APES Air Pollution

Carbon Monoxide is

extremely damaging to human blood

Montreal Protocol 1987

nations agreed to cut CFC production in half, ozone is recovering

Thermal Inversion

occurs when a layer of warm air settles over a layer of cooler air that lies near the ground. The warm air holds down the cool air and prevents pollutants from rising and scattering. exacerbates pollution

By product of feedlots, chemical manufacturing, auto emissions, and fertilizers

nitrous oxide

Compound that contributes to short term atmospheric cooling

sulfate aerosol

precipitation

would not increase air pollution

Tropospheric ozone

produced through interaction of heat and light, w/ nitrogen oxides & other carbon compounds

Acid deposition

wet and dry deposition of secondary pollutants onto earth's surface

Photochemical smog

is formed in the presence of sunlight unlike industrial smog; formed when primary pollutants interact with sunlight

Predominant GHG produced by burning fossil fuels

carbon dioxide (main anthropogenic GHG produced in the USA)

nitrous oxide, sunlight, vehicle emissions, VOCs

contribute to photochemical smog

obvious cause of industrial smog

burning fossil fuels

ozone

GHG that absorbs sun's incoming shortwave radiation

methane

produced by microbes decomposing in landfills

primary pollutants

harmful chemicals emitted directly into the air from natural processes and anthropogenic activity

Radon 222

may cause damage to respiratory tissue when inhaled (lung cancer); is product of uranium decay and is an indoor pollutant

Clean Air Act

reduced SO2 and NOx

vegetation

VOCs

ocean waves

salt particles

first suggestion to improve air quality

improve transportation options

pet dander

not a major source of outdoor air pollution

VOCs

emitted for processing and/or burning fossil fuels; used in solvents, industries, half from human activity, but also plants; hydrocarbons and terpenes

water vapor

most abundant GHG

natural sources of air pollution

salt from sea spray, soil dust, volcanic dust

EPA standards for 6 common air pollutants

criteria pollutants: ozone, particulate matter, lead, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide

air quality in US

has improved continously since Clean Air Act (mainly result of regulations to reduce emissions and weather conditions/economic slowdown), should have good health effects

NAAQS

national ambient air quality standards (identified by EPA), aka nonattainment areas, must develop plans

AQI

Air Quality Index relates daily air pollution concentrations for ozone, pm, NO2, CO2, SO2 (100 is generally naaqs)

Ozone

O3, secondary pollutant, formed by VOCs + NO2 with sunlight

...

respiratory problems, premature death, ed visits

Particulate Matter

PM, from fuel combustion (burning coal/wood); industries, agriculture; unpaved roads

...

respiratory probs, meds, premature death, ed visits, heart disease

Lead

Pb, from smelters/metal industries, combustion of gas in piston engine aircraft, waste incinerators, batteries

...

damages nervous system, cardiovascular/renal probs, anemia

Nitrogen Oxides

NOx, from fuel combustion (electrics, industries, vehicles) and wood burning

...

respiratory probs, ed visits

Carbon Monoxide

CO, from fuel comubstion (cars esp)

...

reduces oxygen, heart disease, chest pain, ed visits

Sulfur Dioxide

SO2, from fuel combustion (high sulfur coal), electrics, natural sources (volcanoes)

...

respiratory probs

pollutant categories

nitrates, sulfates, elemental carbon, organic carbon, crustal material

Smog in London

from coal stoves, killed many, just like in Penn, NY, Mexico, and Malaysia

relative humidity

amount of water vapor a given volume of air holds relative to maximum amount it could for given temperature

inversion layer

band of air in which temperature rises with altitude

air pollutants

gases and PM added to the atmosphere than can affect climate and/or harm organisms, occur in high enough concentrations

wind pollution

can send dust aloft

volcanoes

release PM, sulfur dioxide

sulfur dioxide

reacts with water and oxygen and condenses into aerosols, acid rain

secondary pollutants

harmful substances produced when primary pollutants interact or react with constituents

Clean Air Act 1970

set strict standards for air quality, imposed limits on emissions, funds for research, allowed citizens to sue violating parties

Clean Air Act 1990

strengthened regulations for auto emissions, toxins, acid deposition, ozone depletion, while introducing market incentives, emissions trading

air pollution decreased since 1970

despite population increase, new technologies

toxic air pollutants

chemicals known to cause serious health or environmental problems

industrial smog

gray; soot, sulfur, water vapor; from burning fossil fuels; in cooler hilly areas

photochemical smog

nitrogen gas and oxygen gas in high temperatures convert to nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide)

and

nitrogen monoxide (nitric oxide) and oxygen gas to nitrogen dioxide

MADE OF: HNO2, PANs, Aldehydes, O3

pesticide drift, cafos

rural pollution

Chinese cities

suffer worst pollution as industrialization occurs rapidly

acid deposition

transboundary, can mobilize toxic metal ions from soil, can hinder plant nutrient uptake, acidic water, has not reduced much

indoor air pollution

fuelwood burning, tobacco, radon (second leading cause of lung cancer), some VOCs. dust mites/dander/fungi/bacteria (most widespread source), microbes (building related illness)

natural sources

forest fires (smoke, ash, hydrocarbons, CO2), volcanoes (ash/acid), sea spray (sulfur), decaying vegetation (VOCs), bacterial metabolism (methane), dust, pollen, wind (SPM)

lichen

like a canary, indicative of pollution

fugitive emissions

no smokestack, dust from strip mining, rock crushing, building construction/destruction

point sources

specific spots where large quantities of pollutants are discharged (plants/factories)

nonpoint sources

more diffuse, many small sources (cars)

primary

soot and CO2, CO, SO2, NO, NO2, hydrocarbons, SPM

secondary

ozone and sulfuric acid, SO3, HNO3, H3SO4, H2O2, PANs, nitrates and sulfates

anthropogenic sources

industry, mills, plants, refineries (PM, SOx, NOx, ash), transportation, furnaces (CO, NOx, VOCs, PM), forest fires

PM

dust and soot, or sulfates and nitrates

lead

bioaccumulates, banned in gasoline in developed countries

carbon monoxide

2C + O2 = 2CO

carbon dioxide

C + O2 = CO2

nitric oxide

N2 + O2 = 2NO

nitrogen dioxide

2NO + O2 = 2NO2

sulfur dioxide

S + O2 = SO2

photochemical smog

ground level O3, aldehydes, secondary pollutants, in hot sunny cities surrounded by mountains

only 7% of CO2 in atmosphere

is from human activites, 93% from carbon cycle

smog

unhealthy mixtures of air pollutants over urban areas

south asia's massive brown cloud

industrial smog, coal burning, photosynthesis is reduced, pm changed regional climates (floods)

outdoor air pollution reduced by

settling out, precipitation, sea spray, winds, chemical reactions

outdoor air pollution increased by

urban buildings, mountains, high temperatures

temperature inversions

cold, cloudy weather in valley surrounded by mountains can trap air pollutants, areas with sunny climate, light winds, mountains, coasts are susceptible

tall smokestacks

increase regional pollution but decrease local pollution

acid deposition

matter with pH lower than 5.6

four most dangerous indoor air pollutants

tobacco, formaldehyde, radon 222, fine particles (greatest risk: young kids, elderly, sick, pregnant, respiratory probs, heart probs, smokers, factory workers)

each year

air pollution kills 3 million, mostly indoor

sick building syndrome

sickness produced by indoor pollution with general and nonspecific symptoms, solved by using low toxicity building materials/good ventilation

deficiencies in Clean Air Act

US relies on cleanup not prevention, Congress failed to increase fuel efficiency standards for cars, regulation of motorcycles is bad, no regulation for oceangoing ships in American ports, airports are exempt, does not regulate CO2, no indoor pollution caps

cap and trade program

emission trading, reduced emissions but less than projected

electrostatic preicipitator

used to attract negative particles in smokestack into a collector, removes 99% PM, produces toxic dust, large amounts of electricity

wet scrubber

removes 98% SO2 and PM, fine mists of water vapor trap PM and convert to sludge that is disposed in landfill

states suing EPA

bad

new car today emits 75% less than

did pre-1970 cars

EPA primary standards

human health

EPA secondary standards

materials, environment, aesthetic, comfort