Air
Pollutants
Policy
Greenhouse Gases
Control & Prediction
Air Pollutants
Primary Secondary
CO carbon monoxide • produced by reactions
CO2 carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
NO nitrous oxide – SO3
– HNOs
NO2 nitrate
– H2SO4
SO2 sulfur dioxide – H2O2
PM particulate matter – PAN‟s
HC hydro-carbons – NO3, SO4 Salts
Major Air Pollutants
Air Pollutant Source of Pollutants
50% Carbon Monoxide 49% Transportation
16% Sulfur Oxides 28% Electrical Utilities
15% Volatile Organic 13% Industrial
Compounds 3% Solid Waste
14% Nitrogen Oxides 7% Misc.
5% Suspended
Particulate Matter
Air Pollutants
• CO2 • Global Warming
– Fossil fuel burning – Stop deforestation
• HC • Smog
– Cars, Factory‟s – Use mass transit
• SO2 • Acid Rain (wet/dry)
– Power plants, Coal – Use natural gas, solar
• NOx: Cars, Fertilizers • Smog
• O3: Depletion by CFC‟s • UV / Sunburn
• O3: Cars • Smog, health concerns
Human Impact
(2 overheads)
• Chest Cavity • Particle Size
• Large PM expelled by • Visible
bronchial tubes – greater than 1 micron
• Visible PM • Invisible
– easiest to capture with – less than 1 micron
pollution control – more damaging to lung
equipment tissues
– easiest for public to see
improvement
NAAQS & NAA
• National Ambient Air Quality Standards
– a measure of background pollution
– how much the environment can assimilate and
still remain healthy
• Non-Attainment Areas
– Class I: Can not have any increases
• National Parks, mostly out west
– Class II: Allows moderate growth of sources
– Class III: Allows for significant development of
new sources
PSD‟s & NSPS
• Prevention of Significant Deterioration
– clean up of current sources
– prevent air from getting worse
New Sources Performance Standards (NSPS)
– don‟t want to stop economic growth,
– but don‟t let new factory‟s from add to the
problem
NESHAP‟s & PSI
• National Emissions Standards for
Hazardous Pollutants (NESHAPS)
– set standards for hazardous, man-made
pollutants
• Pollution Standards Index
– report to the public on how „clean‟ the air is
– helps pressure industry to clean up
– public health awareness from air pollution
CAA Stationary Sources
• Determined background • Prevent areas from
(natural) pollution levels getting worse
NAAQS PSD‟s
• Controlling existing • Regulate Primary
sources in polluted areas Pollutants
Class I • Regulate man-made
• Control new sources toxic pollutants
NSPS NESHAP‟s
Pollution Prevention
Replace / Substitute
– Levi Straus: blue cloth paper
– Kodak: shredded paper
– Hugh‟s: lemon juice instead of CFC‟s
– Burn low sulfur Anthracite coal
instead of high sulfur Bituminous coal
– Utilities: burn oil instead of coal
Pollution Prevention
Replace / Substitute
– Hazardous Materials reductions
– Natural Gas for use on buses & trucks
– Emissions Trading Policy
Pollution Control
Reduce / Optimize
• Flume: high temperature burner
• Cyclone: vacuum sweeper
• Bag-house: but when the bag breaks…?
• Wet Scrubber: dirty water, now what…?
• Electrostatic Precipitator: effective
• Limestone Fluidized bed: alter composition
• Tower: Electro. Precipitator + wet scrubber
Pollution Reduction
Recycle / Reuse
– EGR valve on cars
– CH4 in wastewater systems
– Levi Straus: blue cloth paper
– Kodak: shredded paper for shipping
– Electric utilities use wastewater for coolant
– St. Petersburg lawn water reuse
4 R‟s = 4 P‟s
• Regulation = Polluter Pays Principle
• Replace / Substitute = Pollution Prevention
• Reduce / Optimize = Pollution Control
• Recycle / Reuse = Pollution Reduction
Acid Rain
• Utilities & Factory‟s
– Electricity from turbines
– Turbines run on steam
– Steam produced by heat
– Heat created by burning coal
– Coal contains Sulfur
• Combusted Sulfur reacts with water to
form Sulfuric Acid (HSO3)
Acid Rain
• Sulfuric Acid (HSO3) falls to the ground as
– Dry Deposition (dust, acidification)
– Wet Deposition (Acid Rain)
• Acidic water bodies can not support life
• Lime Soils buffer & neutralize Acid Rain
• In other soils, Acidic rain leaches metals out
of the soil and make them bio-available
• Metals bio-accumulate and become toxic
Acid Rain: Cross Media Impact
• Sulfuric Acid (HSO3) falls to the ground as
– Dry Deposition (dust, acidification)
– Wet Deposition (Acid Rain)
• Acidic water bodies can not support life
• Lime Soils buffer & neutralize Acid Rain
• In other soils, Acidic rain leaches metals out
of the soil and make them bio-available
• Metals bio-accumulate and become toxic
Atmosphere
• Mesosphere
– (overhead)
• Stratosphere
• Troposphere
– Nitrogen 78%
– Oxygen 21%
Greenhouse Gases
• SO2 Sulfur Dioxide: coal / electricity
• CO2 Carbon Dioxide: people, fossil fuel
• NOx Nitrous Oxide: fertilizer, fossil fuel, cars
» also involved in ozone depletion
Greenhouse Gases
• CO Carbon Monoxide: cars
• CH4 Methane: animals, biodegration
• Pb Lead: 1970 - 1985 = 90% reduction
• HC Hydrocarbons (VOC‟s): fossil fuels
• CFC‟s Chloroflourocarbons: aerosols
» mainly involved in ozone depletion
Greenhouse Effect
• CO2
– naturally occurring in Troposphere
– is used by plants for photosynthesis
– by-product of fossil fuel combustion
– COx traps heat, keeps the Earth warm
• Hawaii Statistics
• Deforestation in Brazil & Asia
– loss of plants taking in CO2
– what is the precautionary approach?
Ozone Hole
• Ozone located in the upper troposphere
• Ozone filter UV radiation
• CFC‟s gobble up Ozone (1000 : 1)
• Increase UV = Increase Skin Cancer
• HFC‟s substitute for CFC‟s at minimal cost
• Precautionary Approach to Management
– we don‟t know, & it isn‟t costly: so be cautious
PAN‟s / SMOG
(overhead)
• NOx & COx produced by cars
• Reacts with oxygen to produce Ozone
• Ozone filters (captures) sunlight just like in
stratosphere, but on dirt & dust particles
• Particles cause haze “Smog”
• Serious health hazard at high levels
Atmospheric Patterns
(diagrams)
• Curiolis Effect
• Pressure Zones
– High & Low, Wind, Moisture
– Urban Bubble - heat sink
• Inversions
– (Warm Sunny Days, Clear Cool Nights)
– Nocturnal Inversion
– Subsidence Inversion
– Stagnation: Denver, Pgh, WVa
Stationary Source Plumes
(diagrams)
• Adiabatic Expansion Rate
• Mean Mixing depth
• Coning Plume
• Looping Plume
• Fanning Plume
• Trapping Plume
• Fumigating Plume
Dispersion Models
• Linear
• Box
• Multi-box
• Gaussian
• Gaussian Mobile
Mobile Sources
• Trucks & Buses
– Natural gas, big tanks, diesel
• Trains & Planes
– oil, electric, new engine designs: ACRID AIR
• Cars
– mufflers, EGR, fuel injection, catalytic
converter, mpg, weight, SUV‟s
Air Pollution
• What is regulated
• What are the sources
• What are the controls
• Why are pollutants a health concern
• Role of atmospheric conditions
• Role of chemical reactions
• Pre-cautionary principle