Title: CEE 8095
1CEE 8095 Georgia Institute of Technology February
22, 2006 REGIONAL ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION AND
TRANSBOUNDARY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT Annu.
Rev. Environ. Resour. 2005. 30137 Michelle S.
Bergin Georgia Inst. of Tech., Dept. of Civil
and Environmental Engineering J. Jason West
Princeton University, Program in Atmospheric and
Oceanic Sciences and Woodrow Wilson School of
Public and International Affairs Terry J.
Keating U.S. EPA, Office of Air and
Radiation Armistead G. Russell Georgia Inst. of
Tech., Dept. of Civil and Environmental
Engineering
2Overview
- GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF REGIONAL ATMOSPHERIC
TRANSPORT AND CHEMISTRY - REGIONAL AIR POLLUTANTS AND EFFECTS
- Acid Deposition
- Tropospheric Ozone
- Particulate Matter
- Mercury
- Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Regional Climate Change
- A unified view
- MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL TRANSBOUNDARY AIR
POLLUTION - Examples of Transboundary Air Quality Management
Regimes and Approaches - Achieving Successful Regimes for Transboundary
Air Pollution - Assessment of Existing International Regional
Regimes
3Air Pollution Impacts
- Current estimates are that a quarter of the
worlds population is exposed to unhealthy
ambient air pollutants, with nearly 6.4 million
years of healthy life lost owing to long-term
exposure to ambient particulate matter alone.
(World Health Organ. 2003, 2004) - Air pollution damages crops, built structures
such as buildings and historic monuments,
ecosystems, and wildlife. - Pollutants currently in the atmosphere are likely
causing large scale changes in the Earths basic
systems such as climate and ocean dynamics.
4Regional Air Pollution
- Several important air pollutants are widely
recognized to be transported over scales from
about 100 to a few 1000s of kilometers, large
enough to cross state, provincial, national, and
even continental boundaries. - Managing these regional pollutants requires
overcoming political, economic, and cultural
differences to establish cooperation between
multiple jurisdictions. - Effective pollution reduction requires an
understanding of the linkages between pollutants
and of their impacts at different geographic
scales.
5Regional Air Pollution Management
- Transboundary air pollution is common.
- Its damage is extensive.
- Political cooperation necessary to mitigate the
damage and avoid potential future damage. - GOALS
- Develop integrated control strategies
incorporating - multiple linkages between pollution problems
- multiple scales of pollutant impacts
- multiple benefits of alternative technology and
behavioral choices - linkages between air pollution and economic
development, energy, agriculture, transportation,
and trade policies. - Enable all affected parties to reach agreements
to implement these control strategies.
6GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF REGIONAL ATMOSPHERIC
TRANSPORT AND CHEMISTRY
- What determines the geographical extent of a
pollutants impacts? - Pollutant
- Emission rate and patterns of release (primary or
precursors) - Chemistry (formation, intermediates, removal,
conditions) - Transport methods
- Removal/deposition properties
- Atmosphere
- Oxidation (HO), chemistry
- Tropospheric vertical mixing (10 km deep)
- Horizontal transport velocity averaged mean
400 km/day, ranging from a few tens km to about
1000 km - Meteorological patterns (wind, solar intensity,
clouds, rain, ) - Geography
- Natural emissions
- Meteorological patterns
- Terrestrial properties
- Deposition
7REGIONAL AIR POLLUTANTS AND EFFECTS
- ACID DEPOSITIONdamages or destroys aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems and manufactured
materials - TROPOSPHERIC OZONE harms the health of humans
and wildlife, damages crops and ecosystems, and
is a greenhouse gas - PARTICULATE MATTER harms health, degrades
visibility, and changes precipitation and
temperature patterns - MERCURY toxic to humans, plants, and animals,
and biomagnifies in the food chain - PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPs) toxic,
biomagnify, and remain in the environment for
many years - REGIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE impacts and is impacted
by regional air pollution.
8Acid Rain Damage
www.adirondackcouncil.org/
www.fws.gov
www.dnr.cornell.edu/.../current_research.htm
9Acid Deposition
- pH of Rain
- Natural precipitation 5.6 (slightly acidic)
- Polluted areas often 3 to 4, lower has been
measured - Most aquatic insects, algae, and plankton (base
of food chain) cannot tolerate water with a pH
below 5.0. A pH below 5.0 can also result in
reproductive failures in fish and amphibians. - Acid runoff leaches poisonous metals such as
aluminum and mercury from soils and clay, and
carries them into water bodies.
10Observed values of volume-weighted annual average
pH of precipitation. Rodhe H, Dentener F,
Schulz M. 2002. Environ. Sci. Technol.
Annual average pH of rainwater. The most
acidified regions occur in eastern North America,
Europe, and China. The maximum in South America
is associated with emissions from a smelter in
northern Chile coupled to low amounts of rainfall
in that region.
11Spatial Impacts of Acid Deposition
- The natural pH of water bodies and soils varies
considerably depending on the soil composition
and buffering capacity of a watershed. - These differences explain why some areas are
highly susceptible to damage from acid deposition
(e.g., lakes in the northeastern United States
and the Black Forest in Germany), whereas other
areas, such as those with soils rich in lime, are
relatively resistant. - Patterns of rainfall also help determine where
acid is deposited.
12The evolution and unified chemistry of
regionalacids, ozone, particulate matter, and
mercury.
- Gases blue
- Particulates green
- HO, HO2 red
13Natl. Instit. Public Health Environ. (RIVM),
Bilthoven, Neth. 1995. dataset EDGARV32.
www.rivm.nl/edgar/model/ims/
NOx from anthropogenic sources in 1995.
SO2 from anthropogenic sources in 1995.
14Acid Chemistry and Transport
- NOx ? nitric acid in a few days or less
- SO2 ? sulfuric acid within several days
- Mean transport distances of SO2, NOx, and their
oxidation products are approximately 200 to 1200
km before deposition - In addition to direct transport, NOx can form
organonitrates that can travel 100s to 1000s of
km before converting back to NOx
15Acid Cooperative Programs
- Early 1970s Cooperative studies under the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (Europe) - 1978 National Atmospheric Deposition Program (US)
- 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air
Pollution (originated in Europe) - 1981 Natl. Acid Precipitation Assessment Program
(US) - 1990 SO2 Emissions Trading Program (US)
- 1991 Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement
- 1998 Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East
Asia (EANET)
16Tropospheric Ozone
- Concentrations
- Clean troposphere 10 to 40 ppb
- Polluted air 100 to 400 ppb
- Impacts
- Causes acute and chronic health problems,
especially related to lung functions, asthma, and
pulmonary infection (human). - Accounts for an estimated several billion dollar
crop loss every year in the United States alone. - Causes short- and long-term damage to the growth
of forest trees and alters the biogenic
hydrocarbon emissions of vegetation. - Research is examining effects on sensitive
wildlife populations. - Acts as a potent greenhouse gas.
17One-hour averaged ozone concentration and its
sensitivity to a 50 reductions in surface NOx
emissions on July 15, 2010 at 4 pm. (Bergin et
al., in progress)
Ozone sensitivity to surface NOx emissions from
VA.
Ozone sensitivity to surface NOx emissions from
TN.
18The evolution and unified chemistry of
regionalacids, ozone, particulate matter, and
mercury.
- Gases blue
- Particulates green
- HO, HO2 red
19Ozone Removal
- Photolytic loss O3 hn ? O(1D) O2 and O(1D)
H2O ? 2 OHhighest at low altitudes in the
tropics - Kinetic reaction HO2 O3 ? OH 2 O2
- Deposition takes a few days over land, longer
over water. - Ozone and its precursors can be transported over
large regions, making it difficult or even
impossible for some areas to manage their own
concentrations through local emission controls
20Cooperative regional ozone monitoring and
modeling studies
- US 1980s early 1990s
- San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Study
- Lake Michigan Ozone Study
- Regional Ozone Modeling for Northeast Transport
- Southern Oxidant Study (SOS)
- Southern Appalachian Modeling Initiative (SAMI)
- European Experiment on the Transport and
Transformation of Environmentally Relevant Trace
Constituents in the Troposphere over Europe
(EUROTRAC, 1980s and 1990s) - Late 1990s to current Monitoring of ozone export
from the east coast of North America and Asia,
and modeling studies of trans-Atlantic and
trans-Pacific transport. - Historical measurements and modeling studies
suggest that anthropogenic NOx emissions continue
to increase global tropospheric ozone
concentrations. (Prather et al., 2003 US EPA,
2004)
21Particulate Matter
High-visibility conditions in the Smoky
Mountains-100 miles (top) and low-visibility-20
miles (bottom) www.ornl.gov/.../v38_1_05/article0
2.shtml
Clear and Hazy Days in Houston www.utexas.edu/.../
texaqs/visitors/photos.html
22Particulate Matter
- Harmful to human and environmental health,
degrades visibility, damages built structures,
and alters climate. - No threshold has been identified under which
particulate matter has no adverse health effects.
- In the US, the average visual range in eastern
parks has decreased from 90 miles to 1525 miles,
and in western parks from 140 miles to 3590
miles (US EPA, 2004) - Direct and indirect effects on climate
- Evolution of science and policy TSP ? PM10 ?
PM2.5
23The Trimodal Aerosol Distribution
Primary and secondary Variable size and
composition
Mechanical Processes
Molecular Processes
- Coarse PMLifetimes of minutes to days ?
transport of less than 10s of km. However, large
dust storms and biomassburning events can carry
coarse (and fine) particles very long distances. - Fine PMLifetimes of days to weeks ? transport
100s to 1000s of km. - In addition to size, hygroscopic properties of
the aerosol also determine travel distance. - Fine particulates are dominant in most
regional-scale aerosol pollution events.
Emissions
washout
Penn State Earth and Mineral Sciences www.ems.psu.
edu/lno/Meteo437
24The evolution and unified chemistry of
regionalacids, ozone, particulate matter, and
mercury.
- Gases blue
- Particulates green
- HO, HO2 red
25Twenty four-hour averaged PM2.5 concentration on
July 17, 2010
Sensitivity to a 50 reduction in SO2 emissions
from Tennessee
An average of 75 of PM2.5 in each state is found
to be sensitive to SO2 emissions from other
states. (Bergin et al., In progress)
26Particulate Matter Anthro. Sources
- In industrialized areas (e.g. Europe, N. Amer.,
Japan, large cities in Asia) particles are mainly
generated by gasoline, diesel, and coal
combustion and from condensed organic and metal
vapors, and tend to contain sulfate, nitrate,
ammonium, and organic carbon, with smaller
amounts of metals and crustal materials. - In less developed areas, (e.g. parts of Africa
and Asia) biomass burning is the principal source
of regional aerosol pollution, resulting largely
in elemental and organic carbon particles and
nitrate. - Dust storms largely contribute mineral particles,
and are exacerbated by desertification.
27 A satellite image from the Earth Probe TOMS.
NASA. (EPA 2002) Smoke/Dust (absorbing
aerosols) from forest fires in Central America
and Southern Mexico over North America on May 15,
1998. Visibility in many Texas cities was less
than 1 mi.
Dust and burning plumes may also carry
anthropgenic aerosols. One study estimates
transboundary transport of particulate matter and
its precursors dominated natural sources in the
US, and that up to 30 of the transboundary
particulate matter was due to transport from
Asia. (Park et al., J. Geophys. Res., 2004)
28Mercury
- Mounting evidence strongly implicates mercury
exposure as playing a role in the increasing
rates of learning disabilities found today in our
children. the EPA reported that 1 in every 6
women of child bearing age had mercury levels
high enough to cause adverse neurodevelopmental
outcomes in their unborn children. boys are
more sensitive to the neurological effects of
mercury than are girls - Letter printed in Newsweek Feb 13, 2006 Lyn
Redwood, PresidentRobert J. Krakow, Board of
DirectorsSensible Action for ending
Mercury-Induced Neurological Disorders
(SafeMinds)
29Mercury
- Mercury affects the immune system, alters genetic
and enzyme systems, and damages the nervous
system. Developing embryos are five to ten times
more sensitive to damage by MeHg, which rapidly
crosses the placenta, than are adults, and young
children are especially susceptible to mercurys
neurotoxic effects. - In the US alone, over 60,000 children per year
are estimated to be born at risk for adverse
neurodevelopmental effects caused by in utero
exposure to MeHg. - In the US, 2003, 45 states issued mercury
advisories to limit the consumption of certain
fish from freshwater lakes and rivers, coastal
waters, and marine environments. (NRDC (Jan 2006)
estimates 1 can of tuna a month for a child of 45
lbs.) - Humans are exposed to MeHg almost entirely by
eating contaminated fish and animals that are at
the top of aquatic food chains.
30Estimated global emissions of mercury. UN
Eviron. Programme (UNEP) 2003.
- About 75 of the total 1995 anthro. emissions are
attributed to combustion of fossil fuels (Pacyna
,2003) particularly in coal-fired power plants
(NRC, 2000 EPA, 2004). Asian countries are
estimated to contribute over 50 of the total
emissions chiefly from coal combustion in China,
India, and South and North Korea.
31Estimates of Annual Mercury Contributions to the
Atmosphere (Mg/yr)
Approximately 1/3 are natural and 2/3 are
anthropogenic (US EPA, 2004)
- Values from Seigneur et al., Environ. Sci.
Technol. 2004
32Conceptual biogeochemical mercury cycle
a
(Environ. Can. 2004)
33Lifetime of Mercury in the Atm.
- Lifetime of elemental mercury Hg0 ? 1.21.5
yearsNew findings strongly indicate 1 or 2
months. (Renner R., Environ. Sci. Technol.,
2004) - This more rapid oxidation may be due to reactions
with halides (at the poles and temperate marine
boundary layer) and urban pollutants, most likely
ozone. - This shorter lifetime suggests that deposition
occurs much more rapidly than previously
estimated, and therefore current emissions are
likely higher than estimated. One such
underreported source may be gold mining
activities, which may release between 800 and
1000 Mg/yr (previous estimates are 300 Mg/year)
(UN Eviron. Programme (UNEP) 2003)
34Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Toxic organic substances that widely disperse,
persist in the environment, bioaccumulate, and
pose a risk to human health and the environment. - Common characteristics
- Semivolatile and/or partial water solubility
- Transported in the atmosphere both in the gaseous
and condensed phases, deposited, and then
reemitted through a repeated (and often seasonal)
cycle of evaporation and deposition - Lifetimes from a few years to decades long
- Most commonly recognized are partially oxidized
and/or halogenated organics, often including one
or more aromatic structures. - Linked to causing, among other effects, cancer,
damage to the nervous system, reproductive
disorders, behavioral disorders, and disruption
of the immune and endocrine systems (includes
allergies, asthma, thyroid disorders, and others.)
35POPs human health effects
- POPs enter humans chiefly through animal-derived
food (fish, poultry, beef, eggs, and dairy
products). Concentrations can magnify in fatty
tissues by up to 70,000 times background levels. - Because of their fat-seeking properties, POPs
magnify in infants both in utero and through
breast-feeding, magnifying concentrations through
generations. - Human breast milk concentrations of some
monitored POPs have been increasing
exponentially, serving as an indicator of past
human exposures and environmental conditions.
Previously unrecognized POPs (i.e., brominated
biphenyl ethers) have been identified by
increasing concentrations found by systematic
monitoring of chemicals in human breast milk in
Sweden after they banned the use of seven other
POPs in the 1970s.
36- POPs released in one part of the world may
circulate regionally and globally via the
atmosphere, oceans, and other pathways. - Regional transport and deposition of POPs (and
heavy metals) in Europe have been demonstrated
through modeling. Further evidence of long-range
transport comes primarily from the detection of
POPs in remote locations. In the colder
environments at the poles, semivolatile POPs
condense and accumulate. Atmospheric monitoring
data are sparse, and global emission
distributions are poorly characterized.
37POPs Legislation
- The Dirty Dozen
- DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin, chlordane,
heptachlor, mirex, toxaphene, hexachlorobenzene
(HCB), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins,
and furans. - pesticides (e.g., DDT, aldrin, dieldrin, endrin)
- consumer or industrial applications, such as
coolants, flame retardants, lubricants, and
sealants (e.g., PCBs) - generated unintentionally as by-products of
various combustion processes, such as medical
waste incineration (e.g., polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs), dioxins, and furans). - Targeted to be banned or restricted by the
Stockholm Convention on POPs, signed in May 2001
by over 100 countries (except for DDT in some
places) - All 12 have been identified in Great Lakes fish
and wildlife, even though some of these compounds
were never used in significant quantities in the
region. Consumers of the regions fish have up to
eight times the body burden of POPs as the
general public.
38POPs Legislation (cont.)
- REACH Regulation, Evaluation, and
Authorization of Chemicals - Since 1998, Europeans have been working on
legislation that will require industry to prove
that chemicals being sold and produced in the EU
are safe to use or handle. The current system
requires governments to prove that a chemical is
dangerous. The policy will require registration
of all substances that are produced or imported
into the EU in quantities greater than 1 ton. - European government officials charged that U.S.
government agencies have worked closely with
business to weaken the impact of REACH
According to documents released by U.S. Rep.
Henry Waxman (D-CA), U.S. government lobbying on
behalf of industry provided talking points
for U.S. government officials notably similar
in language to themes developed by industry at
the request of a U.S. trade official The
United States has not conducted studies on the
health and environmental impacts of REACH,
Waxman tells EST. It simply began to lobby
against REACH on behalf of U.S. industry
interests without a full understanding of these
impacts. EST Online News (Feb 1, 2006)
39Regional Climate Change
- Particulate matter
- Fine particles scatter light efficiently,
resulting in a cooling effect on ambient
temperature. - Black carbon particles absorb light and create a
warming effect. - These aerosols have different spatial
distributions, so do not simply offset each
other. - Particles also serve as cloud nuclei, increasing
the number of cloud droplets but decreasing
average cloud droplet size and pattern of
rainfall. - These properties can alter regional atmospheric
stability and vertical motions, impact
large-scale circulation, and alter the hydrologic
cycle. The impact of aerosols depends on chemical
and physical properties of the particles that are
not yet well characterized.
40Regional Climate Change (2)
- Ozone
- Tropospheric O3 ranks only behind CO2 and CH3 in
anthropogenic contributions to global average
radiative forcing and is expected to increase the
global average temperature over the next decades.
- Urban ozone is expected to increase with
increases in temperature, particularly during
highly polluted episodes. - Natural climate patterns impact air pollution
formation and transport, and evidence strongly
indicates that air pollution also impacts
climate. Political bodies must address
questions such as whether to act under the
current understandings and uncertainties, and if
so, how to coordinate or prioritize mitigation
efforts and who is responsible for reducing
emissions.Scientific bodies must aid in
unifying our understanding of air pollution and
its impacts and identifying efficient control
strategies. - RGGI A Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative MOU
was signed on December 20, 2005 by the Governors
of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, and Vermont. This program
designs a cap and trade program for carbon
emissions.
41A Unified View
The evolution and unified chemistry of regional
acids, ozone, particulate matter, and mercury.
Each pollutant has distinct regional
characteristics, yet they are intimately linked
by the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere,
as well as by common sources and possible
controls.
- Gases blue
- PM green
- HO, HO2 red
Their linked chemistry and common sources present
strong arguments for addressing them
simultaneously to identify the most effective
control policies.
42MANAGEMENT OF REGIONAL TRANSBOUNDARY AIR POLLUTION
- Generally, decreasing upwind emissions requires
the development of some type of cooperative
regime - social institutions consisting of
agreed-upon principles, norms, rules,
procedures, and programs that govern the
interactions of actors in specific issue
areas A regime encompasses a whole process of
interaction, including both scientific and
political activities, with or without formal
agreements.
43Achieving Successful Regimes for Addressing
Transboundary Air Pollution
- The amount of human resources or money is not the
deciding factor in reaching an agreement, but the
generation of the coordination, cooperation, and
trust. - Generally follows two phases
- Frame the problem define the issues, knowledge,
and relationships between the parties, and the
interests and positions of parties, as well as
the differences in positions. Cooperative
scientific research plays a leading role.
Agreements reached are typically general. - Build on the institutions created in the first
phase, allowing for the increasingly complex and
substantive policy agreements. During this phase,
emphasis is placed less on the international
dimensions of the problem, and more on analysis
of collectively beneficial, efficient
alternatives.
44Examples of transboundary air quality management
regimes and approaches
- Emission Trading of SO2 for Acid Deposition
Control (US) - Part of 1990 U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA)
and the Acid Rain Program. - Designed a market with a fixed number of emission
allowances that could be bought, sold, or traded.
- Goal to cut SO2 emissions from power plants to
half of 1980 levels by 2010. - By 2003, achieved a 38 reduction from 1980
levels. - Initial estimates of the cost of reductions were
4 to 8 billion per year. - Recent estimates are that the costs have been
about 1 billion per year.
45Examples continued
- Regional NOx Control for Ozone (US)
- The Ozone Transport Commission (OTC) was formed
in the 1990 CAAA to consist of 12 east coast
states (Maine to Virginia) - Most states were both upwind and downwind of
nonattainment areas. - Designed an emission trading program similar to
that of the SO2 program. - Succeeded because states were mutually assured
that all states would be subject to similar
controls and overall costs of emission reductions
would be reduced through trading. - The Ozone Transport Assessment Group (OTAG) was
created in 1995 to address regional ozone. It
was comprised primarily of representatives of the
EPA and 37 states in the eastern half of the
United States. - The differences between conditions in upwind and
downwind states and the lack of political
leverage to encourage upwind states to reduce
emissions were not overcome, and OTAG was able
only to reach a weak consensus. - Only through the intervening authority of a
higher governmental body (the US EPA) could a
regional strategy be implemented.
46Examples continued
- Cooperative Control in Europe
- The 1979 Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
(LRTAP) Convention - Includes all of the nations of Europe (including
the former Soviet Bloc), the US, and Canada. - Eight protocols have been successfully
negotiated, including agreements to support
scientific cooperation and obligations to reduce
emissions related to acidification, tropospheric
ozone, POPs, heavy metals, and eutrophication. - Recently expanded to include several of the
former Soviet republics in Central Asia.
47Important Characteristics of Past Successful
Regimes
-
- Cooperation among technical experts.
- Developed scientific cooperation before political
negotiations began. - Provided support to build technical and
management capacity of all parties for timely
analyses of proposals. Such analyses are most
effective when considered to be - credible (competent and appropriate for decision
needs) - legitimate (the assessment process is transparent
and impartial) - salient (relevant and timely for decision-making
needs). - Tend to have few parties, parties are
economically, culturally, or geographically
similar. However, regimes are unlikely to
succeed unless they involve all major parties
contributing to a problem. - Developed interpersonal trust between key actors
and with institutions. - Ensured the accountability of parties in
fulfilling commitments. - Are adaptable to changing situations and
information.
48Acknowledgments
- EPA STAR graduate fellowship
- EPA STAR research grants
- NASA New Investigator Program grant to D.
Mauzerall - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce. - The Annual Review of Environment and Resources is
online at http//environ.annualreviews.org