The Atmosphere and Air Quality

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality
2
The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Gaseous Composition of the Atmosphere

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Types of Urban Air Pollutants
• Primary Pollutant - a pollutant that directly
  enters the air as a result of natural events or
  human activities

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Types of Urban Air Pollutants
• Secondary Pollutant - a pollutant that is formed
  in the air through chemical reactions between or
  among primary pollutants or between primary
  pollutants and other gases in the atmosphere

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Chemical Classes of Urban Air Pollutants
• Carbon Oxides
• Sulfur Oxides
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM)

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Chemical Classes of Urban Air Pollutants
• Photochemical Oxidants
• O3 (tropospheric ozone)
• H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide)
• PANs (peroxyacetylnitrates)

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Chemical Classes of Urban Air Pollutants
• Radioactive Substances
• Toxic Metals

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Clean Air Acts
• Passed in 1970, 1977, 1990
• Enacted federal air pollution regulations that
  are enforced by each state
• Established National Ambient Air Quality
  Standards (NAAQS)

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• NAAQS
• 7 Criteria Pollutants
• SPMs
• Sulfur Oxides
• Carbon Monoxide
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Tropospheric Ozone
• VOCs
• Lead

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Aair Pollution
• NAAQS
• Primary NAAQS - standards established to protect
  human health
• Secondary NAAQS - standards established to
  protect all organisms
• Nonattainment Area - any area that does not meet
  primary or secondary NAAQS for a criteria
  pollutant

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards
• Carbon Monoxide 9 ppm over 8-hr period, not to
  be exceeded more than once a year 35-ppm
  for 1-hr period
• Ozone 0.12 ppm for 1-hr period, not to be
  exceeded more than once per year

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards
• Sulfur Dioxide 0.03 ppm annual average 0.14
  ppm for 24-hr period, not to be exceeded
  more than once per year
• Nitrogen Oxides 0.05 ppm annual average

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Criteria Pollutants
• Tropospheric Ozone
• Source Chemical reactions between VOCs, nitrogen
  oxides, and sunlight
• Health Effects Reduced lung function asthma
  congestion
• Environmental Impacts Reduced visibility plant
  damage, reduced photosynthesis and nutrient
  uptake, crop destruction forest diebacks
• Property Damage Rubber plastics

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Criteria Pollutants
• Carbon Monoxide
• Source Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
• Health Effects Reduced oxygen levels impaired
  visual perception reduced lung function asthma
  congestion
• Environmental Impacts Reduced visibility plant
  damage
• Property Damage Rubber plastics

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Criteria Pollutants
• Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides
• Source Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
• Health Effects Lung damage respiratory
  illnesses
• Environmental Impacts Acid deposition plant
  damage photochemical smog crop destruction
• Property Damage Enhanced chemical weathering

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Criteria Pollutants
• SPMs
• Source Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels
  agriculture unpaved roads
• Health Effects Lung damage respiratory
  illnesses
• Environmental Impacts Reduced visibility (haze
• Property Damage Discoloration of clothing and
  structures

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Regulation of Urban Air Pollution
• Criteria Pollutants
• Lead
• Source Leaded gasoline lead paint smelters
  lead-acid batteries
• Health Effects Damage to nervous system cancer
  mental retardation digestive disorders
• Environmental Impacts Harmful to wildlife

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Photochemical (Brown-Air) Smog
• A mixture of primary and secondary pollutants
  (mostly tropospheric ozone) formed under the
  influence of sunlight

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Photochemical (Brown Air) Smog
• Factors of Formation
• Topography
• Local climate
• Population density
• Amount of industry
• Industrial fuel types

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Industrial (Gray-Air) Smog
• Mixture of sulfur dioxide, suspended droplets of
  sulfuric acid, and SPMs
• Found mostly in LDCs where coal and heavy oils
  are burned
• China
• Ukraine
• Eastern Europe

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• The falling of acids and acid-forming compounds
  from the atmosphere to the Earths surface

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Components
• Primary Pollutants
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
• Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
• Secondary Pollutants
• Nitric Acid (HNO3)
• Sulfuric Acid (H2SO4)

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Acid Sources
• Coal-burning power plants
• Smelters
• Factors
• Urban areas

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition
• A regional environmental problem
• Depends on buffering capacity of soils

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition
• Damage to materials
• Human health
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• Acid shock
• Aluminum toxicity
• Formation of methlymercury

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The atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition
• Aquatic Ecosystems
• Fun Facts
• 16,000 lakes in Norway and Sweden contain no fish
• 9,000 lakes in U.S. are threatened with excess
  acidity (most in the Great Lakes!)

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition
• Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Most damage when pH lt 5.1
• Damage to tree foliage bathed in acidic fog

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Acid Deposition
• Environmental Impacts of Acid Deposition
• Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Increased susceptibility to various stressors
• Cold temperatures
• Diseases
• Insects
• Drought
• Depletion of plant nutrients

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Urban Climate
• Cities are generally warmer, rainier, foggier,
  and cloudier than suburbs or rural areas

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Urban Climate
• Cities generate enormous amounts of heat
• Automobiles
• Factories
• Furnaces
• Lights
• Air conditioners
• People

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Urban Climate
• Urban Heat Island - the buildup of heat in the
  atmosphere above an urban area

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Urban Heat Island Dust Dome
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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Indoor Air Pollution
• Sources
• Combustion
• Building materials and furnishings
• Household cleaning products
• Personal care products
• Central heating/cooling systems
• Outside sources - radon gas and pesticides
• Poor ventilation

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Indoor Air Pollution
• Most Dangerous Indoor Air Pollutants
• Formaldehyde
• Asbestos
• Cigarette smoke
• Radon-222
• Fiberglass

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The Atmosphere and Air Quality

• Indoor Air Pollution
• Leading cause of cancer
• High-risk health problem for humans
• Sick Building Syndrome