ap environmental science ch. 18 air pollution
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Air Pollution
Ch. 18
Number 1 Threat to Human Health - Air Pollution
Asian Brown Cloud - size of continental US Dust, smoke, ash from clearing and
burning forests for crops Acidic compounds, soot, mercury, lead,
fly ash from burning coal, gas, oil Contributes to 700,000 deaths per year Moves over Pacific to CA Reduced photosynthesis by plants Traps heat near surface - warms the earth
Our Precious Atmosphere Atmosphere - thin layer of gasses divided
into several layers based on temperature
Differences in temperature of layers of the atmosphere
Temp changes rather abrupt
Based on composition of gases and their collective ability to absorb solar radiation
Our Layer - the Troposphere Troposphere - layer closet to
the surface of the Earth 5-11 miles up Made up mostly of nitrogen gas -
N2 - 78% and oxygen gas - O2 - 21%
Rest is water vapor, argon, CO2, dust, soot, methane, ozone, nitrous oxide (N2O)
Troposphere is dynamic - plays key role in biogeochemical cycles, weather, climate
Our Sunscreen - the Stratosphere
Next layer up - 11-30 miles Mostly the same gasses as the
troposphere except MUCH LESS water vapor and MUCH MORE ozone (O3)
Ozone layer blocks about 95% of the incoming solar radiation Protects us from sunburn, skin & eye
cancer, cataracts, immune system damage
Protects the O2 in the troposphere from becoming O3
Let’s go outside!
Outdoor Air Pollution - the presences of chemicals in the atmosphere in high enough concentrations to cause harm to humans or the environment
Sources
Natural - dust, volcanic ash, smoke from wildfires
Human - mostly in industrialized areas from cars, factories
Air Pollution is not new Middle agesMiddle ages - wood is primary fuel
source; very polluting Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution in late 1700s -
burning coal 1850s London1850s London - smog so thick created
sunless winters 1880 - coal smog kills 2200 1911 - coal smog kills 1100 1952 - smog kills 4000-12,000 - during
daytime people couldn’t even see their own feet
1948 US Pennsylvania - killer fog lasted 5 days, sickened half the city and killed 20
1963 NY city - air pollution kills 300
Donora, PA at noon
Mixing it up! Pollutants in the air
can combine to form new, even more harmful chemicals
Wind can move air pollution from it’s source to new areas
Primary Pollutants - harmful chemicals emitted directly to the air
Secondary Pollutants - primary pollutants react with each other and the atmosphere to make new chemicals
Good News and Bad News
Good - air quality has improved a lot since the 1970s due mostly to grassroots efforts by citizens demanding clean air
Bad - There are still over 1 billion people living in areas with unhealthy air (mostly in crowded cities in developing nations)
More Bad News Air Pollution used to be
a local problem Now it is a global
problem High volume of
pollutants from sources all over the planet
Wind blows pollution everywhere - even the arctic where there are no cities
Arctic haze from air pollution in northern Eurasia
Quick Check
1. What is the composition of the atmosphere?
2. What are some sources of air pollution?
3. What are primary and secondary pollutants?
Best to set up notes this wayName of pollutant
Chemical formula
Sources Harmful effects
Other info
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Major Outdoor Air PollutantsThe List1. Carbon monoxide (CO)
1. Sources are cars, fires, stoves
2. Reacts with hemoglobin in blood to reduce oxygen flow
3. Chronic exposure - lung disease, asthma, emphysema
4. High levels - headache, nausea, drowsiness, mental impairment, collapse, coma, death
5. Indoor CO detectors
2. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
- 93% of the CO2 in the air just part of the natural carbon cycle- rest from human activities – burning fossil fuelsCO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat near the surface of the earth
3. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)1. Stinky2. ~1/3 just part of natural sulfur
cycle3. 2/3 from human sources - mostly
coal burning, oil refining, smelting4. SO2 + atmosphere = sulfuric acid
(H2SO4) and sulfate salts (SO42-) -->
acid rain5. All three create haze, irritate lungs,
damage crops, trees, soil, pH of lakes, corrode metals, paint, paper, leather, stone
Sulfur creates yellow/brown Sulfur creates yellow/brown smogsmog
1. Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
1. NO and NO2
2. NO comes from cars, power plants, lightning, nitrogen fixing bacteria
3. NO + oxygen = NO2 -reddish brown gas --> photochemical smog
4. NO2 + water vapor = nitric acid (HNO3) and nitrate salts (NO3
-) --> acid rain
5. Nitrous oxide (N2O) from fertilizer, poo, burning fossil fuels - a greenhouse gas
6. Irritates the eyes, nose, throat; aggravates asthmaMarble statue being
corroded by acid rain
1. Suspended particulate matter (SPM)1. Tiny solids and liquid droplets that stay
suspended in the air1. ~2/3 from dust, fires, sea salt
2. ~1/3 from coal burning power plants, cars, plowed fields, unpaved roads, construction, tobacco smoke
2. Fine and ultrafine particles irritate respiratory tract, damage lungs, aggravate asthma
3. Toxic particulates like lead and PCBs cause mutations, reproductive problems, cancer
4. Reduce photosynthesis, alter climate
Oil refinery fire in New Delhi
Ozone – O3
1. Major component of smog2. Secondary pollutant from cars + heat3. Causes coughing, breathing difficulty, heart
and lung disease, reduce resistance to colds, irritate eyes, nose, throat
4. Damages plants, rubber, fabrics, paints5. A greenhouse gas in the troposphere
Lead – Pb Paint, lipstick, leaded gas1. Does not break down in the
environment2. 12,000-16,000 kids under age 9
treated for lead poisoning in US every year (200 die)
3. Symptoms:1. Palsy, partial paralysis, blindness,
mental retardation
4. Low level exposure symptoms: 1. Lowered IQ, shortened attention
span, hyperactivity, hearing loss, behavioral disorders
Sources of lead: Leaded gas (phased out from 1976-1986 in US,
but still used in some countries) Lead paints (phased out in 1970) Toys with lead paint (2007 major recall of
Chinese toys) Lead in lipstick (red, turns black on contact
with gold) Lead pipes
Ozone Depleting Chemicals CFCs- Refrigerants Halons - Fire extinguishers Methyl bromide - Soil fumigants
CFCs- Refrigerants Halons - Fire extinguishers Methyl bromide - Soil fumigants
Cause ozone depletion in the stratosphere
Act as greenhouse gases in the troposphere
Leads to more skin cancers, cataracts
Leads to reduced crop yield, leaf burn
1. Volatile Organic Compounds
Mostly hydrocarbons (CxHx)1. Isoprene (C3H8)
2. Terpenes (C10H15)
3. Methane (CH4)
Some from industrial solvents 1. Benzene, vinyl chloride, TCE from dry cleaning,
plastics, synthetic rubber, paints1. Benzene exposure can cause leukemia, blood disorders,
death
From plants, termites, rice paddies, landfills
Gulf Oil explosion and fire released large amounts of VOCs including benzne
Quick Check
Can you name the 9? How many can you name without looking
at your notes?
Ideas?
1. What kinds of health effects are COMMON to all air pollutants?
2. What kinds of sources are COMMON to most air pollutants?
3. What can we do to reduce air pollution? (come up with at least 3 specific actions)
SMOG Industrial smog (gray
smog) - from coal burning power plants Mostly sulfur dioxide,
sulfuric acid, suspended particles
Many urban areas have pollution control measures to reduce particulates and sulfur
Some countries (China, India, Ukraine) still do not
Chemistry of Industrial Smog
C + O2 CO2 carbon dioxide
2C + O2 2CO carbon monoxide
S + O2 SO2 sulfur dioxide
2SO2 + O2 2SO3 sulfur trioxide
SO3 + H2O H2SO4 Sulfuric acid
2NH3 + H2SO4 (NH4)2SO4 ammonium sulfate
Photochemical smog - (brown smog) Mix of primary and
secondary pollutants + sunlight + heat
Exhaust from cars releases nitrogen oxides and VOCs
Hotter days = more smog Worst in cities with dry,
hot climates and lots of commuters Los Angeles, Denver, Salt
Lake City, Mexico City
N2 + O2 2NO During Combustion
2NO + O2 2NO2 (nitrogen dioxide)
In the troposphere
3NO2 + H2O 2HNO3 + NO (nitric acid)
NO2 + UV radiation NO + O
O2 + O O3 (photochemical ozone)
Chemical Reactions resulting in Photochemical Smog
Hydrocarbons + O2 + NO PANs (peroxyacyl nitrates)
O & O3 + Hydrocarbons aldehydes
Decrease Smog - Increase Smog Decrease:
Gravity Rain and snow Salty sea spray Wind Chemical reactions
Increase: Buildings (slow wind) Hills and mountains (reduce air flow in
valleys) High temps VOCs Grasshopper effect (winds move pollutants to
other areas) Inversion layers (warm air layer prevents
pollutants from dispersing upward)
Acid Deposition Coal burning power plants, smelters, etc
have tall smoke stacks Release pollutants high into air where they can
be diluted and dispersed Reduces local air pollution Increases air pollution downwind (up to 600
miles away)
Pollutants stay in atmosphere for 2-14 days depending on the weather Then fall back to earth in rain, snow, fog,
particles = acid deposition (aka acid rain) pH of less than 5.6
Areas with fairly basic soil (high CaCO3 or limestone) can neutralize the acid precipitation
Areas with acidic soil greatly harmed
Green and red areas of this map
The problems is worst in…
China! (duh) - lots of coal power plants Threatening the food supply of China, Japan,
North Korea, South Korea
Eastern US - acid rain as acidic as lemon juice in some mountain areas
Effects of acid deposition
Buildings, car paint Can leach toxic metals
from soil and rock into lakes Toxins build up in fish
eaten by birds, mammals, people
45 US states have warnings about the high levels of mercury in their fish
Acid deposition harms aquatic ecosystems Reduces pH below tolerance level of fish Leaches aluminum from soil into lakes - chokes
fish to death Many lakes in Norway, Sweden, Canada, US
East have no fish in lakes anymore
Areas most affected
Areas downwind of large car-dominated cities
Thankfully still a minority of the world’s lakes and forests are affected
So what to do? Prevention is best policy -
cheapest, safest But this is political difficult
because People/areas affected far away
from problem source Coal is cheap and plentiful so
there is economic incentive to burn it
Coal power plant owners resist investing in latest pollution control measures because then they would have to increase what they charge consumers
Clean up involves trying to neutralize soils and waters with limestone
Expensive and temporary, since it will just rain again
Not always effective
Quick Check
Should cities downwind of a factory or power plant get to make decisions/regulations for those power plants? (e.g. emission regulations, rules about pollution control devices, etc)
Try to give both sides of the argument. Remember, these cities may be 600 miles
away or more (that’s like from here to Denver, CO)
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