Air Pollution, An Introduction

This paper explores overview of air pollution. understanding, the impact on environmental quality and human health and the latest technology to reduce them. The more rapid economic progress to encourage the increasing need for transportation, on the other side of the natural environments that support human livelihoods increasingly threatened the quality, the negative effects of air pollution to human life were increasingly growing. For that brief article is presented as a starting material for the step to create a healthy and comfortable environment. Air pollution is the entry, or a mixture of dangerous elements into the atmosphere which could cause environmental damage, disruption to human health in general as well as reduced environmental quality. Air pollution can occur everywhere, such as in homes, schools, and office. Pollution is often called indoor pollution (indoor pollution). Meanwhile outdoor pollution (outdoor pollution) comes from vehicle emissions, industrial, shipping, and natural processes of living things. Sources of air pollutants can be classified into stationary sources and mobile sources. Stationary source consists of power plants, industries and households. While moving source is the activity of motor vehicle traffic and sea transport. From BPS data in 1999, in some provinces, especially in big cities such as Medan, Surabaya and Jakarta, motor vehicle emissions are the largest contribution to the concentration of NO2 and CO in the air of more than 50%. Decrease in air quality that continues to happen over the last few years shows us that how important it encouraged the efforts of this emission reduction. Whether through counseling to the public or to conduct research for the implementation of emission reduction technology.

Substances Air Pollution

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Traffic fumes are the main source for carbon monoxide in various cities. The data revealed that 60% of air pollution in Jakarta is because the body moves or public transport, especially diesel fuel derived from Metromini [5]. CO formation is a function of the ratio of air and fuel needs in the process of combustion in diesel engine combustion chamber. A good mixture between air and fuel especially true for machines that use Turbocharge is one strategy to minimize CO emissions. Carbon monoxide is increased in many urban areas can lead to decline in fetal weight and increase the number of infant deaths and brain damage. Therefore, levels of carbon monoxide reduction strategy will depend on such pengggunaan emission control catalyst materials that change the material of carbon monoxide into carbon dioxide and the use of renewable fuels for low-pollution vehicles

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Until 1999 NOx derived from marine transportation in Japan contributed 38% of total NOx emissions (25,000 tons / year) [4]. NOx is formed of three functions, namely temperature (T), reaction time (t), and the concentration of oxygen (O2), NOx = f (T, t, O2). Theoretically there are 3 theory that suggests the formation of NOx, namely:

1. Thermal NOx (Extended Zeldovich Mechanism)
   This process is caused by nitrogen gas which oxidizes at high temperatures in the combustion chamber (> 1800 K). Thermal NOx is dominated by the emission of NO (NOx = NO + NO2).
2. Prompt NOx
   NOx formation will be formed quickly in the combustion zone.
3. Fuel NOx
   NOx formation is formed because the N content in the fuel.

Approximately 90% of NOx emissions is thermal NOx due process, and noted that with the use of HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil), the fuel used in boats, donated NOx emissions of 20-30%. Nitrogen oxides in the air that is inhaled by humans can cause lung damage. After these substances react with the atmosphere to form nitrate particles that can penetrate very smooth deepest part of the lung. In addition, this oxide substances when react with gasoline fumes that are not burned completely and other hydrocarbon substances will form a low ozone or smog cloudy reddish brown haze that blanketed much of the city in the world.

SOx (Sulphur Oxide: SO2, SO3)

SOx emissions are formed from the function of sulfur content in fuel, in addition to sulfur content in the lubricant, may also lead to the formation of SOx emissions. The structure of sulfur formed on the bond and alkyl aromatics. In the process of combustion of sulfur dioxide and sulfur trioxide formed from the reaction:

S + O2 = SO2
SO2 + 1 / 2 O2 = SO3

The content of SO3 in the SOx is very small at around 1-5%. Pungent gas that is colorless but it can cause asthma attacks, even if this gas will react in the atmosphere to form acid. WHO UN Agency stated that in 1987 the amount of sulfur dioxide in the air has reached the threshold specified by the WHO.

Emissions of hydrocarbons (HC)

In the engine, emissions of hydrocarbons (HC) is formed from a variety of sources. No burning of fuel perfectly, no burning of cylinder lubricating oil is one of the causes of the emergence of HC emissions. HC Emissions on HFO fuel commonly used on large diesel engines will be less when compared to diesel-fueled engines Diesel Oil (DO). HC emissions are gaseous methane (CH4). Types of these emissions can cause leukemia and cancer.

Particulate Matter (PM)

Dust particles in exhaust emissions consist of various components. Not only the solid form but also as a liquid that settles in dust particles. In the process of burning dust formed from the breakdown of hydrocarbons and the oxidation process elements afterwards. The dust contained in the dust itself and certain of the metal oxide. In the process of further expansion in the atmosphere, metal and dust content of the particulate form. Some elements are carbon content of particulate, SOF (Soluble Organic Fraction), dust, SO4, and H2O. Some particulate matter out of the factory chimney as thick black smoke, but the most dangerous is the fine-grained so that it can penetrate deep into the lungs. Please also note that in some major cities in the world changed into sulfate particles in the atmosphere, many caused by the process of sulfur oxide molecules.