History of Air Pollution

1272 - King Edward I of England bans use of sea coal 1377 1399 - Richard II restricts use of coal 1413 1422 - Henry V regulates/restricts use of coal 1661 - By royal command of Charles II, John Evelyn of the Royal Society publishes Fumifugium; or the Inconvenience of the Air and Smoke dissipated; together with Some Remedies Humbly Proposed 1784Watts steam engine; boilers to burn fossil fuels (coal) to make steam to pump water and move machinery Smoke and ash from fossil fuels by power plants, trains, ships: coal (and oil) burning = smoke, ash 1907 - Formation of the predecessor to the Air & Waste Management Association 1930 - 1950s - Air Pollution Episodes 1955 First Federal Air Pollution Control Act - funds for research (USA) 1960 Motor Vehicle Exhaust Act - funds for research (USA) 1963 Clean Air Act (USA) -Three stage enforcement -Funds for state and local agencies 1965 Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Act (USA) -Emission regulations for cars to begin in 1968 1967 Air Quality Act (USA) -Criteria documents -Control technique documents 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments (USA) -National Ambient Air Quality Standards -New Source Performance Standards

Why Study Air Pollution?

Early 1900s The City of Chicago, Illinois passes an ordinance to reduce the smoke emitted by local factories. 1940s Los Angeles, California becomes one of the first cities in the U.S. to experience severe air pollution problems then called gas attacks. L.A.s location in a basin like area ringed by mountains makes it susceptible to accumulation of auto exhaust and emissions from local petroleum refineries 1948 Air pollution kills in Donora, Pennsylvania. An unusual temperature inversion lasting six days blocks dispersal of emissions from zinc smelting and blast furnaces. Out of a total population of 14,000 people, 20 die, 600 others become ill, and 1400 seek medical attention. 1950 A chemist at the California Institute of Technology proposes a theory of smog (or ozone) formation in which auto exhaust and sunlight play major roles. 1954 An early public protest against air pollution takes place in East Greenville, Pennsylvania. Homemakers march on the town council to demand that a local casket manufacturer be required to stop polluting. Their complaint is that clean laundry hung out to dry became dirtier than before it was washed because of high levels of soot (or particulates) in the air. 1962 Silent Spring is published. Rachel Carsons powerful book draws the attention

of the American public to the potential consequences of the increasing ability of human activities to significantly and even permanently alters the natural world. 1966 In New York City, a three-day temperature inversion over Thanksgiving weekend is blamed for the deaths of 168 people. 1969 Millions of Americans watch via satellite, as Neil Armstrong becomes the first person to walk on the moon. The same weekend, a very different news story startles the nation. Sulfur dioxide pollution emitted by industries near Gary, Indiana and East Chicago becomes potent acid rain that burns lawns, eats away tree leaves, and causes birds to lose their feathers. 1969 A vivid color photographs of Earth from space, widely distributed, shifts human perceptions of our planet. The Earth no longer seems vast but is recognized as a small, fragile ball of life in the immense infinitude of cold, black space. 1970 The first Earth Day becomes part of American history. Millions of students and citizens attend rallies to learn about environmental concerns and speak for environmental protection. 1972 Representatives of 113 nations, gather on 5th June at a United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm to develop plans for international action to protect the world environment. 1978 Rainfall in Wheeling, West Virginia is measured at a pH of 2, the most acidic yet recorded and 5000 times more acidic than normal rainfall. 1981 Air pollution enters international politics when the Quebec Ministry of the Environment notifies the U.S. that 60 percent of the acid rain (sulfur dioxide pollution) damaging air and waters in Quebec, Canada comes from the U.S. industrial sources in the Midwestern and Northeastern U.S. 1982 The National Center for Health Statistics releases a study indicating that four percent of all U.S. schoolchildren, including about 12 percent of all African-American preschoolers, have high levels of lead in their blood. About 675,000 children are at risk of kidney damage, brain damage, anemia, retardation, and other ills associated with lead poisoning. It is recognized that children absorb this lead by breathing air laden with lead pollution, primarily from leaded gasoline. 1985 The U.S. EPA estimates 50,000 streams in the U.S. and Canada are dead or dying because of acid rain pollution. 1986 The National Academy of Sciences reports that the burning of coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels is definitely linked to acid rain and the death of trees, fish, and lake ecosystems in both the U.S. and Canada. 1992 The Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is the most comprehensive international conference on the environment to date. Representatives from 188 countries and 35,000 participants attend. Two treaties are signed by all except the U.S. One, on global warming recommending curbing emissions of greenhouse gases. The second, on making inventories of plants and wildlife and strategies to protect endangered species.

poor air qulaity, upto several days, often g over large geograpical area.

cold, stable weather conditions trap pollutants sources and prevent dispersion. Elavated ations of range of pollutants build up over several

hot and sunny weather. Pollutants emitted within or Europe transported long distances, reacting h other in sunlight to produce high levels of ozone, photochemical pollutants.

lley-Belgium, 1930

3 died (mostly elderly) ore throats, shortness of eath, cough, phlegm, usea, vomiting O2, sulfur dioxide

O4 sulfuric acid mist attle, birds and rats died ot little news coverage

on of a valley floor caused by an inversion layer cts diffusion from a stack

PennsylvaniaOct. 1948 onongahela River Valley

dustrial townsteel mill, sulfuric acid plant, eight yard, etc. opulation14,000 eep hills surrounding the valley ct 26temperature inversion (warm air trapping ld air near the ground) able air, fog, lasted 4.5 days

of Donora, Pennsylvania. Horseshoe Monongahela River is surrounded by s. Railroad tracks are located on s of the river. Low-lying stretch of hela valley between railroad and atural trap for pollutants. o, Mexico 1950 ngle source high sulfur crude oil ydrogen sulfide (H2S)

version in valley 2 sudden deaths, 320 hospitalized All

orerunner of Bhopal r 1952 Great London Smog old front, Londoners burned soft

actories, power plants emperature inversion days of worst smog city had ever en Public transportation stopped door concerts had to be cancelled cause no one could see the stage,

eath registered from diseases of the lungs in the London Administrative County e time of the severe fog in December, 1952.

h in Greater London and air pollutants asured during the fog of December 1952

ly 10, 1976, north of Milan valve broke at the Industrie Chimiche Meda ocieta Azionaria chemical plant oud of 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-paraoxin (TCDD) traveled southwest through eveso toward Milan ontaminant of herbicide ndia Dec. 3, 1984 nion Carbide pesticide plant leak kills up to 000 with up to 350,000 injured and 100,000 ith permanent disabilities ethyl isocyanate (MIC)used as an termediary in manufacture of Sevin

O + Cl = phosgene hosgene + methylamine = MIC ICirritant to the lungs---edema, fluid ause of death, bronchospasms, corneal

ydrogen cyanide? abotage or industrial accident?

de Air Pollution Episode ovember 27-December

housands of excess aths in many cities cluding NYC, London,

ew Orleans Oct-Nov 958 asthma deaths.

Troubled by 'World Trade Center Cough NYC fire fighters, school workers have thing problems, new studies say

f harmful and/or of Natural/Synthetic materials into the e as a direct/indirect consequences of human activity (OECD).

ollution Definition Based on System Approach

pes of Air Pollution

ersonal air exposure It refers to exposure to dust, fumes and gases to which an individual exposes imself when he indulge himself in smoking

Occupational air exposure It represents the type of exposure of individuals to potentially harmful oncentration of aerosols, vapors, and gases in their working environment.

Community air exposure This is most serious, complex, consists of varieties of assortment of pollution ources, meteorological factors, and wide variety of adverse social, economical, and

rths Great Spheres

Lithosphere- The

lithosphere contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet's crust (surface), the semi-solid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near the center of the planet

The hydrosphere contains all the solid, liquid, and gaseous water of the plane
Hydrosphere-

Biosphere- The biosphere contains all the planet's living things. This sphere includes all of the microorganisms, plants, and animals of Ear

Atmosphere- The atmosphere contains all the air in Earth's system

t is a mixture of gases that forms a layer of about 250 miles thick around the earth. Bottom 10-12 miles (Troposphere) is most important part in terms of Weather Other aspects of Biogeochemical cycle The lowest 600 meters of Troposphere: Air Quality Studies Composition of Air - 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% carbon dioxide, water, other

Divided into four zones:

Thermosphere

of Air Pollution

atural Sources Volcano, forest fire, dust storms, oceans, plants and trees nthropogenic Sources - created by human beings tationary sources Point sources (Industrial processing, power plants, fuels combustion etc.) Area sources (Residential heating coal gas oil, on site incineration, open burning etc.) Mobile sources Line sources (Highway vehicles, railroad locomotives, channel vessels etc.)

stance occurring

Air pollutants have known or suspected harmful effects on human health and tironment.

eria Air Pollutants

ased on health effects with measured air quality levels that violate the National mbient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

ardous Air Pollutants

edecessor: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) lean Air Act Amendments of 1990 directed EPA to establish emission controls for

89 chemicals listed in the Act. NOT based on health criteria Based on Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT)

-Criteria Pollutants
essence, all pollutants not included in the NAAQS and HAP lists

imary air pollutants - Materials that when released pose health risks in their modified forms or those emitted directly from identifiable sources.

condary air pollutants - Primary pollutants interact with one another, sunlight, or ural gases to produce new, harmful compounds

ary Air Pollutants

e major materials released directly into the atmosphere in unmodified forms. rbon monoxide

rticulate matter

on Monoxide

duced by burning of organic material (coal, gas, wood, trash,

omobiles biggest source (80%)

arette smoke another major source

ic because binds to hemoglobin, reduces oxygen in blood

a persistent pollutant, combines with oxygen to form CO st communities now meet EPA standards, but rush hour traffic produce high CO levels

hur Dioxide

duced by burning sulfur taining fossil fuels (coal, oil)

al-burning power plants major

acts in atmosphere to produce

e of the major components of acid

en inhaled, can be very corrosive

06 banned burning of sea coal 52 killer fog: 4,000 people died tied to sulfur compounds in

duced from burning of fossil fuels

ntributes to acid rain, smog

omobile engine main source

w engine technology has helped uce, but many more cars

drocarbons - organic compounds with hydrogen, carbon

m incomplete burning or evaporated from fuel supplies

jor source is automobiles, but some from industry

ntribute to smog

provements in engine design have helped reduce

ticulates - small pieces of solid materials and liquid plets (2.5 mm and 10 mm)

amples: ash from fires, asbestos from brakes and

ily noticed: e.g. smokestacks

n accumulate in lungs and interfere with the ability of gs to exchange gases.

me particulates are known carcinogens

ose working in dusty conditions at highest risk (e.g.,

pirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) -PM1 ing size <= 1m: effects in alveoli M2.5 having size <= 2.5m: effects trachea M10 having size <= 10m: effects in nasal part only<

ndary Pollutants

N (peroxy acetyl nitrate) otochemical smog osols and mists (H2SO4)

one (O3) is a highly reactive gas mposed of three oxygen atoms.

both a natural and a man-made duct that occurs in the Earth's upper osphere (the stratosphere) and lower osphere (the troposphere).

pospheric ozone what we breathe -ormed primarily from photochemical ctions between two major classes of air lutants, volatile organic compounds OC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX).

used by the interaction of some hydrocarbons and oxidants under the influence of ving rise to dangerous peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN).

ochemical smog

ical smog is a mixture of pollutants which includes particulates, nitrogen oxides, ehydes, peroxyethanoyl nitrate (PAN), unreacted hydrocarbons, etc. The smog often due to the presence of nitrogen dioxide. It causes painful eyes.

sols and mists (H2SO4)

nd mists are very fine liquid droplets that cannot be effectively removed using packed scrubbers. These droplets can be formed from gas phase hydrolysis of d acids (HCl, HF, HBr), metal halides, organohalides, sulfur trioxide (SO3), and us pentoxide (P2O5).

Sulphur Dioxide

Produced by burning sulfur containing fossil fuels (coal, oil)

Coal-burning power plants major source Reacts in atmosphere to produce acids One of the major components of acid rain When inhaled, can be very corrosive to lung tissue London -1306 banned burning of sea coal -1952 killer fog: 4,000 people died in 4 weeks o tied to sulfur compounds in smog

Nitrogen Oxides

Produced from burning of fossil fuels Contributes to acid rain, smog Automobile engine main source New engine technology has helped reduce, but many more cars

Hydrocarbons

Hydrocarbons - organic compounds with hydrogen, carbon From incomplete burning or evaporated from fuel supplies Major source is automobiles, but some from industry Contribute to smog Improvements in engine design have helped reduce

Particulates

Particulates - small pieces of solid materials and liquid droplets (2.5 mm and 10 mm) Examples: ash from fires, asbestos from brakes and insulation, dust Easily noticed: e.g. smokestacks Can accumulate in lungs and interfere with the ability of lungs to exchange gases. Some particulates are known carcinogens Those working in dusty conditions at highest risk (e.g., miners) Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) -PM1 having size <= 1m: effects in alveoli -PM2.5 having size <= 2.5m: effects trachea -PM10 having size <= 10m: effects in nasal part only<

Secondary Pollutants

Ozone PAN (peroxy acetyl nitrate) Photochemical smog Aerosols and mists (H2SO4)

Ozone

Ozone (O3) is a highly reactive gas composed of three oxygen atoms.

It is both a natural and a man-made product that occurs in the Earth's upper atmosphere (the stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (the troposphere).

Tropospheric ozone what we breathe -is formed primarily from photochemical reactions between two major classes of air pollutants, volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOX).

PAN
Smog is caused by the interaction of some hydrocarbons and oxidants under the influence of sunlight giving rise to dangerous peroxy acetyl nitrate (PAN).

Photochemical smog
Photochemical smog is a mixture of pollutants which includes particulates, nitrogen oxides, ozone, aldehydes, peroxyethanoyl nitrate (PAN), unreacted hydrocarbons, etc. The smog often has a brown haze due to the presence of nitrogen dioxide. It causes painful eyes.

Aerosols and mists (H2SO4)

Aerosols and mists are very fine liquid droplets that cannot be effectively removed using traditional packed scrubbers. These droplets can be formed from gas phase hydrolysis of halogenated acids (HCl, HF, HBr), metal halides, organohalides, sulfur trioxide (SO3), and phosphorous pentoxide (P2O5).