Health and Ecological Effects of Fossil Fuel Combustion

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Health and Ecological Effects of Fossil Fuel
Combustion
ES 110 February 2008
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Donora PA1948
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London Fog

• 1200s
• Air pollution identified as significant public
  health concern in British Isles
• Burning of coal recognized as principle source
• 1661
• Fumifumugium, John Evelyn
• hellish and dismall cloud of sea-coale lay
  over London all noisome trades shoulde be
  bannished from the citie proper.
• 18131948
• acute occurrences of fog and smoke
• 1813, 1873, 1882, 1891, 1948

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London, UK 1952
Central London 48 hours with lt 50 m visibility
For one week, visibility did not exceed 500 m
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Levels of Airborne Pollutants and Mortality
during Great London Smog, 1952
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Contributors to Industrial Smog Events

• High pressure system
• Industrial air emissions
• Exacerbated by residential air emissions
• (e.g., more coal use when cold)
• Inversions preventing air circulation

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Policy changes resulting from industrial smog
events

• Instigated regulatory control of stationary
  sources
• Point sources required to use best available
  control technology (BACT)
• Better scrubbers and removal of hazardous
  chemicals prior to emission
• Smoke stack height to be above inversion layer

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The Role of Climate and Geography on Air Quality

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Health Effects of Haze and Brown Smog
Spokane WA with smog Spokane WA with no
smog
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Formation of photochemical smogStep 1
Creation of NOx and VOCs

• NOx
• Formed when heat from motor causes N2 and O2 from
  the atmosphere to react with one another.
• VOC Sources
• Vehicle exhaust
• Gasoline vapors
• Dry cleaners

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Formation of photochemical smogStep 2
Creation of ozone

• UV from sunlight causes reactions between NOx and
  VOCs
• Results in
• -PANs
• -Aldehydes
• -Acid Rain
• -BAAAAD Ozone
• NB Ozone is not emitted directly!

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Ozone Creation by Time-of-Day
ppm
40
Nitric oxide
NO2
Ozone
30
20
10
6 am
9 am
12 pm
3 pm
6 pm
8 pm
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Ozone Formation
http//www.greenfacts.org/air-pollution/ozone-o3/
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Air Quality Websites

• http//cfpub.epa.gov/airnow/index.cfm?actionairno
  w.showmappollutantOZONEdomainsupermaparchive
  sdate7/11/2005standardUSlanguageEN

Peak Ozone - AQI
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Good vs. Bad Ozone
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Good vs. Bad Ozone
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Inversion Layers
Inversion layer.  Air near ground is more dense
thanair higher up no convectioncurrents to
lift pollutants.
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Los Angeles, CA
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Smog US, global
Houston

• Denver

Beijing
Tokyo
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Health Impacts of Ozone

• Trigger chest pain, coughing, throat irritations,
  congestion
• Worsen existing bronchitis, asthma, other chronic
  conditions
• Reduce lung function, inflame linings
• Repeated exposure-permanently scars lungs

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Criteria Pollutants

• PMparticulate matter
• O3ozone
• NOxNitric oxides
• SOxSulfuric oxides
• VOCvolatile organic compounds
• Pblead
• COcarbon monoxide

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Health Effects of PM2.5

• Across 6 studies in cities across country and gt
  11 cities and 40 subsequent studies
• Premature mortality
• Chronic respiratory disease
• Respiratory emergency room visits
• Aggravated asthma
• Decreased lung function
• Acute cardiovascular events

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Why is PM2.5 so harmful?

• Size of particles
• Avoids control mechanisms
• Evades bodys efforts to eliminate contaminants
• Particle composition
• Remains suspended for days to weeks
• Ability to travel 100s-1000s km

Sea salt nuclei
Fly ash
Carbon black
Pollens
Paint pigments
Tobacco smoke
Cement dust
Milled flour
Combustion nuclei
Coal dust
Oil smoke
Metallurgical dust and fumes
Photochemical smog
Insecticide dusts
Average particle diameter (micrometers or microns)
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Environmental Justice

• Minority children disproportionately impacted
  by photochemical smog and particulate matter
• children in US exposed
• (considered at high risk)
• 61 black
• 70 Hispanic
• 68 Asian-American

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Reducing Exposure

• Pay attention to Air Quality Index and moderate
  outdoor exposure, exercise
• Reduce emissions from mobile vehicles
• Cars, trucks, lawn mowers, boats, jet skis
• Rely less heavily on items that generate high
  emissions
• Conservation of electricity
• Reduce use of dry cleaners
• Increase use of gas vapor recovery systems

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Summary

• Two major types of pollution
• Industrial smog (stationary sources)
• Photochemical smog or haze (mobile sources)
• Different science behind these two types
• Various health effectsprimarily respiratory and
  cardiovascular
• Regulations targeted these differently
• Environmental justice focuses on those who are
  adversely impacted

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Ecological Effects of Ozone

• Damages vegetation
• Reduced agricultural crops, forests yields
• Reduces growth, seedling development
• Agriculture alone US estimates 500 million lost
  annually
• Landscape and aesthetic losses

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Acid Deposition in US
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Impacts of Acid Deposition
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Regional Effects of Acid Deposition
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Stationary Source Regulations

• Command and control
• Technology-forcing
• Best available control technology (BACT)
• Better scrubbers, higher stacks
• Set criteria for key pollutants
• Some capital/industry oriented controls
• Emission trading

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Mobile Source Regulations

• Command and control
• Tailpipe regulations
• CAFÉ standards (corporate average fuel economy)
• Concerns
• Population increasing and buying more cars
• Even if per vehicle emission down, total
  emissions higher
• No real financial incentives to select lower
  emission car as individualsonly to sell more
  low-emission cars