Air Quality 10-1 : Air Pollutants

Question 1

Natural sources of air pollution are;

Answer 1

-Windstorms that spread dust clouds
-Salt evaporation along the earth’s coasts
-Production of materials that have biological origin (e.g., mold spores, pollen, & organic material from plants & animals).
-Forest fires
-Methane gas originated from the digestion of food by an animal
-Radom gas
-Volcanic eruptions

Question 2

Anthropogenic Sources of Air Pollution:
Stationary Sources

Answer 2

-Electric generating plants
-factories & manufacturing complexes
-oil refineries
-chemical plants
-incinerators
-landfills

Question 3

Anthropogenic Sources of Air Pollution:
Mobile Sources

Answer 3

1) On-road vehicles [cars, trucks, buses]

2) Off-road vehicles [dune buggies, snowmobiles]

3) Nonroad vehicles [airplanes, ships, and trains]

Question 4

Mobile Sources & Air Pollution

Answer 4

According to the EPA, motor vehicles produce nearly half of two major causes of smog

Question 5

According to the EPA, motor vehicles produce nearly half of two major causes of smog;

Answer 5

1) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

2) Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

~Almost 75% of carbon monoxide, & more than half of emissions of toxic air pollutants.

Question 6

Types of Air Pollutants
{Two Types}
1 of 2

Answer 6

1) Primary Pollutants,
Released from a
process directly in the atmosphere:
sulfur oxide (SO), Nitrogen oxide (NO),
carbon monoxide(CO), lead, volatiles
organic compounds (VOCs), & other
metals & minerals

Question 7

Types of Air Pollutants
{Two Types}
2 of 2

Answer 7

2) Secondary Pollutants,
formed from the
reaction or interaction of primary
pollutants in the atmosphere (PM2.5,
PM10, ozone)

Question 8

Name environmental impacts that air pollution has:

Answer 8

• Morbidity & death
• Property damage
• Reduces visibility
• Harms forests
• Harms lakes & other bodies of water
• Injures wildlife

Question 9

Criteria Pollutants

Answer 9

Group of very common air pollutants regulated by the EPA on the basis of health & environmental impact criteria.
-Nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2) -Carbon monoxide
-Ozone
-Lead
-Sulfur dioxide (SO, SO2)
-Particulate matter (PM10, UFP, PM2.5)

• Hazardous Air pollutants
• Haze & Reduced Visibility

Question 10

Criteria Pollutants : Ozone (O3)

Answer 10

Ozone (O3), is three oxygen atoms bonded together into a molecule.

~ Has a harp smell that stems from a series of chemical reactions among products of combusting fossil fuels.
~Up in the atmosphere, O3 protects the earth from UV light.

Question 11

Health effects of round-level ozone:

Answer 11

-Inflammation & irritation of the respiratory tract
-Affects lung function
-Exasperation of allergies
-Irritation of eyes

Question 12

Criteria Pollutants : Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Answer 12

Carbon Monoxide (CO), a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas product of incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels (methane, gasoline, oil, wood)

Question 13

Exposure to high Carbon Monoxide (CO) level;

Answer 13

Exposure to high CO levels
can result in death or negative
health outcomes:

• Aggravates coronary heart
  disease
• Negative impact on
  vasculature, lung, airways.

CO has 210 higher affinity for binding with hemoglobin than O2.

Question 14

Criteria Pollutants : Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Answer 14

Nitrogen Oxide (NOx), result from combustion of gasoline & coal.

~Gases made up of a single molecule of nitrogen combined with one or two molecules of oxygen.

*Affects the lungs & respiratory system
*Main component of acid rain

Question 15

Particulate Matter (PM)
[Coarse particles]

Answer 15

PM10 , or coarse particles (10 µm-2.5 µm)
–Because their size, usually reach the upper respiratory tract causing irritation & inflammation

Question 16

Particulate Matter
[Fine particles]

Answer 16

PM2.5 (<2.5 µm->0.1 µm), or fine particles

–Capable of being inhaled deeply into the lungs translocating into the blood
–Are not cleared readily from the body
–Associated with 60,000 deaths annually in the US.

Question 17

Particulate Matter (PM)
[Ultra fine or nano size particles]

Answer 17

Ultra fine particles (UFP) or nano size particles <0.1µm.

After reaching the alveoli, they translocate into the blood causing systemic
effects:
–Inflammation
–Oxygen radical species (ORS)
–Arterial stiffness & remodeling

Question 18

Particulate Matter: Size

Answer 18

SLIDE 17

Question 19

Particulate Matter : Composition

Answer 19

~Metal particles re-entrain from the soil to the air.

Their characterization is important for understanding the association between metal pollutants & disease.
(Traces of metals are also present in fossil fuels, coal, gasoline, and diesel).

Question 20

Particulate Matter : Composition (continued information)

Answer 20

Metal & metal salts including platinum chloride,
tungsten carbide, beryllium, nickel, chromium, cobalt,
iron, & aluminum in PM have been reported as
possible cause of asthma

Fenton’s reaction: Fe2 + H2O2
= Fe3 + OH. (hydroxide anion) + H+; Fe3+H2O2=Fe2 + OOH.(hydroperoxideanion) + H+

Question 21

Temperature Inversion

Answer 21

~An atmospheric condition during which a warm layer of air stalls above a layer of cool air that is closer to the surface of the earth.

Question 22

Temperature Inversion & Pollutants:

Answer 22

~During a temperature inversion, pollutants can build up when they are trapped close to the earth’s surface.

Question 23

Air Quality Standards

Answer 23

The Air Quality Index is used in order to provide the public with an indication of air quality in a local area on a daily basis.

-It focuses on health effects you may experience within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air.

Question 24

NAAQS

Answer 24

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

These are federal standards set for air pollutants.

Question 25

Air Quality Standards:
Primary Standards

Answer 25

Primary Standards set limits to protect public health, including the health of ‘sensitive’ & ‘vulnerable’ populations such as asthmatics, children, & the elderly.

Question 26

Air Quality Standards:
Secondary Standards

Answer 26

Secondary Standards set limits to protect public welfare, including protection against decreased visibility, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, & buildings.

Question 27

The EPA reviews the scientific literature for the National Air Quality Standards every ______ years and decides if there is need to revise.

Answer 27

5 years