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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

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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

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VOCs - Formaldehyde plywood, pressboard, textiles, furniture stuffing, carpets Dizziness, rashes, breathing problems, headache, nausea Solvents (toluene, xylene, turpentine) Green treated waterproof lumber Toxic copper chromium arsenate Fiberglass insulation abnormal cell growth in lung tissue

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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

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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

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Mothballs (para-dichlorobenzene) carcinogenic Dry cleaning solvent (tetrachloroethylene) neurotoxin, liver toxin, carcinogenic Paint stripper thinner (methylene chloride) nerve disorders & diabetes Pesticides reduce brain function

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Temperature inversions in valleys Cold air traps polluted air, cannot escape become worse with time Increased photochemical smog

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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

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Global atmospheric circulation distributes pollution regionally

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Acid Rain The Greenhouse Effect Ozone Depletion

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Acid Rain Global Warming Aerosol Effect Ozone Depletion

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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)

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Originates from burning fossil fuels that release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides These compounds react with water to form sulfuric and nitric acids

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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

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Many regions of acidification are downwind of major sources of pollution

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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

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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.

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Particulate matter (aerosols) block suns rays & cool Earth

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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OZONE DEPLETION VS GLOBAL WARMING