1

Environmental Pollution and

Waste: Air, Water, and Land
Media
Environmental Sustainability Educational Resources
prepared by
Gregory A. Keoleian
Associate Research Scientist,
School oI Natural Resources and Environment
Co-Director, Center Ior Sustainable Systems
University oI Michigan

Contents
Air Pollution Impacts |slide 4|
Sources oI Air Toxics |slide 5-6|
Criteria Air Pollutants |slide 7-9|
Trends in National Emissions oI Criteria Pollutants
|slide 10|
Comparison oI 1970 and 1999 Emissions |slide 11-1|
Comparison oI Growth in Population, VMT, GNP with
Emissions |slide 13|
Percent Change in Air Quality |slide 14|
Number oI People Living in Nonattainment Areas|slide 15|
3
Trends in SulIur Dioxide Emissions |slides 16|
Water Pollution |slides 17- 18|
Sources oI Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution |slide 19-|
Water Quality oI Assessed Rivers, Lakes and Estuaries
|slide 3|
Pollutants and Sources Causing Impairments oI Assessed Rivers,
Lakes and Estuaries |slide 4|
Toxic Release Inventory |slide 5-8|
TRI data |slides 9-31|
Industrial Waste |slides 3-33|
Municipal Solid Waste |slide 34-35|
Additional Resources |slide 36-37|
4
Air pollutant impacts
Greenhouse eIIect
Ozone depletion
acidiIication
smog Iormation
eutrophication
human health
ecosystem health
5
6
7
Criteria Air Pollutants
EPA uses six "criteria pollutants" as
indicators oI air quality
EPA established Ior each oI them a
maximum concentration above which
adverse eIIects on human health may occur.
8
Criteria air pollutants
Nitrogen Dioxide: NO
brownish gas irritates the respiratory system originates Irom
combustion (N in air is oxidized); NOx sum oI NO, NO, other
oxides oI N
Ozone: ground level O3
primary constituent oI urban smog
reaction oI VOC NOx in presence oI heat sun light
Carbon monoxide: CO
reduces bloods ability to carry O
product oI incomplete combustion
9
Lead: Pb
cause learning disabilities in children , toxic to liver,
kidney, blood Iorming organs
tetraethyl lead anti knock agent in gasoline
leaded gasoline has been phased out
Particulate Matter: PM10 (PM .5)
respiratory disorders
SulIur Dioxide: SO
Iormed when Iuel (coal, oil) containing S is burned
and metal smelting
precursor to acid rain along with NOx
10
11
Comparison of 1970 and 1999 Emissions
1
13
14
15
:mber of PeopIe Living in Co:nties with
Air Q:aIity Concentrations Above the LeveI
of the AAQS in 1999
16
Trends in SulIur Dioxide Emissions Following
Implementation oI Phase I oI the Acid Rain Program:
Total State-level Utility SO (1980, 1990, 1999)
17
Water Pollution
Based on current water quality standards, over
70 percent oI our rivers, 68 percent oI our
estuaries and 60 percent oI our lakes now meet
legislatively mandated goals.
Some oI the risks include
pollutant runoII Irom agricultural lands
stormwater Ilows Irom cities
About 40,000 times each year, sanitary sewers overIlow and
release raw sewage to streets and waterbodies.
18
Water Pollution
seepage into ground water Irom nonpoint
sources
the loss oI habitats such as wetlands.
we cannot always eat what we catch because
Iish Ilesh is contaminated by the remaining
discharges and sources oI toxic substances.
Microbial contamination oI drinking water still
presents problems in many communities.
19
Pollution Sources
!43984:7.08are direct discharges to a
single point;
examples include discharges Irom sewage
treatment plants, injection wells,and some
industrial sources.
0
Pollution Sources
43543984:7.08are diIIused across a
broad area and their contamination cannot
be traced to a single discharge point.
Examples include runoII oI excess Iertilizers,
herbicides, and insecticides Irom agricultural
lands and residential areas; oil, grease, and
toxic chemicals Irom urban runoII and energy
production; and sediment Irom improperly
managed construction sites, crop and Iorest
lands, and eroding stream banks.
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3
4
5
US EPA Toxic Release Inventory
Certain industrial Iacilities are mandated to
annually report to US EPA speciIied toxic
chemicals
mandated under Emergency Planning &
Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) in
1986 and enacted under SuperIund
Amendments & Reauthorization Act in 1987
response to Bhopal (1984) and other accidents
6
Who reports
SpeciIied SIC (Standard Industrial
ClassiIication) codes,
Have 10 or more equivalent Iull-time
employees, and
Exceed established thresholds Ior any
chemical on the TRI list
5,000 lb/yr iI chemical is manuIactured and/or
processed
10,000 lb/yr iI chemical is otherwise used
7
8
Limitations oI TRI
1) TRI does not cover all toxic chemicals that have the
potential to adversely aIIect human health or the
environment.
) TRI does not require reporting Irom many major sources
oI pollution releases.
3) TRI does not require companies to report the quantities oI
toxic chemicals used or the amounts that remain in
products.
4) TRI does not provide inIormation about the exposures
people may experience as a consequence oI chemical use.
9
1998 TRI Data
On-site releases
6.9 billion pounds
OII-site releases
0.4 billion pounds
TransIers oII-site Ior Iurther waste management
3.0 billion pounds
Total TRI chemicals in waste
30.5 billion pounds
30
31
3
Industrial Waste
Industrial waste is process waste associated
with manuIacturing.
This waste usually is not classiIied as either
municipal waste or hazardous waste by Iederal
or state laws.
Regulatory programs Ior managing industrial
waste vary widely among state, tribal, and some
local governments.
Each year, industrial Iacilities generate and
manage 7.6 billion tons oI nonhazardous
industrial waste in land application units.
33
34
Municipal Solid Waste
EPA definition
includes wastes such as durable goods,
nondurable goods, containers and packaging,
Iood scraps, yard trimmings, and miscellaneous
inorganic wastes Irom residential, commercial,
institutional, and industrial sources.
Examples oI waste Irom these categories include
appliances, automobile tires, newspapers, clothing,
boxes, disposable tableware, oIIice and classroom
paper, wood pallets, and caIeteria wastes.
35
36
Additional Resources
Air pollution
US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/oar/oaqps/
http://www.epa.gov/air/
Water pollution
US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/water/
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Toxics Release Inventory
US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/tri/
Solid waste
US EPA
http://www.epa.gov/solidwaste/