Living in the Environment Air Pollution G. Tyler Miller’s Living in the Environment 14th Edition Chapter 20

Key Concepts Structure and composition of the atmosphere Types and sources of outdoor air pollution Types, formation, and effects of smog Sources and effects of acid deposition Effects of air pollution Prevention and control of air pollution

The Atmosphere Troposphere 78% N, 21% O Stratosphere Ozone layer Ozone – Double Trouble Fig. 20-2 p. 434

Outdoor Air Pollution Primary pollutants Secondary pollutants

Table 20-1 Major Classes of Air Pollutants Carbon oxides Sulfur oxides Nitrogen oxides Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Suspended particulate matter (SPM) Photochemical oxidants Radioactive substances Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), which cause health effects such as cancer, birth defects, and nervous system problems Examples Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) Sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur trioxide (SO3) Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) (NO and NO2 often are lumped together and labeled NOx) Methane (CH4), propane (C3H8), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Solid particles (dust, soot, asbestos, lead, nitrate, and sulfate salts), liquid droplets (sulfuric acid, PCBs, dioxins, and pesticides) Ozone (O3), peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), aldehydes Radon-222, iodine-131, strontium-90, plutonium-239 (Table 3-1, p. 49) Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), methyl chloride (CH3Cl), chloroform (CHCl3), benzene (C6H6), ethylene dibromide (C2H2Br2), formaldehyde (CH2O2)

Table 20-2 Major Outdoor Air Pollutants CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) Description: Colorless, odorless gas that is poisonous to air-breathing animals; forms during the incomplete combustion of carbon-containing fuels (2 C + O2 2 CO). Major human sources: Cigarette smoking (p. 409), incomplete burning of fossil fuels. About 77% (95% in cities) comes from motor vehicle exhaust. Health effects: Reacts with hemoglobin in red blood cells and reduces the ability of blood to bring oxygen to body cells and tissues. This impairs perception and thinking; slows reflexes; causes headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, and nausea; can trigger heart attacks and angina; damages the development of fetuses and young children; and aggravates chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and anemia. At high levels it causes collapse, coma, irreversible brain cell damage, and death. NITROGEN DIOXIDE (NO2) Description: Reddish-brown irritating gas that gives photochemical smog its brownish color; in the atmosphere can be converted to nitric acid (HNO3), a major component of acid deposition. Major human sources: Fossil fuel burning in motor vehicles (49%) and power and industrial plants (49%). Health effects: Lung irritation and damage; aggravates asthma and chronic bronchitis; increases susceptibility to respiratory infections such as the flu and common colds (especially in young children and older adults).

Photochemical Smog Photochemical reaction Photochemical oxidants Brown-air smog

Industrial Smog Particulates Sulfur dioxide Sulfuric acid Gray-air smog

Temperature Inversions Subsidence inversion

Regional Outdoor Air Pollution from Acid Deposition Eastern United States Czech Republic Acid deposition Wet deposition Dry deposition

Acid Deposition and Humans Respiratory diseases Damage to structures, especially containing calcium carbonate Toxic metal leaching Decreased visibility Decreased productivity and profitability of fisheries, forests, and farms

Acid Deposition, Plants, and Soil Acid Deposition and Aquatic Systems Nutrient leaching Fish declines Heavy metal release Aluminum toxicity Acid shock Weakens trees

Solutions to Acid Deposition CBS - China’s Air Pollution Problem

Effects of Air Pollution on People Respiratory diseases (see Fig. 20-15 p. 452) Asthma Lung cancer Chronic bronchitis Emphysema Premature death Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution Clean Air Act National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Primary and secondary standards Emissions trading

Emission Reduction

Reducing Motor Vehicle Air Pollution In the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, the Department of Transportation (DOTS) was given the authority to set what's called Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) for motor vehicles. CAFE was intended to reduce both fuel consumption and emissions (not surprisingly, because burning less gas creates less air pollution). The standard today requires that vehicles have a fuel efficiency average of 27.5 miles per gallon, but larger vehicles such as pick-up trucks, SUVs, and minivans have a lower standard, of just 20.7 mpg. However, due to the increasing dominance of SUVs and minivans in the U.S. market, Congress has allowed DOT to raise the standard for light trucks to 22.7 mpg by the year 2007.

Indoor Air Pollution Radon 60 Minutes – Indoor Air Quality Sick Building Syndrome Indoor Air pollution - causes an pollutants Asbestos Radon Radioactive radon-222 Lung cancer threat Occurs in certain areas based on geology Associated with uranium and organic material in rock

Reducing Indoor Air Pollution