Pollution from Energy Generationand Energy Use

Air Pollution in Eastern Europe

Atmospheric Physics

Sources of Air Pollution

Air Quality Standards

Energy in the NewsOPEC Price Changes

Lackner Lecture on Friday

Sustainable Energy Roundtable (Thursday)

Air Pollution in Eastern EuropeTrabant: East German car

Radioactive waste dumps in Moscow

Air pollution in Moscow

No information on health under communism

Copsa Mica, Romania; most polluted city in the world

Composition of Normal AirPollutants: parts of normalAir that are added by humansAnd are toxic to animals,Vegetation or property

Two main components of Air are…..

Air PressureWe live at the bottom of an oceanOf air.

Pressure = force per unit area

Pressure =mgh/areaUnits of pressure=psi=lb per squareInch OR newtons per square meter

1 Newton per square meter = 1 Pascal(MKS system)

Air pressure changes as a functionOf elevation- How?

A Simple Barometer

Atmospheric Pressure

Although you can’t see it, the atmosphere exertsPressure on you

Examples:1) suction cup holding a tile2) glass of water upside down with paper on top3) sucking water through a straw

Other examples?

A Barometer

Temperature Decrease with ElevationPV=nRT (ideal gas law)

Pressure * Volume = number of moles * R * Temperature

If decrease pressure, what happens to temperature?

Adiabatic lapse rate: 7 degrees C per kilometer, Or about 3.5 degrees F per thousand feet

Buoyant ForceA solid object will float if its density is equal to or less than the density of the medium it is in.

So: light air rises and heavy air sinks.

What determines if air is light or heavy?

Normal Air Temperature Profile

Y axis:elevationElevation increasesTowards the top

X axis: temperatureTemperature increasesTowards the right

What do all profilesHave in common?

Unusual Air Temperature ProfileX:Temperature increasingTo right

Y: ElevationIncreasing Towards the top

What is the commonfeature ofAll of theseTemperatureProfiles?

Temperature Inversion

What you get when there is a hot layerOf air on top of colder air.

Hot layer: lid that traps pollutants

Why?

Air Pressure Systems

Why does warm risingAir produce lowerPressures

Why does cold sinking airProduce higher pressures?

Wind Systems

What are the pressure differences at ground levelBetween a high pressure and low pressure system?

Global Wind Systems

Winds move pollutantsWhich direction do theyMove pollutants in the UnitedStates (on average)?

Form of Air PollutantsAerosols: Small droplets of liquid suspended in a gas

What are common aerosols that you encounter? (3 or more)

Particulates: Small particles of solid material?

Examples of common particulates? (3 or more)

Does size of particulates matter? Why or why not?

Particulates can be charged: they are then more likely toAdsorb other materials on their surfaces

Types of PollutantsPM10- Particulate matter under 10 microns in sizePM2.5-Particulate matter under 2.5 microns in size

Carbon Monoxide-produced by incomplete combustion

Sulfur Oxides-from burning of fossil fuels and oxidation of sulfur. Produce acid rain

Pb (plumbum or lead)-heavy metal, neurotoxin

Hg-(mercury)-also a heavy metal and neurotoxin

Nitrogen Oxides-from high temperature combustion,also sourceOf acid rain

VOC-volatile organic compounds, also O3-Ozone

Biggest < 10 micron Particulate Sources

PowerCo.2-68-9?1820-2225

CoalMining11

Non Attainment Areas PM10

DoIndustrialSourcesDominateTheEmissionOf PM10

Why orWhy not?

Particulates:Why Size Matters

Smaller particulates can enter the lungs and remain there. Allparticulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter can do this.Separation of matter less than 10 microns and less than 2.5 micronsIs relatively new. Why? Difficult to measure size.

What diseases are caused directly and indirectly by small particulates?(at least three)

Black LungDiseasesProduced by highConcentrationsOf small particulate matter:

Black lung (emphysema)AsthmaLung cancer(Indirectly: congestiveHeart failure)

Trace Elements in Coal

Which trace elements are most dangerous?

Why?

Urban Particulates and Dust

Concentrations normalized to Al (that is AluminumConcentration is set to be 1.) This is because most common weathering product of crustal weathering is clay.All clay minerals are rich in Al. What dangerous elements areEnriched by over 100 times?

Relative Contributions to City Dust

Minor constituents

Major constituents

Which are most surprising?

Sootprints

All carbon is not alike !!!Gray:Carbon charDark aqua: Carbon ashPurple:Carbon from gas turbineLight Blue:Carbon from high pressureDiesel engineRed:Carbon from medium pressure Diesel engineGreen: carbon from idling diesel engineDark Blue: amorphous carbon

Energy loss in electron volts: productOf thermal history of carbonWhy is this work important?

Largest Pb Emission Sources

Power Co Nos:5-7101517

Others:SteelGENavy

Pb non attainment areasDo IndustrialSourcesDominatePbEmission?

Why or Why Not?

Largest VOC Emissions SourcesOilCompanyNos:IncludingRefineries2-4.6,15,16,23

Electricity9,18

Natural Gas10

VOC Sources

Oil RefineriesCarsMethane from decay (also termites)Aromatic compounds from trees= terpenes

e.g. pine, eucalyptus

Largest SO2 Emissions SourcesPowerPlantNos:1-25

WhatFossilFuelDo These PlantsUse?

Non Attainment Areas Sulfur Dioxide

Do industrialSourcesDominateSO2?

WhatElse is controllingSO2

PollutionLevels?

Sources of Sulfur Dioxide

Coal (sulfur content variable)VolcanoesHydrogen sulfide gas from decay of organic matterOil (sulfur content variable)

Effects of Sulphur Dioxide on Health

At high exposure levels and/or longer durations of exposureTo sulphur dioxide:

1) airway resistance increases (harder to breathe)

2) health of bronchitis patients declines

3) number of hospital admissions increases

4) number of deaths from heart attacks increases

5) incidence of heart diseases increases

How Sulfur Oxides Produce Acid Rain

2SO2+O2= 2SO3

SO3+H2O=H2SO4

Sulfate Deposition

pH 2000

What areas have the highest pH in rain? Why?

pH 1994

Has there been improvement since 1994 in acid rain? Where?

Fish Populations in Adirondacks

What changesHave occurredIn fish stocks?

Why?

(also geology)(projections forFuture)

Largest NO2 Emission Sources

PowerPlantNos:1-25

Are theseOld orModernPlants?

Why?

How Nox and VOC Produce Smog

Photodissociation of NO2:Light energy +NO2 = NO + O

O + O2 = O3

O3+NO = NO2 + O2

Ordinarily an equilibriumVolatile organic compounds disturb this equilibriumBy producing organic radicals that are strong oxidizing Agents. Result is SMOG.

Strong oxidizing agents:prevent the destruction of ozoneTherefore more ozone accumulates.What would a strong reducer do?

Effect of Time of Day on Pollutants (LA basin)

Why does ozonePeak later in the day than Nitric oxide andNitrogen dioxide?

Largest Carbon Monoxide Stationary SourcesChemicalPlantNos:5,1016-1822(not allOrganic)

Others:SteelPaperAluminum

Non Attainment Areas: CO

AreIndustrialSourcesDominatingCO?

Why or Why not?

Why dowesternStatesDominate?

Total Precipitation: 2000

Does rainWash COOut of theAir?

Or it is Legislative?(gasolineAdditivesMTBE)

Mercury: Sources of Pollution

What is the best way toReduce the overall amountOf Mercury pollution?

What does mercury do?(Alice in Wonderland)(methyl mercury)

Sources of Major Air Pollutants

What pollutantsAre dominatedBy stationarySources?

By moving Sources?

Indoor Air Pollutants

US National Air Quality Standards

Particulate Levels in Different CitiesMoscow (personalExperience)

Truck drivers in Moscow

Russian truck and car factories

Personally Imposed Pollution

ToxicityDefinitions:Are they relevantTo these products?

More Personal Choices

New Silent Spring: Our Stolen Future by Theo Colbourn et al