Major air pollutants and their sources
Air pollution is one of the most important environmental problems affecting people and the planet. The World Health Organization in its latest report warns that 1 in 9 people who breathe polluted air die from a respiratory disease.
Cities and surrounding industrial areas are the ones that concentrate the highest degree of air pollution. Human and industrial actions emit a large amount of toxic gases and waste into the air. Those residues are dangerous for the environment and for the health of all living beings.
The chemical agents that most pollute the air are:
Carbon Oxides: Carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). Carbon dioxide comes from various types of combustion in industrial and domestic environments, from power plants and transport, whereas Carbon monoxide is a type of gas that is naturally present in the air, as it comes from methane. However, it is transformed into CO2 over time. Both gases have the Greenhouse Effect as a direct consequence, and therefore influence on current Global Warming.
Sulphur oxides: Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and Sulphur trioxide (SO3). Sulfur Dioxide is produced from the combustion of coal or oil. SO3 is generated from SO2, with Sulphur trioxide being the cause of acid rain. Although coal is falling into disuse and vehicle fuels are becoming more sophisticated, the emission of those gases into the atmosphere by the industry remains very high.
Nitrogen Oxides: Nitric Oxide (NO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O). Those emissions come from industrial actions the most, as they are generated from combustion at very high temperatures. On the other hand, N2O comes mainly from agricultural and livestock activities. Because of the presence of those elements in the atmosphere, the destruction of the ozone layer is very dangerous.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC): Methane (CH4), Hydrocarbons, Chlorofluorocarbons and many more. Those come mostly from industrial production processes in large quantities.
Ozone (O3): This gas is not emitted directly, but it is formed from exposure to sunlight. It generates chemical reactions with other components and is one of the most dangerous ones.
In short, this list of pollutants are those that most affect human health and the deterioration of the environment, from acid rain to global warming. The emissions of all gases must be controlled and treated to comply with international and local environmental regulations to improve the quality of the air we breathe.
Tecam Group contributes to the control and treatment of pollutants, specifically those of an industrial origin. Specialists in the treatment of VOC emissions and Methane, among many others, through the development of turn-key environmental projects.