- Approx 147 million metric tons of air pollutants are released annually into the atmosphere in US o Worldwide emissions = 2 billion metric tons - Developed countries been improving air quality air quality in developing countries getting worse o b/c theyre going through industrial revolution & big countries invade small developing countries with big factories = less regulations on pollution - 16 of smoggiest cities in world are IN china
2. Natural sources of air pollution (non anthropogenic) - Volcanoes ash and acidic compounds - Sea spray sulfur compounds - Vegetation volatile organic compounds - Dust storms - Bacterial metabolism = responsible for 2/3 of methane in the air
3. Criteria Pollutants - Us Clean Act- designated 6 major (conventional & criteria pollutants) for which max ambient levels are mandated o Sulfur dioxide o Nitrogen oxide o Carbon monoxide o Ozone o Particulates (hold pollutants) o Lead (heave metal used to extract lighter molecules, etc)
4. Sources - Particulate o Agriculture, transportation, construction, etc. - Lead o Transportation, waste, smelting & processing, other - Nitrogen oxide o Power plants, transportation, industry, etc. - Sulfur dioxide o Power plants, industry, other - Carbon monoxide o Transportation, non road engines, solvent - Volatile organic compounds o Solvent, transportation, waste, non road engines Solvents dissolve solute
5. Anthropogenic - Primary pollutant: released directly from source - Secondary pollutant: convertive to a hazardous form after entering the air & mixing w/ other air component o Fugitive emissions: do not go through smoke stack Dust from strip mining, rock crushing, building construction/deconstruction
6. Sulfur Dioxide - Predominant anthropogenic - Fossil fuel combustion (coal & oil) o Corrosive gs which reacts w/ water vapor in air to cause acid rain (2/3 of total sulfur influx)
7. Nitrogen Oxide - Reactive gas formed when nitrogen heated above 650 degrees Celsius in presence of O2 or oxidized by bacteria o Further oxidized to give nitrogen reddish brown smog o Important greenhouse gas o Combine w/ h2o = nitric acid o Excess nitrogen causes eutrophication (ecosystem death = too much nitrogen) of inland h2o & coastal (encourages growth on non native weeds) Algae bloom = toxic h2o = dead fish b/c they suffocate o Humans responsible for 60% of emissions
8. Carbon Monoxide - Colorless, odorless, toxic gas - Global warming
9. Ozone - Stratosphere shields biosphere by absorbing UV ray - Pollutant in troposphere photochemical oxidant o Product of secondary atmospheric reactions driven by solar energy - Damages vegetation and buildings 10. Lead - 2/3 of all metallic air pollution - neurotoxin - banning lead from gas = most successful pollution - ban = childrens avg blood levels dropped 90% & avg IQ risen 3pts
11. Other pollutants - Other toxic metals o Nickel o Beryllium o Cadium - Halogens o Fluorine o Chlorine
Atmospheric Processes
1. Temp inversions - Temperature inversions: occur when a stable layer of warmer air lies above cooler air o Most stable conditions created by rapid nighttime cooling in valley where air movement is restricted o -