The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Air pollution: prevention is the key

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Air pollution: prevention is the key

— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

Careless: Unburned fuel spilling out from an ill-maintained vehicle causes more damage to the environment.

Air pollution is a major and growing problem in cities. But it is a rural issue too. Government usually finds it easier to blame industry but the reality is that motor transport and domestic fire too contribute to environment pollution.

Until just a few years ago “hazardous air pollutants” meant smoke, metal fumes, acid mist and similar emissions having a direct local effect on human health. They were managed by extraction and ventilation or by protecting the worker with a breathing mask.

CFCs, being totally inert and carbon dioxide being a natural gas produced every time we breathe were regarded as harmless. However we now know that these apparently harmless materials are causing serious global effects - the so called hole in the ozone layer, climate change and sea level rise. Now it seems, almost everything is hazardous.

As with most environmental emissions, prevention is usually much cheaper than cure. Using a clean fuel, keeping boilers and motors clean and well-adjusted costs much less than building an expensive gas cleaning plant. Remember that all that black smoke pouring out of buses and trucks is unburned fuel, which has been paid for and then thrown away to pollute the atmosphere.

If “end of pipe” treatment is required, it is important to analyse the emissions, determine their chemical and physical characteristics and apply the most appropriate technology.

Available technologies

Simple cyclones and filters to remove dust, electrostatic interceptors to remove fine particles; Wet scrubbers to remove acid gasses, incineration to remove unburned fuel and fumes.

But there is one major problem; almost all treatment technologies increase emissions of carbon dioxide, the biggest threat to a sustainable future. Carbon dioxide capture is being discussed but is very expensive. Ultimately we all need to learn to manage with less energy.

Cost effective pollution control methods

Industry brings great benefits to society but may also result in pollution and damage to the environment. As a result more and more regulations, taxes and restrictions are being applied to them.

It is important to realise that these new rules are justified and will continue to increase. Industry must improve its performance to maintain its “license to operate.”

It is increasingly a requirement for participation in the global economy. Many companies fear that complying with all these new rules will increase their costs to the point of putting them out of business. Fortunately experience shows that this need not be the case. While technological solutions and “end of pipe treatment” can be very expensive, tackling the root causes often actually saves money.

Reducing waste and pollution in this way makes companies stronger and more efficient.

It improves product quality, reduces costs and increases profits.

The following examples are all from the European petrochemical industry but the techniques and approaches apply equally to other industries and countries:

Use of variable speed drives to reduce energy consumption.

Reduced scrap material and waste packaging through improved process control.

Treatment of contaminated water, thereby reducing the cost of disposal.

Using of low volatility solvents for cleaning parts.

Low cost improvements during needed maintenance.

All these have two common features; they saved money but were not identified by looking for cost savings. The solutions were developed by people involved in the operation, not by outside “experts.”

To find similar opportunities in your plants three things are necessary; a clear, strong policy message from the top, encouragement for managers, engineers and workers to identify problems, empowering multidisciplinary teams to develop solutions.

Using these techniques has resulted in huge reductions in wastes and emissions at no or minimal cost.

P. Sudhakar

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