Air pollution

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Air pollution controls, addressing global climate change, ozone depletion and air quality are complex, wide ranging and cover a number of activities. Given the far reaching nature of air pollution, many of the controls are found at international, European and national levels.

Sources of air and atmospheric pollutants

Air pollutants come in many forms and stretch across the range of human activities—from emissions emitted by heavy industry, to activities such as driving a car, lighting a fire and refrigerating food. Some of the main pollutants include:

  1. •

    carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides—major sources include industrial processes, energy plants and transportation

  2. •

    sulphur dioxide—released by burning sulphur containing fossil fuels (eg coal) and produces acid rain, when it combines with water vapour

  3. •

    lead particulates and other heavy metals—arising from combustion processes in motor vehicles, metal processing industries and certain waste incineration, such as batteries

  4. •

    PM10 and PM2.5—these are very small airborne particulate matter, which arise predominately from diesel engines

  5. •

    dioxins, furans, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls—produced by incomplete combustion of fuels

  6. •

    volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—released in vehicle exhaust gases

  7. •

    fluorinated

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