Download Air Pollution - Water Management - Lecture Slide and more Slides Water and Wastewater Engineering in PDF only on Docsity! Air Pollution Introduction 1 Docsity.com Introduction to Air Pollution • Background on Air Pollution Impacts • History of Air Pollution • Definitions and Terms 2 Docsity.com • Kids who grow up in the smoggier parts of LA have more chronic respiratory problems when they grow up, and more severe asthma. • 15–20% of high school students who grew up in heavily polluted areas have clinically low lung capacities. • Low lung function has been shown to be second only to smoking as a risk factor for all-cause mortality. • Higher rates of lung and related cancer are associated with high levels of air pollution. 5 Docsity.com History • Mid-1600s John Evelyn: “Hellish and dismall cloud of sea-coale.” • 1948, Donora, PA: Four-day air pollution episode resulted in 20 deaths, 6000 people ill • 1952 London: Weeklong episode resulted in at least 4000 excess deaths. ➔ A re-analysis of the data indicates it was more like 12,000 over several months. 6 Docsity.com • “The fog was thicker on that Friday morning than many people could ever remember. Through the day it steadily grew even thicker and people were already experiencing discomfort, and noticing the choking smell in the air . . . On (Saturday and) Sunday the fog continued and so did the deaths. The emergency services were no longer able to respond in any effective way. It is doubtful that many people perceived the nature of the calamity that had befallen them.” —Peter Brimblecombe, The Big Smoke • 1956 London: Smog episode resulted in 1000 excess deaths 7 Docsity.com • Air pollutants can be categorized as primary or secondary ➔ Primary pollutants—emitted directly into the atmosphere: NOx, VOCs, Air Toxics, CO, Some particulate matter ➔ Secondary pollutants—created through reactions and processes in the atmosphere. All ozone, some PM, many toxics, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, various toxic cpds. Definitions 10 Docsity.com Carbon Monoxide CO Lead Pb Oxides of Nitrogen NOx Ozone O3 Sulfur Dioxide SO2 Particulate Matter TSP/PM10/PM2.5 Criteria Pollutants • Criteria pollutants are pollutants for which there are ambient air quality standards. In the US the criteria pollutants are: 11 Docsity.com
Criteria Pollutants by City (2004)
Percent of Standard
200%
175%
150%
125% STANDARD
100%
73 %o
50%
25% | |
0% = i I | I a
South Coast Houston Philadelphia New York Washington Atlanta Chicago Phoenix
D.C
Ozone PM2.5 PMO
@ Carbon Monoxide © Nitrogen Dioxide © Sulfur Dioxide
Figure 2
Maximum Pollutant Concentrations as Percent of Federal Standards
South Coast Air Basin Compared to U.S. Metropolitan Areas
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