Given below are scenes, list the main pollutants for each and identify which type of pollution each causes. Give reasons to support your answers.

Picture A

Picture B

(a) The main pollutants in Picture A are —

1. Carbon monoxide (CO)
2. Unburnt hydrocarbons
3. Nitrogen monoxide.

These pollutants contribute to Vehicular Air Pollution, primarily affecting air quality and human health.

Reasons —

1. These pollutants are emitted from the incomplete combustion of fuel in automobile engines, which is a major cause of air pollution.

2. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

3. Unburned hydrocarbons such as methane, acetylene, and ethylene are volatile and contribute to smog formation.

4. Ethylene, in particular, undergoes chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) to form photochemical oxidants, such as ozone, which are harmful to health and the environment.

5. Nitrogen monoxide (NO), released during fuel combustion, reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), which is another harmful pollutant.

(b) The main pollutants in picture B are —

1. Smoke
2. Particulate matter (dust)
3. Sulphur dioxide (SO₂)
4. Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ)
5. Carbon monoxide (CO)

These pollutants are responsible for causing Air Pollution.

Reasons —

1. During the production of building materials, large quantities of dust and fine particulate matter are released into the air, especially from processes like crushing, grinding, and heating raw materials.

2. The smoke coming out from the factories producing contruction materials has small particles of dust, carbon, metals, other solids, liquids and radioactive materials which get mixed in smoke and pollute the air.

3. The combustion of fossil fuels to power machinery and kilns emits sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide into the atmosphere.

4. These pollutants reduce air quality, cause respiratory problems, and contribute to smog and acid rain.