APES Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution

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107 Terms

1

clean air act (1970)

identified 6 criteria air pollutants that the EPA is required to set acceptable limits for, monitor, and enforce

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6 criteria air pollutants in the clean air act

  • SO2

  • NOx

  • CO

  • PM

  • O3

  • Pb

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SO2 source

coal combustion (electricity), vehicles that burn disease fuel

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NOx source

All FF combustion (gas especially), vehicles emissions

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negative effects of NOx

  • respiratory irritant

  • leads to smog

  • combines with H2O & O2 = acid rain

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CO source

incomplete combustion, O3

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PM Source

FF/biomass combustion, respiratory irritant, smog

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O3 source

photochemical oxidation of NO2, respiratory irritant, smog, plant damage

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Pb source

metal plants, waste incineration, neurotoxicant

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Is CO2 an air pollutant or GHG?

GHG

  • does not directly lower air quality from a human health standpoint

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coal combustion

releases more air pollutants than other FFs ~ 35% of global electricity

  • releases CO, CO2. SO2, NOx, PM, toxic metals (mercury, arsenic, lead)

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negative impacts of coal combustion

  • respiratory irritant

  • sulfur aerosols block incoming sun

  • combines with water and O2 = acid precipitation (rain)

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impacts of SOx

  • respiratory irritant (inflammation of bronchioles, lungs), worsens asthma & bronchitis

  • sulfur aerosols (suspended sulfate particles) block incoming sun, reducing visibility and photosynthesis

  • forms sulfurous (grey) smog

  • combines with water & O2 in atmosphere to form sulfuric acid → acid precipitation

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NOx → NO & NO2

released by combustion of anything, especially FFs and biomass

  • NO forms when N2 combines with O2 (esp. during combustion)

  • NO can become NO2 by reacting with O3 or O2

  • sunlight converts NO2 back into NO

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NOx impacts

  • respiratory irritant

  • leads to tropospheric ozone (O3) formation, which leads to photochemical smog

  • combines with water & O2 in atm. to form nitric acid → acid precipitation

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16

VOC’s source/def.

chemicals used in variety of home products

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17

VOC’s impacts

  • irritate eyes, lungs

  • respiratory diseases

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VOC: Cleaners

Common household cleaners and deodorizers such as Febreze

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VOC: Plastics and fabrics

both can release VOCs themselves, or from adhesives used in production

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VOC: Adhesives/sealants

chemicals used to glue carpet down, hold furniture together, seal panels

  • Formaldehyde is a common adhesive in particle board and carpet glues (new carpet smell)

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21

EPA and lead

before CAA, lead was a common gasoline additive; EPA began phaseout of lead from gasoline in 1974\

  • Vehicles made after 1974 are required to have catalytic converters to reduce NOx, CO, and hydrocarbons emissions (lead damages catalytic converters_

    • also known as neurotoxicant (damages NS of humans)

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primary air pollutant

  • Emitted directly from sources such as vehicles, power plants, factories, or natural sources (volcanoes, forest fires)

  • NOx, CO, CO2*, VOCs, SO2, PM, hydrocarbons

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secondary air pollutant

  • Primary pollutants that have transformed in presence of sunlight, water, O2 

  • Occur more during the day (since sunlight often drives formation)

  • Tropospheric O3 (Ozone)

  • Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) & sulfate (SO42-)

  • Nitric acid (HNO3) & nitrate (NO3-

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impacts of PM

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impact of CO

  • lethal to humans

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impact of O3

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SOx

sulfur dioxide

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NOx

nitrogen oxides

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CO

carbon monoxide

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PM

particulate matter

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VOC’s

volatile organic compounds

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CO2

carbon dioxide

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Pb

lead

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Hg

mercury

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35

what are vehicles made after 1974 required to have and why?

catalytic converters

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36

photochemical smog precursors

  • broken by sunlight in NO

  • VOC’s + NO = photochemical oxidants

  • forms when NO2 is broken by sunlight and free O binds to O2 = O3 (ozone)

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photochemical smog conditions

  • sunlight

  • warmth = hotter atmosphere speeds up O3 formation, evaporation of VOC’s → smog formation

  • high traffic (afternoon)

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why do urban areas have more smog?

  • more traffic

  • hotter temp. due to low albedo

  • more VOC’s due to gas stations and factories

  • more electricity demand = more NO2 emissions from nearby powerplants

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how does smog impact the environment?

  • reduces sunlight = limits photosynthesis

  • O2 damages plant stomata and irritates animal resp. tracts

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how does smog impact humans?

  • resp. irritant = worsens asthma, bronchitis, COPD, irritates eyes

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how does smog impact the economy?

  • increased health care costs

  • lost productivity due to sickness

  • decreased agriculture yields

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how to reduce smog caused by vehicles?

  • decrease # of vehicles on the road

  • fewer vehicles = less gas = fewer VOCs

  • carpooling, biking, public transport., walking

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how to reduce smog caused by energy use?

  • increased electricity production from renewable sources that don't emit NO2

  • Nat. Gas power plants release for less NO than coal

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44

urban heat island effect

urban = higher surface and air temp

  • lower albedo (concrete and asphalt absorb suns energy than areas with more vegetation)

  • less Evo transpiration

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thermal inversion

cooler air mass is trapped under a warm front near earth’s surface

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what happens to air pollutants in thermal inversion?

  • cold air is trapped beneath the warmer mass = convection doesn’t carry pollutants up and away

  • warm air rises = convection carries air pollutants away from earths surface and distributes them higher into the atmosphere

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effects of thermal inversion

  • air pollutants trapped closer to earth

  • respiratory irritation

  • decreased tourism revenue

  • decreased photosynthetic rate

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48

natural sources of air pollutants

  • lightning strikes

  • forest fires

  • volcanoes

  • plants

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natural sources of CO2 and PM

  • respiration

  • natural PM sources

  • aerobic decomposition

  • anaerobic decomposition


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50

PM10

Particles or droplets like dust, pollen, ash, or mold

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PM2.5

Particles from combustion (especially vehicles) smaller dust particle

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developing countries

  • subsistence fuels ( wood, manure, charcoal)

  • biomass release CO, PM, NO, VOCs

  • combusted indoors with high concentration = high concentrations

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developed nations

  • commercial fuels (coal, oil, natural gas)

  • burned in closed, well-ventilated furnaces

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54

asbestos

long silicone particle used in insolation

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radon gas

radioactive gas released by decay of uranium naturally found in rocks underground (granite especially)

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how does radon gas enter homes?

  • through cracks in the foundation, disperses up from basement through home

  • seep into groundwater and enter through drinking water

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what is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking?

radon gas

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how to monitor/ protect against radon gas?

  • testing homes with airborne Radon monitor

  • sealing cracks in foundation

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how does dust enter air?

settles in homes -> disturbed by movement -> enters air

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How does a mold form?

formed in areas that are dark and damp and not well ventilation

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black mold

class of mold that releases spores into air

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how to prevent mold?

removal by cleaning mold out, fixing water leaks/ ventilation issues

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where is lead found in homes?

paint in old homes

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how does lead come in contact with the human body?

  • paint chips off the walls/ windows and is eaten or inhaled as dust

  • found in water sources from the lead pipes

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what does lead do to the human body?

  • damages central nervous system of children due to their small size and still developing brain

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how can lead be removed

  • stripping lead paint

  • replacing lead pipes with copper pipes

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how to reduce emissions?

  • drive less, walk/bike/bus more

  • conserve electricity

  • eat more plants, less meat

  • renewable, non-pollution emitting energy

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pollution credits

companies that keep their levels below EPA's set levels earn pollution points

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CAFE

CAFE = corporate average fuel economy

  • require U.S. fleet of vehicles to meet certain average fuel

  • requires vehicle manufacturers to make more efficient vehicles

  • more efficient vehicles burn less gasoline and release less NO4, PM, CO, and CO2

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70

Vapor recovery nozzle

capture hydrocarbon VOCs released from gas fumes during refueling

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how do vapor recovery nozzles reduce vehicle air pollutants?

  • Reduces VOCs, which contribute to smog & irritate resp. tracts

  • Also reduces benzene (carcinogen) released from gasoline vapors

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Catalytic converter

converts harmful gases into less harmful gases and water

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crushed limestone

used to reduce SO2 from coal power plants

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74

calcium sulfate

CaSO4

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calcium carbonate

CaCO3

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76

how does crushed limestone work?

  • Crushed coal mixed with limestone (calcium carbonate) before being burned in boiler

  • Calcium carbonate in limestone combines with SO2 to produce calcium sulfate, reducing the SO2 being emitted

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fluidized bed combustion

reduces SO and NO

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dry scrubbers

Large column/tube/pipe filled with chemicals that absorb or neutralize oxides (NOx, SOx, VOCs) from exhaust streams (emissions)

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wet scrubbers

May involve chemical agents that absorb or neutralize NOx, SOx, VOCs, but also include mist nozzles that trap PM in water droplets as well

  • Mist droplets with pollutants and PM trapped in them fall to bottom of scrubber or get trapped @ top by mist eliminator Sludge collection system traps polluted water for disposal

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Electrostatic Precipitator

Power plant/factory emissions passed through device with a neg. charged electrode, giving particles a neg. Charge

  • Neg. charged particles stick to pos. charged collection plates, trapping them

  • Plates discharged occasionally so particles fall down into collection hopper for disposal in landfills

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what does the electrostatic preceptor reduce?

PM

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what does the baghouse filter reduce?

PM

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baghouse filter

Large fabric bag filters that trap PM as air from combustion/industrial process passes through

  • Shaker device knocks trapped particles loose into collection hopper below

  • PM collected & taken to landfill

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84

how to limit acid rain

  • reduce SO and NO emissions

  • higher CAFE standards

  • more public transport

  • renewable energy sources

  • more efficient electricity use

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what has decreased the acid deposition?

clean air act

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what happens with NO and SO2 in the atmosphere?

react with O2 and H2O and forms sulfuric acid

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sulfuric acid

SO2 + O2 + H2O → H2SO4

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what dissociates in the presence of water and what does it create?

sulfuric acid and nitric acid and create sulfate and nitrate ions and hydrogen ions

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nitric acid

NO2 + H2O → HNO3

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what does acidic rainwater decrease?

soil and water pH, limits tree growth in forests down wind

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environmental effects of acid rain

  • soil and water acidification

  • as pH decreases pop declines

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indicator species

if they die, something is wrong

  • (pH levels are too acidic)

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Mitigating acid rain

  • limestone is a natural base that can neutralize acidic water/ soil

  • limiting SO2 and NO

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urban noise pollution

Any noise at great enough volume to cause physiological stress (difficulty communicating, headaches, confusion) or hearing loss

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examples of urban noise pollution

construction, transportation, industrial activity, domestic activity

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effects of urban noise pollution on wildlife on land

  • can disrupt animal communication, migration, damage hearing

  • physiological stress = caterpillar hearts beat faster when exposed to simulated highway noise pollution

  • hearing = prevent predators from hearing their prey, mates from finding each other, prey hearing their predators

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effects of urban noise pollution on aquatic wildlife

physiological stress = hearing loss, disrupted communication, mating calls, predator and prey navigation

seismic surveying = ships send huge air blasts down into the water searching for oil (incredibly loud)

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What is CO?

asphyxiant = suffocation

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what are the two culprits of acid rain?

H2SO4

HNO3

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what is the BIGGEST culprit of acid rain?

H2SO4

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