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Vertical structure of the atmosphere
Aerosols
An aerosol is a suspension of fine solid
particles or liquid droplets in a gas.
Aerosols are microscopic solid particles and
liquid droplets
Examples :clouds
smog and smoke ---- air pollution
Mist Fog Haze Smoke Smog
Mobile
Oxygen (O2)
Nitric oxide (NO)
+
Oxygen atom (O)
Water vapor
(H2O)
Hydrocarbons UV radiation
Peroxyacyl
nitrates Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
(PANs)
Oxygen (O2)
Nitric oxide (NO)
Oxygen (O2) Burning fossil fuels
Weather
depends on the fronts
– cold→ thunderstorms
– warm→ light rain
affected by the pressure
systems
– high→ fair to dry weather
– low→ results in clouds and precipitation
Why?
Temperature inversions
Temperature inversions represent a situation in
which the atmosphere is very stable and the mixing
depth is significantly restricted.
Surface temperature inversions form because the
ground is a more effective radiator than the air
above.
This is an example
of a generalized
temperature profile
for a surface
inversion.
Temperature-profile
changes in bottom
diagram after the
sun has heated the
surface.
Inversion
Thermal Inversion
cooler air appears under warmer air
prevents normal convective circulation to
occur
pollution is trapped under the inversion
layer creating health problems like asthma
– killer smog in London
– asthma in San Joaquin valley
Smoke rising in Lochcarron, Scotland is stopped
by an overlying layer of warmer air
Winter smoke in Shanghai with a clear border-layer
for the vertical air-spread.
Consequences of a thermal
inversion
The air becomes stiller, hence the air becomes
murky because dust and pollutants are no
longer lifted from the surface.
This can become a problem in cities where
many pollutants exist.
Inversion effects occur frequently in big cities such
as Mumbai, India; Los Angeles, California;
Mexico City ; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile;
and Tehran, Iran, but even also in smaller cities
like Oslo, Norway and Salt Lake City, Utah,
Boise, Idaho which is closely surrounded by hills
and mountains that together with the inversion
effect bottle-caps the air in the city.
During a severe inversion, trapped air
pollutants form a brownish haze that can
cause respiratory problems. The Great
Smog, one of the most serious examples of
such an inversion, occurred in London in
1952 and was blamed for thousands of
deaths.
The Great
Smog 1952
Sulfuric acid droplets
with pH 1.4~1.9;
reduced visibility, as
low as 5m;
Acid rain
The ozone depletion
Global warming
Atmospheric Brown Cloud
The Indian Asian brown cloud is a layer of
air pollution that recurrently covers parts of
South Asia, namely the northern Indian
Ocean, India, and Pakistan.
A dense blanket of polluted air hovers over
central eastern China. The 'Giant Brown
Cloud' is an unhealthy mix of ozone,
smoke, and other particles from human
activities .
Asian brown cloud
The Asian brown cloud is created by a
range of airborne particles and pollutants
from combustion (e.g., woodfires, cars, and
factories), biomass burning and industrial
processes with incomplete burning. The
cloud is associated with the winter monsoon
(November/December to April) during
which there is no rain to wash pollutants
from the air
Health Effects of Air Pollution
Exposure
Chronic
Acute
– Air Pollution Episode
Bhopal disaster
Dependent on local conditions
Epidemiological studies
– Statistical relationship between
environmental factors and human
disease
– Challenging
Smog Episode in NYC, 1963
Toxicological studies National Archives, photo by Chester Higgins
Pollutant interactions
Respiratory System
Via inhalation/respiratory as
well as eye/skin
Three parts of respiratory
system
– Naso-pharyngeal (HAR)
– Tracheo-bronchial (TBR)
– Pulmonary-Alveolar (GER)
Lungs portal of entry
– Purpose
– GER SA > 75 m2
London 1952
Ammonium sulfate [(NH4)2SO4]
Ammonia (NH3)
Oxygen (O2)
Oxygen (O2)
Los Angeles
Criteria Air Pollutants: Ozone
Cause: product of photochemical rxns
Source: cars, power plants, combustion, chemical
industries
Acute Health effects
– Severe E/N/T (ear/nose/throat) irritation
– Eye irritation at 100 ppb
– Interferes with lung functions
Coughing at 2 ppm
Chronic Health Effects
– Why do we use ozone as disinfectant for WW?