Different colours for hydrogen gas

4 minutes

Hydrogen is a chemical substance with the symbol H and an atomic number of 1. It is the most abundant chemical substance on earth, constituting about 75% of all matter. Hydrogen is usually found in combination with other substances. Although hydrogen is one of the most abundant chemical substances, it takes up only 0.14% of the earth’s crust by weight.

Basic details about hydrogen as an element.
Hydrogen is the most abundant element ever. Source: International Renewable Energy Agency

Hydrogen as a gas is not easily obtained in nature. As a result, numerous processes are used to create hydrogen gas. The different colours for hydrogen are named from the manufacturing method and may range from region to region.

Hydrogen gas has a wide range of applications, from commercial to personal or domestic. Hydrogen may be used in power plants, as a coolant in factories, in weather balloons, and in the manufacturing of ammonia, which is used in fertilizers.

Apart from the most well-known colours of green, blue, and grey, hydrogen gas may be identified with six more colours: brown or black, turquoise, purple, pink, red, and white.

Raw material sources used in the production of hydrogen gas.
Source: Raw materials used in the production of hydrogen gas. Atome

Green hydrogen

Green hydrogen, also known as clean hydrogen, is generated by electrolyzing water molecules to separate hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy such as wind or sun. It is termed green because there are no carbon dioxide emissions throughout the production process.

Green hydrogen costs twice as much as regular hydrogen and blue hydrogen. The cost of green hydrogen is determined by the cost of power, technology, and storage in the area. Although the cost of renewable energy and electrolysis equipment is decreasing, green hydrogen may not get considerably cheaper because of the high cost of the technology involved.

Production process of hydrogen till its end use point.
Production process and end use of hydrogen Source: International Renewable Energy Agency

Blue hydrogen

Blue hydrogen is generated from fossil fuels such as methane or coal using heat, steam, and pressure. The carbon generated during the process is captured and stored underground through industrial carbon capture and storage (CSS).

Production of blue hydrogen often requires a lot of energy, and it is not sustainable. The production costs and the water requirements depend on the technology employed in the production.

Grey hydrogen

Grey hydrogen is generated similarly to blue hydrogen, except unlike blue hydrogen, the carbon dioxide emitted during the creation process is not collected.

Turquoise hydrogen

Another kind of hydrogen that can be described to offer clean hydrogen is turquoise hydrogen. Turquoise hydrogen is developed by a process known as methane pyrolysis, which generates solid carbon and hydrogen gas. The solid carbon produced can be utilized to make tyres or as a soil improver.

Grey, Blue, Turquoise and Green Hydrogen compared.
Grey, Blue, Turquoise and Green Hydrogen compared. Source: International Renewable Energy Agency

Yellow hydrogen

Yellow hydrogen is produced through electrolysis using solar energy. It can be argued that yellow hydrogen is another type of green energy on the hydrogen spectrum.

Brown or black hydrogen

Brown hydrogen is produced from bituminous coal, while brown hydrogen is produced from lignite coal through the gasification process. The production process is quite polluting because it involves turning coal into gas, which releases a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Pink hydrogen

Pink hydrogen, also known as red or purple hydrogen, is similar to green hydrogen in that they are both produced through the process of electrolysis, but while green hydrogen is produced with renewable energy, pink hydrogen is produced using nuclear energy. Since nuclear energy has low carbon and water has no carbon, the entire production process has little to no carbon in it. Radioactive waste is a byproduct of the production process of pink hydrogen, and this hurts the environment.

White hydrogen

White hydrogen occurs naturally. It is not developed in the laboratory, unlike other gases, but it is found as a free gas either in layers of the continental crust, deep in the oceanic crust, in volcanic gases, in geysers, or in hydrothermal systems.

Conclusion

Plastic pollution

Plastics are a vast range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that are mostly composed of polymers. Plastics, due to their fluidity, may be formed into a variety of shapes and forms. This feature, along with others such as its lightweight, has contributed to the widespread usage of plastics.

Alexander Parkes exhibited the first plastics at the London International Exhibition in 1862. Plastics’ extensive use might be attributed to their fluidity, which allows them to be readily moulded, extruded, or pressed into solid things of various shapes. They are relatively less hazardous than other materials, have a lower production cost, and have no significant competitors.

Plastics are recognized to be non-biodegradable and so incapable of decomposition. Plastic may only be reused, recycled, or thrown away. Plastic pollution stems from unregulated plastic use. Plastics that are improperly disposed of are a nuisance to life on land and in water. Plastics, due to their properties, enter the seas and landfills and remain there for millions of years, occupying space and posing a hazard to aquatic life.

Common plastic disposal methods.

Appropriate plastic disposal may be costly, time-consuming, and needs specialized knowledge. The following is a list of common plastic disposal methods.

  1. Landfills. Plastic may be disposed of in landfills, but this can cause numerous issues. Landfills take up space, and in badly managed landfills, plastic trash can be blown into oceans and rivers. Plastics that are left in landfills may eventually decompose and emit toxins.
  2. Burning. Polymers are occasionally burnt in order to turn waste into another type of energy. Plastic trash incinerators, on the other hand, are costly to build and maintain. It is also a possible source of dangerous substances being released into the atmosphere. Plastics are often burned outside of incinerators in poor and undeveloped nations when there is no strategy to convert garbage to electricity. This method emits hazardous chemicals into the environment and should be avoided at all costs.
  3. Reuse. Certain plastics are reused several times before being discarded. It is estimated that reusing 10% of plastics will save nearly half of all plastic garbage from entering the ocean. Finding a means to reuse an object again and over again is the goal of reusing it. Instead of throwing it out, it might be recycled, upcycled, downcycled, or utilized as it is.
  4. Recycle. Plastic trash recycling normally entails sorting, cleaning, shredding, melting, and remoulding. As plastic is recycled, its quality degrades. When plastic is melted, the polymer chains are partly broken down, reducing tensile strength and viscosity and making it more difficult to process. Plastic can only be recycled a few times using this approach before it becomes unstable and unfit for use. As a result, chemical recycling of plastic is required. Plastic recycling is incredibly tricky, with just 9% of all plastic ever manufactured being recycled into new plastics.
  5. Upcycle. Upcycling transforms the material into something more valuable. Upcycling offers more value to a material than recycling.
  6. Chemical recycling This is the process of converting polymers back to the original source, petroleum. Chemical recycling decreases the usage of landfills since the recycled material may be utilized to manufacture new goods. This recovery procedure may be used to recycle practically any type of plastic material, even those with varied plastic compositions.
  7. Biodegradable plastics. Under the correct conditions, microbes may totally degrade biodegradable plastic into water, carbon dioxide, and compost. Renewable raw resources, microorganisms, petrochemicals, or mixtures of all three are often used to make biodegradable plastics. Biodegradable polymers are quickly replacing single-use plastics such as straws and cutlery. Today’s “bio-degradable” plastic bags, and cutlery on the other hand, do not degrade during standard composting and pollute other recyclable plastics.

Although plastics have become an integral part of life, we should:

  1. Do away with single-use plastics. For instance straw. If you must use a straw, go for stainless steel or glass straw.
  2. Give up gum. It is made with plastic (synthetic rubber).
  3. When storing foods, minimize the use of plastics. Switch to more sustainable materials such as jars or glass containers.
  4. Purchase in bulk. It saves on materials used for packaging.
  5. Use a glass or steel refillable bottle in place of plastic ones.
  6. Take a shopping bag with you when you shop.
  7. Make your own tea. Avoid using tea bags as they release about 11 billion microplastics into a single cup of tea. Instead, buy loose tea in bulk and use a tea infuser or strainer to make your tea.

Conclusion

Plastics are a vast range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials composed of polymers. They are popular due to their fluidity, which allows them to be readily moulded, extruded, or pressed into solid things of various shapes.

Polymers are non-biodegradable and incapable of decomposition, so they can only be reused, recycled, or thrown away. Plastics are also a nuisance to life on land and in water, as they enter the seas and landfills and remain there for millions of years, occupying space and posing a hazard to aquatic life.

Landfills can take up space and can emit toxins, while plastic trash incinerators are costly to build and maintain. Reusing 10% of plastics is estimated to save nearly half of all plastic garbage from entering the ocean. Recycling, upcycling, downcycled, or utilized as it is a common way to reuse plastic. Upcycling transforms the material into something more valuable and offers more value to a material than recycling.

Chemical recycling is the process of converting polymers back to the original source, petroleum, and can be used to recycle practically any type of plastic material. Biodegradable plastics are quickly replacing single-use plastics but they do not degrade during standard composting and pollute other recyclable plastics.

Air pollution

Air pollution is when harmful compounds enter the atmosphere and modify their properties and composition.

Air pollution endangers life on Earth and is caused mainly by the emission of toxic gases into the atmosphere. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills around seven million people worldwide.

Air pollution is caused majorly by the usage of energy and the manufacture of materials. One of the risk factors for climate change is air pollution.

Types of air pollution

The United States Environmental Protection Agency US EPA has recognized six classes of air pollution. It includes the following

  • Carbon monoxide
  • Lead
  • Nitrogen Oxides
  • Ground-level ozone
  • Particle pollution
  • Sulfur oxides

Carbon monoxide

Carbon monoxide is an odourless and colourless gas. It is made up of one carbon molecule and one oxygen molecule. It is produced by the exhaust of fossil-fuel-powered motors.

When one breathes in the air with a high concentration of carbon monoxide, the amount of oxygen reaching the bloodstream is reduced because the oxygen is gradually replaced by carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause disorientation, headache, dizziness, nausea and weakness. In extreme cases, (unusually an enclosed area), it can result in unconsciousness and death.

Lead

Lead is frequently discharged into the atmosphere as a suspended particle. After some time in the air, lead is known to settle on the earth or ground. Lead is known to be persistent in the environment. This implies that lead can be breathed or consumed. Sources of lead include leaded aviation fuel, waste incinerators, and battery recycling.

Ingestion or inhalation of the lead causes rapid diffusion in the blood and absorption into the bones. Lead affects the renal function, reproductive system, cardiovascular system, and brain system in children, depending on the extent of exposure.

Nitrogen oxides

The majority of nitrogen oxides are generated during burning. Natural sources of nitrogen oxides include lightning strikes and microbiological activity in soils. Nitrogen oxides are a significant contributor to photochemical smog. The reddish-brown colour of photochemical haze is caused by nitrogen oxide.

Household appliances, such as gas stoves, are typical sources of nitrogen oxides. Excessive nitrogen oxide exposure (such as cooking on a gas burner in a poorly ventilated location) damages the respiratory system. Severe lung illnesses are caused by continuous and sustained exposure.

Photochemical smog over a city. Source: Bing

Ground level ozone

Because it is created by the interaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic molecules, ground-level ozone is classified as a secondary pollutant. Ground-level ozone is a significant contributor to photochemical smog.

Coughing and itching are symptoms of ground-level ozone exposure. It also makes taking a deep breath more difficult. Ground-level ozone reduces photosynthesis by interfering with the plant’s ability to breathe, resulting in a decrease in plant growth rate.

Particle pollution

Particle pollution, also known as particulate matter, is the presence of fine particles of solids or liquids in the air. Smoke, dust, and fog are examples of these. Laser cutting, chimneys, air fresheners, cars, stoves, and incense are all sources of particulate matter.

Particle pollution can impair lung function and even induce heart attacks. When smaller fragments are breathed in, they can enter the lungs and induce lung failure. Larger particles can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat.

An example of particle pollution. Source: Photo by Kelly on Pexels.com

Sulfur oxides

Sulfur oxides trigger acid rain and particle pollution. They might take the shape of solid particles, liquids, or gases. Sulfur oxide is prevalent in the atmosphere mostly as a result of human activity. Sulfur oxides can also be emitted into the environment naturally, such as by volcanoes. High amounts of sulfur oxides can be obtained by human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels and the smelting of mineral ores.

Sulfur oxides cause plant leaves to deteriorate, slowing their development. The odour of sulfur oxides is stifling, and exposure can cause nasal discomfort, respiratory difficulties, and heart disease.

Tips to deal with Air pollution

With the rise of industries and vehicles on the road, the air remains polluted even when the air quality index is reported to be green. To protect yourself when air pollution occurs, you can do the following:

  1. Wear a nose mask when outdoors.
  2. Run an air purifier when indoors.
  3. Avoid outdoor workouts. You breathe in deeply and heavily when you work out which equates to inhaling more polluted air.
  4. Check daily air pollution levels to choose suitable days for outdoor activities. You can use IQAir to check for the air quality in your environment.

Ways to reduce air pollution

One of the most important strategies to minimize air pollution is to limit the amount and pace at which fossil fuels are used. Other methods for reducing air pollution include:

  1. Choose more environmentally friendly ways of transportation.
    • You can opt for an electric vehicle in place of fuel-based vehicles.
    • Walk short distances.
    • Carpool when you are headed in the same direction as people.
  2. Use clean fuels and technologies such as biogas in cooking to reduce air pollution indoors.
  3. Avoid waste burning. Compost your waste instead. Use more recyclables.

Conclusion

When dangerous substances enter the atmosphere and change their characteristics and makeup, this is referred to as air pollution. Air pollution threatens life on Earth and is mostly caused by the release of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Air pollution kills around seven million people globally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Air pollution is caused mainly by human activities such as burning fossil fuels. It can also occur due to natural factors such as the eruption of volcanoes.

Pollutants in the air irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. When exposed to contaminated air for an extended period of time, they may damage respiratory functioning and induce heart failure.

Using clean cooking technologies, well-maintained automobiles, carpooling, and more environmentally friendly modes of transportation all help to slow the pace of increase in air pollution.

Using an air purifier indoors and a nose mask outdoors helps to reduce the risk of breathing in polluted air.

Water scarcity

Water is a vital component of life. Although water is believed to be plentiful in nature, fresh water, on which humans rely, is not. Fresh water accounts for only 2.5% of the world’s water, with surface water accounting for 1.2% and groundwater accounting for 30.1%.

A water source is considered to be stressed when there is strain on it. Water scarcity comes before water stress. Water shortage arises when the demand for water exceeds the supply. Water scarcity is defined as a lack of water in adequate quantity and quality.

Surface water is the most widely used source of water in rural areas of developing or underdeveloped countries. During prolonged periods of little rainfall, fresh surface water, such as lakes and streams, tends to dry up. The lack of an alternate supply of water during such times strains the current water supplies. If this trend continues, the present water supply source will be depleted.

Groundwater is another source of water that is frequently overutilized in developing and underdeveloped countries. Overdependence on groundwater lowers the level of the water table, making it difficult to extract water in sufficient quantity and quality.

When compared to residential areas, industries and public facilities have a larger water consumption. This suggests that, in the same way that household water resources are handled, industrial water resources require the same understanding. Often, too much emphasis is placed on managing existing freshwater supplies in residential areas while disregarding sectors that demand the majority of the water.

Having a secondary water supply decreases the possibility of water shortage. The risk of a freshwater source drying out grows when it is overly reliant on. Secondary sources of water include:

  • Rainwater harvesting
  • Wastewater treatment and re-use

It is recommended that treated wastewater be used as an alternative supply of water in industries where water is a primary necessity. Wastewater from industry is required to be treated and reused using appropriate technologies. This is intended to lessen reliance on freshwater supplies.

Rainwater harvesting is easier to implement in residential settings than reusing treated effluent. Rainwater is a freshwater supply that is only available during the rainy season. Roof gutters can be used to capture rainwater during the rainy season for later consumption.

Conclusion

Water is a necessary component of life. Although water is believed to be plentiful in nature, fresh water, on which humans rely, is not.

Overdependence on any freshwater source causes stress on those resources and, eventually, water shortages.

Having more than one water source minimizes the likelihood of water shortage. It is our responsibility to safeguard current freshwater supplies, otherwise we risk running out of water in the near future.

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