1. Air Quality and Pollution

2. Air Composition

4. Coal fired Power Plant

5. Primary Pollutants - their sources and effects
Carbon monoxide – incomplete combustion of fossil fuels – headaches and death
Sulfur dioxide – combustion of fossil fuels – respiratory irritant, stomate damage, converts to H2SO4
Nitrogen oxides – NO, NO2 – combustion of fossil fuels – respiratory irritant, converts to HNO3 and photochemical smog containing ozone
Particulate matter – combustion of fossil fuels, wood, manure – agriculture, road construction – respiratory irritant
Volatile organic compounds – evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints – forms ozone
Lead – Gasoline additive, coal combustion

6. Secondary Air Pollutants
Sulfuric Acid – H20 + SO2 -> H2SO4 – acid precipitation – irritant to plants, animals, aquatic organisms, decomposition of rock(marble,limestone) and metal structures
Nitric Acid -H2O+ NO2 -> HNO3 - acid precipitation
Hydrogen Peroxide – H2O2 – surface irritant
Ozone – O3 – respiratory irritant
Ammonium – NH3 – respiratory irritant

7. Air Quality Protection
US Clean Air Act – Identified 6 Criteria Pollutants –
Sulfur dioxide(SO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOX), Carbon monoxide (CO),
Particulates(SPM), Tropospheric Ozone(O3), Lead (Pb)
limits amounts and concentrations of these gases
2007 – Supreme Court added Carbon dioxide
Requires emission controls – catalytic converters, auto emission testing, electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers

8. Electrostatic Precipitator

9. Air Scrubber

10. Air Pollution Control at Coal fired Power Plant

11. Greenhouse Gases Water vapor Carbon dioxide (CO2) Methane (CH4)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
All produce an exaggerated Greenhouse Effect

12. Climate Change Effects
Warmer and fewer cold days and nights
Warmer and more frequent hot days and nights
More heat waves
Heavy precipitation events and flooding
Areas of drought increases
More intense cyclone, hurricane and tropical storms
Increased incidence of high sea level and flooding

13. International Air Quality Controls
Kyoto Protocol – 1997 – international meeting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 5.2% below 1990 levels by 2012
US 7% reduction- not signed by US Senate – Al Gore and Clinton supported ,8% European reduction, 0% Russian, China, India reduction
2001 – GW Bush argued against CO2 emission control for US, wanted international controls
2007 – US Supreme Court ruled that EPA had authority to regulate greenhouse gases in Clean Air Act
2010 – Obama supported fuel efficiency but no ratification of protocol
192 countries have ratified – not USA

14. Carbon sequestration