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AIR POLLUTION

AIR POLLUTION. COMPOSITON OF AIR. 78% Nitrogen (N 2 ) 21% Oxygen (O 2 ) 0.9% Argon 0.035% (CO 2 ). POLLUTION. Anything that negatively affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION. Human Health

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AIR POLLUTION

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  1. AIR POLLUTION

  2. COMPOSITON OF AIR • 78% Nitrogen (N2) • 21% Oxygen (O2) • 0.9% Argon • 0.035% (CO2)

  3. POLLUTION • Anything that negatively affects the health, survival, or activities of humans or other living organisms.

  4. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Human Health • ACUTE: short duration exposure and/or immediate effects Examples: irritation of eyes, nose and throat upper respiratory infections (bronchitis, pneumonia) headaches nausea allergic reactions, etc.

  5. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Human Health • CHRONIC: long duration exposure and/or long term effects Examples: lung cancer heart disease damage to brain, nerves, liver, kidneys, etc.

  6. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Aesthetic

  7. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Damage to organisms Air pollution damage to spruce and to red alder trees.

  8. Air pollution damage to white pine.MN. Dept. Nat. Res. Archive

  9. Damage to pine due to S02MN. Dept. Nat. Res. Archive

  10. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Damage to ecosystems Spruce forest. Decline of forests due to air pollution.

  11. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION • Damage to property Effects of dry deposition of sulfur dioxide, which causes the formation of gypsum. Gypsum traps particulate matter to form heavy, black incrustation.

  12. FACTORS INFLUENCING EFFECTS • Chemical Nature • How active and harmful • Concentration • See Temperature Inversions • Persistence • How long pollutant stays around

  13. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Normally air temp decreases with increasing altitude. • Ground heats up and heats air above it which rises, expands, and cools. • This rising air carries pollutants up and away from where humans breathe and dilute the pollutants in more air space.

  14. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversion: occurs at ground level when cool air is created under or slips under relatively warmer air just above it.

  15. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversion: occurs at ground level when cool air is created under or slips under relatively warmer air just above it.

  16. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversion: occurs at ground level when cool air is created under or slips under relatively warmer air just above it.

  17. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversions break when • Sun comes out and heats ground which heats air above ground to warmer than layer above it. • During cloudy weather, sun may not be strong enough to break up inversion for several hours or days.

  18. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversions are bad because • Air pollution concentrates in this layer that we breathe. • In 1963, 300 people in NY City died due to temp inversion.

  19. TEMPERATURE INVERSION • Temperature Inversions • Occur almost every night • Occur more dramatically in cities near mountains • This is why we have smokestacks

  20. Greece 2007 SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION • Natural sources include: • Volcanoes, fires, dust storms…

  21. SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION • Human (Anthropogenic) • Stationary vs. Mobile • Stationary: e.g., power plants • Mobile: e.g., transportation

  22. SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION • Primary vs. Secondary • Primary pollutants: enter air directly as pollutants – direct products of combustion and evaporation. • Secondary pollutants: primary pollutants that undergo further reactions in atmosphere to produce additional undesirable compounds.

  23. PRIMARY VS SECONDARY

  24. TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS • Criteria Pollutants • Clean Air Act mandates NAAQS--national ambient air quality standards (max concentrations that can be in the air). • SPLONC = SO2, Particulate Matter, Lead, O3, NO2, CO

  25. NAAQS • these are primary standards intended to protect human health

  26. SULFUR DIOXIDE: SO2 • Sources: mostly stationary fuel combustion (esp. coal power plants) • Main Effects: • Acid Deposition • Corrosive • Damages lungs • Damages structures • Damages environment

  27. PARTICULATE MATTER • Examples: dust, soot, lead, arsenic • Sources: industry (38%) and stationary (25%) and mobile (21%) fuel combustion • Main Effects: depends on pollutant • Usually decreases lung function

  28. LEAD • Sources: paints and smelting plants • Main Effects: • Affects brain and nervous system

  29. OZONE: O3 • Sources: secondary pollutant from nitrogen dioxide, hydrocarbons, sunlight • Mostly transportation; also stationary fuel combustion • Main Effects: • Damages lungs; irritates eyes • Damages plants • Damages structures

  30. NITROGEN DIOXIDE: NO2 • Sources: secondary pollutant from nitrogen oxide • Mostly fuel combustion (stationary and transportation) • Main Effects: • Acid Deposition • Forms ozone • Damages lungs • Produces brown haze in air

  31. CARBON MONOXIDE: CO • Sources: mostly transportation • Main Effects: • Reduces blood’s capacity to carry oxygen (headaches and worse) • Forms ozone

  32. TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS • Noncriteria Pollutants • Clean Air Act mandates emission standards (how much can come out of the smokestack) • Examples: arsenic, asbestos, mercury, radioactive isotopes.

  33. PRINCIPAL POLLUTANTS

  34. PRINCIPAL POLLUTANTS

  35. PANs = peroxyacetyl nitrates, highly reactive and damaging compounds.

  36. THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF SMOG • Industrial smog (gray smog) occurs where coal is burned and atmosphere is humid. • Photochemical smog (brown smog) occurs where sunlight acts on vehicle pollutants.

  37. TRENDS IN AIR POLLUTION

  38. WAYS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION • DRIVE LESS  carpool, walk or ride a bike, shop by phone or mail, ride public transit, telecommute. • DRIVE SMART  obey the speed limit, combine all errands in one trip, use cruise control, keep car tuned, don’t top off at the pump, replace car’s air filter, keep tires properly inflated, buy clean cars. • BUY AIR-FRIENDLY PRODUCTS  buy products that are water-based or are low in VOCs, buy water-based paints, paint with a brush instead of a sprayer, use a push or electric lawn mower, use propane or gas barbecue.

  39. WAYS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION • SAVE ENERGY  turn off lights when you leave a room, use fluorescent lighting, use a programmable thermostat, insulate your home, use a fan instead of an air-conditioner, install low-flow shower heads. • WASTE NOT  choose recycled products, choose products with recycled packaging, print or xerox on both sides of the paper, reuse paper bags, recycle papers, plastics and metals. • DON’T CREATE DUST  don’t use fireplace on days with unhealthy air, use rake instead of leaf blower, drive slowly on dirt roads.

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