Secondary Pollutants

Secondary Pollutants Latest News

Secondary pollutants, particularly ammonium sulphate, are responsible for nearly one-third of India’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution, said a study from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

About Secondary Pollutants

• Secondary pollutants are pollutants which form in the atmosphere. 
• These pollutants are not emitted directly from a source (like vehicles or power plants).
  • Pollutants that are emitted into the environment from a source are called primary pollutants.
• Secondary pollutants form as a result of the pollutants emitted from these sources reacting with molecules in the atmosphere to form a new pollutant. 
• Examples of secondary pollutants are ozone and secondary organic aerosol (haze).
• Secondary pollutants are harder to control because they have different ways of synthesizing, and the formation is not well understood. 
• They form naturally in the environment and cause problems like photochemical smog.
  • The phenomenon of photochemical smog is a result of the interactions of primary pollutants with other molecules in the air, such as molecular oxygen, water, and hydrocarbons.
  • These combine to form yellow clouds that are harmful to humans.

Source: TH

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