1. Particulates or aerosols
Come from lots of natural and man-made sources
Natural sources
Salt from ocean spray
Dust from fields
Volcanic eruptions
Forest fires
It is worth noting that natural sources can often be far worse than man-made sources

2. Particulates or aerosols
Man-made sources
Fly ash from coal combustion
Ash from petroleum, but it occurs at 1/20 coal ash
Iron and steel mills
Cement manufacturing
Burning of wood and other materials
Coal dust from mining of coal (Black Lung)
Measured in terms of the number of micrograms of particulates per cubic meter
Standard is no more than 50 ug/m3 for particles with sizes greater than 10 microns in a year, but this does not account for chemical composition of the particulates

3. Map of particulate matter levels

4. Natural Dust

5. Volcanic eruptions
Eruptions put large amounts of sulphur dioxide, hydrochloric acid and ash into the stratosphere.
Hydrochloric acid is rained out of the atmosphere
Sulphur dioxide reacts with water and forms sulphuric acid. The sulfuric acid condenses, forming aerosols. On the surface of the aerosols, chemical reactions occur which increase levels of chlorine which reacts with nitrogen and causes destruction of ozone in the stratosphere.
This aerosol layer also reflects sunlight, and can cool the atmosphere.

6. Fly Ash Residue of coal burning
Contains silicon dioxide, calcium oxide, arsenic, beryllium, boron, cadmium, chromium, chromium VI, cobalt, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, thallium, and vanadium, along with dioxins and PAH compounds

7. Fly Ash In the past, was released into the atmosphere.
In the US, it is now it is captured and stored at the coal plants or in landfills
43% is recycled and used in cement, grout, roofing tiles, paints, metal casings, filler in wood and plastic products.

8. Storage problems
Kingston TN, Dec 23, Containment failure at the TVA plant.
Not classified as a hazardous waste by the EPA
Some concern that the level of radioactivity in the fly ash is equal to or more than you receive living near a BWR nuclear facility.

9. Effects of particulate matter
Size is critical
Your body has mechanisms designed to filter out particles with sizes larger than 1 um. (nose, mucous membranes, sneezing and coughing.
However, smaller particles can pass into the lungs and cause problems

10. Effects of particulate matter
Respiratory problems
Lung cancers
Particles can carry other toxic substance
Health begins to deteriorate for long term exposure at levels of 80 ug/m3 .
Decrease in sunlight-cities with high levels of population and industry receive 20% less sunlight than areas with less population and industry.
Buildings and clothing damaged
Toxic substances in the particulates can contribute to decay of masonry and corrosion of metals

11. Removal of particulates
Natural processes –particles stay in the atmosphere days to years
Gravity
Precipitation
small particles for nuclei around which raindrops form
Rain washes out particulates
Natural processes cannot keep up with the rate of man made particulate pollution

12. Removal of particulates
Removal of ash from coal burning
2 types of ash
Bottom ash-heavy, sinks to the bottom of the boilers
Fly ash –light goes up the stack and released in to the atmosphere
Bag house- air passes through
a set of vibrating filters. The
vibrations shake the particles
out of the filter and they sink
to the bottom for collection

13. Removal of particulates
Electrostatic precipitators
Gas molecules are ionized in a high electric field.
Ions stick to particulates, giving them a charge.
They are attracted to the metal plates which are at a high electric potential and stick

14. Removal of particulates
Cyclone separators
Gas is circulated in a circular motion
Particles hit the walls and settle out
Not very efficient for small particles

15. Removal of particulates
Scrubbers
Gas is sprayed with water, and the spray collects the particulates and is fed out the bottom.
The waste water needs further treatment to remove the particulates.

16. Black Lung Disease Also called coal workers' pneumoconiosis
Coal dust particles are too small to be filtered by the bodies natural filtration systems
Once in the body, it cannot be removed or destroyed
In the lungs, it is engulfed by white blood cells known as macrophages and it stays in the lungs or lymph nodes
Aggregations of these carbon filled macrophages form which cause inflammation, fibrosis and lesions
Lung efficiency is reduced, leading to other complications such as respiratory or heart failure
-A Louisville Courier Journal article on the state of Black Lung Disease in KY
Responsible for 1500 deaths in the US each year

17. Black Lung Disease