Air pollutants = gases & particulate material added to the
atmosphere Can affect climate or harm people Air pollution = the
release of pollutants Outdoor (ambient) air pollution = pollution
outside Has recently decreased due to government policy and
improved technologies in developed countries Developing countries
and urban areas still have significant problems
Slide 5
Point Sources = specific spots where large quantities of
pollutants are discharged (power plants and factories) Nonpoint
Sources = more diffuse, consisting of many small sources
(automobiles) Primary Pollutants = directly harmful and can react
to form harmful substances (soot and carbon dioxide) Secondary
Pollutants = form when primary pollutants interact or react with
constituents or components of the atmosphere (tropospheric ozone
and sulfuric acid)
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Transportation Electricity production Industrial processes
Solid waste disposal Other
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50,000 Americans die prematurely from air- pollution related
illness Residents of polluted cities are 15-17 times more likely to
die from air pollution-related illness In 2004, 159 million
Americans breathe unhealthy air (EPA) Half of all autopsies show
some degree of lung degeneration Heart attacks & immunological
disorders more likely Worldwide, 1.3 billion live in dangerously
polluted areas
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Carbon monoxide colorless & odorless incomplete burning of
fossil fuels motor vehicle exhaust, small engines, industrial
processes EFFECTS interferes with bloods ability to carry oxygen
Slows reflexes, drowsiness DEATH
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Nitrogen oxides High temperature burning of fossil fuels N
& O combine to form NOxs motor vehicle exhaust, small engines,
industrial boilers EFFECTS increases vulnerability to respiratory
infections, lung diseases and cancer Contributes to smog and acid
precipitation
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Sulfur oxides Burning of fossil fuels especially dirty coal
Coal-fired power plants EFFECTS SO 2 contributes to acid
precipitation Can harm plant life and irritate respiratory
system
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Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Vaporize easily and form
toxic fumes Burning fuels EFFECTS VOCs contributes to smog
Carcinogen Harms plant life
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Particulate Matter (particulates or PM) Tiny particles of
liquid or solid Construction, agriculture, forestry, fires,
volcanic emissions, power plants EFFECTS carcinogen Reduces
visibility Corrodes metal
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Wind erosion Sulfur compounds Volcanoes Sulfur compounds Acidic
plumes Caustic particulates Waste from living organism Sulfur
compounds Trees & bushes VOCs Pollen Forest fires CO 2 &
particulates
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Any unwanted or undesirable anthropogenically created sound
Increases aggression & blood pressure Includes congested
traffic, loud music, airport traffic Deafness from chronic exposure
Reduces human quality of life May interfere with animal behavior
migration, courtships, circadian rhythms
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Misdirected or misused light... generally resulting from an
inappropriate application of exterior lighting products. It can
confuse animal navigation, alter competitive interactions, change
predator- prey relations, and cause physiological harm
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4 general types Asthma triggers Toxic building materials Radon
gas Carbon monoxide
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Affects many, including 5 million children Leading cause of
childhood hospitalization & school absence EPA identified
triggers Secondhand smoke Dust mites Pets Mold Cockroaches
Asbestos Natural fire retardant Chronic lung disease
asbestosis, lung cancer, mesothelioma Found in insulation, ceiling
tiles, roofing, floor tiles, brake lining Use phased out in 1997
Current policy if intact leave in place Lead solder in water pipes
& paint Mercury switches in thermostats
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THE 2 nd LEADING CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER & THE LEADING CAUSE
OF LUNG CANCER IN NONSMOKERS Colorless, tasteless, radioactive gas
naturally produced by the radioactive decay of uranium Accumulates
in buildings with basements & slab foundations When pressure
inside home is less than outside, radon is drawn in Reducing
increasing ventilation, sealing cracks, suction systems
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Tobacco smoke and radon The most dangerous indoor pollutants in
the developed world Secondhand smoke from cigarettes is especially
dangerous Containing over 4000 dangerous chemicals Causes eye,
nose, and throat irritation Smoking has declined in developed
nations Radon causes 20,000 deaths a year in the U.S. A radioactive
gas resulting from natural decay of rock; soil; or water, which can
seep into buildings Most homes are now radon resistant
Slide 25
Colorless, odorless gas Competes with oxygen for bonding in
hemoglobin Deadly levels can be reached without warning Created
from incomplete combustion of wood or fossil fuels Install carbon
monoxide detectors
Leading cause of lung cancer in smokers Secondhand smoke 3 rd
leading cause of lung cancer Blamed for deaths from heart attacks,
strokes & other diseases Indoor smoking ban has resulted in
decrease of deaths due to secondhand smoke
Slide 28
Harmful health effects linked to being in the building
(symptoms improve when individual leaves the building) Headache,
eye & throat irritation, cough, dizziness, nausea, fatigue
Building is sick if 20% of the occupants experience symptoms
Buildings typically have inadequate ventilation, or have chemical
or biological pollutants
Slide 29
Airborne pesticides from farms Industrial pollutants drifting
from cities, factories and powerplants Feedlots, where cattle,
hogs, or chickens are raised in dense concentrations Large amounts
of methane, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia People living or working
nearby have high rates of respiratory problems
Slide 30
Congress passed several laws starting in 1955 THE CLEAN AIR ACT
OF 1970 Defined by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Sets
standards for air quality, limits on emissions Provides funds for
pollution- control research Allows citizens to sue parties
violating the standards
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The Clean Air Act of 1990 Strengthens standards for auto
emissions, toxic air pollutants, acidic deposition, stratospheric
ozone depletion Introduced emissions trading (Cap & Trade)
Seven Pollutants Legal limits or National Ambient Air Quality
Standards (NAAQS) Oxides of nitrogen Oxides of sulfur Oxides of
carbon Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Particulate Matter (PMs)
Metals and Halogens Photochemical Oxidants
Slide 32
Temperature inversions in valleys Cold air traps polluted air,
cannot escape become worse with time Increased photochemical
smog
Slide 33
Urban heat islands Lack of cooling green vegetation Increased
concrete Concrete absorbs heat & reradiates at night Less
infiltration (cities paved) = More heat Heat holds in pollutants,
especially dust & particulates Heat deflects weather the would
disperse pollutants
Slide 34
Global atmospheric circulation distributes pollution
regionally
Slide 35
Acid Rain The Greenhouse Effect Ozone Depletion
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Acid Rain Global Warming Aerosol Effect Ozone Depletion
Slide 37
Leaches metals (mercury & cadmium) toxic to aquatic species
& plants Changes pH which can change species present Leaches
nutrients from soils Damages cells Increases nitrates & nitrite
nutrients Damaged plants more susceptible to pathogens &
insects synergistically (more pathogens & pests spread to other
organisms easier)
Slide 38
Originates from burning fossil fuels that release sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxides These compounds react with water to
form sulfuric and nitric acids
Slide 39
Nutrients are leached from topsoil Soil chemistry is changed
Metal ions (aluminum, zinc, etc.) are converted into soluble forms
that pollute water Widespread tree mortality Affects surface water
and kills fish Damages agricultural crops Erodes stone buildings,
corrodes cars, erases writing on tombstones
Slide 40
Many regions of acidification are downwind of major sources of
pollution
Slide 41
Infrared radiation absorbed H 2 O, CO 2, methane (CH 4 ),CFCs,
NO x CO 2 largest culprit From burning fossil fuels
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An increase in Earths average surface temperature
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assesses the
scientific, technical and socio- economic information relevant for
the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change
Slide 48
The Kyoto Protocol an international agreement which sets
internationally binding emission reduction targets The Kyoto
Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 Parties
committed to reduce GHG emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990
levels in the eight-year period from 2013 to 2020 192 parties have
ratified the protocol. The Untied States has not; it dropped out in
2001.
Ozone provides a shield from UV radiation First reported in
1985 Most likely culprit CFCs Used in hair sprays (propellants),
air conditioners Ice crystals in Antarctic bring CFCs and O 3
together
Slide 51
Ozone layer = ozone in the lower stratosphere 12 ppm
concentrations effectively block incoming damaging ultraviolet
radiation Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) = chemicals that attack ozone
1 million metric tons/year were produced Releases chlorine atoms
that split ozone
Slide 52
Ozone hole = ozone levels over Antarctica had declined by
40-60% Depletion also in the Arctic and globally Causes skin
cancer, harms crops and decreases ocean productivity
Slide 53
Montreal Protocol = 180 nations agreed to cut CFC production in
half Today, production and use of ozone-depleting chemicals has
decreased 95% The ozone layer is beginning to recover Challenges
still face us CFCs will remain in the stratosphere for a long time
(1000s of years) Nations can ask for exemptions to the ban
Slide 54
Considered the biggest environmental success story Industry
included in helping solve the problem The Montreal Protocol can
serve as a model for international environmental cooperation