Government agencies share in dealing with air pollution Federal ◦Managed through Environment Canada (primarily) ◦1999: Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) ◦Enters into international agreements (e.g. Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol)  Canada was first developed country to withdraw from Kyoto in 2011 ◦Enters into transboundary agreements with the U.S. (e.g. Canada-United States Air Quality Agreement) 14- 1

Government agencies share in dealing with air pollution (cont’d) Provincial/territorial ◦Managed through each environment ministry ◦Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) ◦Harmonization Accord, Canada-Wide Standards Sub-Agreement, National Ambient Air Quality Objectives 14- 2

Government agencies share in dealing with air pollution (cont’d) Municipal ◦Only Montreal and Greater Vancouver regulate sources of air pollution ◦Most municipalities raise public awareness  Top concerns differ from one region to another ◦ Mississauga, Ontario = air quality ◦ Halifax, Nova Scotia = wastewater management 14- 3

Monitoring shows that many forms of air pollution have decreased Cleaner-burning vehicles and catalytic converters decrease carbon monoxide Permit-trading programs and clean coal technologies reduce SO 2 emissions Scrubbers = technologies that chemically convert or physically remove pollutants before they leave the smokestacks Phaseout of leaded gasoline Improved technologies and federal policies 14-4

Smog is the most common, widespread air quality problem Smog = unhealthy mixtures of air pollutants over urban areas Industrial (gray air) smog = industries burn coal or oil ◦Occurs in cooler, hilly areas ◦Government regulations in developed countries reduced smog ◦Coal-burning industrializing countries face significant health risks 14- 5

Industrial smog 14-6

Photochemical smog is produced by a complex series of reactions Light-driven reactions of primary pollutants and normal atmospheric compounds Morning traffic exhaust releases pollutants Irritates eyes, noses, and throats Vehicle inspection programs have decreased smog 14- 7

Air quality is a rural issue, too Airborne pesticides from farms Industrial pollutants drifting from cities, factories and powerplants Feedlots, where cattle, hogs, or chickens are raised in dense concentrations ◦Voluminous amounts of methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia ◦People living or working nearby have high rates of respiratory problems 14- 8

Industrializing nations are suffering increasing air pollution Outdoor pollution is increasing China has the world’s worst air pollution ◦Four out of five Chinese cities had emissions above the threshold set by WHO Southern Asian brown cloud = a 3 km-thick layer of pollution that reduces sunlight by 10-15%, affects climate, decreases productivity, and kills thousands each year 14- 9

China smog emergency shuts city of 11 million people BEIJING | Mon Oct 21, :57am EDT (Reuters) - Choking smog all but shut down one of northeastern China's largest cities on Monday, forcing schools to suspended classes, snarling traffic and closing the airport, in the country's first major air Pollution crisis of the winter. An index measuring PM2.5, or particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), reached a reading of 1,000 in some parts of Harbin, the gritty capital of northeastern Heilongjiang province and home to some 11 million people. A level above 300 is considered hazardous, while the World Health Organisation recommends a daily level of no more than 20. The smog not only forced all primary and middle schools to suspend classes, but shut the airport and some public bus routes, the official Xinhua news agency reported, blaming the emergency on the first day of the heating being turned on in the city for winter. Visibility was reportedly reduced to 10 meters. The smog is expected to continue for the next 24 hrs.

Synthetic chemicals deplete stratospheric ozone Ozone layer = ozone in the lower stratosphere ◦12 ppm concentrations effectively block incoming damaging ultraviolet radiation Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) = chemicals that attack ozone ◦1 million metric tons/year were produced in early 1970s ◦Releases chlorine atoms that split ozone

Synthetic chemicals deplete stratospheric ozone (cont’d) Ozone hole = ozone levels over Antarctica had declined by % Global ozone depletion causes skin cancer, harms crops and decreases ocean productivity

There are still many questions to be resolved about ozone depletion Will ozone depletion spread from the polar regions to encompass mid-latitude regions? What is the actual relationship between ozone depletion and human health impacts? What are the other potential impacts of ozone depletion (e.g. on ecosystems)? Are the substitute chemicals that are being proposed in international agreements definitely less damaging to the stratospheric ozone layer?

The Montreal Protocol addressed ozone depletion 1987: Montreal Protocol = 197 nations agreed to cut CFC production in half ◦Follow-up agreements deepened cuts, advanced timetables and addresses other ozone-depleting chemicals ◦Today, production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals has decreased 95% ◦The ozone layer is beginning to recover Challenges still face us ◦CFCs will remain in the stratosphere for a long time ◦Nations can ask for exemptions to the ban  United States to use methyl bromide to control pests on strawberries

The Montreal Protocol addressed ozone depletion (cont’d) Considered the biggest environmental success story ◦Policymakers included industry in helping solve the problem ◦Adaptive management strategy allowed changes in response to new scientific data, technological advances, and economic figures The Montreal Protocol can serve as a model for international environmental cooperation

Acid deposition is another transboundary pollution problem Acidic deposition = the deposition of acid, or acid-forming pollutants, from the atmosphere onto Earth’s surface ◦Acid rain = precipitation of acid ◦Atmospheric deposition = the wet or dry deposition on land of pollutants Originates from burning fossil fuels ◦release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides ◦react with water to form sulfuric and nitric acids

Sources of acid deposition

Acid deposition is another transboundary pollution problem (cont’d) Rain and other forms of precipitation with pH of less than 5.1 are considered acidified Acidic deposition can have wide-ranging, cumulative detrimental effects on ecosystems and on our built environment ◦Acids leach nutrients from the topsoil ◦Alters soil chemistry harming plants ◦Mobilizes toxic metal ions ◦Run-off into surface waters ◦Erodes and corrodes built structures (Parthenon)

Acid deposition has not been reduced as much as scientists had hoped New technologies such as scrubbers have helped SO 2 emissions are lower NO x emissions are higher Acid deposition’s effects are worse than predicted

Indoor Air Pollution 14-21

Indoor air pollution Indoor air contains higher concentrations of pollutants than outdoor air ◦6,000 people in North America die per day from indoor air pollution The average person in North America is indoors at least 90% of the time ◦Exposed to synthetic materials (insecticides, cleaning fluids, plastics, and chemically treated wood) ◦ : ventilation systems were sealed off and windows put in that did not open, trapping pollutants inside

Indoor air pollution in the developing world arises from fuelwood burning Burning wood, charcoal, dung, crop wastes for cooking and eating Kills 1.6 million people each year Causes pneumonia, bronchitis, allergies, cataracts, asthma, heart disease, cancer and premature death

Tobacco smoke and radon are the most dangerous indoor pollutants in the developed world Secondhand smoke from cigarettes is especially dangerous ◦Containing over 4000 dangerous chemicals ◦Causes eye, nose, and throat irritation ◦Smoking has declined in developed nations After cigarette smoke, radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the developed world ◦Colourless, odourless gas that can seep into buildings

Many VOCs pollute indoor air VOCs = volatile organic compounds Released by everything from plastics and oils to perfumes and paints Most VOCs are released in very small amounts Unclear health implications due to low concentrations Also include pesticides, which are found indoors more often than outdoors due to seepage Formaldehyde, which leaks from pressed wood and insulation, irritates mucous membranes and induces skin allergies

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Living organisms can pollute indoors Tiny living organisms can also pollute Includes dust mites and animal dander worsen asthma Fungi, mold, mildew, airborne bacteria cause severe allergies, asthma, and other respiratory ailments Sick building syndrome = a sickness produced by indoor pollution with general and nonspecific symptoms ◦Solved by using low-toxicity building materials and good ventilation

How Safe Is Your Indoor Environment? Think about the amount of time you spend indoors. Name the potential indoor air quality hazards in your home, work, or school environment. What could you do to make the indoor spaces you use safer? weighing the issues

Living organisms can pollute indoor spaces Dust mites and animal dander Fungi, mould, and mildew Airborne bacteria (Legionnaire’s disease) Microbes that induce allergic responses are thought to be a major cause of sickness produced by indoor pollution ◦Sick-building syndrome

We can reduce indoor air pollution In developed countries: ◦Use low-toxicity material ◦Monitor air quality ◦Keep rooms clean ◦Limit exposure to chemicals In developing countries: ◦Dry wood before burning ◦Cook outside (including with solar cookers) ◦Use less-polluting fuels (natural gas)

Conclusion Indoor air pollution is a potentially serious health threat Outdoor air pollution has been addressed by government legislation and regulation in developed countries, but is still a problem Improvement is required in reducing acidic deposition, photochemical smog Avoiding unhealthy pollutants in developing world will pose a challenge as less-wealthy nations industrialize; indeed air pollution is getting worse

QUESTION: Review The major component of Earth’s atmosphere is … a)Nitrogen gas b)Oxygen gas c)Argon gas d)Water vapor

QUESTION: Review Ozone in the _________ is a pollutant, but in the ______ is vital for life a)Stratosphere, troposphere b)Troposphere, stratosphere c)Troposphere, tropopause d)Stratosphere, thermosphere

QUESTION: Review _____ is defined as the ratio of water vapor in the atmosphere compared to the amount the atmosphere could contain a)Atmospheric pressure b)Ozonification c)Temperature d)Relative humidity

QUESTION: Review If you were on a sailing ship going from Europe to Canada, you would want to be in the ________ a)Doldrums b)Trade winds c)Westerlies d)Polar cell

QUESTION: Review Which criteria pollutant is colorless, odorless, and poses a risk to humans, even in small amounts? a)Sulfur dioxide b)Nitrogen dioxide c)Tropospheric ozone d)Carbon monoxide

QUESTION: Review The Montreal Protocol addressed _______ a)Global warming, and was not successful b)Criteria pollutants, and was successful c)Ozone depletion, and was successful d)Acid deposition, and was successful

QUESTION: Interpreting Graphs and Data What does this graph show about the mesosphere? a)It contains the most ozone b)It is a very thin layer c)Temperature decreases with increasing altitude d)Temperature increases with increasing altitude

QUESTION: Viewpoints Should the government be able to prevent restaurants from allowing smoking, to protect people from secondhand smoke? a)Yes; I don’t want to be exposed to this form of pollution b)Yes, only if the restaurant agrees c)No, let the restaurant owner decide d)No; I want to be able to smoke in a restaurant