Question 51: How do fossil fuels cause air pollution?
Answer:
What are the causes of water pollution? Discuss how you can contribute in reducing water pollutionFossil Fuels are Coals,Crude Oil, Natural Gas present under the surface of earth, and all of them have an impact on the Air Quality. Burn a Coal and you will find out black fumes are produced apart from the heat generated. These fumes have very high concentration of Carbon Particles and inhaling it is injurious. Air pollution from coal causes asthma, cancer, heart and lung ailments, acid rain, global warming, and other severe environmental and public health impacts.
The smoke from coal power plants is exceedingly dangerous to human health.
1. Crude Oil: Crude Oil is a mixture of hydrocarbons consisting of alkanes,alkenes and alkynes. It is a very useful product as it provides us different sub products that make our day to day in the form of Diesel,Kerosene,Petrol,Aviation Fuels,Paraffin Wax, Petrochemical Products,etc.
2. The Storage: Transportation and Use of Fossil Fuels should be done with Utmost Care. Apart from being a contributor to pollutants in the air, it is also having a relatively low flash point and can catch fire easily .
First : In case the Fossil Fuel is left open : The volatile organic compounds (VOC)present mixes with the air and since many VOCs are carcinogenic, it would have a negative impact on the person.
Second : Burning of fossil fuels emit pollutants like NOx, Sox ,CO and Specifically Particulate Matters (PM10 and PM2.5) which should be within acceptable limits. Particulate Matters are dust particles where the dust particles are of diameters 10 micrometres for PM 10 and 2.5 micrometers for PM2.5 particles and inhaling them is injurious. PM 2.5 is more harmful compared to PM10 particles as the particles are very minute and get settled in the alveoli of the lungs which has serious long term ill effects on the health of the person.
3. Cleaner burning than other fossil fuels, the combustion of natural gas produces negligible amounts of sulfur, mercury, and particulates. Burning natural gas does produce nitrogen oxides (NOx), which are precursors to smog, but at lower levels than gasoline and diesel used for motor vehicles
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