Chapter 18
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Transcript of Chapter 18
![Page 1: Chapter 18](https://reader036.fdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022062511/54be6f174a79594d5e8b4595/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Options: washing away air pollution with artificial rain ?sucking it up with giant vacuum cleaners ?Shanghai has given its cops nose insert mini-filtersA study published in the British medical journal the Lancet attributed 1.2 million premature deaths in 2010 to bad air
A possible solution to China's smog:
Giant vacuum cleaners
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Chapter 18air pollution
Types and behaviorUS pollution DistributionCarbon cycle and weatherOzone & acid rain casesSolutions
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Types of Air PollutionGaseous pollutants
CO and CO2
SO2
NO, NO2 [NOx ]O3 and CFCs –[chlorofluorocarbons]
ParticulatesSoot, ash, & smokeDust (released from industrial processes)Not a minor component - from 35 million tons/year (mainly
combustion) to 180 million tons/year (mostly industrial)Residence times vary widely, from a few years to millions of years – related to amount in the atmosphere, so N & O hang around longest
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Major Emissions
CO – carbon monoxide – vehicles, combustionNot abundant but deadlyVery short residence time – fluctuating concentration
SO2 - sulfur dioxide – from combustion of coalforms acid rain – pH << 6very short residence time (days or hours)Mostly decreasing at least in US
NOx – nitrogen oxides – “smog ozone” interacts at several levels
reacts in sunlight to form opaque NO2, + ozone (O3), acids, etcEmissions steadily increasing
VOC – volatile organic compounds – breakdown products of industrial process, plastics, petroleum, etc
CO2 - carbon dioxide - combustion, and natural like respiration, volcanic eruptionsVarying residence time and fluxesRapidly, steadily increasing
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US air pollution$16 billion annual U.S. expense (direct costs) vs $40B globally
Major gas sources:Transportation: [1] CO,
[1] NOx, [1] VOC, [1] CO2
Energy: [1] SO2, CO2,NOx
Industry: VOC, SO2, CO2 Transportation ranks first
in several categories
Particulates are heavily influenced by industry, greatly reduced in recent years
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US gas emissionsComparing two classes shows
complex, interesting history
Sulfur
Nitrogen
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The global carbon cycleComprised of sources and
sinksCO2 and CO are emitted
and travel through this cycle
Combustion and other emissions greatly alter the proportions
Major effects: greenhouse gases, plant building, hydrocarbon formation
These gases interact with lithosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere in often complex chemistry
Other compounds have similar cycles, sources and sinks
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Air Pollution and WeatherThermal InversionWarm, polluted air tends to rise, cooling as
it goes a cool air mass can have an overlying air
mass trap the rising warm pollutant-bearing air mass; this condition is made worse by an air mass with stagnant conditions
Topography, climate may amplify the problem
Pollutants are concentrated in the lower air mass and trapped, yuk!
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OzoneOzone (O3) is a ‘chemically out of place
pollutant’ – good high up, bad low downIn upper atmosphere the ozone layer absorbs
harmful ultraviolet radiationChlorine and fluorine are chemically active
ions that rip O3 apart & reduce O3 concentrations
Recently, banning CFCs has returned ozone to upper atmosphere
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Acid RainAn acid solution has more Hydrogen-ions (H+) – measured in pH
Several common gases combine with water and air to make acids
Acid rain is harmful to plants,
health of rivers and lakes,
and animals – also causes
increases in the build up of
heavy metals (lead, zinc,
selenium, copper, and
aluminum) leached from
rocks and soils
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Chinese Smog Created By Our
Demand for Cheap Goods Comes to L.A.
Global solutions
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Air Pollution regulation
strong legislation that created the EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
Regulations cover catalytic converters and high fuel economy standard for new cars
Air Quality Standards – Clean Air Act (1970)
Result: dramatic reduction in emissions, especially the most harmful categories
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The end
Thanks for taking a look at the Environmental Geology slides!