PUBH 6011 Session 2 air pollution

why rainforests are near the equator

• Equatorial sun heats ocean humidified air

• Hot air rises and cools

• Water vapor condenses from colder air, and it rains and rains and rains —> rainforests

reason why the wind direction curves

because of the earths rotation

• Imagine a rocket traveling from the north pole to the equator, it travels a straight line but the earth is rotating underneath which results in an apparent bending or curve.

which factors set up our ecosystems

wind, rainfall, temperature

why hurricanes seem to always deflect east right around Florida’s latitude of 30^o

seasonal rains occur in what type of climates (dry, wet..?)

in dry climates, species are well adapted to long drought periods

how does precipitation works around mountains?

Mountains lift air, water condenses and rains on one side, air sinks and compresses on other side (Mojave Desert in CA)

what is the island effect

• Florida should be a desert – its near 30^o latitude …

• However, land mass heats faster than ocean during the day

  • Draws moist ocean air up - as air is lifted, it cools and rains

  • Classic afternoon thunderstorms - climate similar to rain forest

where does the rain from CA come from compared to Eastern U.S?

• rain in CA comes from ocean, but rain in eastern US comes from trees

• ocean humidifies air, WA, Northern CA is wet

• but trees evapotranspire which allows more rainfall

ocean temperatures and currents are dictated by

• wind

• wind directions drive ocean currents

• pacific coast is much colder since water flows down from alaska

• east coast is warmer since water flows up from carribean

how rainfall and temperature graph depiction

what is desertification

• where heat/drought/cattle convert grasslands into desert to raise cattle which kills the grass

• Poverty, starvation, conflict soon follow.

US clean air history

• 1948 – In Donora, PA - 22 died, 5000+ effected, temperature inversion and low winds allowed pollutants to build up in this once heavily industrialized area

• 1952 –– a four day episode where weather conditions and lots of coal burning allowed sulfur concentrations to build up in London resulting in ~4,000 deaths

• 1969 – many environmental disasters occurring – public outcry

• 1970 – EPA is established, EPA implements Clean Air Act regulates 6 Criteria Air Pollutants (or NAAQS)

• 2014 – Supreme Court upholds EPAs “public endangerment finding” allows EPA to regulate CO2

• 2022 – Supreme Court reverses decision – EPA can not regulate CO2

• 2022 – Inflation Reduction Act says CO2 is an “air pollutants” and therefore EPA can regulate it

what is one health

• concept of animal science, ecology, and environmental science teaming up to make wholistic decisions because everything impacts everything else

• “one health is the collaborative effort of multiple disciplies working locally, nationally, and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment”

what are nonattainment areas

means the pollutant is too high compared to the national health standard for one or more of the 6 criteria air pollutants

US population in non-attainment

• 34% of 342 million Americans live in non-attainment areas

• Ozone has more Americans living in non-attainment areas than all other criteria pollutants combined

we breathe in approx how much air?

20m³ = 5,280 gallons

Lung anatomy

• Alveoli – Latin for little cavity (where gas exchange works)

• The lung bifurcates ~19-21 times

• Each lung has ~300 million alveoli

• Surface area of alveoli is ~70m²

what is the mucociliary escalator

moving carpet of mucus that takes particles out of your lungs

particulate matter and its size

PM is the term for the mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles like dust and dirt are large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small that they can only be detected using a microscope

• PM2.5 is less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5 can go deep into the alveolar region of the lung harder to scrub out)

• PM10 is less than 10 micrometers

particular matter health effects

• PM2.5 —> heart attacks and heart disease

• Aggravated asthma

• Increased respiratory symptoms (coughing & difficulty breathing)

• Chronic bronchitis

• Decreased lung function

• Premature death from heart and lung disease

fine particles that reach the alveoli are removed how?

by alveolar macrophage

declining national air pollutant concentration averages

all of them have significantly decreased over time

• lead decreasing because we took the lead out of gasoline

rainfall and temperature determine ecosystem

• cold and dry: polar

• warm and dry: warm desert

• warm and wet: tropical rain forest

Areas of Growth and Decline in US

• as pollutants decreased, everything else increases such as population, GDP, and vehicles miles traveled

6 criteria air pollutants

• Carbon monoxide: limit=9ppm over 8 hour or 35 ppm over 1 hour

• Lead: 1.5 ug over 3 months

• nitrogen dioxide: 0.053 ppm annual

• ozone: 0.12 ppm over an hour or 0.07 ppm over 8 hours

• particulate matter <10: 150 ug over 24 hours

• particulate matter <2.5: 12 ug annually or 35 ug over 24 hours

• sulfur dioxide 0.03 ppm annually or 0.14 ppm or 24 hours

primary result of all burns

• all combustion ends in CO2 and Water, sometimes carbon monoxide or soot (particulate matter)

Fuel + O2 —> CO2 (Carbon dioxide) + H2O (Water)

combustion reactions

• burning and combustion of nitrogen results oxides of nitrogen

• burning and combustion of sulfur (found in coal) results in sulfuric acid

• combustion of mercury results in mercury vapor

tropospheric ozone: bad

• tropospheric ozone is bad

  • criteria air pollutant

    • comes from secondary pollutant: we control VOC’s (volatile organic compounds such as perfume, gasoline) and (oxides of nitrogen) and sunlight - no ozone emissions directly

stratospheric ozone: good

natural ozone layer protects us from harmful UV and skin care

ozone layers

1. earth

2. troposphere

3. ozone layer

4. stratosphere

oxides of nitrogen (NOx)

• N2 in air is combusted and makes 7 species of NOx (NO2, N2O2, NO …)

• Comes from any combustion and agriculture (fertilizer) 

• Agriculture is not as well controlled – synthetic fertilizer is main issue

oxides of nitrogen negative effects

• Forms Ozone in tropospheric (bad)

• Greenhouse gas – NOx responsible for 7% of warming to CO2 at 79% (2020)

• Acid Rain – turns to nitric acid

• Eutrophication - washes into waterways causing harmful algal blooms

red area and dead zones

NOx causes blue-green algae blooms —> Depletes dissolved oxygen in water —> Chokes out underwater grasses, crabs, oysters, fish

why one health?

• worldwide, 75 percent of all human infectious diseases comes from animals

• climate change, increased CO2 levels, are just the few items impacting the ecosystem which in turn affects the health of humans and animals

• the world population is projected to grow from 7.4 billion to 9 billion by 2050, increasing our ecological footprint

• to provide adeuqate healthcare, safe food, and safe water for the growing global population

• the human-animal bond beneficially impacts the health of both people and animals

emerging and reemerging infections

with climate change, animals can survive in new areas never before

globally ___ deaths are linked to air pollution according to the WHO

1 in 8

• kills about 7 million a year; 4.3 in 2012 died from indoor (cooking) and 3.7 million died from outdoor air pollution

• most occur in Western pacific and southeast Asia

Air pollution in context

• Pollution caused 9 million deaths, about 16% of all deaths globally, in 2015.

• Most of that is from air pollution.

• Contrast this picture with where most of the global health funding
  is going…

• the dominant pollution risk factor killing people is air pollution, about 3 times more than water, sanitation, and hygiene issues.

burden of air pollution is worse in and the best in ___

Asia and parts of middle east

Lowest in United States, Scandanvia and Australia

Pollution linked to poverty vs pollution linked to industrial development

• Poverty (traditional): unsafe water sources, unsafe sanitation, household air pollution (risk factors are decreasing over time)

• Industrial development (modern): outdoor air pollution, occupational chemical pollution, soil pollution by heavy metals and chemicals (risk factors are increasing over time)

in 2016, _____% of the World’s Population Lived in Areas That Exceeded the World Health Organization Guideline for PM_2.5

95% (highest in south Asia, north Africa and Middle East, and Sub Saharan Africa)

What is Haze

Seen in Asia because its so heavy: Haze Is Heavy Pollution From Vehicles and Power Plants

China denying poor air conditions

China Had Denied Poor Air conditions as Late as 2011

China’s 2013 air pollution prevention and control action plan

• From 2013–2017, PM_2.5 concentrations in China declined by 30–40%.

• Ozone appears to be slightly increasing even though pm2.5 is decreasing; this is due to pm2.5 acting as a sponge for the oxidants

Eleven of Twelve Most Polluted Cities in the World Are in ____

India; comes from Cars, Burning Wood/Coal in Homes, Factories, and Himalaya Mountains

Which Emission Sources Contribute the Most to the PM_2.5 Mortality Burden?

• industrial

• transportation

• residential and commercial energy use

• biomass burning

• agriculture

• natural

household energy use

lower income:

• heating: wood, residues, coal, animal dung

• lighting: fire, candles, kerosene

• cooking: wood, dung, coal

middle income

• lighting: biogas, electricity, solar, kerosene

• heating: wood, coal, agricultural residues

• cooking: wood, agricultural residues, coal, solar

high income

• lighting: biogas, natural gas, electricity, solar

• heating: wood, coal, kerosene, electricity, oil

• cooking: natural gas, solar, electricity, biogas

polluting fuel use in lower income countries

• biomass burning to cook

• child doing homework in front of kerosine candle

• coal burning heating stove

global polluting fuel use

Most in Africa and South Asia and East Asia

Cleaner fuel uses

• biogas

• biomass briquettes

• solar

• LPG

• electricity

but challenges with distribution and costs

Percent of Deaths Attributable to Air Pollution and Sociodemographic Index

• Household air pollution deaths is the highest in low and low middle income countries, extremely low in high income countries

• PM2.5 deaths highest within low-middle and middle income countries, getting better in high middle and high income countries

Ambient particular matter pollution and economic development

• as economic development increases, risk factors for household air pollution and unsafe water sources decreases

• however, for ambient particulate matter pollution, there is no correlation between economic development and particulate matter

Economic Cost of Air Pollution

Cardiovascular disease and other non-communicable diseases “…killed eight million people before their 60th birthdays in [low- and middle-income countries]….The economic costs in terms of both healthcare costs and lost productivity…[threaten] their continued economic development and prosperity.”

• mostly in south asia and east asia and pacific and sub saharan Africa suffer economic losses;

wildfire and pm2.5

• Wildefires are a large pm2.5 source

  • Wildfires release large amounts of fine particulate matter. These tiny particles penetrate deeply into the lungs, making them a major concern for smoke-related health effects

climate change is projected to

• Increase the number and severity of naturally occurring wildfires in parts of the U.S.,

• Increase emissions of particulate matter and ozone precursors, and

• Result in additional adverse health outcomes.

wildefire smoke health effects

• 339,000 deaths annually

• Respiratory health effects, including asthma and COPD exacerbation, respiratory infections

• All cause mortality

• Birth outcomes

• Mixed evidence for cardiovascular endpoints, though strong evidence from total PM_2.5 studies

annual wildfire smoke health impacts in the US

• Respiratory hospital admissions: 3,900–8,500/year

• Cardiovascular hospital admissions: 1,700–2,800/year

• Deaths from short-term exposure: 1,500–2,500/year

• Deaths from long-term exposure: 19,000–32,000/year

• Long-term exposure health impacts: $76–$130 billion annually