Modification of Environmental Processes due to Particulate Accumulation

The natural and anthropogenic processes like rapid industrialization, uncontrolled urbanization, careless mining activities etc. release varieties of particulates into environment which have different shape, size, life time and physicochemical characteristics. These modify and catalyze the course of a number of environmental processes resulting in secondary pollutants, capable of causing serious environmental hazards in biosphere. The catalytic ability of the particulates has been attributed to their active surfaces which stimulate the primary pollutants to undergo reactions resulting in secondary pollutants. The detrimental effects due to particulates and their reaction products are explained in terms of their toxicity and longer lifetime in the environment.