Air Pollution

1. Examples of recent incidence (Case Study):

Forest fire in Indonesias Sumatra Is. (June,2013) Blame on land clearing operations by plantation owners & accidental peat fire Residents to live indoors as haze from forest fire reach unhealthy levels Cases of respiratory infection on the rise Pollutant index shot up to 293 Above 200 is considered very unhealthy Singapore & malaysia too badly affected Singapore: air pollution level reached harzardous mark for the first time in the countrys history Malaysia: haze cover in kaula Lampur Intense smog in Chinese cities, Jan 2013 Prompted govt. to pledge fresh emission curbs Suspend work in 58 factories Prompted public outcry Criticism of Chinas growth policy PM2.5 Air-borne particulate matter with a dia of 2.5 microns or less WHO: above 100 g/m3 is unhealthy for sensitive groups 993 in Beijing Air Quality Index: reached 500 Cancer mortality rates on the rise in China Lung cancer no.1 major cause Lung problems related to air pollution Fourth Highest Mortility rate: Respiratory disease, to a big extent related to air quality Effect on Tourism: One of the most visited countries in the world Worlds no. 3 destination for international travel after France & US Sharply fewer tourist this year Partly due to air pollution Following Januarys eye-shearing levels of smog

2. Emissions from coal-fired power plants Taking a heavy toll on human life across large parts of India Premature death & asthma cases from exposure to PM10
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2011-12: 111 coal-fired power plants with total generation capacity of 121 GW huge quantum of PM2.5, SO2,Nox, CO, VOCs, CO2 Huge burden on health cost Largest impact in Delhi, Harayana,Maharashtra, MP, Chattisgarh, Indo-gangetic plain, central-east India Cooking & heating with solid fuels- coal, wood, dung, farm residue- continues across the globe a. 70% people India use these fuels b. 75% in rural c. 22% in urban d. 80% of household energy consumption in India Inefficient burning- mix of pollutants, primarily CO & particulate matters WHO,2009: 2 million death Worst hit: a. poorstay-at-home women & children b. SEA & SubSaharan Africa GOIs Action a. Several initiatives in the past to develop, produce & distribute improved cookstove or chulhas throughout rural India b. National Program on Improved Chulhas (NPIC) by the Min. of New & Renewable Energy c. These initiatives unable to deliver promises

3. Indoor Pollution

4. WtE (Waste to Energy) Incineration

Touted as answer to municipal waste accumulation Emit toxic gases-volatile organic gases & heavy metals Among the top five emission of dioxins worldwide incinerators in Okhla, New Delhi: Air samples around : life threatening levels of particulates & toxic chemicals Residents around: evidence of linking incidence of cancer & low birth-weight to incinerator emission Power generation through mixed waste generation fails energy recovery from urban & industrial waste of the MNREs flagship program (to generate 84MW of power from waste) fails to contribute even a single unit of power to the grid For energy generation, incinerators are very expensive & inefficient
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Not climate-friendly: USEP: incinerator releases 2.5 more CO2/MW than coalfired power plants

Europe committed to ending of landfilling & incineration of recycleble waste by 2020

5. Dioxins
one of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) that causes cancer even in low dose Insoluble in water When settled on land/water bodies, absorbed by terrestrial & aquatic vegetation Travel up the food chain to animals & fish, to man Living organisms cannot metabolise them Present in high conc. In milk, egg, meat In humans, impairs the functioning of liver, immune & reproductive system & cause cancer US Env.Protection Agency in 1994: most poisonous substances known to man Finland: govt. shut down an incineration plant when dioxin level in surrounding vegetation was found high Delhi govt. continues despite dioxin & furan levels high

6. Way out to garbage problem- Gasification Incomplete combustion of organic matter with the release of CO & H2 instead of CO2 found in usual combustion

easily synthesized into dimethyl ether, a superior diesel substitute & a complete substitute for LPG Eliminates dioxin threat High temperature breaks down dioxin & furan into their basic elements Cities & municipal corporations around the world begun to switch to gasification Prospect of Gasification in India Rising no. of Indians living in cities growing garbage generation Volume of transport fuel that can be replaced
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 Saving in foreign exchange (reducing oil import) Free domestic prices from the yoke of international oil prices Save fuel subsidies

Submitted by: MOIRANGTHEM REAGAN SINGH

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