AIR POLLUTIONAIR POLLUTION

Types and Sources of Air Types and Sources of Air PollutionPollution

o Air PollutionAir Pollution• Chemicals added to the atmosphere by Chemicals added to the atmosphere by

natural events or human activities in high natural events or human activities in high enough concentrations to be harmful enough concentrations to be harmful

o Two categoriesTwo categories• Primary Air PollutantPrimary Air Pollutant

• Harmful substance that is emitted directly into Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the atmosphere the atmosphere

• Secondary Air PollutantSecondary Air Pollutant• Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere

when a primary air pollutant reacts with when a primary air pollutant reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air pollutants with other air pollutants

Major Classes of Air PollutantsMajor Classes of Air Pollutants

o Particulate MaterialParticulate Materialo Nitrogen OxidesNitrogen Oxideso Sulfur OxidesSulfur Oxideso Carbon OxidesCarbon Oxideso HydrocarbonsHydrocarbonso OzoneOzone

Carbon MonoxideCarbon Monoxide

•colorless, odorless

•produced when carbon does not burn in fossil fuels

•present in car exhaust

•deprives body of O2 causing headaches, fatigue, and impaired vision

Sulfur DioxideSulfur Dioxide

•produced when coal and fuel oil are burned

•present in power plant exhaust

•narrows the airway, causing wheezing and shortness of breath, especially in those with asthma

Nitrogen DioxideNitrogen Dioxide

•reddish, brown gas

•produced when nitric oxide combines with oxygen in the atmosphere

•present in car exhaust and power plants

•affects lungs and causes wheezing; increases chance of respiratory infection

Particulate MatterParticulate Matter

•particles of different sizes and structures that are released into the atmosphere

•present in many sources including fossil fuels, dust, smoke, fog, etc.

•can build up in respiratory system

•aggravates heart and lung disease; increases risk of respiratory infection

Ground Level OzoneGround Level Ozone•at upper level, ozone shields Earth from sun’s harmful UV rays•at ground level, ozone is harmful pollutants•formed from car, power and chemical plant exhaust•irritate respiratory system and asthma; reduces lung function by inflaming and damaging lining of lungs

Urban Air PollutionUrban Air Pollutiono Photochemical Smog (ex: Los Angeles below)Photochemical Smog (ex: Los Angeles below)

• Brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions Brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons involving sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons

Formation of Photochemical Formation of Photochemical SmogSmog

Ozone Depletion in StratosphereOzone Depletion in Stratosphere

o Ozone Protects earth from UV radiationOzone Protects earth from UV radiation• Part of the electromagnetic spectrum with Part of the electromagnetic spectrum with

wavelengths just shorter than visible light wavelengths just shorter than visible light

Effects of Ozone DepletionEffects of Ozone Depletion

o Higher levels of UV-Higher levels of UV-radiation hitting the radiation hitting the earthearth• Eye cataractsEye cataracts• Skin cancer (right)Skin cancer (right)• Weakened immunityWeakened immunity

o May disrupt May disrupt ecosystemsecosystems

o May damage crops May damage crops and forestsand forests

How Acid Deposition DevelopsHow Acid Deposition Develops

Acid Deposition and Forest Acid Deposition and Forest DeclineDecline

1.COMBUSTION1.COMBUSTION different heating devices- health different heating devices- health

problemsproblems

Oil burning stoves 56%

Solid fuels light cooking stoves

42.1%

Gas heaters 41.9%

Wood 39.6%

Central heating 26.3%

Solid fuels masonry stoves 36.7% *Electricity masonry stoves 8.7% *Air conditioners 18.4%

Residential heating electricity

12.2%

Indoor Air Indoor Air PollutionPollution

Health Effects of Air PollutionHealth Effects of Air Pollution

o Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate materialSulfur Dioxide and Particulate material• Irritate respiratory tract and impair ability Irritate respiratory tract and impair ability

of lungs to exchange gasesof lungs to exchange gaseso Nitrogen DioxidesNitrogen Dioxides

• Causes airway restrictionCauses airway restrictiono Carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide

• Binds with iron in blood hemoglobinBinds with iron in blood hemoglobin• Causes headache, fatigue, drowsiness, Causes headache, fatigue, drowsiness,

deathdeatho OzoneOzone

• Causes burning eyes, coughing, and chest Causes burning eyes, coughing, and chest discomfortdiscomfort

Controlling Air Controlling Air Pollution in USPollution in US

o Smokestacks with Smokestacks with electrostatic precipitator electrostatic precipitator (right)(right)

Without Without Electrostatic Electrostatic precipitatorprecipitator

With Electrostatic With Electrostatic precipitatorprecipitator

Controlling Air Pollution in the Controlling Air Pollution in the USUS

o Phase I Vapor Recovery System for Phase I Vapor Recovery System for gasolinegasoline

The Clean Air ActThe Clean Air Act

o Authorizes EPA to Authorizes EPA to set limits on amount set limits on amount of specific air of specific air pollutants permittedpollutants permitted

o Focuses on 6 Focuses on 6 pollutants:pollutants:• lead, particulate lead, particulate

matter, sulfur matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozoneoxides, and ozone

o Act has led to Act has led to decreases!decreases!

Water PollutionWater Pollution

Water makes us unique and gives life to Earth.

What is water pollution?What is water pollution?

Any chemical, Any chemical, biological, or biological, or physical change in physical change in water quality that water quality that has a harmful effect has a harmful effect on living organisms on living organisms or makes water or makes water unsuitable for unsuitable for desired usage.desired usage.

What is water pollution?What is water pollution?

WHO:WHO:o 3.4 million 3.4 million

premature deaths premature deaths each year from each year from waterborne diseaseswaterborne diseases

o 1.9 million from 1.9 million from diarrhea diarrhea

o U.S. 1.5 million U.S. 1.5 million illnessesillnesses

Infectious Agents: Infectious Agents: bacteria and viruses bacteria and viruses often from animal wastesoften from animal wastes

Oxygen Demanding Wastes: Oxygen Demanding Wastes: organic organic waste that needs oxygen often from waste that needs oxygen often from animal waste, paper mills and food animal waste, paper mills and food processing.processing.

Inorganic Chemicals: Inorganic Chemicals: Acids and toxic Acids and toxic chemicals often from runoff, industries chemicals often from runoff, industries and household cleanersand household cleaners

Organic Chemicals: Organic Chemicals: oil, gasoline, plastics, oil, gasoline, plastics, detergents often from surface runoff, detergents often from surface runoff, industries and cleanersindustries and cleaners

Plant Nutrients: Plant Nutrients: water soluble nitrates, water soluble nitrates, ammonia and phosphates often from ammonia and phosphates often from sewage, agriculture and urban fertilizerssewage, agriculture and urban fertilizers

Sediment: Sediment: soils and silts from land soils and silts from land erosion can disrupt photosynthesis, erosion can disrupt photosynthesis, destroy spawning grounds, clog rivers destroy spawning grounds, clog rivers and streamsand streams

Heat Pollution and Radioactivity:Heat Pollution and Radioactivity: mostly mostly from powerplants from powerplants

How do we measure water How do we measure water qualityquality

Dissolved Oxygen: Dissolved Oxygen: BOD Biological BOD Biological Oxygen Demand…Oxygen Demand…the amount of the amount of oxygen consumed by oxygen consumed by aquatic decomposersaquatic decomposers

Chemical Analysis:Chemical Analysis: looking for presence looking for presence of inorganic or of inorganic or organic chemicalsorganic chemicals

Suspended SedimentSuspended Sediment water claritywater clarity

Major Sources of Water Major Sources of Water PollutionPollution

Agriculture: Agriculture: by far the by far the leaderleader

o Sediment, fertilizers, Sediment, fertilizers, bacteria from bacteria from livestock, food livestock, food processing, salt from processing, salt from soil irrigationsoil irrigation

Industrial: Industrial: factories and factories and powerplantspowerplants

Mining: Mining: surface mining surface mining toxics, acids, sedimenttoxics, acids, sediment

Freshwater Stream PollutionFreshwater Stream Pollution

Flowing streams can Flowing streams can recover from moderate recover from moderate level of degradable water level of degradable water pollution if their flows are pollution if their flows are not reduced.not reduced.

o Natural biodegradation Natural biodegradation processprocess

o Does not work if Does not work if overloaded or stream overloaded or stream flow reducedflow reduced

o Does not work against Does not work against non biodegradable non biodegradable pollutantspollutants

India’s Ganges RiverIndia’s Ganges River

o Holy River (1 million Holy River (1 million take daily holy dip)take daily holy dip)

o Little sewage treatmentLittle sewage treatmento Used for bathing, Used for bathing,

drinking etc.drinking etc.o Bodies (cremated or Bodies (cremated or

not) thrown in rivernot) thrown in rivero Good news is the Indian Good news is the Indian

government is beginning government is beginning to work on problemto work on problem

Freshwater Lake PollutionFreshwater Lake PollutionMakes them more Makes them more

vulnerablevulnerableo Toxins settleToxins settleo Kill bottom lifeKill bottom lifeo Atmospheric Atmospheric

depositiondepositiono Food chain Food chain

disruptionsdisruptions

Eutrophication of LakesEutrophication of Lakes

Pollution of LakesPollution of Lakes

Fig. 22-7 p. 499

Groundwater Pollution: Groundwater Pollution: CausesCauses Low flow rates Low flow rates Few bacteria Few bacteria

Cold temperatures

Cold temperatures

Coal strip mine runoff

Pumping well

Waste lagoon

Accidental spills

Groundwater flow

Confined aquifer

Discharge

Leakage from faulty casing

Hazardous waste injection well

Pesticides

Gasoline station

Buried gasoline and solvent tank

Sewer

Cesspool septic tank

De-icing road salt

Unconfined freshwater aquifer

Confined freshwater aquifer

Water pumping well Landfill

Low oxygen

Low oxygen

Fig. 22-9 p. 502

Ocean PollutionOcean Pollution

o Large amounts of Large amounts of untreated raw untreated raw sewage (viruses)sewage (viruses)

o Leaking septic tanksLeaking septic tankso Algae blooms from Algae blooms from

nutrientsnutrientso Airborne toxinsAirborne toxinso Oil spillsOil spills

Solutions: Preventing and Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water PollutionReducing Surface Water Pollution

Nonpoint SourcesNonpoint Sources Point SourcesPoint Sources

Reduce runoff Reduce runoff

Buffer zone vegetation Buffer zone vegetation

Reduce soil erosion Reduce soil erosion

Clean Water Act Clean Water Act

Water Quality Act Water Quality Act

Only apply pesticides and fertilizers as needed Only apply pesticides and fertilizers as needed

Clean Water ActClean Water Act

o Sets standards for key Sets standards for key pollutantspollutants

o Requires permits for Requires permits for dischargedischarge

o Requires sewage Requires sewage treatmenttreatment

o Require permits for Require permits for wetland destructionwetland destruction

o Does not deal with Does not deal with nonpoint sources wellnonpoint sources well

o Goal All Waterways Goal All Waterways fishable and swimable fishable and swimable

Purification of rural drinking Purification of rural drinking waterwater

There can be simple There can be simple ways to purify water:ways to purify water:

o Exposing to heat and Exposing to heat and UV raysUV rays

o Fine cloths to filter Fine cloths to filter waterwater

o Add small amounts Add small amounts of chlorineof chlorine

Safe Drinking Water ActSafe Drinking Water Act

o 54 countries have 54 countries have drinking water lawsdrinking water laws

SDWA passed 1974 SDWA passed 1974 requires EPA to set requires EPA to set drinking water drinking water standards standards

Maximum Maximum Contaminating Contaminating Levels (MCLs)Levels (MCLs)