Air Quality Associated with Energy Production

Survey Time!

How do you get to school every morning?Who knows what today’s ozone level is? What

does it mean?

www.uscoachways.com

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Why does this matter?

Air quality directly affects our everyday lives. It can even cause harm! We must become more aware of sources and

effects of air pollution so that we can understand why emission strategies and air pollution controls are needed and used in the production industry.

By doing this, we can improve our overall health!

Today we will…

Define air pollution Research air quality legislation Identify sources and effects of air pollution

from energy production Discuss different emission management

strategies Identify air pollution controls used in energy

production

Air Pollution Defined

Mixture of natural and man-made substances in the air we breathe

Most air toxics originate from human-made sources, including mobile sources (e.g., cars, trucks, buses) and stationary sources (e.g., factories, refineries, power plants), as well as indoor sources (e.g., building materials and activities such as cleaning).

Taken from: www.niehs.nih.gov and www.epa.gov

Sources of Air Pollution

6 Common Air Pollutants: Ozone Particulate Matter Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen Oxides Sulfur Dioxide Lead

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Ozone

Created by chemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight

Major sources of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds are: Industrial facilities Electric utilities Motor vehicle exhaust Gasoline vapors Chemical solvents

Ozone is likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments. Ozone can be transported long distances by wind.  For this reason, even rural areas can

experience high ozone levels.  Can also occur on cold days Ozone also affects sensitive vegetation and ecosystems, including forests, parks, wildlife refuges

and wilderness areas.  In particular, ozone harms sensitive vegetation, including trees and plants during the growing season. 

This website shows the Ozone levels currently in Texas. http://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Ozone

Difficulty breathing deeply and vigorously. Shortness of breath and pain when taking a deep

breath.Cough and sore or scratchy throat.Can inflame and damage the airways.Aggravate lung diseases such as asthma,

emphysema, and chronic bronchitis.Increase the frequency of asthma attacks.Make the lungs more susceptible to infection.Continue to damage the lungs even when the

symptoms have disappeared.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

How can I Limit Ozone Formation?

Limit driving and idling; instead, carpool, combine errands, use public transportation, bike, or walk.

Don’t top off the tank when refueling your vehicle. Keep your vehicle maintained, including proper tire pressure. Maintain your yard equipment, including changing the oil and

replacing air filters regularly. Also consider using tools without motors. Hand tools such as shears, edgers, and push reel mowers are lightweight, quiet, and easy to use, and do not generate emissions.

Don’t burn yard waste. Use paint and cleaning products with less or zero VOCs. Refuel in late afternoon or evening.

Taken from: http://www.tceq.texas.gov

Particulate Matter

Mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air. Some particles, such as dust, dirt, soot, or smoke, are large or

dark enough to be seen with the naked eye. Others are so small they can only be detected using an electron microscope.

Can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals. Primary particles are emitted directly from a source, such as

construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.

Secondary particles form in complicated reactions in the atmosphere of chemicals such as sulfur dioxides and nitrogen oxides that are emitted from power plants, industries and automobiles. These make up most of the fine particle pollution in the country.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Particulate Matter

Health Effects premature death in people with heart or lung disease nonfatal heart attacks irregular heartbeat aggravated asthma decreased lung function increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the airways, coughing or difficulty

breathing.Environmental Effects Visibility impairment

Fine particles are the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including many of our national parks and wilderness areas. 

Environmental damageParticles can be carried over long distances by wind and then settle on ground or water.  The effects of this settling include: making lakes and streams acidic; changing the nutrient balance in coastal waters and large river basins; depleting the nutrients in soil; damaging sensitive forests and farm crops; and affecting the diversity of ecosystems.

Aesthetic damageParticle pollution can stain and damage stone and other materials, including culturally important objects such as statues and monuments.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Carbon Monoxide

Colorless, odorless gas emitted from combustion processes. 

Majority of CO emissions to ambient air come from mobile sources.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Carbon Monoxide

Reduces oxygen delivery to the body's organs (like the heart and brain) and tissues. 

At extremely high levels, can cause death. Can reduce the oxygen-carrying capacity of

the blood. 

Taken from: www.epa.gov

How Can I Limit Carbon Monoxide Exposure?

Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.

Keep gas appliances properly adjusted. Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented

one. Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters. Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves. Open flues when fireplaces are in use. Choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission

standards. Make certain that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly. Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating

system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.

Do not idle the car inside garage.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly reactive gasses known as nitrogen oxides

Other nitrogen oxides include nitrous acid and nitric acid.

EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard uses NO2 as the indicator for the larger group of nitrogen oxides.

NO2 forms quickly from emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment. In addition to contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone, and fine particle pollution, NO2 is linked with a number of adverse effects on the respiratory system.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Nitrogen Oxides

NO2 exposures, ranging from 30 minutes to 24 hours can cause adverse respiratory effects including airway inflammation in healthy people and increased respiratory symptoms in people with asthma.

NO2 concentrations in vehicles and near roadways are appreciably higher than those measured at monitors in the current network.

Individuals who spend time on or near major roadways can experience short-term NO2 exposures considerably higher than measured by the current network.

Can cause or worsen respiratory disease, such as emphysema and bronchitis, and can aggravate existing heart disease

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Sulfur Dioxide

The largest sources of SO2 emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power plants (73%) and other industrial facilities (20%). 

Smaller sources of SO2 emissions include industrial processes such as extracting metal from ore, and the burning of high sulfur containing fuels by locomotives, large ships, and non-road equipment. 

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Sulfur Dioxide

Current scientific evidence links short-term exposures to SO2, ranging from 5 minutes to 24 hours, with an array of adverse respiratory effects including bronchoconstriction and increased asthma symptoms. 

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Lead

Metal found naturally in the environment as well as in manufactured products. 

Major sources of lead emissions have historically been from fuels in on-road motor vehicles and industrial sources. 

As a result of EPA's regulatory efforts to remove lead from on-road motor vehicle gasoline, emissions of lead from the transportation sector dramatically declined by 95 percent between 1980 and 1999, and levels of lead in the air decreased by 94 percent between 1980 and 1999.

Major sources of lead emissions to the air today are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation gasoline. 

The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters. 

Other stationary sources are waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Effects of Lead

In addition to exposure to lead in air, other major exposure pathways include ingestion of lead in drinking water and lead-contaminated food as well as incidental ingestion of lead-contaminated soil and dust. Lead-based paint remains a major exposure pathway in older homes. 

Lead can adversely affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive and developmental systems and the cardiovascular system.  Lead exposure also affects the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood. 

Accumulates in soils and sediments through deposition from air sources, direct discharge of waste streams to water bodies, mining, and erosion.  Ecosystems near point sources of lead demonstrate a wide range of adverse effects including losses in biodiversity, changes in community composition, decreased growth and reproductive rates in plants and animals, and neurological effects in vertebrates.

Taken from: www.epa.gov

Emission Management Strategies and Air Pollution Controls

In groups of 5, research different emission management strategies and air pollution controls used in energy production.

Discuss the findings as a class.

Air Quality Legislation

Split the class into 3 equal groups. 1 group will be responsible for air quality legislation at the local level, the 2nd group will be responsible for air quality legislation at the state level, and the 3rd group will be responsible for air quality legislation at the national level.

Share with the class what each level is responsible for and provide examples of how they have improved air quality in their area.

Place findings in a Venn diagram once all information is found.

Evaluation

What is air pollution?What are the 6 common air pollutants?What are the sources of common air

pollutants?What are some effects of air pollutants? Name 3 emission management strategies. Name 5 air pollution controls used in energy

production. Give an example of air quality legislation at

the national, state, and local level.

Summary

Today we discussed air quality associated with energy production. We discussed common air pollutants and their effects.

It is important to be informed on ways to prevent the effects of pollutants to keep ourselves and the environment healthy!

References

United States Environmental Protection Agency www.epa.gov National Institute of Environmental Health

Scienceswww.niehs.nih.gov Texas Commission on Environmental Qualitywww.tceq.state.tx.us AirNowwww.airnow.gov

Texas College and Career Readiness Standards

Science I. A. 4. Science I. D. 1. Science 1. E. 2.