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Understanding Air Pollution Causes and Impacts

Learn about the sources of air pollution, how smog forms, and the dangers of temperature inversion. Discover why air quality matters for human health, ecosystems, and the environment. Explore government data on air quality trends and the impact of human activities on air pollution.

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Understanding Air Pollution Causes and Impacts

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  1. Chapter 12AIR Mr. Manskopf Notes Also At http://www.manskopf.com

  2. Why Care About The Air?

  3. You breathe out of which layer?

  4. Take a deep breath

  5. Chapter 12 Air Big Idea There are a variety of human activities that impact air quality that can affect both the health of humans and other organisms.

  6. Section 1: What Causes Air Pollution • What are the main sources of air pollution? • Describe how smog forms • Explain what a temperature inversion is and how it can make are pollution worse. • TERMS: primary and secondary air pollution, catalytic converter, ZEVs, smog, temperature inversion

  7. What Causes Air Pollution? Air pollution is harmful substances in the air To plants, animals and other organisms Impact ecosystem functions WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE AIR?

  8. Some Natural Most Human Made Can you think of other human made AND natural sources of air pollution?

  9. Primary vs. Secondary Primary pollutant: put directly in the air (soot from smoke) Secondary forms when primary pollutant react with other pollutants (Smog)

  10. Primary vs. Secondary

  11. Primary vs. Secondary

  12. Major Classes of Air Pollution Table 1 Carbon Oxides (CO and CO2) Sulfur Oxides (SO2) Nitrogen Oxides (NO and NO2) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs – CFCs) Suspended Particulate Matter (soot, dust, asbestos, lead etc.) Photochemical Oxidants (ozone O3) Radioactive Substances (Radon) Hazardous Air Pollutants (carcinogens, etc.)

  13. Sources of Air Pollution Main Sources of Air Pollution • Burning fossil fuels in cars and at power plants (coal, oil and natural gas) • Urban areas vehicles and industry • Mobile vs. Stationary Sources

  14. What can you learn from this graph?

  15. Human Made vs. Natural

  16. History of Air Pollution • Not a new problem • Why do you think world air-quality today is a bigger problem?

  17. History of Air Pollution • Not a “new” problem, but scale has changed during industrial revol. • London “smog” killed 2,000 in 1880, 1,000 in 1911 and between 4,000 and 12,000 in 1952 • 1948 Donora PA 6,000 sick • 1963 NYC 300 killed

  18. Today’s U.S. Air Quality • http://airnow.gov/ U.S. Government Web Site With Up To Minute Air Quality Data From Monitors Across the country • http://www.epa.gov/air/data/geosel.html U.S. EPA Air Quality Data: Tons of data regarding air quality across the U.S. • http://www.epa.gov/airtrends/ EPA report on air trends in U.S.

  19. Smog (Smoky – Fog) Smog • Secondary Pollutant in many urban areas • Forms from chemical reaction • Vehicle exhaust • Needs sunlight and warm temperatures • OZONE

  20. SmogVOCs + NOx + heat + Sunlight = Ground Level Ozone (O3) Smog Levels Are Influenced By: Local climate Topography Population Density Amount of industry Transportation Huge Problem in cities like LA…WHY?

  21. Smog: Why care? Smog Impacts: Breathing Problems Coughing, Eye Irritation Aggravates asthma, heart problems Speeds up aging of lung tissue Damage plants Reduce Visibility

  22. Smog and Temperature Inversion • Normally as you go up in the troposphere what happens to temperature? • Temperature Inversion occurs when a warmer layer forms above a cooler layer • Traps air near ground

  23. Temperature Inversion

  24. Helena Montana

  25. Clean Air Act • U.S. Law Passed Congress in 1970 and strengthened 1990 • Has been huge success • 93% lower Pb, 41% CO, 40% VOCs, 34% PM-10, 33% SO2, 15% NOx, 14% O3, PM-2.5 8%

  26. Clean Air Act Cars today are about 95% cleaner running

  27. Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEV) Have no tailpipe emissions

  28. Chevy Volt 2010: will travel 30 miles on a battery before gas engine kicks in Nissan Leaf travels about 100 miles before needing to be charged again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f48x9baSuF0

  29. Clean Air Act • Requires industries to clean up smokestack emissions • Requires Scrubbers

  30. Scrubbers

  31. Monitors like these can tell us air quality data in real time

  32. Section 1 Review • What are the main sources of air pollution? • Describe how smog forms • Explain what a temperature inversion is and how it can make are pollution worse. • TERMS: primary and secondary air pollution, catalytic converter, ZEVs, smog, temperature inversion

  33. Dehli’s Daunting Air Problem • http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/business/2010/08/24/qmb.future.cities.delhi.air.cnn.html

  34. Section 2 Air, Noise and Light Pollution GOALS: • Describe human health impacts of air pollution. • What is indoor air pollution? • Why is noise pollution and light pollution a problem? • TERMS: sick-building syndrome, asbestos, decibel.

  35. How do we breathe?

  36. CNN Human Health and Air http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/16/urban.toxic.air/index.html?eref=rss_latest&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_latest+%28RSS%3A+Most+Recent%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

  37. Short-term health impacts Short term exposure to air pollution include: • Headache, nausea, eye and throat irritation, coughing • Asthma attacks

  38. Short-term Impacts

  39. Long-term impacts Long term exposure to air pollution can lead to • Lung cancer other lung diseases, heart disease, emphysema, premature death • Elderly and children most at risk

  40. Normal looking lung Lung term smoker exposed to air pollution

  41. Indoor Air Pollution Air quality is sometimes worse inside our homes and buildings People spend 70-98% of time indoors

  42. Sick Building Syndrome • Buildings with poor air quality and poor ventilation • Headache • Fatigue • Runny nose Fixed with improved ventilation, cleaning air ducts, opening windows

  43. Sources of indoor air pollution Plastics, carpets, cleaning fluids, radon

  44. Indoor Air Pollution: Radon Radon: colorless, odorless gas • Naturally occurring in certain rocks • Seeps into homes through cracks • Carcinogen (Causes Cancer)

  45. NJ, of the annual 4,700 lung cancer deaths, as many as 140-250 may be associated with radon exposure.

  46. Indoor Air Pollution: Asbestos • Naturally occurring • Long thin fibers • Used for many years for insulation and fire retardant • When inhaled can cause cancer and other lung problems

  47. Scars the lungs when inhaled

  48. Asbestos in El Dorado, CAhttp://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=692139n

  49. Noise Pollution • Common in most urban areas • Can lead to stress, high blood pressure and hearing loss • 12% of teens have permanent hearing loss WHY DO YOU THINK?

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