Environment and Ecology
Secondary pollutants, especially ammonium sulphate, constitute a third of PM2.5 pollution
▪ According to the study by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air(CREA), Secondary pollutants, particularly ammonium sulphate, that results from the reaction between sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere.
▪ They are responsible for nearly one-third of India’s fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution.
▪ Primary pollutants are those that result from the burning of fossil fuels from automobiles, coal plants and organic matter.
▪ These pollutants, once they climb into the atmosphere, react with each other or other gases or water vapour in the atmosphere to form more complex particles — some of which are harmful. These are called secondary pollutants.
▪ CREA’s study says the nationwide average concentration of ammonium sulphate is 11.9 microgram per cubic metre, accounting for approximately 34% of the PM2.5 mass.
▪ The main driver of ammonium sulphate formation and more than 60% of SO2 emissions in India originate from coal-fired thermal power plants.
▪ “This makes them a critical target for reducing secondary PM2.5 pollution through the implementation of flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems
