Environmental effects?

♤ If fly ash is not captured and disposed off properly, it can pollute air and water considerably.

♤ It causes respiratory problems.

♤ Fly ash in the air slowly settles on leaves and crops in fields in areas near to thermal power plants and lowers the plant yield.

Advantages:

♤ Cement can be replaced by fly ash upto 35%, thus reducing the cost of construction, making roads, etc.

♤ Fly ash bricks are light in weight and offer high strength and durability.

♤ Fly ash is a better fill material for road embankments and in concrete roads.

♤ Fly ash can be used in reclamation of wastelands.

♤ Abandoned mines can be filled up with fly ash.

♤ Fly ash can increase the crop yield and it also enhances water holding capacity of the land .

Policy measures of MoEF:

♤ The Ministry of Environment and Forests vide its notification in 2009, has made it mandatory to use Fly Ash based products in all construction projects, road embankment works and low lying land filling works within 100 kms radius of Thermal Power Station.

♤ To use Fly Ash in mine filling activities within 50 kms radius of Thermal Power Stations.

5.2.5. Effects of air pollution

1. Health effect

Name Of Pollutant	Sources	Health Effects
Sulphur Oxides	Thermal power plants and industries	Eye and throat irritation, cough, allergies, impairs enzyme function in respiratory system. Reduces exchange of gases from lung surface.
Nitrogen Oxides	Thermal power plant, industries and vehicles	Irritation and inflammation of lungs, breathlessness, impairs enzyme function in respiratory system and causes bronchitis and asthma.
Suspended Particulate Matter (SOM)	Vehicular emissions and burning of fossil fuels	Lung irritation reduces development of RBC and cause pulmonary malfunctioning.
Carbon Monoxide	Vehicular emissions and burning of fossil fuels	Difficulty in breathing, severe headaches, irritation to mucous membrane, unconsciousness and death
Carbon Dioxide	Burning of fossil fuels	Impairs reflexes, judgment and vision, severe headaches and heart strain.
Smog	Industries and vehicular pollution	Respiratory problems and intense irritation to the eyes.
Ozone	Automobile emissions	Breathlessness, asthma, wheezing, chest pain, emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Chlorofluorocarbons	Refrigerators, sprays, emissions from jets	Depletion of stratospheric ozone layer, global warming.
Hydrocarbons	Burning of fossil fuels	Carcinogenic effect on lungs, kidney damage, hypertension, respiratory distress, irritation of eyes, nose and throat, asthma, bronchitis and impairs enzyme function in respiratory system.
Tobacco Smoke	Cigarettes, cigars etc.	Chronic bronchitis, asthma and lung cancer, irritation of eyes, nose and throat.
Mercury	Industries	Nervous disorders, insomnia, memory loss, excitability, irritation, tremor, gingivitis and minamata disease.
Lead	Leaded petrol emissions	Damage to brain and central nervous system, kidneys and brains, impaired intelligence and interference with development of RBCs.
Cadmium	Industries	Affects the heart
Silica dust	Silicon quarries	Silicosis affects the lungs
Cotton dust	Cotton textile factories	Byssinosis involves destruction of lung tissues, chronic cough, bronchitis and emphysema.
Asbestos dust	Asbestos mining, asbestos

sheet manufacturing

Asbestosis which involves severe respiratory problems and may lead to cancer.

Radioactive pollutants

Cosmic rays, x- rays, beta rays, radon and radium

Destroy living tissues and blood cells; affect cell membrane and cell enzyme functions, leukemia, and permanent genetic changes.

Coal dust and particles

Coal mines

Black lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis which lead to respiratory failure.

II. Effects on Vegetation

♤ retard photosynthesis.

♤ Sulphur dioxide causes chlorosis, plasmolysis, membrane damage and metabolic inhibition.

♤ Hydrocarbons such as ethylene cause premature leaf fall, fruit drop, shedding of floral buds, curling of petals and discoloration of sepals.

♤ Ozone damage chlorenchyma and thus destructs the foliage in large number of plants.

III. Effects on Animals

IV. Detoriation of materials

V. Aesthetic Loss