Air pollution control

Air pollution effect on human health
1. Air pollution may be responsible for a significant portion of human deaths worldwide,
    especially in densely congested and heavily polluted urban areas;
2. Many pollutants have synergistic effects on human health and may not only be directly
    toxic but can increase susceptibility to other disorders;

Air pollution effect on environment
1. Air pollution can degrade aesthetics, vegetation, animals, soils, water quality and
   structures
2. Soils, water, and cultural artifacts and structures are degraded by air pollution and its
    effects, acid rain for example
3. Soil with less CaCO₃ is much sensitive to acid rain
4. Seteriorating forest ecosystem due to tree death and soil nutrient loss caused by acid
    rain
5. Deteriorating lake ecosystem: decline in fish species and population caused by acid rain;
6. Damaging building materials, e.g, steel, paints, plastics, cements, masonry, sandstone, l
   limestone and marble.

Four natural processes which remove air pollutants from the atmosphere: 
1. Absorption by water ----      H₂O   + CO₂  --->   H₂CO₂
2. Rain out --------------------     CO₂ + H₂O   --->   H₂CO₂
3. Oxidation -------------------    2SO₂ + O₂    --->   2SO₃
4. Photosynthesis ----- -------- 6H₂O + 6CO₂ --->  C₆H₁₂O₆+ 6O₂

by which plants use the energy from sunlight to produce carbohydrate.

Air pollution control
1. The environmentally preferable strategy for controlling air pollution is to increase energy
    efficiency and conservation measures to reduce our use of fossil fuels;
2. Pollution reduction strategies must be tailored to the specific sources and types of
     pollutants in a given area.

Particulate control
1. Particulates generated from stationary sources are usually easier to control than are
    those from mobile sources;
2. Special measures must be taken to reduce particulates from fugitive stationary sources.

Automobile control
1. Exhaust recirculation and use of catalytic converters are the primary methods used to
    reduce automobile emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons;
2. Though pollution control devices are effective when new and properly maintained, their
    effectiveness diminishes over the life of the automobile; better inspection and
     enforcement programs could help address this problem;
3. Emphasis on the production of cleaner vehicles and reducing the vehicular traffic in large
     cities may help alleviate urban air pollution.

Sulfur dioxide control
1. Use of low-sulfur coal, coal washing, gasification, and emissions scrubbing can all reduce
    emissions of sulfur oxides from power plants, though not always without increased
     expense and environmental impact.