History of Air Pollution (9/8) Flashcards
1
Q
Before the industrial revolution, what did tribes do about their waste?
A
- The nomadic moved away from their waste.
- Before chimneys they had tons of pollution indoors.
2
Q
What problems did the Industrial Revolution cause?
A
- Smoke and ash from fossil fuels by powerplants, trains, shops
3
Q
What was it like during the smoke Abatement Era?
A
- No penalties for violations in early laws.
•Stricter laws in 1940’s with penalties.
4
Q
What happened at Meuse Valley, Belgium?
A
- 1st modern air pollution disaster
- Densely populated river valley that was highly industrialized experienced temperature inversion.
- Thermal temperature inversion
5
Q
What is thermal temperature inversion?
A
- Layer of warm air prevents rising air from escaping
• Can trap pollutants in a small area.
6
Q
What happened in Donora, Pennsylvania (1948)?
A
- Industrial town surrounded by steep hills
- Temperature inversion occurred
- Fog lasted 4.5 days
- 6k ill, 20 dead
- Sulfur gases + particulates, sulferic acid mist
- US Public health service called in and air pollution recognized as pub health prob 1st time
7
Q
What happened in Poza Rico, Mexico (1950)?
A
- Single source: High sulfur crude oil
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- A flare went out releasing lots of shit
- Inversion occurred in the valley
- 22 sudden deaths and 320 hospitalized
8
Q
What happened in London (1952)?
A
- Great London smog
- Temperature inversion
- From burning soft coal in homes and from factories/power plants
9
Q
What was discovered in London smog lungs?
A
- Small particulates deep w/in the lungs
10
Q
What happened in the world-wide air pollution episode?
A
- Excess deaths in NYC, London, Boston, Paris
11
Q
What happened in Seveso, Italy?
A
- Valve broke at chemical plant
- TCDD dioxine contamination
- 4% animals died, rest were killed
- Herbicide contamination
- Italian gov’t tried to cover it up
12
Q
What happened in Bhopal, India? (1984)
A
- Union Carbide pesticide plant leak
- Kills 2k
- Up to 350k injured, 100k permanently disabled
- MIC (methyl isocyanate)–irritant to lungs.
13
Q
Similarities among Disasters
A
- Winter months
- Dense population
- Heavy industrialization
- Often at valley
- Temperature inversion
- Stagnant air
- Accident, or mixtures from non-accidents
14
Q
Asbestos at the World Trade Center
A
- 5,000 tons in lower 40 floors of north tower
used as insulation spray to help prevent fires and buildings toppling over - Pulmonary function decreased
15
Q
Chernobyl?
A
- Workers ran an unsactioned exercise to test reactor
- Reactor lost coolant, overheated, and exploded
- 400k forced evacuation
contaminated 62k square miles of land
