A study on air pollution with special reference to vehicular pollution.

1. A STUDY ON AIR POLLUTION WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO VEHICULAR
POLLUTION
Lisy Daniel
Student in Physical Science
M.G.U.C.T.E. Nedumkandam.
Email: lisyndaniel @ gmail.com.
Abstract
This paper is an attempt to study about the air pollution on the basis of
vehicular pollution in Rajakkad village, Idukki (Dist.),Kerala. Using survey method,
15 residents having owned vehicles were selected for the study. A questionnaire
was administered on the sample for the collection of data. The collected data
were tabulated and drawn corresponding graphs. Findings of the study show
significant relationship between the vehicular pollution and the air quality in
Rrajakkad area.
Introduction
Air pollution has been aggravated by developments that typically occur as
centuries become industrial growing cities, increasing traffic, rapid economic
development and industrialization and higher levels energy consumption.
Currently in India air pollution is wide spread in urban areas where vehicles are
the major contributors and in a few other areas with a high concentration of
industries and thermal power plants.

2. Air pollution is defined as the contamination of air by undesirable
substances causing damage to living systems. Air pollution affects mainly the
lowest lever, troposphere and stratosphere.
Major reasons of air pollution are increase in following segments: (1) urban
population, (2) Number of vehicles, (3) Industrial activities, (4) Power generation.
Domestic pollution, ie, pollution fromdifferent types of cooking stoves using coal,
fuel woods and other biomass fuels, also the major contributor of air pollution. In
addition non-point sources such as waste burning, construction activities, and
road side air born dust due to vehicular movement also contribute to total
emission load.
The following table illustrates an idea about the pollution related to the
various parts of an automobile.
Sl.No. Parts of Vehicle Problems and pollution
1. Battery Contains lead and HCl
2. Bumper Wastes include cyanide, chromium and other metal
3. Break shoes Contains asbestos.
4. Engine Waste per ton of castings, 0.3 ton mainly.
5. Exhaust Contains several air pollutants, 20% of NO2, 23%
hydrocarbons and 45% of CO.
6. Seat textiles Wastes include dyes, acids, solvents, greases and
wastes.
7. Gasoline tank Serves sources of benzene and hydrocarbon
emission during fueling.
8. Plastic components Toxic chemicals used in the production include vinyl
chloride, formaldehyde, phenols and several
solvents.
9. Tyres Toxic chemicals used in the production include
amines, thiurams and nitrosamines as solvents.

3. Air pollutants from vehicles are split into primary and secondary pollutants. The
following table shows the major air pollutants in the atmosphere from vehicles
and their effect on human body.
Sl. No Air pollutants Effects on human body
1 Particulate matter Penetrate deep in to the lungs.
2 Hydrocarbons Irritates the respiratory system, causes coughing,
Chocking and reduced lungs capacity.
3 Nitrogen oxides Cause lung irritation and weaken the body’s
defence against respiratory infections such as
Pneumonia and influenza, causes eye irritation.
4 Carbon oxides
a. carbon
monoxide
b. carbon dioxide
Highly poisonous, combines with hemoglobin of
the blood to form carboxy hemoglobin.
Causes mild narcotic effect, stimulation of
respiratory centre and leads to Asphyxiation.
5 Oxides of sulphur Irritates the respiratory system. Damages the
lung.
6 Hazardous air
pollutants
Birth defects, cancer and other serious illness.
Objectives
The present study has the following objectives:
 To find out over all air quality in the Rajakkad area.
 To find out the biggest source of vehicular pollution.
 To identify the best method to reduce air pollution.
 To study adverse effect of air pollution.
Hypothesis
 Over all air quality is reduced.
 Diesel vehicles are the major contributors of vehicular pollution.

4.  Improved traffic flow / signal timing and utilizing bus services instead of
using own vehicles to reduce vehicular pollution.
 Air pollution adversely affects the human health.
Procedure
Survey method was adopted for this study. A questionnaire was prepared
for collecting data required for this study. These questionnaires were supplied to
15 residents in the VIIIth
ward of Rajakkad village. The collected data were
analysed for detailed study.
Analysis
The following details were obtained from the analysis of the collected data.
1. Over all air quality eating
60% of the resident rate our current air quality is average. 27% of the
residents rate the air quality as good and 13%of resident rate the air quality
as poor.
2. Air quality be like five years later.
Looking to the future, 80% of respondent believe our air quality will
be arose in five years and 20%say it will be the same.
3. Biggest source of air pollution.
The respondents choose diesel vehicles there to one over every
other sources of air pollution. Transport vehicles come after second.
4. Individual actions to improve air quality.
40 % of the respondents say, first and foremost they would use bus.
To achieve the goal 33% would keep their vehicle tunes up, 20% of the
respondents willing to use bikes and 7% willing to use their car less.
5. Vehicle maintenance.
The opinion of 27% of resident is that they tune their vehicle up
regularly while 73% opted to do it only when the vehicle running poorly.

5. 6. Best ways to improve air quality.
Prefer bus services instead of using owned vehicle topped the list
with 40% of the respondent. They want better bus system with more runs,
better access, more stops and late night and week end services. 33% of the
residents supportusealternate vehicles. Next residents said they wanted to
see stricter emission laws and better enforcement of current emission laws
(20%). 7% of residents need to improve traffic flow.
7. Affects of air pollution.
Most of the respondents believed that air pollution enhances
respiratory problem restof the respondentsay that it causes itchy eyes and
nose.
From this study, it is clear that average air quality is observed in
Rajakkad area and five years later it become worse than now.
Vehicular pollution is the major contributor of air pollution. It increases due
to the use of less efficient vehicles. Specifically diesel fuel exhaust is the
major source of air pollution. Air pollution adversely affects the human
health .Mainly causes respiratory problems. The best way to reduce air
pollution is better bus system with more runs, better access, more stops
and late night and week end services and utilize bus services instead of own
vehicles.
Conclusion
Major contributor of air pollution is vehicular pollution. The main
cause of such pollution is the increasing number of vehicles. Diesel exhaust
is the major problem of present situation. Most of the pollutants are
released from the exhaust of diesel. The other factors of vehicular pollution
are poor efficiency of vehicles, 2- stroke engines, poor fuel quality,
inadequate maintenance, congested traffic, poor road condition and old
automobile technologies and traffic management. These increases fuel
consumption and vehicular emission. So the air quality of this area become
average and it will be worse than now after five years.

6. Suggestions
To help to improve air quality should:
i. Develop economic incentives for repair of high polluting vehicles.
ii. Improve traffic light timing to reduce vehicle idling time at night.
iii. Ban of vehicle more than 15 years age.
iv. Use cleaner fuels with less sulphur and improved technology for
combustion engines to reduce emission.
v. Promote comprehensive inspection and certification of vehicles.
vi. Encourage drives to turn off their vehicle when waiting in a line.
vii. Improve convenience of bus services.
viii. Promote the use of alternative fuel vehicles.
ix. Increase enforcement of emission laws.
x. Avoid unnecessary driving.
Reference
 www.wikipedia.org.
 www.be.airquality.ca.
 www.knowindia.net.
 www.yourarticle library.com.
 Airquality.lifetips.com.
 Eschooltoday.com.
 www.env.go.jp.
 www.conserve-energy- future.com.