Lecture 10 - Air Pollution Regulations

Question 1

Main regulations

Answer 1

CLEAN AIR ACT of 1970
CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS of 1977
CLEAN AIR ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1990:

Question 2

which parts of the clean air act are important for this class?

Answer 2

Title I. Attainment and maintenance of ambient air quality standards New definition of non-attainment areas (regions exceeding NAAQS for CO, O3, PM10; also stricter off-sets; more sanctions; definition of Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) increments.

Title II. Mobile sources Stricter tailpipe standards for NOx, HC, CO & longer system life, reformulated gasoline.

Title III. Toxics (also called Hazardous Air Pollutants)
189 air toxics identified, and a list of major sources published in 1991.MACT rules for major point sources (>10 T/year) Area sources also addressed Risk assessment to estimate residual health risk & need for more controls

Question 3

types of NAAQS

Answer 3

Primary standards (NAAQS) protect public health with an
adequate margin of safety. Protects most sensitive cohort
(asthmatics, pregnant women, children)

Secondary standards (NAAQS) protect public welfare fromknown or unanticipated adverse effects. Includes crops,vegetation, wildlife, climate, materials impacts, etc.

Reference monitoring methods for each pollutant, i.e.,
proscribed monitoring method, QA/QC. Only reference or
approved equivalent method can be used.

Question 4

Health effects of criteria pollutants (SO2, CO, PM)

Answer 4

SO2: alters the lungs’ defenses, aggravates existing respiratory andcardiovascular disease and can injure plants and materials. Forms sulfateand acid aerosols - secondary pollutants - that impair visibility, cause
“acid rain”, and result in acute respiratory impacts.

CO: causes mental impairment at low levels by disrupting delivery of oxygento the body’s organs and tissue. Serious threat to individuals withpreexisting cardiovascular disease. Impairs visual perception and learningability. Toxic at high levels with rapid death due to saturation ofHemoglobin (Hb) with CO.

PM: affects breathing, respiratory system, aggravates existing respiratory andcardiovascular disease, alters defense system, damages lung tissue, causes
cancer.

Question 5

Health effects of criteria pollutants (NO2, O3, Pb)

Answer 5

NO2: irritates the lungs and lowers resistance to respiratory infections. Frequent exposure can cause pulmonary edema.

O3: Impairs the respiratory system, causing reduced lung function, chest pain,coughing, sneezing, pulmonary congestion, asthma attacks. Long termexposure linked to lung damage.

Pb: Causes neurological problems including seizures, developmental and behavioral disorders especially to the fetus, infants and children

Question 6

What are HAPs?

Answer 6

hazardous air pollutants. in the 1990 ammendents, congress added this list of 189 HAPs that the EPA had to start regulating since they weren’t going to make NAAQs on them. Major sources have a MACT goals, area sources have a 75% reduction goal

Question 7

Key points in the Air Pollution Regulation

Answer 7

NAAQS are health based, not technological feasibility
O3 is the most problematic, fine PM and PM2.5 is combustion related, criteria pollutants regulated using ambient and source standards (PSD regulations), For non-criteria pollutants, the list of HAPs is long