AIR POLLUTION

The stability of the surrounding atmosphere can strongly affect the way the plume from a smokestack affects its surroundings. The best way to describe this is by example. Let us say we have a small cloud of polluted air, leaving a smokestack at 20 degrees C, and this polluted cloud moves at the adiabatic lapse rate. If the cloud is moved down 100 meters, it will now be 21 degrees C inside the cloud. If the cloud is moved up 100 meters, it will be 19 degrees C inside the cloud. If the surrounding air is neutrally stable, the cloud will continue on its merry way after it is moved up or down. If the surrounding air is stable and has a lapse rate of -0.5C / 100m, then after dropping 100 meters, the surrounding air will be 20.5 degrees C. In this case the surrounding air is colder than the polluted air, and since we already know that hot air rises, this polluted air will be pushed up again. Conversely, if the polluted air is lifted 100 meters, the surrounding air will be 19.5 degrees C, but the polluted air will be 19 degrees C. Since colder air sinks, the polluted air will drop back down. In this manner, a stable atmosphere inhibits any vertical motion experienced by the polluted-air. Sometimes there is no change in temperature with elevation and the atmospheric lapse rate is called isothermal. Sometimes the temperature of the air will actually increase with elevation, as opposed to a normal decrease with elevation. This situation is called an inversion and can cause severe pollution problems because the polluted air becomes trapped under the inversion layer and cannot escape. Inversion layers are common where mountains surround an area of land, as in Los Angeles, Mexico City (Mexico). If the surrounding air is unstable and has a lapse rate of -1.5C / 100m, then after dropping 100 meters, the surrounding air will be 21.5 degrees C, but the polluted air will be 21 degrees C. In this case the surrounding air is hotter than the polluted air, and since we know cold air sinks, this polluted air will be pushed down further. Conversely, if the polluted air is lifted 100 meters, the surrounding air will be 18.5 degrees C, but the polluted air will be 19 degrees C. Since hot air rises, the polluted air will be pushed up further. In this manner, an unstable atmosphere enhances any vertical motion experienced by thepollutedair.

The behaviors of pollutants in the air are not only affected by the stability of the atmosphere. They are also affected by the direction the wind is coming from and the intensity at which it blows. Drafts caused by thermal and mechanical effects will blow the polluted air in that direction. All of these factors work together, and it is this motion that can be either stifled or accentuated by the stability of the air. It is important to remember that these are only simplified models of what happens in our atmosphere. They are not "the rule" nor do they perfectly describe what actually happens. They can only provide us with an idea of the actual situation and they are meant to help us understand the relationship between our actions and the actions of Mother Nature.

REFERRENCE:
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, EDU. AIR POLLUTION. RETRIEVED FROM: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/Environmental/Air/plumes/relation.html

INTERNATIONAL AIR POLLUTION LAWS/AGREEMENTS

The first international treaty to protect the ozone layer was signed in 1987. The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer has been amended several times since then in response to new scientific information, and it has been ratified by 190 countries. Under it industrialized countries phased out production of several classes of ozone-depleting substances by 1996, and developing countries are to follow suit by 2010. An international fund created under the protocol helps developing nations find substitutes for ozone-depleting substances. The World Bank estimates that reductions under the Montreal Protocol through 2003 have avoided up to 20 million cases of cancer, 130 million cases of eye cataracts, and severe damage to ecosystems from increased UV radiation reaching Earth's surface.

When nations began to negotiate agreements on reducing greenhouse gases to slow global climate change, many experts believed that the problem could be addressed through a framework similar to the Montreal Protocola treaty that set timetables for phasing out harmful emissions, with technical aid to help developing countries comply. But climate change has proved to be a considerably harder problem for negotiators, for several reasons. These negotiations are discussed in Unit 12, "Earth's Changing Climate."

The Clean Air Act (CAA) sets out a comprehensive set of national standards for controlling air pollutants that are considered harmful to public health and the environment in the United States. Under the CAA the Environmental Protection Agency is directed to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) limiting major air pollutants to levels that will protect public health, including the health of sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and people with respiratory illnesses. NAAQS are set based on input from scientific advisory committees, and the act specifically directs EPA not to consider costs in setting NAAQS, although states can consider costs when they develop their plans for meeting the standards.

EPA has established NAAQS for six "criteria pollutants": SO2 , NO2 , lead, carbon monoxide, particulate matter less than 10 micrometers and less than 2.5 micrometers (PM-10 and PM-2.5), and ozone. States and counties that fail to achieve these standards are required to develop plans for bringing their air quality into compliance. The CAA also defines major pollution sources, based on their emission levels, and establishes rules governing when new emission sources can be built in polluted areas.

The CAA has been amended several times since its passage in 1970 to tighten standards and institute new controls that reflect advances in scientific understanding of air pollution. The law has achieved some notable successes: for example, it has reduced U.S. automobile emissions considerably from pre-1970 levels, through mechanisms such as phasing out use of leaded gasoline and requiring car manufacturers to install catalytic converters. These devices treat car exhaust in several stages to reduce NO x and oxidize unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.

REFERRENCE:
LEARNER ORGANIZATION, EDU. INTERNATIONAL AIR POLLUTION LAWS AND AGREEMENTS. RETRIEVED FROM: http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/unit/text.php?unit=11&secNum=12