Air

Pollutants

Policy

Greenhouse Gases

Control & Prediction

Air Pollutants

Primary

CO carbon monoxide

CO2 carbon dioxide

NO nitrous oxide

NO2 nitrate

SO2 sulfur dioxide

PM particulate matter

HC hydro-carbons

Secondary• produced by reactions

in the atmosphere– SO3

– HNOs

– H2SO4

– H2O2

– PAN’s

– NO3, SO4 Salts

Major Air Pollutants

Air Pollutant

50% Carbon Monoxide

16% Sulfur Oxides

15% Volatile Organic

Compounds

14% Nitrogen Oxides

5% Suspended Particulate Matter

Source of Pollutants

49% Transportation

28% Electrical Utilities

13% Industrial

3% Solid Waste

7% Misc.

Air Pollutants• CO2

– Fossil fuel burning

• HC– Cars, Factory’s

• SO2– Power plants, Coal

• NOx: Cars, Fertilizers• O3: Depletion by CFC’s• O3: Cars

• Global Warming– Stop deforestation

• Smog– Use mass transit

• Acid Rain (wet/dry)– Use natural gas, solar

• Smog• UV / Sunburn• Smog, health concerns

Human Impact(2 overheads)

• Chest Cavity• Large PM expelled by

bronchial tubes• Visible PM

– easiest to capture with pollution control equipment

– easiest for public to see improvement

• Particle Size• Visible

– greater than 1 micron

• Invisible– less than 1 micron

– more damaging to lung tissues

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 (natural) pollution levels

NAAQS• Controlling existing

sources in polluted areas Class I

• Control new sources NSPS

• Prevent areas from getting worse

PSD’s• Regulate Primary

Pollutants• Regulate man-made

toxic pollutants

NESHAP’s

Pollution PreventionReplace / 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 PreventionReplace / Substitute

– Hazardous Materials reductions

– Natural Gas for use on buses & trucks

– Emissions Trading Policy

Pollution ControlReduce / 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