Environ 201: Air Pollution Lecture

Front 1

Air pollution lack of clear definition

Back 1

human caused: put damaging material into the air
-has environmental and health effects
hard to prove- water pollution is easier
* causes fallout and rainout of material -->terrestrial and aquatic damamge

Front 2

kinds of pollutants
primary polutant
direct pollutants

Back 2

directly release in hazardous form
e.g smokestacks: release co2, sulfer, sulfer dioxide

Front 3

secondary pollutant

Back 3

modified to hazardous forms: things that become pollutants
e.g) photochemical oxidants:sunlight makes them oxidants

Front 4

fugitive emissions

Back 4

come out everywhere
e.g) dust, cigarette smoke
this is not in measureable form

Front 5

criteria pollutants
7 types

Back 5

defined by the clean air act 1970
burning coal anf gas--> sulfur compounds: coal, oil
nitrogen compound: transport, power generation
carbon compounds: fossil fuels

metals and halogens: fuels, industry
particulates: many types and sources e.g--dust turns into hayfever
volatile organics: ch4 (new paint smell)
photochemical oxidants: ozone

Front 6

causes of air pollutants

Back 6

source: local level
concentration by landscape
transport by winds

Front 7

concentration

Back 7

e.g) Los Angeles
warm and dry climate
not a lot of rain: hold it in
mountains: air cant really escape
inversion layer: cold air above, warm air below (cold hold warm down)
industrial heat

Front 8

inversion layer

Back 8

cold air holding in the warm air in the city
changes in day and night
during the day it is warmer in the city
at night the heat that had been held in the city during the day slowly starts to rise again so it get cools in the city again

Front 9

local climates: heat domes

Back 9

few plants and lots of concrete
cause heat in industrious areas like inverison areas

Front 10

transport

Back 10

winds carry pollutants
particles in rain settle basedon climate and density of particles
weather and ocean patterns-- a lot in n. pole water
* potential to be really removed from origin

Front 11

acid rain

Back 11

when burn coal- get H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
veyr toxic, wil burn skin, organisms, dissolve limestone, emit mercury and other heavy metals, release metals from sediments like aluminum
vulnerable areas: ones that dont have soil/ water buffers--nothng to soak it up

Front 12

developping world

Back 12

home heating and cooking done with wood and coal
poor ventilation: poor indoor pollution--> bad health
alternative: electricity which is bad for outdoo air quality

Front 13

pollution control
3

Back 13

1. Use less: only works for the developped world
2. remove air to less polluted area
3. treat it at source: technology

Front 14

Controlling smokestacks
4

Back 14

1.physical filters: bag or electrostatic filters
2.change source: natural gas
3.better combustion
4. scrubbing to remove so2

Front 15

controlling auto emissions
3

Back 15

1. catslytic convertesL for NOx, under car, gas come out of car and go through catalytici converter
remove CO2 and CO
2. more fuel efficient cars
3. alternative fuels

Front 16

laws and regulations
clean air act 1970

Back 16

big concern for human health (primary) and ecology (secondary)
set emission standards

Front 17

1990 goals

Back 17

1. acid rain, 24 to 10 so2, 6-4 nox
2. reduce tailpipe 60%, catalytic converters
3. strogner enforcements about pollutants

Front 18

1997 goals

Back 18

all about the ozone
market pollution rghts
emissions sold:sell surplus
clean coal tech

Front 19

clean coal technology

Back 19

whole carbon system
can reduce carbon
really wild dream of trying to make clean coal
this really isnt possible

Front 20

futer issues

Back 20

cost control benfits make it more economicallysound to be environmentally sound
lost of change has happened despite population growth because of technology

Front 21

1970-2004 pollutant change

Back 21

CO: -56%
NOx: -30%
VOc: -55%
Pb: -99%

reduce emissions by 50% even through pop growth, higher energy consumption and higher vehicle mile travelling