Ch: 15 Air Pollution

1. Ch: 15 Air Pollution By: Jason Fike, Dylan Wilson, Josh Margolis, Ellie Brooks

2. Case Study: When Is a Lichen Like a Canary? - Natural methods of monitoring air quality - Canary in a coalmine - Lichen - Abundance, Species, and Color of Lichen tell a lot about the levels of air pollution in a certain area Old Man's Beard Lichen

3. Case Study (cont.): Why is a Lichen Like a Canary - Several characteristics of lichen make it very useful to determine air pollution and its source: - Long lived - Widespread - Anchored in one place - Best solution for air pollution is always prevention

4. 15-1: Structure and Science of the Atmosphere Troposphere- the atmospheric layer closest to the earth's surface. - extends 17Km above the equator and at sea level - extends 8Km above the poles

5. 15-1 (cont.): Structure and Science of the Atmosphere If the earth were the size of an apple, the Troposphere would be the size or the skin - comprised of two gasses; nitrogen (78%), and oxygen (21%), the remained are trace amounts of other gasses - The troposphere is responsible for rising and falling air currents leading to our planets short-tern weather and long-term climate

6. 15-1 (cont.): Structure and Science of the Atmosphere Stratosphere - Second layer of the atmosphere extending from 17-48 Km above the surface - Has a much higher content of O3 than Troposphere - This layer is the Earth's "global sunscreen" preventing 95% of suns harmful UV rays

7. 15-2: Outdoor Air Pollution -Air pollution is the presence of chemicals in the atmosphere in concentrations high enough to harm organisms and materials and to alter climate. -Coming from many different sources, The effects range from annoying to lethal Air pollution. -Primary pollutants are emitted directly into the troposphere in potentially damaging form. -Some may react with one another to form new pollutants called secondary pollutants.

8. 15-2 (cont.): Outdoor Air Pollution -Natural processes that affect air quality: -Volcanoes (which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates) -Wildfires (produce smoke and carbon monoxide) -Cattle and other animals (emit methane as part of their digestive process) -Even pine trees (emit volatile organic compounds(VOCs)) -Now, many forms of air pollution are caused by human-made materials. -Since the discovery of fire, humans have been adding various types of pollutants to the troposphere. -Inputs increased when we began to extract and burn coal.

9. 15-2 (cont.): Outdoor Air Pollution -Burning crop waste -Aerosol sprays -Leaky refrigerators -Paint fumes -Varnish and other solvents. -Human affects: -Industrial plants -Power plants -Vehicles -Stoves

10. 15-2 (cont.): Outdoor Air Pollution -Indoor and outdoor air pollution is rated as high risk human health problems. -According to the world health organization one of six people live in unhealthy air. -The government has mandates for maximum and minimum pollution of concentrations. -Twelve states have sued EPO for failure to regulate CO2 emissions.

11. 15-3: Photochemical and Industrial Smog -Photochemical smog is a mixture of air pollutants formed by the recreation of reaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic hydrocarbons under the influence of sunlight. -Begins in engines. N2+O2 turns into 2NO. -Hotter day plus more cars equals max smog. -Industrial smog is a mixture of sulfur dioxide droplets of sulfuric acid, and suspended solid particles emitted by burning coal and oil.

12. 15-3 (cont.): Photochemical and Industrial Smog -Outdoor air pollution can be reduced by: -Precipitation and winds increased by: -Urban buildings and high temperatures. -Rain and snow cleanse air. -A layer of warm air sitting on top of a layer of cool air near the ground can prevent outdoor pollutants from rising and dispersing.

13. 15-4: Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition -Tall smoke stacks are used to reduce local air pollution, but can increase regional air pollution -Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates can react in the atmosphere to produce acidic chemicals that can travel long distances before returning to the earth's surface

14. 15-4 (cont.): Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition Wet deposition-consists of acidic rain, snow, fog and cloud vapor with a pH less than 5.6 Dry deposition- consists of acidic particles Acid Deposition- mixture of Wet deposition, and Dry deposition, is also called acid rain

15. 15-4 (cont.): Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition Acid deposition is a regional air pollution problem in most parts of the world, downwind from coal burning facilities, and urban areas - Areas most sensitive to acid deposition are those containing thin, acidic soils without natural buffering -Acid emissions often travel and effect neighboring countries more than ones own country

16. 15-4 (cont.): Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition -Acid deposition has a harmful ecological effects on aquatic systems, releasing aluminum ions in water changing pH in the water -Acid deposition rarely kills trees directly, but can weaken them and leave then vulnerable to stresses such as severe cold, disease and insect attack

17. 15-4 (cont.): Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition -Mountaintop forests are the terrestrial areas hardest hit by acid deposition, because of their thin soils, with very litter buffering capacity -Most of the worlds forests and lakes are not being seriously harmed by acid deposition -Cleaning acid deposition is politically hard, because ecosystems in trouble are quite distant from the sources

18. 15-4 (cont.): Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition

19. 15-5: Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air pollution usually poses a much greater threat to human health than outdoor air pollution. -One EPA study shows that 11 of the most common pollutants have levels 2-5 times higher inside then outside. -In cars as much as 18 times higher -Health risk has magnified recently due to people in developed countries spending 70-98% of their time indoors or in vehicles. -In 1990, EPA placed indoor air pollution as #1 of 18 sources of cancer risk

20. 15-5 (cont.): Indoor Air Pollution -Those most at risk are: -Smokers -Infants and children under 5 -The elderly -The sick -Pregnant women -People suffering from respiratory or heart problems -Factory workers

21. 15-5 (cont.): Indoor Air Pollution -Symptoms caused by indoor air pollution, also known as Sick building syndrome: -Similar to the common cold -Dizziness, headaches, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, nausea, burning eyes, chronic fatigue, irratibility, skin dryness and irritation, and other flu like symptoms. -The four most common indoor air pollutants: -cigarette smoke -formaldehyde -radon-222 gas -very small fine and ultrafine particles.

22. 15-5 (cont.): Indoor Air Pollution -Formaldehyde, the burning of wood and charcoal plus poorly vented stoves, create high levels of air pollution. -causing 20-40 million Americans to suffer from chronic breathing problems -As many as 2.8 million people (mostly women and children) die each year due to breathing in high quantities of smoke. -1 in every 15 homes in the U.S. is at risk for having high levels of Radon-222 -only 6% of the households took part in taking a test when advised to do so

23. 15-5 (cont.): Indoor Air Pollution -New building are more risky then old ones due to: -Reduced air exchange to conserve energy -chemicals released from carpeting and furniture. -old building are already aired out and all toxicans are already gone -1 out 5 of the 4 million buildings in U.S. are considered “sick” -Solution? -Don’t give up on improving efficiency in buildings. -set up regulations -mulptiple "check-ins"

24. 15-6: Harmful Effects of Air Pollution -How your system helps: -Hair in nose -A sticky mucus at the beginning of track -Sneezing -Coughing -Cilia -To much exposure to tobacco smoke can overload or even break these natural defenses

25. 15-6 (cont.): Harmful Effects of Air Pollution -Years of smoking and exposure to air pollutants can lead to: -Lung cancer and Chronic bronchitis -Effects: -mucus buildup -painful coughing -shortness of breathe. -All these can then lead to emphysema which leads to loss of lung space and acute shortness of breathe.

26. 15-6 (cont.): Harmful Effects of Air Pollution -At least 3 million people a year die prematurely from the effects of air pollutants -An average of 8,200 deaths a day -About 2.8 million of these deaths (93%) are a result from indoor air pollutants. -About 150,00 to 350,00 people die a day in the U.S. due to indoor and outdoor air pollution -125,000 Americans get cancer from breathing in fumes from busses and trucks.

27. 15-7: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution - US does a lot to reduce air pollution: - Clean Air Act (1970, 1977, 1990) - National Ambient Air Quality Standards - Emission Standards for 188 hazardous air pollutants - Good News: - Emissions of Air Pollutants decreased 48% from 1970 to 2002 - Bad News: - More than 170 million people live where the air is unhealthy to breath

28. 15-7 (cont.): Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution - People of the US have created the change to better air quality, but more still needs to be done: - Start preventing not just trying to clean up - Fuel Efficiency for cars must be increased - Regulation of emissions is still inadequate - Must reduce CO2 and greenhouse gas emission - Failed to target indoor air pollution - Better enforcement

29. 15-7 (cont.): Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution - Emission Cap and Trade system is actually beneficial to air quality - There are possible solutions to all types of pollution - Stationary Source Air Pollution - Motor Vehicle Air Pollution - Indoor Air Pollution - We can make the change that is necessary