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2 1. Air and ater Pollution W

1.1.1 Air pollution

Clean air is an important prerequisite for sustainable deelopment and is a basic require- v
ment for human health and welfare. In addition, air pollutants contribute to atmospheric
problems such as acidification and global climate change, which have impacts on crop pro-
,
v
ersity
ductivity, forest gro biodi b and cultural monuments. The benef its
uildings,
wth,
from the progress made in the areas of waste gas treatment and en gislation vironmental le
are partially offset by industrialization, an increase in the number of priate cars in use, v
and oerpopulation. v
Air pollutants are divided into two broad cate gories: primary and secondary . Primary
pollutants are those emitted directly into the air, in contrast to secondary pollutants, which
are created in the atmosphere by the reactions among the primary pollutants, usually in the
presence of sunlight. Specif, a variety of chemical or photochemical reactions (cata- ically
lyzed by light) produce a wide range of secondary pollutants, especially in urban air . A
prime example is the formation of ozone in smog.
There is a variety of problems associated with air pollution, starting from photochemi-
cal smog, ozone formation, and acid rain at a regional le to the greenhouse effect and v el,
ozone-layer depletion at a global leThese problems hae an adverse impact on both v
el.
v
environment and public health (Table 1.1); the last two problems are a threat to life on
Earth generally.
Agriculture, enerroad transport, and industry are the most important sources of gy plants,
Agriculture,
xample,
pollutants of the atmosphere. for e charges air with acidifying gases
that may lead to acid rain formation with a dramatic impact on lakes, rivers, and marine life.
Air pollution is a problem at a local as well as a global leor purposes of studying, el. F v
it is useful to catagorize air pollution according to the leels at which it appears: v

Table 1.1
The main health effects of the most important air pollutants (Source: Parliamentary Of ice of f
Science and Technology, 2002; UNEP 1992) ,
Pollutant Main Health Ef fects
Sulfur dioxide Irritation of lungs, shortness of breath, increased
susceptibility to infection
Nitrogen dioxide Irritation or damage of lungs
Particulate matter Eye and nasal irritation, long-term e xposure
associated with coronary heart disease and
lung cancer
Carbon monoxide Interferes with oxygen transport by blood, resulting
in the reduction of oxygen supply to the heart
(chronic anoxia), heart and brain damage,
impaired perception
Ozone and other photochemical Pain on deep breathing, irritation and inflammation
oxidants of lungs, heart stress or f ailure
Benzene Cause of cancer
1,3-Butadiene Cause of cancer
Lead Kidney disease and neurological impairments,
primarily affecting children