Sulphur Dioxide Pollution: A Review on Trends of Emission and Impact on Organisms and their Environment

Contamination of air with toxic pollutants such as sulphur dioxide may influence the composition of environment and consequently the living organisms associated with it. Air pollution is one of the prime concerns in India, primarily due to rapid economic growth, industrialization and urbanization with associated increase in energy demands. Lack of implementation of environmental regulations is contributing to the bad air quality of most of the Indian cities. Air pollutants produced in any area are not completely confined, but at time trespassing all the geographical boundaries, hence do not remain only a problem of urban centres where they are released, but spread and affect remote rural areas supporting large productive agricultural land. Air pollutants pose risks on yield of crops, growth and physiology of animals and humans depending on the emission pattern, atmospheric transport and uptake and on the organisms defence capacity. Sulphur dioxide levels vary between regions due to varied geographical distribution of major sources and different topographical and meteorological conditions. This study aims to overview the hazardous effect of sulphur dioxide, present and future trends of emissions and their impact on plants, animals and humans.