APES Unit 7

Pollutant

Pollutant

Any substance that contaminates the environment and causes harm to living organisms.

VOCs

hydrocarbons: methane, octane, benzene, formaldehyde (anything organic that can diffuse into the env)

primary air pollutant

put directly into the troposphere from natural events or human activities in a harmful form

-CO2 and NO2 gases from car exhaust

-ash produced from coal burning

-SO2 gas from volcanoes and coal

carbon monoxide

odorless gas air pollutant

NOx (nitrogen oxide)

examples: NO, NO2, N2O

sulfur dioxide

from the combustion of coal (SO2, SO3)

particulate matter

solids (dust, soot, lead, nitrate and sulfate salts)

liquids (sulfuric acid, PCB, pesticides, dioxins)

air pollution

presence of one of more chemicals in the atmosphere that:

-cause harm

-alter the climate

-solid, gaseous, or liquid form

-majority of pollutants are from natural sources (dust, forest fires, geological processes)

-added through burning fossil fuels, erosion of land, factory emissions

hazardous air pollutants

benzene, formaldehyde, chloroform, lead, radioactive

why do developing countries have worse air pollution?

laws are weak or not applied, vehicle emission standards are less stringent and coal power stations more prevalent

secondary pollutants

when primary pollutants react with one another to form new pollutants

-SO2(burning coal) + water vapor = acid rain

-grey smog

photochemical smog

formed when nitrogen oxide + VOCs react with heat and sunlight (associated w vehicle emissions)

-orange smog

-fertilizers responsible for 51% of NOx emissions in Cali

Industrial smog

sulfur dioxide emmissions + water = sulfuric acid (rain)

due to burning large amounts of coal and oil

-not a problem in developed countries(Londons Pea Soup Fog)

-prominent in urban areas: china, india, ukraine, eastern european countries

-gray smog

factors that influence smog

-local climate (temp/rain)

-population density

-amount of industry

-fuels used in the area

-urban buildings

-hills and mountains

-grasshopper effect (pollutants evaporate with warm air and return to earth with rain and snow in the colder areas of the globe)

Natural factors that reduce air pollution

-rain and snow (cleanse air, cities w drier climates have more photochemical smog)

-salty spray from ocean (washes out particulates and pollutant winds)'

-winds (sweeps pollutants away w clean air)

Thermal inversion

-when warm air layer in atmosphere is over a cool air layer

-pollutants are stuck below a warm “blanket”

ex: LA, Denver, Mexico City

health effects of air pollution

-irritation of respiratory system

-worsening asthma or bronchitis

-emphysema

-shortened life span

noise pollution

sounds at high enough levels to cause physiological stress and hearing loss

impacts on human hearing

-hearing loss caused by 85 dB or higher

-stereo-cilia (hear cells in inner ear) to break off and they never grow back

-damage to bones in middle ear or eardrum

Tinnitus

ringing/buzzing in ears or head

-can be temporary or permanent

formaldehyde

colorless, highly toxic, and flammable gas at room temperature

places effected by acid rain

Ohio Valley, mountain tops in LA, Asia (worst)

-in places with thin acidic soil, low buffering abilities

acid rain effects on the human/economy

-contributes to asthma and bronchitis

-leach toxic metals from water pipes to drinking water

-damages statues and buildings

acid rain effect on ecosystem

-decreased pH of soil and water

-foliage damage

-weakened plant immune systems

-inc solubility of heavy metals

-dec biodiversity (areas downwind of coal power plants)

acid rain prevention

-reduce energy use and burning coal

-switch to cleaner burning fuel

-burn low sulfur coal

install highly effective scrubbers that remove SO2, NOx, and particulates

-share cars

electrostatic precipitator

• Use charges to separate the particulate matter from the gas

• Suck up the “dirty gas” (filled with particulates) and the precipitator will impart a charge on the particulates.

• charged particulates will stick to the oppositely charged electrodes…cause opposites attract!

• Only clean air will leave! 

• shut the power off to the electrodes and the dust falls, collects at the bottom & is taken to a hazardous landfill.

Negative: Electrostatic Precipitators only remove large, medium and small particles…NOT the dangerous ULTRAFINE!

baghouse filters

• gas filled with particulate matter will be sucked in and massed through several filters, with each filter becoming smaller and smaller.

• Particulate matter stays behind, leaving clean gas.

• These even remove ULTRAFINE!

• These have a 99% 

• Collect dust & bury at haz landfill

• Negatives:  Expensive, not required

Cyclone Separators

• cheap!

• Suck in the dirty gas filled with particulates

• The air is swirled like a vortex with heavy particulates falling out of the vortex to the bottom

• Collect the ash & bury at haz landfill.

• Negative: Really only removes large particulates

Wet Scrubbers

• Dirty gas goes in and is passed through a water spray.  The water captures particles AND…SO₂ (because SO₂ + water = H₂SO₄, sulfuric acid)

• filters photochemical smog

• The ash is disposed of in haz landfill, the acid neutralized sent to water treatment plant

• Clean air leaves!

• Adv—this is the ONLY one that will “scrub out” SO₂ and particulates

• Negatives: Does not remove the ultrafine particulates

vapor recovery nozzle

• Stage I- When tanker replenish fuel supplies, vapors displaced in the storage tank and pumped through a recovery nozzle into the tanker

• Stage II- Gasoline vapors in motor vehicles are sucked in through holes in the nozzle and pumped back into the gasoline storage tank underground. 

Catalytic Converters

• Found at the base of a car’s tailpipe

• Converts harmful pollutants (CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons) into less harmful molecules (CO₂, N₂, O₂, and H₂O)

clean air act

• 1970- established NAAQS (National Ambient Air Quality Standards)

  • set 6 criterion air pollutants (CO, NO₂, SO₂, Particulates, Ozone, Lead)

• 1990- set up SO₂ cap and trade

  Enables the 110 most polluting power plants in 21 states to buy and sell SO₂ pollution rights

Which type of pollutant is found in some types of carpet, furniture, and plywood and is dangerous to human health?

formaldehyde

Photochemical smog levels are usually highest in…

summer(hot)

Acid rain affects trees by…

I. damaging the protective coating on leaves

II. leaching nutrients from the soil and away from trees

III. stunting growth

Which of the following is used to reduce ultrafine particulate emissions from coal-burning power plants?

baghouse filters

Which of the following is not true of the Clean Air Act?

1. It was passed by Congress during the early 1970s

2. It regulates the amount of CO emitted by power plants.

3. It has remained largely unmodified since it was originally signed into law.

4. It established a cap-and-trade program for SO₂ in 1990.

Which of the following is a primary pollutant?

1. carbon monoxide

2. sulfuric acid

3. nitric acid

4. ozone

Which of the following is NOT identified by the EPA as one of its six criteria air pollutants?

1. particulate matter

2. PANS

3. lead

4. ozone

Ozone in the troposphere can result in all of the following EXCEPT

1. eye irritation

2. lung cancer

3. bronchitis

4. headache

Which of the following is NOT true about noise pollution?

1. it can cause a decline in biodiversity

2. noise pollution does not affect humans

3. it can cause permanent hearing damage

4. all of these are true

major sources of outdoor air pollution

-57% transportation

-21% fuel combustion(except vehicles)

-12% industrial process

-10% other

5 most dangerous indoor pollutants

• Cigarette smoke

• Formaldehyde (from particle board, carpet, paneling, furniture)

• Radon-222 gas (natural decay of uranium releases gas in ground)

• Very small fine and ultrafine particles

• Asbestos

cigarrette chemicals

• Nicotine

• Hydrogen cyanide

• Formaldehyde

• Lead

• Arsenic

• Ammonia

• Benzene

• Carbon monoxide

• Over 70 different chemical found in cigarette smoke are KNOWN CARCINOGENS.

cigarrettes on health

• Cigarette smoking causes more than 480K deaths EACH YEAR

  • 90% of all lung cancer deaths

  • 80% of COPD deaths

Formaldehyde

• Colorless, extremely irritating gas for manufacturing common household materials

• 20-40 million Americans suffer from breathing problems, dizziness, headaches, rashes, sinus & eye irritation and nausea from daily exposure to low levels

• Sources:  building materials, plastics, furniture, wrinkle free coating on clothing

Formaldehyde

• 1 ounce dose at 37% formaldehyde = lethal

• allows no more than 16 ppb formaldehyde in the air in new buildings constructed for that agency.

• Homes will often measure 0.076 ppm (76 ppb) when brand new and 0.045 ppm after 30 days.

Radon-222

• Colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive

• Comes from the decay of uranium-238

• common in granite, phosphate, uranium, shale soils & rocks

• when rocks break down, gas is released, normally filters through soil & diluted in atmosphere

Radon problems

• if seeps into buildings; can potentially increase the risk cancer

• Radon is the 2^nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking! More than 21,000 deaths per year.

ultrafine particles

• Smaller than 100 nanometers, carbon based or metallic

  • Outdoor sources: volcanic lava, ocean spray, and smoke

  • Indoor sources: laser printers, fax machines, photocopiers, the peeling of citrus fruits, cooking, tobacco smoke, penetration of contaminated outdoor air, chimney cracks and vacuum cleaners

• Not effectively captured by most air pollution control equipment

ultrafine particle problems

• Small enough to penetrate body defenses

• Bring other cancer/toxic substances into body

• Can cause chronic irritation that can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate lung disease and cause lung cancer

  • interfere with bloods uptake of oxygen and release of CO2, which strains the heart and increases the risk of death from heart disease
    

asbestos

• used extensively due to extreme resistance to heat

  • firefighters uniforms, building walls, ceilings, SCHOOLS etc

asbestos problems

• Microscopic fibers decay-cannot be broken down by body when inhaled

  • lodges in lung and “saws” lung tissue over time= lung cancer

  • Over 172,000 Americans have died prematurely due to asbestos exposure

• Mesothelioma kills 2,000 - 3,000 Americans each year

asbestos health concerns

• Among miners and workers in developing countries

• Remodeling, Tear-out, Demolition workers

• 90% of these deaths can be prevented by:

  • Wearing a mask

  • Wetting asbestos

  • Changing clothes before and after handling

how our body protects us from air pollution

• Hairs in nose

• Sticky mucus in lining of upper respiratory tract

• Sneezing and coughing

• Cilia in upper respiratory tract

• BUT prolonged exposure can overload our defenses.

air pollution health concerns

•  Air pollution can lead to:

  • lung cancer

  • asthma

  • chronic bronchitis (often in children of smokers)

  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders

  • emphysema- loss of lung elasticity (can’t pull in air)

• Smoking makes all exposure worse- concentrated radiation of lungs breaks down natural defenses

limestone

limestone has basic pH —> neutralizes acid decomposition

-acid decomposition leeches(strips) soil of nutrients(aluminum)

if theres less limestone THAN there would be less aluminum because MORE acid decomposition would occur

annual change formula

change of y

---

change of x

percent change formula

new-old / old *100

source of acid decomposition

car exhaust emits nitrogen oxides

sulfur based acid rain from coal burning power plants equation

2SO₂ + O₂+ 2H₂O —> 2H₂SO₄

nitrogen based acid rain from vehicle emissions

3NO₂ + H₂O  —> 2HNO₃ + NO