ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE AIR POLLUTION

DATA AND CALCULATION OF AIR QUALITY INDEX FOR

BHUBHANESWAR CITY

GROUP-3

BRANCH-MECHANICAL

SECTION-F

SUBMITTED BY:

NAME REGISTRATION NO.

SUVECHHA KAR 1641018326
RHEA SUSAN DANIEL 1641018330
ATIQUE UR REHMAN 1641018347
KARAN GUPTA 1641018349
YAGYA SRIVASTAVA 1641018350

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 ACKNOWLEDGMENT
We deem it a pleasure to acknowledge our sense of gratitude to our project guide
Professor Mira Das under whom we have carried out the project work. Her
guidance and timely advice encouraged us with constant flow of energy to
continue the work.

In preparing the project we have been helped by our professors and lab faculties.
Throughout the project many people have helped us in completing the project on
time for which we will always be grateful for their suggestions and comments.

We take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude for their cordial
support, valuable information which helped us in completing the project. A
particular thanks to our group members who helped us in completing the project.

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 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that report entitiled “Analysis and interpretation of the air
pollution data and calculation of air quality index for Bhubhaneswar city” is
submitted by group-3 of Mechanical-“F” in the subject “ENVIRONMENTAL
STUDIES” is a bonafide record of the work under supervision and guidance of our
Professor Mira Das. The project work, in our opinion , has reached the requisite
standard fulfilling the requirements for this topic.

The results contained in this report have not been submitted in part or full to any
other University or Institute for any grading purpose.

Prof. Mira Das

Head of Department,

Chemistry

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 CONTENTS
TITLE Page No.

Introduction 05

Air Quality Index 06

What is RTI? 07

Major Air Pollutants 07-09

What is PM 2.5 and PM10 and how they affect 09

health?

Pollutants and their Effects 10-13

Measures taken by State Government to control Air 14-15

Pollution

Measures we can take to control Air Pollution 16-17

Conclusion 18

Refernces 19

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 INTRODUCTION
Air pollution is a mixture of natural and man-made substances in the air we
breathe.  It is typically separated into two categories: Outdoor Air Pollution and
Indoor Air Pollution.

Outdoor air pollution involves exposures that take place outside of the built
environment. Examples include:

 Fine particles produced by the burning of fossil fuels (i.e. the coal and
petroleum used in energy production)
 Noxious gases (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide,
chemical vapours, etc.)
 Ground-level ozone (a reactive form of oxygen and a primary component of
urban smog)
 Tobacco Smoke

Indoor air pollution involves exposures to particulates, carbon oxides, and other

pollutants carried by indoor air or dust. Examples include:

 Gases (carbon monoxide, radon, etc.)

 Household products and chemicals
 Building materials (asbestos, formaldehyde, lead, etc.)
 Outdoor indoor allergens (cockroach and mouse dropping, etc.)
 Tobacco smoke
 Mould and pollen

In some instances, outdoor air pollution can make its way indoors by way of open
windows, doors, ventilation, etc.

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 AIR QUALITY INDEX(AQI)
The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted
your air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for you. The
AQI focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after
breathing polluted air. EPA calculates the AQI for five major air pollutants
regulated by the Clean Air Act: ground-level ozone, particle pollution (also known
as particulate matter), carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
For each of these pollutants, EPA has established national air quality standards to
protect public health .Ground-level ozone and airborne particles are the two
pollutants that pose the greatest threat to human health in this country.

How Does AQI works?

Think of the AQI as a yardstick that runs from 0 to 500. The higher the AQI value,
the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For
example, an AQI value of 50 represents good air quality with little potential to
affect public health, while an AQI value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

An AQI value of 100 generally corresponds to the national air quality standard for
the pollutant, which is the level EPA has set to protect public health. AQI values
below 100 are generally thought of as satisfactory. When AQI values are above
100, air quality is considered to be unhealthy-at first for certain sensitive groups
of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher. To make it easier to
understand, the AQI is divided into six categories:

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 WHAT IS REAL TIME INDEX?

The Air Quality Index is based on measurement of particulate matter (PM2.5 and

PM10), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Carbon
Monoxide (CO) emissions. All measurements are based on hourly readings: For
instance, an AQI reported at 8AM means that the measurement was done from
7AM to 8AM.

MAJOR AIR POLLUTANTS

One of the formal definitions of air pollution is as follows – “The presence in the
atmosphere of one or more contaminants in such quality and for such duration as
is injurious, or tends to be injurious, to human health or welfare, animal or plant
life”. It is the contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances. Air
pollution can cause health problems and it can also damage the environment and
property. It has caused thinning of the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere,
which is leading to climate change.
Modernisation and progress have led to air getting more and more polluted over
the years. Industries, vehicles, increase in the population, and urbanization are
some of the major factors responsible for air pollution. The following industries
are among those that emit a great deal of pollutants into the air: thermal power
plants, cement, steel, refineries, petro chemicals, and mines.
Air pollution results from a variety of causes, not all of which are within human
control. Dust storms in desert areas and smoke from forest fires and grass fires
contribute to chemical and particulate pollution of the air. The source of pollution
may be in one country but the impact of pollution may be felt elsewhere. The
discovery of pesticides in Antarctica, where they have never been used, suggests
the extent to which aerial transport can carry pollutants from one place to
another. Probably the most important natural source of air pollution is volcanic
activity, which at times pours great amounts of ash and toxic fumes into the
atmosphere.

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Listed below are the major air pollutants and their sources:

Carbon monoxide (CO)-is a colourless, odourless gas that is produced by the

incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels including petrol, diesel, and wood. It is
also produced from the combustion of natural and synthetic products such as
cigarettes. It lowers the amount of oxygen that enters our blood . It can slow our
reflexes and make us confused and sleepy.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)-is the principle greenhouse gas emitted as

a result of human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and
natural gases.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)- are gases that are released mainly

from air-conditioning systems and refrigeration. When released
into the air, CFCs rise to the stratosphere, where they come in contact with few
other gases, which leads to a reduction of the ozone layer that protects the earth
from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Leadis present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products, etc. Lead
affects children in particular. It can cause nervous system damage and digestive
problems and, in some cases, cause cancer.

Ozone- occur naturally in the upper layers of the atmosphere. This important gas
shields the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. However, at the
ground level, it is a pollutant with highly toxic effects. Vehicles and industries are
the major source of ground-level ozone emissions. Ozone makes our eyes itch,
burn, and water. It lowers our resistance to colds and pneumonia.

Nitrogen oxide (NOx)- causes smog and acid rain. It is produced from burning
fuels including petrol, diesel, and coal. Nitrogen oxides can make children
susceptible to respiratory diseases in winters.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM)- consists of solids in the air in the form of

smoke, dust, and vapour that can remain suspended for extended periods and is
also the main source of haze which reduces visibility. The finer of these particles,
when breathed in can lodge in our lungs and cause lung damage and respiratory
problems.

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Sulphur dioxide (SO2)- is a gas produced from burning coal, mainly in thermal
power plants. Some industrial processes, such as production of paper and
smelting of metals, produce sulphur dioxide. It is a major contributor to smog and
acid rain. Sulphur dioxide can lead to lung diseases.

What is PM 2.5 and PM10 and how they affect health?

PM stands for Particulate Matter. PM2.5 and PM10 are minute particles present
in the air and exposure to it is very harmful for health. When the level of these
particles increases and penetrate deeply in to the lungs, you can experience
number of health impacts like breathing problem, burning or sensation in the
eyes etc.

PM is also called Particulate Matter or particle pollution, which is a mixture of

solid particles and liquid droplets present in the atmosphere. The particles
present in the air are so minute that you cannot even view through naked eyes.
Some particles are so small that they can only be detected by using electron
microscope. Particle pollution consists of PM2.5 and PM10 which are very
dangerous.

PM2.5 refers to the atmospheric particulate matter that has a diameter of less
than 2.5 micrometres which is about 3% of the diameter of human hair.

The particles in PM2.5 category are so small that they can only be detected with
the help of the electron microscope. These are smaller than PM10 particles. PM10
are the particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers and they are also called fine
particles. An environmental expert says that PM10 is also known as respirable
particulate matter.

Due to small in size both PM2.5 and PM10 particles act as gas. When you breathe,
these particles they penetrate into the lungs, which can lead to cough and asthma
attacks. If the level of PM2.5 is high in the air mist or fog increases and the
visibility is affected. The worst effect of these particles in the air is on children and
the elderly people.

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 POLLUTANTS AND THEIR EFFECTS-

1. Oxides of Carbon (COx)

Types: Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO)
Sources of Production: Combustion of coal, oil and other fuels for energy
production manufacturing and transport Biomass burning.

Effects on Humans and Environment: C02 has a major role in green-house effect,

produces weak carbonic acid adding to acid rains; CO affects human health by
binding to haemoglobin, which may result in asphyxia; haemoglobin has 250
times more affinity with CO as compared to that of O2.

2. Oxides of sulphur (SOx)

Types: Sulphur dioxide (SO2); Sulphur trioxide (SO3); Sulphate (SO4)

Sources of Production: Combustion of sulphur containing fuel e.g., coal,

petroleum extraction and refining; paper manufacturing; municipal incinerating;
ore smelting for metal extraction

Effects on Humans and Environment: SO2 has maximum deleterious effects as it

damage to human and other animal lungs and is important precursor to acid rain;
adverse effects include corrosion of paint, metals and injury or death to animals
and plants.

3.Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)

Type: Nitrogen oxide (NO); Nitrogen dioxide (N02); Nitrous oxide (N20) ; Nitrate
(N03)

Sources of Production: Burning of fuels; biomass burning; by product in the

manufacturing of fertilizers

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Effects on Humans and Environment: Form the secondary pollutants: peroxy
acetyl nitrate (PAN) and nitric acid (HNO3); suppression of plant growth and
tissue damage; cause irritation to eyes, viral infections like influenza; nitrate form
in atmosphere impairs the visibility whereas in soil promotes the plant growth.

4.Hydrocarbons (HCs) also called Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Types: Methane (CH4), Butane (C4H10), Ethylene (C2H4), Benzene (C6H6), Propane
(C3H8)

Sources of Production: Evaporation from gasoline tanks, carburettors; burning of

fuels; biomass; municipal lard fills; microbial activity of sewage; industrial process
involving solvents changes that occur in.

Effects on Humans and Environment: Can have carcinogenic effect on humans;

higher concentrations are toxic to plants and animals; can convert into harmful
compounds through complex chemical atmosphere; some are more reactive with
sunlight and produce photochemical smog.

5. Other organic compounds

Types: Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), Formaldehyde (CH20), Methylene chloride
(CH2Cl2), Trichloro Ethylene (C2HCl3), Vinyl chloride (C2H3C1), Carbon tetra chloride
(CC14), Ethylene Oxide (C2H40)

Sources of Production: Aerosol sprays; foam and plastics for making disposable

fast food containers; refrigeration

Effects on Humans and Environment: CFCs cause reduction in stratospheric

ozone that allows greater penetration of ultraviolet light at earth surface;
intensified UV radiations cause skin cancer and can have lethal effects on various;
life forms.

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6. Metals and other inorganic Compounds
Types: Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), Hydrogen sulphide (H2S), Hydrogen Fluoride (HF)

Sources of Production: Oil wells and refineries; transport vehicles; municipal

landfills; fertilizer, ceramic, paper, chemical and paint industries pesticides;
fungicides; aluminium production; coal gasification

Effects on Humans and Environment: Cause respiratory problems, toxicity and

even death to humans and other animals; damage to crops; prove to be
carcinogenic.
7. Liquid droplets
Types: Sulphuric acid (H2S04), Nitric acid (HNO3) –Oil, Pesticides e.g. DDT and
Malathion

Sources of Production: Agriculture pesticides; fumigation; oil refineries; reactions

of pollutants in the atmosphere

Effects on Humans and Environment: Contribute to acid rains; corrosion; damage

to various life forms

8. Suspended particulate Matter (SPM-solid Particles)

Types: Dust, soil, sulphate Salts, heavy metal salts, Fire particles of carbon (soot),
silica, asbestos, Liquid sprays, mist etc.

Sources of Production: Fuel combustion; building constructions; mining; thermal

power stations; stone crushing; industrial processes; forest fires; refuse
incineration.

Effects on Humans and Environment: Have chronic effects on respiratory system;

deposition on the surface of green leaves thus interfering with absorption of
C02 and release of 02; blocking of sunlight; particles size that range between 0.1 to
10um, cause greatest lung damage

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9. Photochemical oxidants

Types: Ozone (03), Peroxyacly Nitrates (PANs),

Sources of Production: Photochemical reactions in the atmosphere that involve

sunlight, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons.
 
Effects on Humans and Environment: Produce haze; irritation to eyes, nose and
throat; respiratory problems; blocking of sunlight
In the above list of Major Pollutant, their sources and their effects on Humans and
Environment gives extracted revision capsule for the aspirants of different
examinations.

Advantages of air quality index

AQI values – they’re easily scaled and colour coded – there is no need to
understand units and concentrations. AQI calculations are very straight forward –
often they are as simple as assessing what range of values a concentration falls in.
Accordingly they’re very easy to display on websites or in real time on a screen.
Since many AQI are calculated on the highest pollutant concentration, you can
calculate an AQI using a single pollutant – so if your network of sites has a bit of
variation is not a problem – you can still create a useful AQI from the data you
have.

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Measures taken by State Government to control Air Pollution
In a bid to abate air pollution from the burgeoning number of industries, Odisha
State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has initiated a scheme of installing online
emission monitoring system (EMS) for measuring air pollutants in industries.

In the first phase of the project, SPCB has directed 29 large industries to install
online stack and ambient air quality monitoring system in their plants and
transmit real time data to SPCB server through an advanced communication
system like GPRS (General Packet Radio Service). The GPRS network should
consist of a GPRS device enabled with GSM SIM card and transmit data through
existing mobile phone network. The industries are also directed to display the
real-time air quality data through an electronic display board in front of their
gates for public information.

Talking about the new technology for maintaining air quality, Dr. A K Swar, Senior
Environmental Engineer with the OSPCB said that “the SPCBs and industries in the
country have been monitoring ambient air quality by High Volume Samplers and
stack monitoring by stack monitoring kits since last few decades. These devices
are semi-automatic in nature and do not have capability to generate/transmit real
time monitoring data automatically to SPCBs. The revised National Ambient Air
Quality Standards notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) on
11th November, 2009 introduced some critical parameters which require
sophisticated online monitoring system for accuracy. Also, since the number of
polluting type of industries in the State has increased it was felt appropriate to
introduce online monitoring system for highly polluting large scale industries.”

The new technology has introduced an innovative concept called ‘Y Cable’ which
captures online data prior to landing at the plant’s local computer and transmits it
through GPRS device to the server of the board directly without any lag,
eliminating the scope for manipulation. “Such a technology is being used in India
for the first time” says Dr Swar. He further adds that “the GPRS network can
simultaneously send real-time data to SPCB server, server of the industry and
electronic display board installed in-front of the factory gate. Once we install the
system at our office, the system will be linked with Central Pollution Control
Board’s website. Such measures will introduce more accountability on the part of
industries and bring about transparency in the work of SPCB and other
stakeholders.”

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At present the server is receiving real time data from stack and ambient air
quality monitoring systems of ten industries and the rest nineteen industries are
in the process of connecting with the server of the Board. The system is under
trial and may need a few months time for connecting with the website of SPCB,
Odisha for public view.
                                                           
The EMS would keep a check on air pollutants such as PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2,
CO in the ambient air and PM, SO2, NO2, HF from stack emissions. The 29
industries which are directed to install EMS include pollution intensive industries
such as integrated steel, sponge iron plants, thermal power plants, cement plants,
fertilizer plants, paper mills, aluminium smelter, aluminium refinery etc.

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Measures we can take to control Air Pollution
1. Carpooling: Reduce traffic-based air pollution and congestion by starting car
pool lanes for those cars and four wheelers that have three or more passengers to
encourage people to go for carpooling. Meanwhile, citizens too should take
initiative and car pool with friends, colleagues, family wherever possible.

2. Use bicycles: Mark out bicycle lanes in residential colonies as well as on all
roads in Delhi to encourage safe travel by bicycles. Meanwhile, citizens should
also be encouraged to use bicycles.

3. Public transport: Encourage greater use of public transport by supporting the

Metro, overhead rail and bus services to make it convenient for people to travel
by public transport affordably and safely instead of using their own vehicles.
Citizens too must shed hang-ups over social status and try to travel by public
transport proactively.

4. More CNG vehicles: Encourage use of CNG in motor vehicles as it is a much

cleaner fuel than petrol or diesel by considerably reducing the road tax and sales
tax on CNG filled cars as compared to petrol and diesel four wheelers. Since there
are at least 1,400 cars added to Delhi roads every day, all the cars should be
restricted to using CNG only as all new petrol cars can be converted to CNG. Also,
new registrations should be discouraged by enhancing registration charges.

5. Fuel-efficient cars: Encourage more fuel efficient four wheelers with better
mileage per litre through road tax and sales tax incentives in addition to CNG
requirement. Citizens should opt for more efficient and smaller cars that can run
on CNG as alternate fuel.

6. Bigger trucks: Encourage six-axle trucks rather than the typical four-axle ones
to increase the pay load per truck to reduce the number of trucks on roads.
Trucks going to other destinations must not be allowed to pass through Delhi and
only use the bypass.

7. Road signs: Improve the poor road signs so that people do not travel extra to
locate their destinations. All the signs must be signposted at two or three places
well before the turning rather than at the last minute.

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8. Maintenance of roads: Better maintain roads to complexes such as Nehru Place
to reduce the time a four wheeler spends on plying on such poor roads.

9. Shared taxis: The transport department should encourage shared taxi services
by developing a taxi sharing website and set up taxi stands and cabs to offer
reduced fares for shared service. This is other than the facilities Ola and Uber
provide.

10. Burning waste: Burning of leaves, old tyres or any items in the open should be
made a punishable offence in NCR with a fine of Rs10,000 per incident as this is a
major cause of air pollution. Citizens should be asked to report such incidents to
helpline numbers and emails.

11. Solar power: Installation of solar panels should be encouraged at homes,

multi-storey buildings and commercial establishments so that decentralised
power is generated with suitable subsidies to make it financially viable for all
households. The cost of solar panels has come down considerably. This should
help retire all coal-based thermal power plants which are adding a lot to Delhi’s
air pollution problems and adversely effecting climate change. In fact, thermal
power plants in Delhi-NCR should be stopped from functioning till the AQI level is
under 200.

12. Power backup: Inverters should be encouraged for back up supply and diesel
generator sets should not be allowed to run in Delhi-NCR till the AQI level comes
below 200.

13. Dump sites: Landfills should be better managed by the government to ensure
there are no fires there.

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 CONCLUSION
The health of the public, especially those who are the most vulnerable, such as
children, the elderly and the sick, is at risk from air pollution, but it is difficult to
say how large the risk is. It is possible that the problem has been over-stressed in
relation to other challenges in the field of public health.
As we have seen, there are considerable uncertainties in estimating both
exposures and effects and their relationships. It may be, for example, that the
effects of long-term exposure to lower concentrations of air pollutants could be
more damaging to public health than short-term exposure to higher
concentrations. For this reason alone, local authorities could take action to assess
and improve local air quality. It is not sufficient to wait for an episode of severe air
pollution and then try to deal with its effects.
Another reason for action on air pollution is that we do not know the contribution
which exposure to air pollutants may make to deaths from, for example, heart
disease. In many countries heart disease is a leading cause of death and even a
small contribution from air pollution could mean a significant and important
effect on public heath.
On an individual level, the risk to health from air pollution is very much smaller
than that posed by active cigarette smoking or accidents. It is also true that
healthy individuals are rather unlikely to be affected by exposure to the
concentrations of outdoor air pollutants in many European countries on most
days of the year. However, the old and the young, and especially those suffering
from respiratory or heart diseases, are the groups who are most vulnerable to the
effects of air pollution. It is only right that cost effective action should be taken to
provide them with clean air, which The Times of 1881 described as "the first
necessity of our existence."

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 REFERENCES
 Asian journal of atmospheric environment
 Air Quality Index-A Comparative study for assessing the air quality
 Wikipedia
 Bhubaneswar air quality index report
 Times Of India Newspaper

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