Atmospheric Pollution - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Atmospheric Pollution

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Title: Atmospheric Pollution


1
Atmospheric Pollution
2
Pollutants and Atmospheric Cleansing
  • Air pollutants gases and aerosols in the
    atmosphere that have harmful effects
  • Living organisms
  • Inanimate objects
  • Level of air pollution determined by
  • The amount of pollutants entering the air
  • The amount of space into which the pollutants
    dispersed
  • Mechanisms that remove pollutants from the air

3
Myths about Air Pollutants
  • There are tolerable threshold levels of air
    pollutants
  • Dilution is the solution to air pollution
  • Air pollutants can be assimilated by nature
  • Air pollutants do not travel
  • Air pollution accidents will not happen

4
The Hydroxyl Radical Natures Cleanser
5
Major Air Pollutants
  • Carbon monoxide dioxide
  • Suspended particulate matter
  • Volatile organic compounds
  • Nitrogen oxides Sulfur oxides
  • Ozone
  • Hazardous Air Pollutants
  • Heavy metals
  • Volatile Organic Compounds
  • Herbicides Pesticides

6
Major Air Pollutant Sources
7
Sources of Air Pollution
  • Automobiles
  • Burning Fossil Fuels --gtCO, CO2, Particulates,
    Metals, and NOx
  • Transporting Fossil Fuels --gt VOCs HAPs
  • Secondary Pollutants --gt O3
  • Coal Power Plants
  • Exhaust --gt CO, CO2, Particulates, Metals, NOx,
    SO2, HAPs (metals, radioactive nucleotides, and
    VOCs)
  • Industrial Processes (chemical, dry cleaning,
    printing, paints, glues, solvents, agriculture)
  • Manufacturing --gt HAPs, VOCs, Metals, CFCs
  • Waste --gt SO2, Particulates, VOCs, HAPs, and O3

8
Sources of Major Air Pollutants
  • Automobiles
  • Power Plants
  • Industrial Processes
  • Primary pollutants derived directly from burning
    fuels and wastes
  • Sulfur dioxides
  • Nitrogen oxides
  • Volatile Organic Compounds
  • Particulates
  • Carbon monoxide

9
Major Pollutants Secondary
  • Secondary air pollutants are derived from
    reactions that occur between primary pollutants
    and other atmospheric chemicals
  • Ozone
  • PANs
  • Acids
  • Sulfuric
  • nitric

10
Examining Specific Air Pollutants
  • Indoor Air Pollution
  • Smog
  • Acid Precipitation

11
Indoor Air Pollution
12
Radon
  • Radioactive radon-222
  • Lung Cancer Threat
  • Occurs in certain geological areas
  • Associated with Uranium and organic materials in
    rock

13
Reducing IndoorAir Pollution
14
Smog
  • The most visible air pollution
  • Two types of smog
  • Brown photochemical
  • Gray industrial
  • Directly linked to human behavior

15
Impacts of Smog Temperature Inversion
16
Particulates
17
Comparison of Growth vs. Emissions
18
Acid Deposition
19
pH Scale
pH measurement of H ions in solution
Acid precipitation pH lt5.5
20
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21
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22
Major Sources of SO2 Emitters
23
Effects of Acid Deposition
  • Alteration of plant and animal reproduction
  • Leaching of other toxic elements, e.g., aluminum
  • Eutrophic to oligotrophic conditions
  • Total loss of biota from aquatic ecosystems
  • Alterations of food chains

24
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25
Impact of Buffers on Acid Deposition
26
Solutions to Acid Deposition
27
Air Pollution Effects
  • Adversely affects the health of organisms
  • People
  • Other Animals
  • Crops
  • Forests
  • Highly corrosive to Structures
  • Metal
  • Stone

28
Impacts of Air Pollutants on Human Health
  • Chronic gradual deterioration of a variety of
    physiological functions over a period of years
  • Acute life-threatening reactions within a period
    of hours or days
  • Carcinogenic cancer-causing

29
Impacts of Air Pollutants on Human Health
  • The Respiratory System
  • Chronic Bronchitis and Asthma
  • Lung Cancer
  • Brain
  • Birth defects, retardation, nervous system
    disorders
  • Short- Long-term memory loss
  • Brain Cancer
  • Filtering Organs (Liver Kidneys)
  • Short-term disfunction
  • Cancer
  • Skin
  • Overexposure to UV --gt Cancer

30
The Respiratory System
31
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32
Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment
  • Plants
  • Necrotic kills plant cells
  • Chlorotic destroys chlorophyll, reducing
    photosynthesis
  • Increases susceptibility to disease and pests

Ozone is the most serious pollutant to Plants
33
Ozone Impact on Crop Yields
34
Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment
  • Forests
  • Leaching of nutrients
  • Release of aluminum into solution
  • Rapid changes in soil chemistry
  • Reduced growth and diebacks of plants and animals
  • Increased plant vulnerability to natural enemies
  • Increased soil erosion
  • Increased flooding
  • Increased sedimentation of waterways

35
Impacts of Air Pollutants on the Environment
  • Building Materials
  • Loss of color
  • Oxidation
  • Corrosion
  • Decreased real estate values

36
Trends in Automobile Emissions
37
Bringing Air Pollution under Control
  • Clean Air Act identifies most widespread
    pollutants e.g., particulates, SO, CO, NO, lead
    criteria pollutants
  • National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
    set levels that protect environmental and human
    health

38
Bringing Air Pollution under Control
  • NAAQS national ambient air quality standards
    (EPA)
  • National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air
    Pollutants set national emission standards for
    hazardous air pollutants

39
Control Strategies
  • Command-and-control regulate air pollution so
    criteria pollutants remain below primary standard
    level
  • Lack of enforcement and compliance
  • 37 reduction of air pollutants
  • Forced compliance with state implementation plan
    (SIP)

40
Can you Match Control Strategies on Right with
Air Pollutants on Left?
  • Particulates
  • VOCs
  • Automobile emissions
  • Acid rain
  • Catalytic converter
  • Reasonably available control strategy (RACT)
  • Scrubbers
  • Coal washing

41
Title IV Clean Air Act 1990
  • Reduce SO emissions 50 below 1980 levels
  • Improve methods of reducing SO emissions
  • Allow emissions allowances and trading
  • Emissions purchases
  • Reduce NO emissions

42
Industrys Response to Title IV
  • Fuel switching
  • Scrubbers
  • Emissions allowance trading
  • Using low-sulfur coals

43
Reducing Emissions from Point Sources
44
Reducing Motor Vehicle Air Pollution
45
Unresolved Issues
  • Costs vs benefits of air pollution control
  • Status of new source review enforcement
  • Improving fuel efficiency hybrid cars
  • Improving mass transit systems
  • Reducing commuting distances
  • Should the EPA regulate CO2 as a pollutant?
  • Research this question! Come prepared to discuss
    your findings in class tomorrow!
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