Air Pollution

1. Air Pollution Kevin Sloan Ale Farnum Tommy Doupe J.T Huskins Michelle Kim

2. Structure and ScienceOf the Atmosphere Several layers of the atmosphere, all with different temperatures, pressures, composition Troposphere- Innermost layer, mostly nitrogen and oxygen Air composition: 78% nitrogen, 21%oxygen Weather and Climate are caused by the troposphere Stratosphere- Second layer of the atmosphere, filters out most harmful UV radiation Ozone formula: 3O2 +UV?203

3. Air Pollution Most air pollutants come from natural sources or the burning of fossil fuels It is the presence of chemicals in the troposphere in concentrations that are high enough to harm organisms, ecosystems, and high enough to alter the climate Primary Pollutants- Pollutants that are directly emitted into the air (CO, CO2, SO2, NO, NO2) Secondary Pollutants- SO3, HNO3, H3SO4, H2O2, O3, PAN’s Major air pollutants- Nitrogen Oxides, Particulates, Ozone, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s), Radon

4. Urban Outdoor Air pollution Industrial Smog from burning coal 50 years ago in London England and Chicago Pittsburgh burned large amounts of coal for heating and cooking created high levels of industrial smog Industrial Smog is sulfur dioxide, aerosols w/ sulfuric acid and suspended particles Gray-air smog when (soot) salts and carbons get into the industrial smog China has 16 out of the 20 most polluted cities ex. in Beijing they even have to delay plain flights because it gets so bad

5. The Massive Brown Cloud Covers India, Bangladesh, the industrial part of china and even part of the open sea It is about 3 kilometers thick and could cover the entire United States Beneath the cloud photosynthesis is reduced because the amount of sunlight that is blocked up to 15% In India alone almost 2 million people die prematurely

6. Factors influencing levels of outdoor air pollution Five factors that reduce air pollution: first is gravity which helps bring particles that are heavier then air back down to earth 2nd rain and snow help cleanse air pollutants 3rd salty sea spray from the ocean can wash out much of the particles 4th winds sweep pollutants away and dilute them 5th chemical reaction

7. Six Factors That Increase Air Pollution 1st Urban buildings slow wind speed and reduce delusion 2nd Hills and mountains can reduce the flow of air in the valleys below them 3rd Higher temperatures lead to chemical reactions leading to photochemical smog 4th VOC emission from certain trees and plants 5th Grasshopper effect VOC’s sent to poles 6th Temperature inversion can lead to buildup in air pollutants

8. Acid Deposition Acid deposition or acid rain is when the mixture in rain has a ph less then 5.6 Caused by tall smokestacks increasing regional air pollution downwind the pollutants go into the troposphere where they turn into acids and later come down as acid rain Effects Chronic respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma Also it is a bio accumulative Damages statues, national monuments, buildings, metals, and car finishes Also it harms aquatic systems by lowering the ph below 4.5 where fish can no longer live

9. Solution To Acid Deposition Prevention approach to reduce or eliminate emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particles Cleaner resources such as wind turbines, hydropower, and burning of natural gas instead of using coal fired power plants

10. Indoor Air Pollution Indoor pollution can be a greater threat than outdoor pollution, with 11 common pollutants which have levels 2-5 times higher than outside levels Pesticides used indoors and cockroach/living organisms and their excrements have caused an increase in number of people with asthma from 1972-2002 Sick Building Syndrome- air pollutants in buildings have high enough levels to cause dizziness, headaches, etc. 1/5 commercial buildings in the U.S are considered “sick” Most dangerous indoor pollutants: tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, radon gas, ultrafine particles

11. Sources of Indoor Pollution Formaldehyes: Plywood, particle boards, furniture, building material It causes breathing problems for millions of Americans, can cause cancer from over exposure Radon 222- Comes from the decay of Uranium 238, seeps through the soil into basements through cracks. Can accumulate over time if basements are not aired out Seal cracks and increase ventilation can reduce, cheap tests can be conducted to measure radioactive levels

12. So Why Is Pollution So Bad? The respiratory system protects our bodies from pollution by capturing pollutants and expelling them (sneezing, coughing) and cilia transports mucus to be expelled Prolonged/Acute exposure from pollutants can break down these natural defenses Exposure can lead to lung cancer, bronchitis, or emphysema About 3 million people die each year around the world from affects of air pollution

13. Preventing and ReducingAir Pollution Air quality standards have been created to set limits on pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and VOC’s Due to these standards, combined emissions have decreased by 54% from 1970-2004 Bad news: The U.S still relies on cleanup rather than prevention, fuel efficiency standards have not been created, and ship/airports have no regulations Also, CO2 is not regulated, indoor pollution has not been addressed, and the Clean Air Act is weakly enforced

14. Emission Trading The Clean Air Act allows companies to trade credits on the amount of SO2 they are allowed to release per year Companies could sell their excess credits to companies who have gone over their limits This has helped reduce SO2 emissions from electric power plants in the U.S by about 35% Unfortunately, combined emissions from all sources have not been greatly reduced

15. Solutions to ReducingAir Pollution Use electrostatic precipitators or wet scrubbers in smoke stacks to trap particles Another tactic is to burn low sulfur coal, but this is found in the West, where as coal is burned in the East Due to new standards on emissions, SO2 emissions has been decreased by 30% and soot by 75% New car models emit 75% less pollution than cars from the 1970’s did To prevent indoor pollution, the use of newer stoves and furnaces would help prevent leaks of hazardous gasses Also reducing poverty, smoking, and test for indoor pollutants would help reduce indoor pollution