Energy and Environment, Class 9

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Energy and Environment, Class 9

• Air Pollution
• Sources, consequences and alternatives

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Field Observations

• Go out and see the remnants of the morning
  inversion in Prescott

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Air Pollution Meteorology

• Key factors that define the dispersion of air
  pollution
• Wind speed
• Topography
• Sunny or not
• Temperature of exhaust gas
• Height of the emission source

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Inversions
Day
Night
Downslope settling of cold air
Infrared heat loss causes cooling
Solar Heating At the Ground
Region of air pollution accumulation
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Air Pollution Consequences

• The World Health Organization estimates that 3
  million people die from air pollution globally
  per year.
• The National Resources Defense Council estimates
  that there are 64,000 premature deaths per year
  in the U.S. due to respiratory problems from
  breathing high concentrations of particulate
  matter
• 4000 people died in one air pollution episode due
  to SO2 exposure in London in 1952.
• Toxic air pollutants such as benzene are known
  cancer causing agents

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Indoor Air Pollution

• Probably more significant than outdoor exposure.
• Agents include radon, mold, CO, formaldehyde,
  cigarette smoke

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Ecological Consequences of Air Pollution

• Ozone pollution is estimated to cause 1 to 2
  billion in damage to crops in the U.S. each year.
• Acid rain in areas downwind of industry cause
  direct damage to plants, lowers the pH of surface
  waters and increases the leaching of heavy
  metals.
• Increasing CO2 concentrations improve the water
  use efficiency and accelerate growth of most
  plants.
• Input of nitrogen (from NOx or HNO3) can act as a
  fertilizer for plants in nitrogen poor
  environments