Nitrogen Oxide as an Environmental Pollution - Essay Example

Nitrogen Oxide as an Environmental Pollution Introduction Nitrogen oxides are produced when fossil fuels burn at ahigh temperature; however, they are also formed from the plants that manufacture explosives. Nitrogen oxides are particularly nitrogen dioxide is very harmful to humans as it cause various health complications in humans. Some of these include reduced lung function, respiratory diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, and difficulty in breathing among others. More so, nitrogen oxides can cause visual impairment if the eyes are affected. This paper discusses nitrogen oxides as an environmental pollutants with the first section covers the common nitrogen oxides, followed by the sources and potential sinks in the environment, then the chemical behaviour of these oxides, the impacts on human and ecosystem, and finally the prevention and control of these pollutants. Nitrogen Oxides Nitrogen oxides mainly consist of nitrogen and oxygen, and the most common nitrogen oxides are nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) (Farmer 2013, p.26; Harrison 2001, p.179). Notably, nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide are emitted when nitrogen reacts with oxygen in the air during combustion at high temperatures and this shows that the amount of nitrogen oxides produced depends on temperature of combustion. Another nitrogen oxide is nitrous oxide (N2O) which is a greenhouse gas that has a greater impact on climate change. Nitric oxide is a colourless gas with a sharp and sweet smell, but nitrogen dioxide is a colourless gas with a strong, harsh odour. Of the nitrogen oxides emitted, nitric oxides forms the larger part, followed by nitrous oxide then nitrogen dioxide which is produced in low amounts, and also it is important to note that both nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxides does not have prolonged lifespan in the atmosphere as compared to nitrous oxide. The Sources of Nitrogen Oxides Nitrogen oxides are produced naturally but they are as well produced by various human activities including agricultural activities, transportation and industrial processes and many others. In nature, nitrogen oxides are produced because of bacterial processes, biological growth and decay, forest fires (Lippmann 2009, p.823), volcano, and lightening among others (Hill 2010, p.128). Thunderstorms lead to the production of nitric oxide as a result of high heat of lightening released in the process of breaking down nitrogen molecules. On the other hand, burning of fossil fuels is considered the primary source of nitrogen oxides as part of human activities. Transportation fuels when burned produce nitrous oxide and mostly, motor vehicles and trucks are considered the primary source of nitrous oxide emission from transportation (Hill 2010, p.128). As nitrous oxide is emitted as a by-product during the production of nitric acid, nitrogen oxides are emitted into the air from motor vehicles exhaust or from the burning of coal, diesel fuel and natural gas from electric power plants. More so, nitrogen oxides are produced during the industrial processes such as welding and electroplating among others, and through cigarette smoking. In addition, agriculture also plays a leading role in nitrogen oxide emissions with the use fertilizers as these fertilizers contribute to nitrous oxide to the atmosphere. That is, the use of nitrogen fixation of plants also leads to the production of atmospheric nitrogen oxides because these synthetic fertilizers put in the soil to increase productivity produce nitrous oxide. Agricultural soil management is the major source of nitrous oxide especially in countries where non-organic farming is common. Additionally, nitrous oxide is produced during the breakdown of nitrogen in livestock manure and urine, and this implies that even the shift manure from synthetic fertilizers as a way to prevent nitrogen emission is not effective. Moreover, nitrous oxide emission comes of the oceans. The microbal activity in the soil also creates nitrogen oxide emissions (Shyam, Verma and Bhargava 2006, p.44). Notably, nitrogen oxides form part of the fire smoke and this implies that nitrogen oxides are produced when forests burn (Paul et al., 2008, p.244). Potential sinks in the Environment The sink areas of nitrogen dioxide is include soils, and in aquatic systems. In the soils, they penetrate when nitrogen fertilizers are used to increase farm productivity and in the water bodies, it penetrates through water pollution, discharged wastes from industries and if it falls as acid rain. The chemical behaviour of Nitrogen Oxides in the environment and any potential interactions with other chemicals or substances When combined with volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides form ground level ozone (Farmer 2013, p.22) which can cause adverse effects on human health such as damage to lung tissues and interfere with the normal function of the lung. Ozone exposure can also lead to headaches, eye irritation, and increased asthma attacks among others (Pfafflin and Ziegler 2010, p.747). Nitrogen oxides chemically react with precipitation, oxygen, and other available substances in the atmosphere to form acid rain, and when nitric oxide forms compounds with the water molecules in precipitation, acid rain is produced. Acid rain has adverse effects on humans and the entire ecosystem. Moreover, nitrogen oxides react with other substances to form various toxic products such as nitrosamines and nitrate radical which may trigger biological mutations hence affecting humans. Nitrogen dioxide is a strong oxidant and so it reacts with different biomolecules directly or by forming free radicals (Meulenbelt 2012, p.139). Nitrogen oxides react with ammonia, moisture and other compounds to form nitric acid vapour and related particles (Ferrey and Cabraal 2006, p.49). These particles can enter into lung tissue and damage it because they can interfere with the normal functioning of this organ resulting in premature death. In addition, when individuals inhale these particles, they may cause respiratory diseases like bronchitis and may worsen existing heart disease (Ferrey and Cabraal 2006, p.50). Typical pathways through which Nitrogen Oxide is transported Nitrogen oxides are released from the atmosphere when particular bacteria have absorbed them. More so, they are released into the atmosphere upon destruction by certain chemical reactions. The impacts of Nitrogen Oxides on humans Nitrogen oxides are common pollutants found in the air and so individuals are exposed to these pollutants by just breathing air that contains it. Exposure to nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide can cause very harmful effects on human health and can even cause death, for instance, these oxides when inhaled can cause welling of tissues in the throat and upper respiratory tract (Lippmann 2009, p.826), pulmonary congestion, difficulty when breathing, and pneumonitis among others (Pfafflin and Ziegler 2010, p.746). In addition, they can interrupt the normal functioning of the body fleuding such as blood preventing the blood to effectively transport oxygen thereby causing headache, fatigue and dizziness among others. Arguably, nitric oxide itself is not toxic but when it is converted in the air to nitrogen dioxide, which at high concentration levels is very toxic to plants as it can affect leaves and reduce growth and yield in turn. Nitrogen dioxide is the most toxic and harmful to humans and it can even cause death (Pfafflin and Ziegler 2010, p.746). Notably, when nitrogen dioxide is combined with either ozone or sulphur dioxide, it is very harmful even at lower concentration levels and this explains why it is the most toxic nitrogen oxide on earth. It is one of the toxic pollutants that account for increased deaths due to acute lower respiratory illnesses among individuals especially children (Ghosh et al. 2012, p.96). Moreover, exposure to nitrogen dioxide may lead to damage a developing foetus and decrease fertility in women, and so women who are exposed to this oxide are at a high risk of become a victim. In addition, exposure to this type of nitrogen oxide especially at high concentration persistently can cause permanent lung damage and other health complications. Exposure to high concentration of this gas can as well lead to serious burns; irritate eye and throat and other body parts when in touch. It can as cause fatigue, nausea, and shortness of breathe among other health complications. On the contrary, exposure to nitrous may lead to complications such as mental confusion and many others. Effects on the ecosystem-water and the on artificial surfaces Increase nitrogen loading in water bodies interfere with the chemical balance of nutrients used by aquatic organisms and this threatens the life of these organisms. More so, nitrogen oxides trigger eutrophication, which resulted in depletion of oxygen thereby reducing the pollution of fish in the water bodies (Ferrey and Cabraal 2006, p.50). Prevention and control of the pollutant Many steps have put in place to reduce the level of nitrogen oxide pollution. Individuals can help reduce this kind of pollution by supporting the efforts to use renewable non-polluting power sources. They can also shun away from smoking cigarettes, reduce older gas powered appliances, and stop burning any type of gases at high temperatures. More so, they can keep away from high-industrialized areas to reduce the risk of inhaling these harmful pollutants. The concentration of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air should be monitored on a regular basis so as to improve air quality and reduce environmental pollution by these nitrogen oxides. Moreover, emissions of nitrogen oxides can be reduced by reducing nitrogen-based fertilizer applications and adopting better manure management practices. Reducing fuel consumption in motor vehicles can assist reduce transportation emissions. Additionally, introducing pollution control technologies like catalytic converters is necessary as this can help reduce exhaust pollutants from motor vehicles and significantly reduce nitrous emissions. Conclusion Nitrogen oxides are formed when nitrogen reacts with oxygen in the air during combustion. The most common nitrogen gases are nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide with the latter being the most toxic. Nitrogen oxides are emitted naturally and through human activities such as lightening, volcano, forest fires, and automobiles, industrial activities, and agricultural activities respectively. Nitrogen dioxide is very harmful to human health as it causes respiratory problems, lung damage, and difficulty in breathing among others. To control the emission of these gases, individuals should reduce fuel consumption in their vehicles, stop smoking cigarettes, reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers, and use renewable non-polluting power sources. References Farmer, A., 2013, Managing Environmental Pollution, London: Routledge. Ferrey, S., and Cabraal, R. A. 2006, Renewable power in developing countries: winning the war on global warming, Tulsa, OK, PennWell Corp. Ghosh, R. et al., 2012, Ambient nitrogen oxides exposure and early childhood respiratory illnesses, Environment International, Volume 39, Issue 1, 96-102. Harrison, R. M. 2001, Pollution: causes, effects and control. Cambridge, Royal Soc. of Chemistry. Hill, M. K., 2010, Understanding Environmental Pollution, Cambridge University Press. Lippmann, M. 2009, Environmental toxicants human exposures and their health effects, Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. Meulenbelt, J., 2012, Nitrogen And Nitrogen Oxides, Volume 40, Issue 3, p.139. Paul, K.T. et al., 2008, Fire Smoke Toxicity: The Effect of Nitrogen Oxides, Fire Safety Journal, Volume 43, Issue 4, p. 243- 251. Pfafflin, James R., and Ziegler Edward N., 2010, Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fifth Edition, Volumes One and Two, Volume 2, Florida: CRC Press. Shyam, S., Verma, H., and Bhargava, S. 2006, Air pollution and its impact on plant growth, New Delhi, New India Publishing Agency. Read More