Particulate Air Pollutant & It’s Control

PARTICULATE AIR POLLUTANT & IT’S CONTROL

Particulate Matter~
                              "Particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets.

*Particle pollution is made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and soil or dust particles.

*The EPA is concerned about particles that are 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller because those are the particles that generally pass through the throat and nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.

*Sea salt is considered the second-largest contributor in the global aerosol budget, and consists mainly of sodium chloride originated from sea spray.

Types of Particle~
                          EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) groups particle pollution into two categories:
• "Inhalable coarse particles," such as those found near roadways and dusty industries, are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller than 10 micrometers in diameter.
• "Fine particles," such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5 micrometers in diameter and smaller. These particles can be directly emitted from sources such as forest fires, or they can form when gases emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles react in the air.    

Composition~
                    The composition of particles depends on their source, from where they comes originated.

*Particulates may have an anthropogenic origin (from fossil fuel or coal combustion) and a natural biogenic origin.

*In addition, sea spray aerosols may contain organic compounds, which influence their chemistry. Sea salt does not absorb.

*Organic matter (OM) can be either primary or secondary, the latter part deriving from the oxidation of VOCs; organic material in the atmosphere may either be biogenic or anthropogenic.

*Another important...