Air Pollution

What is air pollution?

The presence of harmful gases or particles in the air that damage health, plants, animals, or property.

What are primary pollutants?

Emitted directly into the air (e.g. SOx, NOx, hydrocarbons).

What are secondary pollutants?

Formed by chemical reactions in the atmosphere (e.g. O₃, PAN).

Name 3 major historical air pollution tragedies

Meuse Valley (1930), Donora (1948), London Smog (1952).

What were the main causes of historical air pollution episodes?

Industrial emissions, stagnant air, fog, and lack of monitoring.

What law controls air pollution in Malaysia?

Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974.

What is the main Malaysian environmental agency?

Department of Environment (DOE) under the Ministry of Environment and Water.

What are the main pollutants in Malaysia?

PM10, NOx, SOx, CO, O₃, and Pb

What units measure air pollutant concentration?

Micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) and parts per million (ppm).

What instruments are used to measure particulates?

Dustfall bucket, high-volume sampler, and E-sampler.

Which diseases are linked to air pollution?

Asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, lung cancer.

What does carbon monoxide (CO) do in the body?

Binds to hemoglobin forming COHb, reducing oxygen delivery.

Why is lead (Pb) dangerous?

Causes brain and nerve damage; accumulates in the body.

What are PM10 particles?

Particles smaller than 10 µm that affect lungs and heart.

How does ozone (O₃) affect plants?

Damages leaf cells, causes spots and reduced growth.

What is acid rain?

Rain containing sulfuric and nitric acids formed from SO₂ and NOx.

What are the effects of acid rain?

Kills fish, damages forests, corrodes buildings and monuments

What causes ozone layer depletion?

CFCs and halons breaking down ozone in the stratosphere.

What are the effects of ozone depletion?

More UV radiation, skin cancer, crop damage, weakened ecosystems.

What agreement controls ozone-depleting substances?

The Montreal Protocol (1987).

What gases contribute to global warming?

CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, and CFCs.

What are the effects of global warming?

Rising temperatures, melting ice, sea-level rise, extreme weather.

In which atmospheric layer does most air pollution occur?

Troposphere.

What is a stable atmosphere?

Air resists vertical motion, trapping pollutants near the ground.

What is an unstable atmosphere?

Air rises and mixes easily, dispersing pollutants.