ENVE 307 AIR POLLUTION

LECTURE #1
HISTORY &
GENERAL
TERMS

DEFINITION
Air Pollution:
Any atmospheric constituent present as
a result of
anthropogenic activity
or natural processes
that causes adverse effects
to humans, animals, vegetation, or
materials.

HISTORY

Natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, forest

fires and dust storms caused the first air pollution
problems.
With the discovery of fire, human-made air pollution
was born.
Marco Polo: China -> Coal -> Europe.
During the 13th century, the public protested over the
release of pollutants from burning coal. Englands
King Edward I banned the burning of imported coal in
1273. This is the earliest record of an air pollution law.
19th century, Industrial Revolution:
industry = energy = use of fossil fuel = air pollution

NATURAL VS.
ANTHROPOGENIC
Emission loads:
Anthro. Emissions <

Nat. Emissions

But:

Duration:

Anthro. Emissions > Nat. Emissions

And

Cleaning Process:
Long time period needed for anthrop. sources than natural sources

THEREFORE:

Air pollution problems are due dominantly to

anthropogenic sources

DISASTERS LEADING TO
CHANGES

Dose (concentration), Meteorological Conditions, and Time of Exposure

The London Smog,

SO2: 100 (x9), PM10: 50 (x70)

ACTS FOR AIR POLLUTION

U.K.: Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968. These

introduced smokeless zones in urban areas, with a tall
chimney policy to help disperse industrial air pollutants
away from built up areas into the atmosphere.
Further regulations were introduced through the 1974
Control of Air Pollution Act. This included regulations
for the composition of motor fuel and limits for the
sulphur content of industrial fuel oil.
U.S.A: The Clean Air Act of 1963 was the first federal
legislation regarding air pollution control. It established
a federal program within the U.S. Public Health Service
and authorized research into techniques for monitoring
and controlling air pollution.

The health effects depend

on UV radiation regions:
UV-A: 320 nm < l < 380 nm
Cause detrimental health
consequences
UV-B: 290 nm < l < 320 nm
Biologically hazardous
UV-C: 250 nm < l < 290 nm
Extremely hazardous to
people
Were the ozone layer to
decrease, more UV-b
radiation would reach
the surface, causing
increased genetic
damage to living things.

TYPES OF AIR POLLUTANTS

Gaseous:
SO2, NO, NO2, NOX, HCS, and CO

Particulates:
PM: (molecule) 0,0002m<d<500m, solid or liquid
Dust: m-sized, solid, suspended on the air
Aerosol: m-sized, solid or liquid, suspended on the air
Smoke: Incomplete combustion, C and flammable aerosols
Fume: d<1m, cigarette smoke, CuO, ZnO
Fly Ash: in stack gases of combustion, contains unburned

fuel (C)
Mist: water droplets, can precipitate by its weight

Photochemical Oxidants:
O3, PAN

SOURCES OF GASEOUS AIR

POLLUTANTS
Combustion: stationary (heating) or
mobile (transportation, vehicles)
Industrial Processes: Production and use
of Chemical Substances

Natural Sources: volcanic eruptions

and forest fires

PRIMARY & SECONDARY

POLLUTANTS
Primary Pollutants: are directly emitted
into the atmosphere
Secondary Pollutants: are formed in the
atmosphere as a result of chemical
reactions between primary pollutants and
any chemical species

Photochemical Oxidants (O3, PAN, NO2):

Cyclic rxns of compounds under solar

radiation (UV zone)

PRIMARY & SECONDARY

POLLUTANTS
CLASS

Primary
(gaseous)

Secondary (gaseous, liquid,

particle, ion)
SO3, H2SO4, SO42- contaning
compounds

S-containin
compounds

SO2, H2S

Organics

C1-C5 componds

Ketones, aldehydes, acids

N-containin
compounds

NO, NH3

NO2-, NO3-contaning compounds

C oxides

CO, (CO2)

None

Halogens

HCl, HF

none

Photochemical Oxidants (secondary): O3, PAN, NO2

SO2

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is one of a group of highly

reactive gasses known as oxides of sulfur.
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.
SO2 is linked with a number of adverse effects on
the respiratory system.

NO2

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of a group of highly

reactive gasses known as "oxides of nitrogen," or
"nitrogen oxides (NOx). Other nitrogen oxides
include nitrous acid and nitric acid.
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.

CO

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless

gas emitted from combustion processes.
Nationally and, particularly in urban areas, the
majority of CO emissions to ambient air come
from mobile sources.
CO can cause harmful health effects by reducing
oxygen delivery to the body's organs (like the
heart and brain) and tissues. At extremely high
levels, CO can cause death.

O3

While upper atmospheric ozone protects the earth from

the sun's harmful rays, ground level ozone is the main
component of smog. Both types of ozone have the same
chemical composition (O3).
Ground level ozone, is not emitted directly into the air,
NOX + VOC (UV)> O3.
Ozone is likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny
days in urban environments. Ozone can also be
transported long distances by wind. For this reason,
even rural areas can experience high ozone levels.
Even relatively low levels of ozone can cause health
effects. People with lung disease, children, older adults,
and people who are active outdoors may be particularly
sensitive to ozone.

PM

Particle pollution is made up of a number of components,

including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals,
metals, and soil or dust particles.
Once inhaled, these particles can affect the heart and lungs and
cause serious health effects. EPA groups particle pollution into two
categories:
"Inhalable coarse particles," such as those found near roadways
and dusty industries, are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller
than 10 micrometers in diameter.
"Fine particles," such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5
micrometers in diameter and smaller. These particles can be
directly emitted from sources such as forest fires, or they can form
when gases emitted from power plants, industries and
automobiles react in the air.
People with heart or lung diseases, children and older adults are
the most likely to be affected by particle pollution exposure.

Pb

Lead (Pb) is a metal found naturally in the environment as well as in manufactured

products.
The major sources of lead emissions have historically been from fuels in on-road
motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) 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.
Today, the highest levels of lead in air are usually found near lead smelters. The
major sources of lead emissions to the air today are ore and metals processing and
piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation gasoline.
Once taken into the body, lead distributes throughout the body in the blood and is
accumulated in the bones. Depending on the level of exposure, 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. The lead effects most commonly
encountered in current populations are neurological effects in children and
cardiovascular effects (e.g., high blood pressure and heart disease) in adults.
Infants and young children are especially sensitive to even low levels of lead, which
may contribute to behavioral problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ.

COMPARISION OF NATIONAL
AQS

OBSERVATIONS OF AIR
POLLUTANTS
http://www.havaizleme.gov.tr/
http://application2.ibb.gov.tr/IBBW
C/HavaKalitesi.aspx
www.airnow.gov
http://airquality.weather.gov/