Atmospheric Pollution

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Atmospheric Pollution
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Pollutants and Atmospheric Cleansing

• Air pollutants gases and aerosols in the
  atmosphere that have harmful effects
• Living organisms
• Inanimate objects
• Level of air pollution determined by
• The amount of pollutants entering the air
• The amount of space into which the pollutants
  dispersed
• Mechanisms that remove pollutants from the air

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Myths about Air Pollutants

• There are tolerable threshold levels of air
  pollutants
• Dilution is the solution to air pollution
• Air pollutants can be assimilated by nature
• Air pollutants do not travel
• Air pollution accidents will not happen

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The Hydroxyl Radical Natures Cleanser
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Major Air Pollutants

• Carbon monoxide dioxide
• Suspended particulate matter
• Volatile organic compounds
• Nitrogen oxides Sulfur oxides
• Ozone
• Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Heavy metals
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Herbicides Pesticides

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Major Air Pollutant Sources
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Sources of Air Pollution

• Automobiles
• Burning Fossil Fuels --gtCO, CO2, Particulates,
  Metals, and NOx
• Transporting Fossil Fuels --gt VOCs HAPs
• Secondary Pollutants --gt O3
• Coal Power Plants
• Exhaust --gt CO, CO2, Particulates, Metals, NOx,
  SO2, HAPs (metals, radioactive nucleotides, and
  VOCs)
• Industrial Processes (chemical, dry cleaning,
  printing, paints, glues, solvents, agriculture)
• Manufacturing --gt HAPs, VOCs, Metals, CFCs
• Waste --gt SO2, Particulates, VOCs, HAPs, and O3

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Sources of Major Air Pollutants

• Automobiles
• Power Plants
• Industrial Processes
• Primary pollutants derived directly from burning
  fuels and wastes
• Sulfur dioxides
• Nitrogen oxides
• Volatile Organic Compounds
• Particulates
• Carbon monoxide

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Major Pollutants Secondary

• Secondary air pollutants are derived from
  reactions that occur between primary pollutants
  and other atmospheric chemicals
• Ozone
• PANs
• Acids
• Sulfuric
• nitric

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Examining Specific Air Pollutants

• Indoor Air Pollution
• Smog
• Acid Precipitation

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Indoor Air Pollution
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Radon

• Radioactive radon-222
• Lung Cancer Threat
• Occurs in certain geological areas
• Associated with Uranium and organic materials in
  rock

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Reducing IndoorAir Pollution
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Smog

• The most visible air pollution
• Two types of smog
• Brown photochemical
• Gray industrial
• Directly linked to human behavior

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Impacts of Smog Temperature Inversion
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Particulates
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Comparison of Growth vs. Emissions
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Acid Deposition
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pH Scale
pH measurement of H ions in solution
Acid precipitation pH lt5.5
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Major Sources of SO2 Emitters
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Effects of Acid Deposition

• Alteration of plant and animal reproduction
• Leaching of other toxic elements, e.g., aluminum
• Eutrophic to oligotrophic conditions
• Total loss of biota from aquatic ecosystems
• Alterations of food chains

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Impact of Buffers on Acid Deposition
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Solutions to Acid Deposition
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Air Pollution Effects

• Adversely affects the health of organisms
• People
• Other Animals
• Crops
• Forests
• Highly corrosive to Structures
• Metal
• Stone

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Impacts of Air Pollutants on Human Health

• Chronic gradual deterioration of a variety of
  physiological functions over a period of years
• Acute life-threatening reactions within a period
  of hours or days
• Carcinogenic cancer-causing

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Impacts of Air Pollutants on Human Health

• The Respiratory System
• Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma
• Lung Cancer
• Brain
• Birth defects, retardation, nervous system
  disorders
• Short- Long-term memory loss
• Brain Cancer
• Filtering Organs (Liver Kidneys)
• Short-term disfunction
• Cancer
• Skin
• Overexposure to UV --gt Cancer

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The Respiratory System
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Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment

• Plants
• Necrotic kills plant cells
• Chlorotic destroys chlorophyll, reducing
  photosynthesis
• Increases susceptibility to disease and pests

Ozone is the most serious pollutant to Plants
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Ozone Impact on Crop Yields
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Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment

• Forests
• Leaching of nutrients
• Release of aluminum into solution
• Rapid changes in soil chemistry
• Reduced growth and diebacks of plants and animals
• Increased plant vulnerability to natural enemies
• Increased soil erosion
• Increased flooding
• Increased sedimentation of waterways

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Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment

• Building Materials
• Loss of color
• Oxidation
• Corrosion
• Decreased real estate values

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Trends in Automobile Emissions
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Bringing Air Pollution under Control

• Clean Air Act identifies most widespread
  pollutants e.g., particulates, SO, CO, NO, lead
  criteria pollutants
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
  set levels that protect environmental and human
  health

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Bringing Air Pollution under Control

• NAAQS national ambient air quality standards
  (EPA)
• National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
  Pollutants set national emission standards for
  hazardous air pollutants

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Control Strategies

• Command-and-control regulate air pollution so
  criteria pollutants remain below primary standard
  level
• Lack of enforcement and compliance
• 37 reduction of air pollutants
• Forced compliance with state implementation plan
  (SIP)

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Can you Match Control Strategies on Right with
Air Pollutants on Left?

• Particulates
• VOCs
• Automobile emissions
• Acid rain

• Catalytic converter
• Reasonably available control strategy (RACT)
• Scrubbers
• Coal washing

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Title IV Clean Air Act 1990

• Reduce SO emissions 50 below 1980 levels
• Improve methods of reducing SO emissions
• Allow emissions allowances and trading
• Emissions purchases
• Reduce NO emissions

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Industrys Response to Title IV

• Fuel switching
• Scrubbers
• Emissions allowance trading
• Using low-sulfur coals

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Reducing Emissions from Point Sources
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Reducing Motor Vehicle Air Pollution
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Unresolved Issues

• Costs vs benefits of air pollution control
• Status of new source review enforcement
• Improving fuel efficiency hybrid cars
• Improving mass transit systems
• Reducing commuting distances
• Should the EPA regulate CO2 as a pollutant?
• Research this question! Come prepared to discuss
  your findings in class tomorrow!