Lecture No.

10
Noise and Air Pollution
Part I Noise
1. Sound and Hearing

Noise is unwanted sound

Sound is caused by the presence of mechanical airwaves in matter.
Sound waves are longitudinalthe atoms transmitting the wave oscillate in the
direction that the wave is travelling.
Waves are characterized by alternating region of compression and rarefaction of
matter.

Atmospheric
Pressure

Rarefaction

Compression

Intensity through unit area perpendicular to the direction of the wave,

Speed of sound in air at sea level, 340
Equation:
P(t) = Pa + p(t)
P(t) = instantaneous pressure
Pa = atmospheric pressure
p(t) = pressure due to sound
cyclic function, therefore, Pavg = P root mean square = Prms

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.2

P(t) = Prms =
P(t) = Pa + Prms
Sound pressure refers to the RMS value.
One bar = 100kPa
1.013 bar = 1 atmosphere
Sound pressure, 2 talkers 1 meter apart = 1x10-6 bar, 1 micro bar, 1 bar, small.
Too add RMS, square the individual values, add and then take the square root.
Example:
Given: Two sounds are received simultaneously: 3.8 bar and 5.2 bar.
Find: Combined pressure in bar dB
Pcombined = =
Pcombined = 6.44 bar

2. Human Hearing

15-20,000Hertz, Hz, cps,

Maximum sensitivity 3000Hz
Sound pressure, .0002 bar to 10,000 bar
Non-linear with respect to pressure and frequency, therefore, a weighted log scale is
in order.

SPL = 10 log10
SPL = Sound pressure, decibels, dB
P = sound pressure, bar
P0 = preference pressure, threshold of human hearing, .0002 bar = 0 dB = 2x10-5Pa,
To combine dBs:
Convert dB to bar
Add squares
Convert sum to sound pressure
Examples:
Given: Two sounds from the previous example: 3.8 bar and 5.2 bar.
Find: Combined pressure in dB
Pcombined = 6.44 bar
SPL = 10 log10
SPL = 10 log10
SPL = 10(9.02)
SPL = 90.2 dB
Given: A garbage truck, 100dB, is passed by a motorcycle, 110dB.

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.3

Find: The combined effect, dB
SPL1 = 100dB
SPL = 10 log10
100 = 10 log10
log10 = 10
= 1010
SPL2 = 110dB
SPL = 10 log10
110 = 10 log10
log10 = 11
= 1011
= 1010 + 1011
= .1x1011 + 1x1011
= 1.1 x1011
SPLsum = 10 log10 = 10 log10 (1.1 x1011)
SPLsum = 10(11.04)
SPLsum = 110.4 dB combined effect of truck and motorcycle

3. Occupational Noise Exposures

120 dB threshold of pain, humans

150 dB rupture ear drum
See handout for various dB levels.
Prolonged exposure to noise leads to gradual deterioration of inner ear and deafness.
Hearing loss associated with aging presbycusis
Hearing loss:
Begins at higher frequencies
Difficult to distinguish fricative consonants: f,v,s,z,th,ch,sh, etc.
Constant 90 dB is dangerous; 80 dB is not.
OSHA requires controls:
90 dB, maximum daily exposure, 8 hours
95 dB, maximum daily exposure, 4 hours
100 dB, maximum daily exposure, 2 hours
Sound is a function of distance and dissipates very quickly.
Equation:
SPL2 = SPL1 - 20 log10
Example:
Given: An automobile registers a sound level of 74 dB at a distance of 20.
Find: The same sound level at 80.
SPL2 = SPL1 - 20 log10 = 74 - 20 log10

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.4

SPL2 = 74 12.04
SPL2 = 62 dB

4. Noise Controls

Reduction of noise at the source, muffler

Substitute different machine or operation, electric motor vs. gas
Reduction of noise at listener, ear plugs.
Education

5. Sonic Boom

Objects travelling faster than the speed of sound, air at sea level=740
Boom is produced constantly- not just when object reaches the speed of sound.

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.5

Vs/Vo

Vs=speed of sound
V0=speed of plane

Bow shock wave

Tail shock wave

Overpressures are small
100 N/m2, 2lb/ft2 or
.1% or atmospheric

Atmospheric
Pressure

The sonic boom cone would appear as follows:

Mach Cone

Sonic boom is produced at the

intersection of cone with the ground
80-130km wide

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.6

Part II Air Pollution

1. General
Air pollution is related to 2 factors:
Mans use of energy
Increased concentration of human beings in urban areas.
See handout entitled "National Ambient Air Quality Standards"

2. Emission Sources
A. 5 Major Pollutants
1.) Hydrocarbons (HC)
Partial combustion of fossil fuels.
2.) Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. Lessens bloods ability to carry oxygen.
3.) Sulfur Oxides (SOx)
SO2 and some SO3. Emitted when fossil fuels containing sulfur impurities are burned.
4.) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
NO and NO2. Formed when N and O are combined under high temperatures, >2000F
conditions e.g. automobile engines, power plants.
5.) Particulates
Solid or liquid particles. Emitted during combustion or grinding of material. Size and/or
chemical problem.
See handout labeled "Air Pollution Levels that Could Cause Significant Harm to the
Health of Persons" for effects.
B. Sources
Motor vehicles
Power plants

3. Smog
A. London Smog
Combination of sulfur oxides and particulates

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.7

B. Photochemical Smog
Chemical reactions between hydrocarbons, NOx and sunlight.
Primary- NO and HC
Secondary:
NO2

O3

Peroxyacetyl nitrate, PAN, CH3CO3NO2

Known as photochemical oxidants.

C.

Results of Smog
Eye irritant
Headache
Coughing
Exhaustion
Death
Respiratory diseases:
Bronchitis
Emphysema
Asthma
Lung cancer

4. Particulates

Individual aggregates larger than a single molecule .0002 , but smaller than 500
, = 10-6 meters, a micron.
Include:
Particulate
Aerosols
Fumes
Dust
Mist
Soot

Form
solid or liquid
solids
solids
liquid
fine carbon

Size
<1
<1
small size
< 100
small size

Particulates of interest are from .1 to 10 , about the size of a bacteria.

<.1 exhibit Brownian movement and agglomerate to .1; >10 settle quickly as
dust, 7 inches/minute.
<1 result largely from the condensation of vaporized material after combustion;
>10 result from mechanical processes.
Equation:
R = visible range, miles

Lecture No. 10 Noise and Air Pollution Page No.8

c = particulate concentration, , micro grams per cubic meter.

Example:
Given: The California air quality standard is 100
Find: The visibility in miles, when the standard is reached.
R =
R 7.5 miles

Adverse health conditions > 80

5. Hazardous Air Pollutants

Asbestos- lung cancer, mesothelioma

Beryllium manufacture of beer, rocket firings
Mercury methyl mercury in food, paint, coal power plants.

6. Air Pollution Control Techniques

A.

Mobile Sources (cars, etc.)

Catalytic converters
Minor modifications to internal combustion engines, Volvo > 100mpg
Devices added to the exhaust
Changes in fuels
Unconventional engines e.g. GMs EV-1, and Hondas new electrical car, H2O cars

B.

Stationary Sources
See handout entitled "Average Collection Efficiencies of Control Equipment"
97% of the particulates
Changing fuel so that fewer particulates are formed
Control equipment:
Settling chamber
Cyclone separator
Scrubber, water spray
Electrostatic precipitators, the particles are charged and removed by an electrical
field
Fabric filter bag house

LECTURE NO. 10..........................................................................................................................................1

NOISE AND AIR POLLUTION...................................................................................................................1
PART I NOISE................................................................................................................................................1
1.

SOUND AND HEARING.....................................................................................................................1

2.

HUMAN HEARING.............................................................................................................................2

3.

OCCUPATIONAL NOISE EXPOSURES..........................................................................................3

4.

NOISE CONTROLS.............................................................................................................................4

5.

SONIC BOOM......................................................................................................................................4

PART II AIR POLLUTION...........................................................................................................................6

1. GENERAL..................................................................................................................................................6
2. EMISSION SOURCES..............................................................................................................................6
A.
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)
B.

5 MAJOR POLLUTANTS.......................................................................................................................6
Hydrocarbons (HC)......................................................................................................................6
Carbon Monoxide (CO)................................................................................................................6
Sulfur Oxides (SOx).......................................................................................................................6
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)..................................................................................................................6
Particulates...................................................................................................................................6
SOURCES.............................................................................................................................................6

3. SMOG..........................................................................................................................................................6
A.
B.
C.

LONDON SMOG...................................................................................................................................6
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG.....................................................................................................................7
RESULTS OF SMOG..............................................................................................................................7

4. PARTICULATES........................................................................................................................................7
5. HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS.........................................................................................................8
6. AIR POLLUTION CONTROL TECHNIQUES.....................................................................................8
A.
B.

MOBILE SOURCES (CARS, ETC.)..........................................................................................................8

STATIONARY SOURCES........................................................................................................................8