ENV1 Chapter 8 Air and Air Pollution

Visualizing Environmental
Science
Air and Air Pollution
Chapter 8
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Science
“There's so much pollution in the air now

that if it weren't for our lungs there'd
be no place to put it all.”
~ Robert Orben
Science
http://www2.nature.nps.gov/air/WebCams/parks/nacccam/washcam.cfm#
Air Quality Index
• http://
airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_city&zipcode=1
9312&submit=Go
• http://
www.stateoftheair.org/2011/city-rankings/most-polluted-ci
ties.html
© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Atmosphere
• Gaseous envelope surrounding Earth
– 78% nitrogen
– 21% oxygen
– 0.04% carbon dioxide
– 0.93% argon
– 0.03% other gases
– Water vapor and trace amounts of air
pollutants
• Atmosphere composed of four
concentric layers
– Troposphere
– Stratosphere
– Mesosphere
– Thermosphere
The Atmosphere
• Ecosystem services
– Protects Earth from most
UV radiation
– Naturally occurring
greenhouse gases absorb
some reradiated heat
– This image of the
atmosphere was taken
from space; the thin blue
layer that separates the
planet from the blackness
of space is the atmosphere

Environmental InSight
The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

The Atmosphere

Atmospheric Circulation
• Circulation driven by
temperature variations
• In atmospheric
convection, heating the
ground heats the air,
producing an updraft of
less dense, warm air
• The convection process
ultimately causes air
currents that mix warmer
with cooler parts of the
atmosphere © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Atmosphere: Heat Exchange
• Circulation transports heat
from the equator to the
poles
• Greatest solar energy input
is at the equator
• Air traveling towards the
poles, cools and descends
at 30 degrees latitude
• At higher latitudes, pattern
of air circulation is complex
The Atmosphere: Heat Exchange
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6Us1sPXBfA&list=PLi_1
unC2AWvDUcutpWpcJVyJ0Xi1yRna1&index=5
Global Precipitation Map
• https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNC7IdyWVU
What do you think?
A
What part of a basketball
B
is travelling faster (when
C
spinning it on your
finger): the part in the
middle or the part at
your finger?
What do you think?
You are standing at the bus stop and notice

that your school bus is about to drive by you.
You take an apple from your lunch and throw it
directly at the bus driver as he drives by. What
happens to the apple?
Earth's Rotation and the Coriolis Effect
The Coriolis Effect
• Wind direction is deflected
to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left
in the Southern Hemisphere
• Winds are horizontal
movements that result from
atmospheric pressure and
the planet’s rotation

The Coriolis Effect

• Coriolis Effect – the deflection of an

object's path due to Earth's rotation
• The prevailing winds of the world are
produced by a combination of atmospheric
convection currents and the Coriolis effect
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2mec3v
geaI&list=PLi_1unC2AWvDUcutpWpcJVyJ
0Xi1yRna1
The Coriolis Effect
• There are three
prevailing winds that
blow continually
– Polar easterlies — winds
near the poles
– Westerlies — middle
latitude winds
– Trade winds — tropical
winds

Types and Sources of Air Pollution
• Various chemicals
(gases, liquids, solids)
present in the
atmosphere in
harmful levels
• Can be natural, but
more often are
anthropogenic
• Two main categories of air
pollutants
– Primary air pollutants are
harmful chemicals that enter
directly into the atmosphere
– Secondary air pollutants are
chemicals that form in the
atmosphere when primary air
pollutants react chemically with
one another or with natural
components of the atmosphere
• Particulate matter is made
up of dusts and mists,
solid and liquid particles
suspended in the air
• Some particular matter
has toxic effects, can
corrode metals and erode
buildings
• Microscopic particles
more dangerous than
larger particles

Particulate Matter

Particulate Matter

Where is particulate matter worst in the world?
Global satellite-derived map of PM 2.5 averaged over 2001-2006. Credit: Dalhousie University, Aaron van Donkelaar

Air Pollutants
1. Nitrogen oxides • Sources?
2. Sulfur oxides • Examples?
3. Carbon oxides • Effects?
4. Hydrocarbons
5. Ozone
6. Hazardous air pollutants

• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
– Aggravates asthma
– Involved in the production of
phytochemical smog and acid
deposition
• Sulfur oxides (SOx)
– Major role in acid position
– Respiratory tract irritant
• Carbon oxides
– Reduces the blood’s ability to
carry oxygen
– Carbon dioxide associated with
climate change

• Hydrocarbons
– Respiratory tract irritant and
carcinogenic
– Contributes to photochemical smog
and climate change
• Ozone
– Photochemical smog
– Contributes to plant and forest
decline
• Hazardous air pollutants
(HAPs)
– Health risks to people who live and
work around chemical factories and
incinerators
Ozone Damage
• Stratospheric ozone protects
from UV radiation
• Tropospheric ozone is a
secondary air pollutant
• This scientist is measuring
the effects of ozone on the
growth and productivity of
several plants
– Ozone-exposed plants exhibit
damaged leaves, reduced root
growth and reduced
productivity
Sources of Outdoor Air Pollutants
• Two main anthropogenic sources
of primary air pollutants
– Transportation (mobile sources)
• Cars, trucks, construction
equipment
– Power plants (stationary
sources)
• Burning coal responsible for most
of these emissions
• Top three industrial sources
are chemical, metal, and
paper industries
What A Scientist Sees
• In 1991, eruption of
volcano Mount Pinatubo
in the Philippines
released huge amounts
of particulate matter
• What happened to the
global average
temperature in the years
that followed Mount
Pinatubo’s eruption?
Why?
Effects of Air Pollution
• Injures organisms
• Reduces visibility
• Corrodes materials
• Harm the respiratory tracts of animals
• Emphysema
• Chronic bronchitis
• Suppresses the immune system

• Reduces crop productivity
• Involved in acid deposition, global warming, and
ozone depletion © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Effects of Air Pollution

Urban Air Pollution
• Air pollution in an
urban area is referred
to as smog
– Smog is composed of
sulfur oxides and
particulate matter
– Industrial smog significant
problem in developing
countries due to the lack
of pollution-control laws
that developed countries
have in place
Urban Air Pollution

Urban Air Pollution
• Photochemical smog is a
brown-orange haze
formed by chemical
reactions involving
sunlight, nitrogen oxides,
and hydrocarbons
– Phytochemical smog was first
noted in Los Angeles in the 1940s
and is worse in the summer
– Ozone is a principal component of
photochemical smog
– Results in eye irritation,
aggravates respiratory illness, and
harms plant tissue © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Smog
• Portmanteau of smoke + fog
– Ex: “Brangelina”
– Ex: “Kimye”
– Ex: “Strogima”
Photochemical Smog
Fig. 17-6 p.
424
How Weather and Topography Affect
Air Pollution
• Changes in temperature produce
air circulation patterns that help
disperse air pollution
• However, during a temperature
inversion, pollutants get trapped
in a layer of cold air near the
ground, where we live and
breath
– Can last hours to several days
– Certain topographies increase the
likelihood of an inversion
• Cities in valleys, coastal areas
• Los Angeles Basin topography
encourages inversions
Thermal Inversion

Thermal Inversion
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPvn9qhVFbM

Air Pollution in Los Angeles
• In 1969, CA became the first
state to enforce emissions
standards on motor vehicles
• Currently has stringent smog
control laws
• LA now has the cleanest air it
has had since 1950s; however,
it STILL exceeds federal air
quality standards on more
days than any other city in
U.S.
– 120 days above federal ozone
standard in 2008 © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Urban Heat Islands
• Local heat buildup in an area
of high population
• Heat from dense populations
and construction radiate into
the atmosphere at night
causing urban heat islands in
the surrounding suburban
and rural areas
• Can affect local air currents
and weather conditions
• Cause higher concentrations
of particulate matter called
dust domes

Urban Dust Domes
• Urban heat islands encourage the formation of a dome of heated
air that surrounds an urban area and contains a lot of air pollution
• As wind speeds increase, the polluted air spreads over rural areas
• Cities in valleys are highly susceptible to pollutants on low wind
days
• Increased number of thunderstorms in summer associated with
urban heat islands

Controlling Air Pollutants With Technology
• Smokestacks with precipitators, fabric
filters, and scrubbers remove
particulate matter from air
• Excavations spray water over soil being
moved to reduce particulate matter
• Sulfur removed from fuel prior to
burning
• Measures taken to increase fuel
efficiency and conservation reduce
pollution
• But installing a precipitator costs
money, the primary objection to using
these technologies
The Clean Air Act (CAA)
• First passed in 1970, and since
amended in 1977 and 1990
• Overall air quality has shown
improvement; however, still many
unacceptably high levels of multiple
pollutants
• CAA enforced by the EPA
• The EPA focuses on six air pollutants
—lead, particulate matter, sulfur
dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, and ozone

Percent Change in U.S. Air Quality
Pollutant 1980 vs. 2013
Carbon Monoxide -84%
Ozone -33%
Lead -92%
Nitrogen Dioxide -58%
PM10 -34%
Sulfur Dioxide -81%
Comparison of Growth Areas and
Emissions, 1980-2013
History of Air Pollution in the U.S.
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PO_3exwN-I
Warm-Up Question
Air Pollution in Developing Countries
• Developing nations produce more
air pollution as they become
industrialized
• Environmental quality is a low
priority in their race for economic
development
• Air pollution laws are non-existent
or not enforced
• Low-quality coal burned for heat
and industry in China, blocks out
the sun for most of the year
• Old technology costs less

Air Pollution in Developing Countries
• Growing number of cars in urban
areas that are mostly old and have
no pollution-control devices
• Lead pollution from leaded gasoline
• Respiratory disease is the leading
cause of global death for children,
mostly under 5
• According to WHO, the top five
polluted cities in the world are:
– Beijing, China
– New Delhi, India
– Santiago, Chile
– Ulaanbator, Mongolia
– Cairo, Egypt
Indoor Air Pollution
• Developing countries use solid
fuels (wood, animal dung, etc.) to
cook indoors, with poor or no
ventilation
• WHO estimates 1.6 million people
die annually from indoor cooking
smoke
• Developed countries suffer from
radon, cigarette smoke, asbestos,
and chemicals used to process
rugs and fabric
• The Labor Department
determined more than 20 million
Americans are exposed to sick
building syndrome at work © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Indoor Air Pollutants
SOURCE DISEASE REMEDIATION
CO and PM lead to acute

respiratory infections, More efficient stoves and
Indoor cooking fuel Wood, manure, and coal
pneumonia, bronchitis, and increasing ventilation
cancer
Natural mineral used in

Leads to asbestosis and Qualified personnel
Asbestos insulation and building
lung cancer remove and dispose of it
materials
Malfunctioning home
Low levels can cause Have furnace regularly
heater exhaust systems
Carbon Monoxide (usually natural gas
headaches and confusion; checked and install CO
high levels can cause death detectors
furnaces)
Naturally occurring radon-

Seal cracks and install
Radon 222 gas can seep into Leads to lung cancer
ventilation system
basements and water
Building materials,
Respiratory distress and Use low-VOC products and
VOCs furniture, and home
potentially cancer increase ventilation
chemicals
• According to the EPA, the 4 most
dangerous indoor air pollutants are:
– Cigarette smoke
– Formaldehyde
– Radioactive radon-222 gas
– Particulate matter
Sick Building Syndrome
• Due to insulation and prevention
of drafts
• Caused by high concentrations of
VOCs, hydrocarbons, & allergens
• Present if symptoms start upon
entry and are relieved 20 minutes
after exiting
• 4 reasons:
• Faulty ventilation
• Chemical contamination from
indoor sources
• Chemical contamination from
outdoor sources
• Biological contamination
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adzMcfHr1q8
Radon
• Colorless, odorless, tasteless
radioactive gas
• Result of the radioactive decay of
uranium in the Earth’s crust
• Important indoor air pollutant in U.S.
as it seeps through the ground and
accumulates in dangerous levels
• Causes 12% of lung cancers (about
21,000 deaths a year)
• EPA estimates 6% of U.S. homes have
too much radon
• Highest levels in the U.S. are in
southeastern PA, northern NJ and NY
• Cracks in the basement wall or floors
and openings around pipes enable
radon to seep into this home © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Indoor Air Pollution
• Homes may contain
higher levels of air
pollutants than outside
air, even near industrial
sites
• As we make our homes
more energy efficient
we increase the hazard
of indoor air pollution

Case Study: Curbing Air Pollution in Chattanooga
• Chattanooga, TN had the worst
air pollution in the U.S. in 1960s
– So polluted, car headlights were
necessary during the day
– Surrounding mountains kept the
pollutants produced within the city
from dispersing
• After the CAA of 1970, the city
established an air pollution
control board to enforce
regulations and today the air is
clean
• Chattanooga has lower than
federal standard required levels
for all seven EPA-regulated air
pollutant © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Visualizing Environmental

“There's so much pollution in the air now

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

You are standing at the bus stop and notice

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Coriolis Effect – the deflection of an

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Suppresses the immune system

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

CO and PM lead to acute

Natural mineral used in

Naturally occurring radon-

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

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