UNIT 14

ENVIRONMENTAL
CHEMISTRY
 Environmental Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into
a natural environment that causes instability,
disorder, harm to the plants, animals and human
beings.
A substance which causes pollution is known as
pollutant.
Pollutants originate from a source and get
transported by air or water or are dumped into
the soil by human beings
 Atmospheric Pollution
Atmospheric pollution is considered as
Tropospheric and Stratospheric Pollution
The lowest region in which human beings and
organisms live is called Troposphere (up to the 10 km
of height from sea level).
Stratosphere(10 and 50 km above sea level) is next to
troposphere. Ozone layer exists in this region.
 Tropospheric
Pollution
Tropospheric pollution occurs due to the presence of
undesirable solid or gaseous particles in the air.
The major gaseous and particular pollutants present in
troposphere:
Gaseous air pollutants: These are oxides of sulphur,
nitrogen and carbon, hydrogen sulphide, hydrocarbons,
ozone and other oxidants.
Particulate pollutants: These are dust, mist, fumes,
smoke, smog etc.
 Gaseous air pollutants
Oxides of Sulphur:

Oxides of sulphur are produced when sulphur

containing fossil fuel is burnt.
Sulphur dioxide is a gas that is poisonous to both
animals and plants.
Oxides of
Nitrogen:
Dinitrogen and dioxygen are the main constituents of
air.
At high altitudes when lightning strikes, they combine
to form oxides of nitrogen
Nitrogen dioxide causes lung irritant in children.
Hydrocarbons
:
Hydrocarbons are composed of hydrogen and carbon
only and are formed by incomplete combustion of fuel
used in automobiles
Hydrocarbons cause cancer and harm plants by
causing ageing, breakdown of tissues and shedding of
Oxides of Carbon
leaves, flowers and twigs.
• Carbon Monoxide
• Carbon Dioxide
Carbon Monoxide
It is a colourless and odourless gas, highly poisonous to
living beings because of its ability to block the delivery
of oxygen to the organs and tissues.
It is produced as a result of incomplete combustion of
Carbon
carbon.Dioxide

Carbon dioxide () is released into the atmosphere by

respiration, burning of fossil fuels for energy, and by
decomposition of limestone during the
manufacture of cement.
It is also emitted during volcanic eruptions.
The increased amount of in the air is mainly
Global Warming and Greenhouse Effect

In cold places flowers, vegetables and fruits are grown in

glass covered areas called greenhouse

Natural Greenhouse Effect: The absorption of infrared

radiation by natural greenhouse gases (CO2 and H2O vapour)
in the atmosphere warms the earth.
The greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane,
water vapour, nitrous oxide, CFCs and ozone
Increase in the global temperature increases the
incidence of infectious diseases like dengue, malaria etc.
Global Warming:
A gradual increase in planet-wide temperatures because
of the heat trapped by gases such as carbon dioxide,
methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs)
and water vapour in the atmosphere. Thus adding heat to
the atmosphere. This causes global warming
Acid Rain

• The rain water has a pH value of 5.6 due to the presence

of H+ ions
• The ions are formed by the reaction of rain water with
carbon dioxide which is present in the atmosphere.
+→
→+
• When the pH value of the rain water drops below 5.6 it is
called Acid Rain
• Acid rain is a byproduct of a variety of human activities
that emit the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in the
atmosphere.
Particulate Pollutants
Particulates pollutants are the minute solid particles or
liquid droplets in air.
Particulates in the atmosphere are Viable and Non-viable
The viable particulates are bacteria, fungi, moulds, algae
etc., which are minute living organisms, dispersed in the
atmosphere
Non-viable particulates are classified as follows:
Smoke particulates Eg-cigarette smoke, oil smoke etc
Dust Eg-Sand from sand blasting, dust storms etc.
Mists Eg- sulphuric acid mist etc
Fumes Eg- organic solvents, metals and metallic
 Smog
Smog = Smoke + Fog
Two types of smog
Classical smog: It is a mixture of smoke, fog and
sulphur dioxide. It is a reducing mixture, so called as
Reducing smog
Photochemical smog: The main components of the
photochemical smog result from the action of sunlight
on unsaturated hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides It has
high concentration of oxidizing agents, so called as
Oxidizing smog
Formation of photochemical smog
Hydrocarbons and Nitric oxide are two pollutants that are
emitted in atmosphere when fossil fuels are burnt.
NO2 absorbs energy from sunlight and breaks up into
nitric oxide and free oxygen atom
NO2(g) → NO(g) + O(g)
light
Oxygen atoms combines with the O2 in air to produce
ozone
O(g) + O2(g) → O3(g)
The ozone formed reacts with the NO(g)
NO (g) + O3 (g) → NO2 (g) + O2(g)
Ozone reacts with the unburnt hydrocarbons in the polluted
air to produce formaldehyde, acrolein and peroxyacetyl
nitrate(PAN)
Effects of photochemical smog

 Photochemical smog causes serious health problems.

 Ozone and PAN are eye irritants.
 Ozone and nitric oxide irritate the nose and throat.
 Photochemical smog leads to cracking of rubber and
effects the plant life.
It also causes corrosion of metals, stones, building
materials, rubber and painted surfaces.
 Stratospheric Pollution
Formation and Breakdown of Ozone
The main reason of ozone layer depletion is believed to
be the release of chlorofluorocarbon compounds (CFCs)
In stratosphere, CFCs get broken down by powerful UV
radiations, releasing chlorine free radical.

The chlorine radical then react with stratospheric ozone

to form chlorine monoxide radicals and molecular
oxygen.

Reaction of chlorine monoxide radical with atomic

oxygen produces more chlorine radicals.
The chlorine radicals are the continuously regenerated
and cause the breakdown of ozone.
CFCs are transporting agents for continuously
generating chlorine radicals into the stratosphere and
damaging the ozone layer.
Ozone Hole
The depletion of ozone layer is known as ozone hole
Nitrogen dioxide and methane react with chlorine
monoxide and chlorine atoms forming chlorine sinks.
Thus preventing much ozone depletion
When sunlight returns to the Antarctica in the spring, the
sun’s warmth breaks up the clouds and HOCl and Cl2 are
photolysed by sunlight
Effects of Depletion of the Ozone Layer

With the depletion of ozone layer, more UV radiation

filters into troposphere
UV radiations lead to ageing of skin, skin cancer,
damage to fish productivity etc.
UV radiations also effect plants.
Increase in UV radiations damage paints and fibers.
 Water Pollution
Causes of Water Pollution
• Pathogens: The most serious water pollutants are the
disease causing agents called pathogens.
• Organic wastes
• Chemical Pollutants
Major Water Pollutants
 International Standards for Drinking Water
Fluoride:For drinking purposes, water should be tested for
fluoride ion concentration. Its deficiency in drinking water
is harmful to man and causes diseases such as tooth
decay
Lead: Drinking water gets contaminated with lead when
lead pipes are used for transportation of water. The
prescribed upper limit concentration of lead in drinking
water is about 50 ppb.
Sulphate: Excessive sulphate (>500 ppm) in drinking
water causes laxative effect, otherwise at moderate
levels it is harmless.
Maximum Prescribed Concentration of Some Metals in Drinking
Water
 SOIL POLLUTION
The soil pollution means the reduction in productivity of the
soil due to the addition of undesirable substances such as
industrial waste, insecticides, pesticides and inorganic
fertilizers
Pesticides

 Choose pesticides partially based on the non-target

organisms they affect
 Choose a source of compost and manure based on
how it impacts disease or crop-enhancing organisms
 Industrial Waste
• Biodegradable Wastes
• Non-degradable Wastes

• Bio degradable wastes: The materials that are able to

break down naturally into harmless simpler forms by
actions of micro-organisms. E.g. paper, some plastic,
textiles
• Non-biodegradable waste originating from household and
industrial products. These stay a very long time in the
environment as they either can be broken down or they
take very long .e.g. plastics, glass metals
 Strategies To Control
Environmental Pollution
Waste Management
The improper disposal of wastes is one of the major
causes of environmental degradation
 Green Chemistry
Introduction
Green chemistry is a way of thinking and utilizing the
existing knowledge and principles of chemistry and
other sciences to reduce the adverse impact on
environment.
Green chemistry is a production process that would
bring about minimum pollution or deterioration to the
environment.
Utilization of existing knowledge base for reducing the
chemical hazards along with the developmental
activities is the foundation of green chemistry
Green Chemistry in day-to-day Life

• Dry Cleaning of Clothes

• Bleaching of Paper
• Synthesis of Chemicals