Atmospheric Pollution Interventions in the Environment: Effects on Biotic and Abiotic Factors, Their Monitoring and Control

*Nukshab Zeeshan, Nabila, Ghulam Murtaza, Zia Ur Rahman Farooqi, Khurram Naveed and Muhammad Usman Farid*

#### **Abstract**

Atmosphere is polluted for all living, non-living entities. Concentrations of atmospheric pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, CO, CO2, NO, NO2, and volatile organic compounds (VOC) are increasing abruptly due to anthropogenic activities (fossil fuels combustion, industrial activities, and power generation etc.). These pollutants are causing soil (microbial diversity disturbance, soil structure), plants (germination, growth, and biochemistry), and human health (asthma, liver, and lungs disorders to cancers) interventions. All the effects of these pollutants on soil, plants, animals, and microbes needed to be discussed briefly. Different strategies and technologies (HOPES, IOT, TEMPO and TNGAPMS) are used in the world to reduce the pollutant emission at source or when in the atmosphere and also discussed here. All gaseous emissions control mechanisms for major exhaust gases from toxic to less toxic form or environmental friendly form are major concern. Heavy metals present in dust and volatile organic compounds are converted into less toxic forms and their techniques are discussed briefly.

**Keywords:** air pollution, abiotic, biotic, control, devices, sensors

### **1. Introduction**

Environmental pollution (EP) is successfully deteriorating our surroundings. Experts and major stake holders are trying to overcome it. EP not only effecting air, water, land but also plants, microbes, and humans. Atmospheric pollution (AP) is worse because it directly inhales by living organisms, particularly humans. Manmade activities increase the level of air pollution from preindustrial age [1].

Air pollutants are of many types and are classified on their suspension in the environment. Major air pollutants (AP) include suspended particulate which includes dust, fumes, mists, gases, vapors etc. The sources of these pollutants are diesel exhaust, coal fly-ash, mineral dust (asbestos, coal, cement and lime), metal dust (Cu, Fe, Pb and Zn), fumes, acid vapors (H2SO4), paints, pigments, black carbon and smoke from oil.

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*Agrometeorology*

**References**

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Ozone level of various sites of Northern Hemisphere has been increased from 10 to 50 ppbv since 1860 [2]. Sulfate aerosols increase from 3 to 4 folds [3].

Pollutants which are suspended in the air are responsible for different diseases like respiratory and Cancer, corrosion of metals and damage of plant biochemistry. Most of these pollutants deposited on the surface of the plants and cause naissance and disturb sunlight interaction with chlorophyll, the scattering of light from these pollutants produce smog and many surface chemical reactions. Many air pollutants are in gaseous form, like oxides of sulfers (SO2 and SO3), carbon (CO2 and CO), and nitrogen (NO2 and NO3). Most of organic compounds are also present in the air like Hydrocarbons, Volatile organic compounds, poly aromatic hydrocarbons and different halogens and their derivatives. Chemical, Thermal and photochemical reactions of above mentioned pollutant caused secondary pollutants. A common example of thermal pollution is when the oxidation of SO2 occurs to SO3 by thermal reaction. If SO3 further catalyzed in the presence of Mn and Fe in water than it give rise to sulfuric acid mist. Nitrogen oxides and reactive hydrocarbons when react. They produced ozone, per-oxy-acetyle nitrate (PAN). Some order causing agents are also produced which are known as hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide and mercaptan while others are very difficult to define chemically.

Chemistry of atmosphere totally depends upon the chemistry of pollutant present. The activities such as stream of traffic, industrial emissions, cleaning and washing of roads, painting, repairing are the causes of air pollutant generation. Because of their harmful effects, the air pollutants are now major concern of human talks [4]. Noise pollution is also the part of air pollution. Increase of traffic and other anthropogenic activities the noise pollution is increasing day by day. It is also causing swear health effects in humans (high blood pressure, sleeplessness, nausea, depressions are common). The study revealed that air pollution is responsible for


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producing reagents.

**Figure 1.**

detail review.

*Atmospheric Pollution Interventions in the Environment: Effects on Biotic and Abiotic Factors…*

430,000 premature deaths in Europe and almost 10,000 deaths due to noise pollution have been recorded. Due to these statistics air and noise pollution is listed in the

According to the above discussion it is clear that the study of air pollution monitoring, their impacts on biotic components and their control strategies are very

**2. Effects of atmospheric pollutants on biotic components of environment**

**Figure 1** is showing the impacts of air pollution on Animals, Plants, Humans and

The effect of these pollutants on the plants, humans, animals and microbes are

Aerosols are classified into solid [SPM, Dust (PM2.5 and PM10)], liquid (fumes, mist, vapors) and gaseous (smokes, gases) particles. Air pollutants are categorize the matter which is suspended in the air like road dusts, fumes of chemicals, mists, smoke from different emissions), gaseous pollutants (gases and vapors) and odors

In this **Table 2** the major monitoring devices with their technology is listed for

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94116*

necessary to discuss in the nut shell.

Microbes.

top two stressors in the environmental burden disease [5].

comprehensively discussed in the following **Table 1**.

**3. Air pollution and its control measures**

*Impact of air pollution on biotic components of the environment.*

**4. Atmospheric pollution monitoring devices**

*Atmospheric Pollution Interventions in the Environment: Effects on Biotic and Abiotic Factors… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94116*

430,000 premature deaths in Europe and almost 10,000 deaths due to noise pollution have been recorded. Due to these statistics air and noise pollution is listed in the top two stressors in the environmental burden disease [5].

According to the above discussion it is clear that the study of air pollution monitoring, their impacts on biotic components and their control strategies are very necessary to discuss in the nut shell.

### **2. Effects of atmospheric pollutants on biotic components of environment**

**Figure 1** is showing the impacts of air pollution on Animals, Plants, Humans and Microbes.

The effect of these pollutants on the plants, humans, animals and microbes are comprehensively discussed in the following **Table 1**.

**Figure 1.** *Impact of air pollution on biotic components of the environment.*
