bronchitis (also called chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease or COPD), heart attacks and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
in people with heart disease.
NO2
It is a compound formed by nitrogen and two oxygens called Nitrogen dioxide.
SOURCES- Caused due to the reaction between oxygen and nitrogen at high temps
such as in combustion engines and industries.
IMPACTS- Aggravates Asthmatic conditions and other respiratory issues in humans.
Plays a major role in the formation of SMOG, acid rain (nitric acid), and the
greenhouse effect.
NH3
Ammonia pollution is pollution by the chemical ammonia (NH3) – a compound of
nitrogen and hydrogen which is a byproduct of agriculture and industry.
SOURCES- This includes livestock's waste, agriculture fertilizer, wildfires,
automobiles, industries, human waste.
IMPACTS- Ammonia emissions can lead to increased acid depositions and excessive
levels of nutrients in soil, rivers or lakes, which can have negative impacts on
aquatic ecosystems and cause damage to forests, crops and other vegetation.
SO2
Pungent smelling colorless
SOURCES- These gases are produced from mostly volcanic activities, industrial
processes, and production of sulphuric acid.
IMPACTS- Short-term exposures to SO2 can harm the human respiratory system
and make breathing difficult. People with asthma, particularly children, are
sensitive to these effects of SO2.
CO
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless,
tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon
atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is a Greenhouse gas and
is highly toxic.
SOURCES- produced from internal combustion engines due to incomplete
combustion, other sources are volcanoes, forest fires, etc.
IMPACT- Breathing air with a high concentration of CO reduces the amount of
oxygen that can be transported in the blood stream to critical organs like the heart
and brain, at very high levels, which are possible indoors or in other enclosed
environments, CO can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and death.
OZONE
Ozone is a gas composed of three atoms of oxygen. Ozone occurs both in the Earth's
upper atmosphere and at ground level. Ozone can be good or bad, depending on
where it is found.
SOURCES- Ground level ozone is not emitted directly into the air but is created by
chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic
compounds (VOC). This happens when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants,
industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources chemically react in
the presence of sunlight.
IMPACT- Ozone in the air we breathe can harm our health, especially on hot sunny
days when ozone can reach unhealthy levels. People at greatest risk of harm from
breathing air containing ozone include people with asthma. Elevated exposures to
ozone can affect sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including forests, parks,
wildlife refuges and wilderness areas.
AQI
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is used for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how
clean or polluted your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern
for you. The AQI focuses on health affects you may experience within a few hours
or days after breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air
pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution
(also known as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen
dioxide.
AQI TABLE-
LESS THAN 50- GOOD
50-100-moderate
Poor
Very poor
Worst
Dataset description
For our project work, we have collected the data from the official website of
CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD (CPCD) which comes under Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate change. We have collected the data on a daily
basis for all 28 days (about 4 weeks) in February. We have decided the time at 14:00
hrs. daily because it is a peak hour in the day. Data includes PM2.5, PM10, NO2,
NH3, SO2, CO, OZONE and AQI of 13 major states and 4 Union Territories in India
(Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu
and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand).
For states data we have selected the capital city and then the most polluted place
for measuring data like in case of Karnataka, capital city is Bengaluru and the
pollution measuring station is Hebbal, Bengaluru – KSPCB.
For missing data, we took an average of one day before and one day after, then
highlighted the number, so it is easily visible. Like in case of Tamil Nadu state data,
the data of 27th feb 2023 was missing, so we took an average of the values on 26 th
feb 2023 and 28th feb 2023, and then fill the empty place.
After the data set is ready for all states and UTs of all 28 days, we created a final
table which includes average (average of all air pollutants or variable) of 28 days
for each particular state or UT which show the value on month basis.
