Home sweet home...

Or is it????

Breathing! Some basics

What is in our atmosphere? Normal chemical composition of our atmosphere: (N 2 ) 78% (O 2 ) 21% Trace gases (water, argon, carbon dioxide, other pollutants) 1%

Pollution terminology Pollutant Source Effect

Article: EPA Proposes New Ozone Standard EPA = Environmental Protection Agency

Pollution units Parts per thousand (ppt) Parts per million (ppm) Parts per billion (ppb)

Smog and ozone form together 1.N 2 + O 2  2NO 2.2NO + O 2  2NO 2 3.NO 2 + UV radiation  NO + O 4.O + O 2  O 3

Primary pollutants come directly from a source Mobile sources

Stationary Sources Power plants

Refineries

Secondary pollutants form in atmosphere as gases react Smog, ground level ozone and acid rain

Secondary pollutants form in atmosphere as gases react Step two: 2NO + O 2  2NO 2 NO 2 is smog – a yellow brown gas Causes lung and eye irritation, makes asthma, bronchitis and emphysema worse

Ozone formation Step 3: NO 2 + UV radiation  NO + O Step 4:O + O 2  O 3 Ozone slows photosynthesis, eye and lung irritant, makes asthma, emphysema, bronchitis worse

Check out ozone formation Texas Commission on Environmental Quality –EPA: National/Federal Regulatory agency –TCEQ: state regulatory agency ozone animation Houston Clean Air Network Map

AQI: set at 100 for each criterion pollutant level. Ozone 100 AQI = 85ppb

Smog and ozone form together 1.N 2 + O 2  2NO 2.2NO + O 2  2NO 2 3.NO 2 + UV radiation  NO + O 4.O + O 2  O 3 Ozone season: March- November Ozone daily formation: noon-early evening

VOCs – a second route for O 3 formation Volatile Organic Compounds: –Methane (CH 4 ) –Propane –Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)

–VOCs can break O 2 into free oxygen atoms (free radicals) –VOC + O 2  VOC + 2O –O + O 2  O 3

We're #? We're #?....for the number of days exceeding allowable ground level ozone levels. American Lung Association State of the AirAmerican Lung Association State of the Air

We're #? We're #?....for the number of days exceeding allowable ground level ozone levels. American Lung Association State of the AirAmerican Lung Association State of the Air

Measuring pollutants parts per thousand = ppt parts per million = ppm Parts per billion = ppb Parts per trillion = ppt (must know from context)

Clean Air Act Passed by Congress in 1970, updated in 1990, ‘93, 97, Required EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to identify criteria pollutants and to establish minimum standards: EPA came up with NAAQ’s

National Ambient Air Quality Standards Six criterion pollutants: NO x, SO x, O 3, Pb, CO, particulates Established minimum standards: 1hr and 8 hr EPA is working to have greenhouse gases added by Congress to the NAAQs

Houston’s special issues 1/3 of all US petrochemicals pass through our refineries Refineries separate crude oil into many different products from asphalt tar to gasoline to butane

Refineries create carcinogenic air pollutants Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes

So what is being done about this? - City monitoring

45 mobile monitoring stations

State monitoring Flexible permitting – each facility has total cap emissions limit, but flexibility in how they meet that limit. TCEQ issues permits for emitting certain amount of pollutants Facilities do “self reporting”

Check your understanding! What is the difference between a primary and a secondary air pollutant? Give an example of a mobile source. Give an example of a stationary source. Which layer of the atmosphere are you in RIGHT NOW?!!!! What is the normal chemical composition of our atmosphere?