Energy and Health Flashcards
Needs for energy
• Basic human needs
→ Heating, lighting, cooking
→ Major sources: biomass fuel, fossil fuel
→ Larger human population = Increased demand for energy
• Agriculture
→ Irrigation, equipment
→ Increased need for food
• Urbanization
→ Basic services, operation of public utilities
• Transportation
• Industrial productionBasic human needs
→ Heating, lighting, cooking
→ Major sources: biomass fuel, fossil fuel
→ Larger human population = Increased demand for energy
• Agriculture
→ Irrigation, equipment
→ Increased need for food
• Urbanization
→ Basic services, operation of public utilities
• Transportation
• Industrial production
Steps in energy cycle
- Material acquisition and construction
- Emissions from material acquisition
- Operation and maintenance
- Energy back-up systems
- Energy storage systems
- Transportation/ transmission
- Waste management
Example of emissions from material acquisition
*contribute to diff types of pollution
smoke and coal dust (contain potentially hazardous materials ie heavy metals and other byproducts) from coal mines
Example of energy storage systems
step-up transformers- uses highly toxic polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)
Examples of transportation/ transmission
high tension wires in provinces and transmission lines (high voltage wires that transport energy)
T or F: people living near transmission lines are exposed to electromagnetic radiation
True - high incidence of leukemia
Two different types/sources of energy
Renewable (solar, wind, hydro, waves)
Non-renewable (biomass, coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear)
Common examples of biomass
wood, animal dung, logging wastes, coal
Incomplete combustion of biomass forms these
respirable particles
formaldehydes
organic compounds
CO
*human exposure to pollutants
Biofuels (ethanol and biodiesel) are formulated from crops like
Jatropa
issue with biofuels
competition with food crops (i.e.: Mindanao); food security
Why are biofuels considered as a good alternative
less emissions (as compared to diesel); problematic when it comes to food security
T or F: per capita income and use of biomass fuel are directly related
False, inversely related
Health effects of using biomass
- Smoke inhalation due to poor ventilation
- Decreased lung function
- Acute respiratory infections secondary to exposure
- Risk factor for stillbirths
- Chronic bronchitis
- Lung cancer
- Risk of accidents and fires
INDIRECT effects (environment) of using biomass
• Deforestation • Greenhouse effect • Global warming • Flashfloods • Water contamination → Rivers are contaminated • Harmed livelihoods (e.g. fisher folk)
What are produced as a result of indoor pollution concentrations from typical wood-fired stoves
• Carcinogenic compounds produced
→ Benzene (Class I carcinogen; highest class)
• Carbon monoxide
• Global burden of disease: 1.6 M deaths per year (almost at par with malaria and cholesterol)
Two forms of fossil fuel
(1) coal
(2) oil
These areas are rich in fossil fuel
Palawan
Mindanao
How is coal used in generating electricity for power plants?
→ Water is boiled using coal to produce steam
→ The pressure from the steam will move the turbine where mechanical energy is translated to electrical energy
→ This powers the transformer
→ Electricity is then conducted to the transmission lines
Potential health risks of coal
→ Open pit coal mining
• Removal of vegetation and topsoil (first 5-10m) when acquiring coal
• Exposure of humans to different substances from underground
→ Mine wastes
→ Coal transportation
→ Site of destruction and construction activities
→ Power plant emission
→ Waste handling
[Power plant emissions] What is the difference between bottom ash and fly ash?
→ Bottom ash: ashes that are left in the ground
→ Fly ash: ashes that are left in the air after coal burning that may contain metals
T or F: The people living in the highway are greatly affected by the transportation of coal to the plants
true
This is the most common energy source by the energy and transportation sector
Oil/Bunker fuel
Oil/ bunker fuel starts with
sea exploration then refinery
• Crude oil is refined by heating to produce the following: (this is in order of lowest to highest boiling point)
→ Gases: most refined product → Gasoline: highest quality → Aviation fuel: highest quality → Heating oil → Diesel oil → Naphtha → Grease/wax → Asphalt: lowest quality, used for road construction
T or F: oil/ bunker fuel is non-renewable
true (takes 1 million years to create, 12 months to consume based on global consumption)
Fossil fuel supplies arre approximately __ of global energy needs
38%
Hazards in fossil fuel
• Extraction and Processing
→ Accidents caused by weather
→ Occupational hazard
→ Long term exposure to crude oil may cause dermatitis
→ Accidents and explosions (e.g. oil spill)
→ Exposure to hydrocarbons (e.g. carcinogens, specifically benzene)
• Fuel Combustion
→ Accidents
→ Fire
→ Air pollutants (ambient air) - Emissions: sulfur and nitrogen oxides, carbon oxides
→ Indoor air pollution
Indirect effects of fossilf uels
• Trans-boundary pollution
• Global warming/ climate change
• Acid rain
→ Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide become sulfuric acid and nitric acid
How to prevent effects of fossil fuels?
• Scrubber in power plants
→ Wet and dry scrubbers
→ Reduces sulfur dioxide emissions by 99%
→ Mechanism: smoke/dirty gas → containment room → water sprinklers (mist out)
• Electrostatic precipitation (EP) and bag filters
• Use of natural gas for power generation
Mechanism behind electrostatic precipitation and bag filters
→ Reduce dust, ash soot, and hydrocarbons
→ Pollutants in the air are positively charged and thus are attracted by the negatively charged electrostatic precipitants and bag filters
How much of the total energy in the world is supplied by nuclear power plant?
16%
39% from coal; 2nd hydropower 3rd nuclear energy
Energy source used by most developed countries
Nuclear energy (highest contributors: Lithuania and France)
Why is there no operating power plant in PH?
issue of safety (near fault line; Mt. Pinatubo eruption)
Advantages of nuclear energy
→ Low electricity cost
→ Low labor cost
→ Stable energy supply
How is nuclear energy generated?
Using radioactive materials in a nuclear reactor to generate steam and pressure which powers the turbines, similar to coal fire plants
What happened in Fukushima?
• The nuclear reactor was affected because the cooling tower was damaged by the tsunami = meltdown
→ The cooling tower controls the heat generated by the process.
T or F: the nuclear reactor was damaged by the tsunami in Fukushima
False, the nuclear reactor was designed to withstand an earthquake with magnitude of ~8
Why couldn’t the nuclear reactions be contained in Fukushima?
→ Nuclear reactions cannot be contained because of leakage of emissions from the underground
Biggest problems in Fukushima
→ Disposal of nuclear waste
→ Hard to contain nuclear reactions
→ Transportation of radioactive materials
Steps involved in nuclear fuel cycle
- Mining and milling of uranium ore
- Fuel enrichment and fabrication
- Reactor operation
- Spent fuel storage and transport
- Fuel processing
- Disposal of radioactive wastes
- Decommissioning
Environmental risks of nuclear energy
• Land use impacts
→ Forests and agricultural areas get displaced
• Waste impacts
• Operational risks during disasters
Why is nuclear wastes considered as high impact wastes
they have long half lives
Potential health risks of nuclear energy
- Respiratory cancers due to uranium mining
- Teratogenic effects
- Silicosis among miners
- Increase incidence of childhood leukemia near power plants
- Acute exposure – skin burns, damage to the bone marrow, sterility
Hydropower (a renewable source) uses what to generate electricity
pressure of water in waterfalls or dams
Main sources of hydropower in PH
Angat dam, Maria Cristina Falls
This is one of the strongest/fastes currents in PH
San Bernardino Strait
Countries with highest use of hydropower
Canada and Tajikistan
Country with largest hydropower plant
China (Mekong Delta)
3 sizes/ types of hydropower plants
→ Large plant
• Generates more than 30 megawatts of power
→ Smaller plant
• Generates 100 kilowatts to 30 megawatts of power
→ Micro plant
• Generates up to 100 kilowatts of power
T or F: Hydropower cannot be affected by climate change
False (Duh)
→ Some areas can be drier, and these are the areas where the current hydropower plants are located
Mechanism of hydropower plants
- Water from reservoir flows due to gravity to drive the turbine
- Turbines are turned by the force of the water on their blades
→ Penstock – carries water to turbines
→ Dam – stores water - Turbine is connected to generator
→ Generators: rotated by turbines to generate electricity - Power generated is transmitted over power lines
→ Impoundment facility is required - Transmission lines conducted electricity, ultimately to homes and businesses
Advantages of hydropower
• No operational greenhouse gas emissions
• No SO2 and nitrogen gas emissions
• Non-environmental benefits: flood control, irrigation,
transportation, fisheries and tourism
Disadvantages of hydropower
• Loss of land under reservoir
→ Interference with the transport of sediment by the dam
• Problems associated with the reservoir:
→ Climatic and seismic
→ Impact on aquatic ecosystem, flora, and fauna
• Environmental Impact
→ Disruption of terrestrial ecosystem
→ Suspected to cause small earthquakes in areas prone to earth movements
→ Displacement of indigenous people
→ Failure of dams may cause catastrophic flooding
→ Seen in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos
Indirect impacts of hydropower
- May spread schistosomiasis in endemic areas
- Upstream areas: may introduce or increase prevalence of malaria
- Downstream areas: deprivation of water and soil nutrients
T or F: Solar energy is the cheapest source of energy
True
Solar panels can be expensive
T or F: solar energy is a promising source of minimal waste produced
True
other source of energy not fully harnessed in PH (Makiling-Banahaw, Bicol, Visayas)
Geothermal Energy
source which is not commercially used yet and still under study
Moving water/waves
*uses vertical helixes near shore to capture wave energy
A renewable soure optimized by many countries (i.e.: Pagudpud windmills)
Wind Energy
