Air Pollution - Criteria Pollutants Intermediate

Reading Guide

Ambient air pollution is the foremost reason for global death and disease. An estimated premature death globally is related to ambient air pollution, mainly from emphysema, obstructive bronchiolitis, lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and severe respiratory problems in children. The criteria air pollutants include particulate matter (PM), ozone (O₃), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and lead (Pb). The present Reading Guide provides a summary of the types of criteria air pollutants, their National Ambient Air Quality Standards and their emission sources. This guide also explains their level distribution and chemistry, and the sink in the earth’s environment of these criteria pollutants is studied extensively. The acid deposition and its impact on environmental health is also extensively mentioned. Description of global, regional emissions of criteria air pollutants, their contribution from different sectors, and efficiency of control strategies in developed and developing countries are also focused.

Material

• Criteria Air Pollutants: Chemistry, Sources and Sinks
• Identifying the Sources of Primary Air Pollutants

Guide prepared by Dr. Saurabh Sonwani (Associate Member, APSI) & Dr. Pallavi Saxena (Advisory Board Member, APSI), 10/2021. For corrections or expansions please contact us.