Air Pollution

1

• Air Pollution Components
• Ground-Level Ozone (O3)
• Primary constituent of photochemical smog
• Secondary pollutant (ground-level ozone)
• Formed from NOx and volatile organic chemicals
  (VOCs) in the presence of heat and sunlight
• Sources
• Gasoline vapors (gas tanks, gas cans)
• Chemical solvents (chemical plants, factories,
  refineries, commercial products)
• Fossil fuel combustion (motor vehicles)
• Precursor gas emissions may be concentrated in
  one area, but gases may be carried far from
  sources before forming ozone

2

• Air Pollution Components
• Ground-Level Ozone (O3)
• Effects
• 2008 40 of US population lived in counties
  with ozone levels above EPA standards
• Worst city Los Angeles
• Health
• Respiratory inflammation
• Reduction of lung function
• Chest pain, coughing, nausea, pulmonary
  congestion
• Permanent lung damage from repeated exposure

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Phoenix
4
Taj Mahal
5

• Air Pollution Components
• Ground-Level Ozone (O3)
• Effects
• 2008 40 of US population lived in counties
  with ozone levels above EPA standards
• Worst city Los Angeles
• Health
• Respiratory inflammation
• Reduction of lung function
• Chest pain, coughing, nausea, pulmonary
  congestion
• Permanent lung damage from repeated exposure
• Environment
• Impair plant growth
• Damage plant foliage
• Ozone causes several billion dollars in
  agricultural crop loss each year
• Damage to forest ecosystems

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7

• Air Pollution Components
• Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
• Mostly SO2 but some SO3
• Reactive gases
• Important in the formation of photochemical smog
  and acid rain
• Sources
• Formed when fuel containing sulfur (mainly coal
  and oil) is burned
• Electricity generation (84)
• Metal smelting (3)
• Paper manufacturing
• Other industrial processes (9 total)

8

• Air Pollution Components
• Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
• Effects
• Major precursor to PM2.5
• Combine with water to form sulfuric acid
• Major component of acid rain
• Health
• Temporary breathing impairment
• Respiratory illness
• Aggravation of cardiovascular disease
• Especially harmful to elderly and children
• Environment
• Damage to structures and objects
• Leaching of minerals from soil
• Damage to plants/foliage
• Acidification of lakes and waterways

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• Air Pollution Components
• Lead (Pb)
• Sources
• Formerly motor vehicles
• Transition to unleaded gasoline virtually
  eliminated this source
• Industrial plants
• Smelters
• Battery manufacturers
• Human exposure mostly through inhalation of lead
  in air and dust
• Food
• Paint
• Water

11

• Air Pollution Components
• Lead (Pb)
• Effects
• Not readily excreted by body
• Accumulates in tissues, especially kidneys,
  liver, nervous system, bones
• Health
• Anemia
• Kidney disease
• Reproductive disorders
• Neurological problems (seizures, mental
  retardation, behavioral disorders)
• Birth defects (CNS damage, retarded growth)
• High blood pressure ? heart disease
• Environment
• Deposition on leaves of plants is hazardous to
  grazing animals and humans (ingestion of meat)

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Comparison of growth measures and emissions,
1990-2008
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Ozone and PM2.5 shown relative to standards
revised in 2008 and 2006, respectively
15
Number of People Living in Counties with Air
Quality Concentrations Above the Level of the
NAAQS in 2008
http//www.epa.gov/airtrends/aqtrends.html
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• Air Pollution Regulation Legislation
• History Pollution is the price of progress
• Air Quality Act (1967)
• Authorized secretary of HEW to establish air
  quality regions
• States given responsibility of adopting and
  enforcing pollution control standards
• Controversial Air pollution doesnt stop at
  regional boundaries
• Failure Only a few regions were established,
  and no state had established a full pollution
  control program
• Clean Air Act (1970)
• Established National Ambient Air Quality
  Standards (NAAQS)
• Typically annual average concentration or daily
  maximum concentration
• Established statutory deadlines for compliance
• EPA (federal agency) responsible for recommending
  policy to Congress and monitoring/enforcing policy

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• Air Pollution Regulation Legislation
• Clean Air Act (1970)
• Local enforcement left to state governments
• States allowed to have more stringent pollution
  standards than EPA
• Command and Control
• EPA established standards and technology used to
  achieve standards
• Non-compliance ? heavy fines
• Clean Air Act Amendments (1990)
• Market-based approach to achieving NAAQS
• Cap and Trade system
• Examples
• Time frames for compliance based on designation
  of nonattainment areas (marginal to extreme)
• Tailored to specific situations
• Established possibility of emissions trading
• Allows economic and technological flexibility