Air Pollution Flashcards
What is the definition of Air Pollution?
Air: Atmosphere up to 100 km above sea level.
Air Pollutant: Any substance released into the air that affects the environment or climate.
What legislation governs air pollution?
Environmental Management Act (Chap. 35:05)
Air Pollution Rules, 2013: Regulations governing air quality standards.
What are point sources of pollution?
Single, identifiable sources (e.g., SO₂ from a chimney).
What are non-point sources of pollution?
Diffuse sources (e.g., CO from vehicle exhausts).
What are point sources in the chemical industry?
Stack gases (SO₂, CO, NO₂, particulates).
What are non-point sources in the chemical industry?
Leaks from pumps, valves, tank venting.
What is a point source in the petroleum industry?
High SO₂, H₂S, VOC emissions from stacks.
What is a non-point source in the petroleum industry?
VOCs, aromatics from leaks, transfers.
What is the purpose of a stack?
Vent pipe allowing emissions to enter the environment.
What is a flare?
Burns flammable gases before release.
What is the purpose of a stack?
Disperses pollutants at high altitude for dilution.
What is the chimney effect?
Hot gases rise due to temperature differences between inside and outside air.
What are the types of stack emissions?
Buoyant Plume: Lighter than air, rises (e.g., hot furnace gases).
Dense Gas Plume: Heavier than air, sinks (e.g., cold methane leaks).
Passive Plume: Neutral buoyancy.
What is the Gaussian Dispersion Model?
Predicts pollutant spread based on weather, stack height, and pollutants.
What are some particulate removal technologies?
Settling Chambers: Simple, low-cost, but ineffective for fine particles.
Cyclones: Moderate efficiency, low cost.
Wet Scrubbers: Effective but produce wet waste.
Electrostatic Precipitators: Highly effective using electric charges.
What is the process for acidic gas removal?
Scrubbing with Alkalis:
CaCO₃ + SO₂ → CaSO₃ + CO₂
Ca(OH)₂ + SO₂ → CaSO₃ + H₂O
Mg(OH)₂ + SO₂ → MgSO₃ + H₂O
