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Pollution
What are we
learning about today?
What is pollution? Air pollutants Where does air pollution come from? Why do we care about pollution?
Health effects Pollution and climate change
Steps to reduce air pollution Colorado’s plans for reducing pollution Do measures to reduce air pollution
actually work? Pittsburgh, Beijing, and London case studies
What is pollution? The introduction of
a contaminant into the environment
Land pollution Littering Sewage Nuclear and
chemical waste
Air pollution Emissions Smoke Acid rain Fumes
Water pollution Pesticides, fertilizers Oil spills Sewage Soaps, antifreeze, oil Household chemicals
Quick facts – air pollution The average adult
consumes 3000 gallons of polluted air every day
Vehicle exhaust contributes to 60% of carbon monoxide emissions in the US (up to 95% in large cities)
London's "Great Smog“ of 1952 was one of the worst air pollution incidents in history Deaths of more than 4,000
died in just six days
Harvard School of Public Health has recently (2010) come up with the data that approximately 4% of all deaths in the US can be attributed to air pollution
Air pollutants Particulate matter Ground-level ozone Carbon monoxide
Nitrogen oxides Sulfur oxides Volatiles organic
compounds (VOCs)
Particulate matter
Where does air pollution come from?
Wood burning Fireplaces Wood stoves Land-clearing fires
Burning toxic substances Garbage Plastics
Air conditioners, refrigerators, fire extinguishers
Fossil fuel burning Cars, trucks, etc Boats Trains Gas-powered tools
Household products Paints Printer ink Hairspray, air fresheners
Stirring up dust Building, driving, any way
we change the landscape
Health effects of small particulates Contain cancer-causing materials Penetrate lungs and collect in air sacs Coughing/wheezing Asthma (onset or increases frequency and/or duration of events) Heart disease Chronic bronchitis Emphysema Pneumonia Premature births/low birth weight
More emergency room visits More hospitalizations More time off of work and school
Example - pneumoconiosis Develops after small
particulates, stay and accumulate inside lungs
A deadly occupational disease which develops over a long period of time Said to be incurable
even with contemporary medicine
Health effects of ground-level ozone
Irritate eyes, nose, and throat Inflammation of lungs and airways Coughing Asthma Bronchitis Chest pain Difficulty breathing Susceptibility to lung disease Damage to lung tissue Premature aging of lungs Contribute to chronic lung disease
Health effects of carbon monoxide This is a poison!!!
Small amounts of CO will cause tiredness and chest pains
Larger amounts impair vision and coordination, triggers headaches, dizziness, confusion, and nausea
High concentrations – FATAL!
Health effects of other air pollutants
Cancer Low
immunity Disorders of
the nervous system
Interference with child development
And more!
Pollution and climate change Fine particulates
Decrease precipitation downwind
Reduce photosynthetic activity and growth of plants
Can change reflectivity of clouds
Pollution can limit plant productivity and survival
Sulfates and nitrates cause cooling
Regional ozone concentrations will increase
Higher concentrations of ozone increase transpiration and exacerbates tree drought stress Increases vulnerability
to attacks and wildfire
Steps to reduce air pollution Walk or bike more Carpool or use public
transportation Maintain your vehicle Combine errands to
reduce driving Drive smart
Accelerate slowly Drive slower Avoid letting your car
idle
Don’t smoke Avoid using products in
aerosol spray cans Use a push or electric
lawn mower instead of gas-powered
Avoid chemicals or cleaners that emit fumes
Maintain gas appliances and heaters
What is Colorado doing? Must follow Clean Air Act (federal
law)
19 regulations (this is a sample) Particles, smokes, carbon monoxide
and sulfur oxides Odor control Air pollution emission Wood burning controls VOC controls Hazardous air pollutants controls Transportation conformity Motor/diesel vehicle inspection
programs CFC regulations Street sanding and sweeping Acid rain controls Lead based paint controls http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/
A "before and after" shot of St. Louis from the newspaper of the time. Probably inspired many to do the same thing in Pittsburgh.
Does it work?Pittsburgh, 1940s
"A county-wide ordinance was passed in Allegheny County in 1949, after the deadly Donora Fog blanketed a five-state area for five days in 1948. "
Here we can see a half-washed building.
The end result, which is immediately visible even at such a short distance. The air is much cleaner, something that most of us take for granted today. But we shouldn't forget how many people had to fight to get to that point, and how we now have to fight for other things.
Does it work?Beijing, 2008
Before/after in Beijing The Chinese government imposed
new restrictions for air quality before the 2008 Olympic Games
Measures taken Polluting factories closed or
improved Wastewater treated Increased forested areas within
city New public transportation using
updated emission guidelines Old taxis, etc have been replaced Staggered work days to reduce
traffic volumes
The study (about Beijing air quality) was just recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and describes how air pollution can “affect cardiovascular disease mechanisms in healthy, young people.” What a difference ... these photos were taken
just 24 hours apart, on Sunday and yesterday / Pics: Michael Dodge Source: The Daily Telegraph (August 5, 2008)
Does it work?Beijing, 2008
Beijing air quality throughout the Olympics
New research shows that levels of carbon monoxide dropped sharply in the Beijing area between 2007 and 2008, due to traffic restrictions imposed because of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Knowing the levels of carbon monoxide allowed the researchers to infer that carbon dioxide emissions also dropped dramatically.
Does it work?Beijing, 2008
YES
It is feared that the city’s nitrogen oxide and ozone concentrations will negatively affect the 2012 Olympic athletes and the vast number of spectators and tourists in attendance
In addition, legal action (to the British government) for failing to comply with the EU’s January 1, 2010 deadline for fulfilling established air quality plans
“2012 Olympics might
bring the worst air quality
in Europe”
Does it work?London, 2012
http://www.londonair.org.uk
Current maps of London air quality
Aerosols
What are we
learning about today?
What are aerosols? Where do aerosols come from? Why do we care about aerosols?
Health effects of aerosols Climate effects of aerosols
Steps to reduce aerosol emissions
Summary Compare and contrast pollution and
aerosols
What are aerosols? Minute particles
suspended in the atmosphere
They scatter and absorb sunlight
Can be emitted directly (primary) or created through chemistry (secondary)
Act as a site for a chemical reaction to take place Important: destruction
of stratospheric ozone
What are aerosols? Types
Dust Sea salt Sulfates Black carbon Organic matter Nitrates
sea salt dust volcanic ash
Volcanic ash
Pollen Sea salt Soot
Dust
Mainly from deserts Solid particles Mostly natural
Humans contribute from land conversion Albedo is approximately 0.5
Does dust cause cooling or warming? Both
Cooling or warming? Over forest or
water? Cooling
Sand is lighter (higher albedo) than forests or water
Over ice or snow? Warming
Sand is darker (lower albedo) than snow or ice
Sea Salt
Mainly from the oceans Solid particles unless hydrated with water Mostly natural Causes cooling
Sulfates (nitrates are similar)
Secondary emission Produced from
SO2 or DMS Mostly from
humans Fossil fuel
combustion Albedo of 0.99
Does this cause warming or cooling? Cooling
Black carbon Mostly from biomass
burning and fossil fuel combustion
Appears black to the naked eye What would it’s
albedo be? Close to 0
Does this cause warming or cooling? Warming over
snow/ice especially!
Organic Matter Variety of
compounds Natural or from
humans Terpenes from
trees, vegetation
Fossil fuel and biomass burning
Can be primary or secondary emissions
Where do aerosols come from?
Dust Deserts Agriculture
Sea salt Oceans
Sulfates Chemical reaction of
sulfur dioxide Volcanoes Fossil fuel burning Marine plankton
Saharan dust storm off West African coast
Where do aerosols come from?
Black carbon Transportation Fossil fuel burning Cook stoves Biomass burning
Organic matter Biomass burning Fossil fuel burning
Nitrates Chemical reaction of ammonia
and sulfates Agricultural emissions Biomass burning Fossil fuel burning
Where do aerosols come from?
Pale yellow Clear sky Maximum
visibility Dark red-brown
Very hazy conditions
Video of aerosol optical depth over time (1/05 - 6/12)
January 2005
Where do aerosols come from? High concentrations
due to land clearing and agricultural fires (dry seasons) South America
July – Sept Central America
March – May Central and south Africa
June – Sept Southeast Asia
January – April
High concentrations due to dust storms Arabian Peninsula
May – August
High concentrations due to human-produced air pollution Northern India and
Himalayas region Many months
Eastern China Most of the year
Health effects of aerosols Enhanced
mortality, cardiovascular, respiratory and allergic diseases
Asthma, bronchitis, cancer, etc
Increased lung toxicity
Super-fine particles can travel to respiratory tracts, enter the blood stream and enter the brain
Suppression of defense mechanisms
Video: African Dust, Coral Reefs and Human Health
Aerosols and climate change
Changes in formation of clouds and precipitation Quantity of droplets Size of droplets Changes in
reflectivity
Can inhibit or enhance cloud formation
Steps to reduce aerosol emissions
Clean Air Act and other legislation
Scrubbers and filters
Advanced combustion techniques
Sustainable agriculture
Conversion to newer technology Cook stoves, etc
Alternative energy sources
Limiting fossil fuel consumption
Summary: compare and contrast
Contaminant to environment Particulate matter Ground-level ozone Carbon monoxide Nitrogen oxides Sulfur oxides VOCs
Emitted directly into the atmosphere
Moderate to severe health effects
Generally cause cooling
Suspended particulate matter Dust Sea salt Sulfates Black carbon Organic matter Nitrates
Emitted directly or secondary after chemical reaction
Moderate to severe health effects
Cause warming or cooling
Pollution Aerosols
Sources http://www.bcairquality.ca/101/individual-pollution.html http://www.bcairquality.ca/101/pollution-climate-causes.html http://www.bcairquality.ca/health/air-quality-and-health.html http://www.koken-ltd.co.jp/english/hep.htm http://www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/pollution http://pollutionarticles.blogspot.com/2010/05/air-pollution-interesting-facts.html http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/ http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/regoverview.html http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/environmental-policy/think-air-quality-regulations-dont-matter-look-pittsburgh-1940s/ http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/olympics-is-the-air-in-beijing-safe.html http://www.examiner.com/article/2012-olympics-might-bring-the-worst-air-quality-europe http://www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/Default.aspx http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/athletes-warned-poison-fog-a-killer/story-e6freuy9-1111117108157 http://www.fs.fed.us/ccrc/topics/air-pollution.shtml http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/24si.pdf http://www.wsl.ch/dienstleistungen/publikationen/pdf/8915.pdf http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/2011/report/climatechange.pdf http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/Aerosols.html http://www.eoearth.org/article/Aerosols http://www.grida.no/climate/ipcc_tar/wg1/pdf/TAR-05.PDF http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Aerosols/ http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/view.php?d1=MODAL2_M_AER_OD http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/223#.UA7cfqAWqLI http://atmo.tamu.edu/class/atmo689-gs/lectureweek10/aerosolreview.pdf http://icp.giss.nasa.gov/research/ppa/2001/2001_cross_etal.pdf http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/climate/factsheets/howhuman.pdf http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science_and_impacts/science/aerosols-and-global-warming-faq.html https://www2.ucar.edu/atmosnews/news/7535/reducing-traffic-2008-olympics-yielded-large-cut-co2 Also, special thanks to Jason English at UCAR for some images and information used in this power point
Image Sources http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/environmental-policy/think-air-quality-regulations-dont-matter-look-pittsburgh-1940s/ http://www.treehugger.com/environmental-policy/what-us-would-look-without-environmental-protections-photos.html http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/02/06/Pollution-takes-heavy-toll-on-China/UPI-54311328532657/ http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/galleries/g/13928432/mystery-smog-shrouds-chinese-city/13928433/ http://www.koken-ltd.co.jp/english/particulaterespirators/hep1.jpg http://www.lbamspray.com/00_Images/particle_pollution.jpg http://www.sbcapcd.org/images/sbcapcdParticleSize600.jpg http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_1p20WdeXKKs/TQDMQ8C1-rI/AAAAAAAAKUM/Ob4xKgpLSFM/s1600/Ozone.jpg http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/cmsdepartments/construction/buildingservices/EMS/PublishingImages/OZONE4.jpg http://web.creativetime.org/system/programs/images/182/original/1990_-_Carbon_Monoxide.jpg http://www.cleanair.hamilton.ca/images/image001.jpg http://www-k12.atmos.washington.edu/k12/pilot/danger_in_air/pollutants.html http://www.wunderground.com/health/pollutiondeaths.jpg http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2008/08/04/1111117/108179-china-olympics-pollution.jpg http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Aerosols/ http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/globalmaps/data/mov/MODAL2_M_AER_OD.mov http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter16/aerosols.html http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/african_dust/dust-images.html http://www.earthbeatradio.org/images/oceanW.jpg http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/home/accomp/aero_force.gif http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/images/diesel_smoke_big_sm.jpg http://www.climate.org/publications/Climate%20Alerts/Autumn2009/images/Figure4_000.jpg http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2012/02/20120216-bangladesh-cooking.jpg.492x0_q85_crop-smart.jpg http://www.occupymonsanto360.org/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/sustain-farm-ghg-emissions.jpg http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/Aerosols/page3.php http://atmos.caf.dlr.de/projects/scops/sciamachy_book/sciamachy_book_figures/chapter_10/fig_10_16.jpg
Sea salt image – Tiyani Fan, graduate student at the University of Colorado Black carbon image – Pengfei Yu, graduate student at the University of Colorado