Urban Pollution Flashcards
Photochemical smog
when pollutants in atmosphere (nitrogen and sulfur oxides) come into contact with sunlight, UV light causes them to break down into harmful chemicals
causes of air pollution in urban areas
caused by particulates in air
(tiny pieces of solids)
sources:
- vehicle exhausts (80%)
- burning, cigarettes, fuel etc
- construction activities
and gases released eg nitrgoen/ suphur dioxide
HICs
- use of fossil fues declining
- but car ownership and congestion increasing
however have strategies to limit pollution
LICs/NEEs
- still rely on fossi fuels
- car ownership and congestion increasing
lack of regualation, but slow progress
Impacts of air pollution
Health issues
Breathing difficulties
Methods to reduce air pollution
Congestion charges
Pedestrianisation
Public transport improvements
Reducing congestion
Legalisation
Alternative fuels
air pollution in Leeds
4.5% adult deaths linked to air pollution exposure
Neville Street most polluted in UK outside London
Air pollution schemes in Leeds
Congestion charges
Clean Air Charging Zone - £50 charge for heavily polluting vehicles
(-delayed)
Alternative fuels
Leeds City Council, all zero emissions vehicles
Public transport
Park and Ride
But small scale and still heavily polluted (Neville Street)
air pollution in Rio
causes 5000 deaths per year
city often covered in brown smog
Air pollution schemes in Rio
Rio-Niteroi Bridge - reduced congestion in city centre, diverted traffic
(but caused water pollution from runoff)
Toll roads - reduced congestion
metro extended - better public transport
But still polluted 5000 deaths a year
car ownership still rising
worries about safety on pubic transport
basic evaluation of strategies
+ effective
- expensive
- hard to enforce
also hard to change habits on car use - not fully solved issue
(5000 deaths in Rio, Neville street Leeds)
Causes of water pollution
Wastewater and sewage into rivers
Discharge of industrial waste
Runoff of chemicals from roads
oil spills
Impacts of water pollution
Damages environment and wildlife
Contamination and illness
Strategies to manage water pollution
Strict laws on discharge of untreated waste water
monitoring water quality
increasing treatment facilities
catchment management and SUDS
- all more common in HICs, few regulations in LICs
water pollution in Leeds
River Aire
industrial and sewage waste
- low rainfall - 70% sewage
- bad smell
strategies to manage water pollution in Leeds
Eye on the Aire
- monitoring water quality
- campaign increased filtration
+ yorkshire water added filtration
+ economic spin off, redevelopment of riverside as people now want to invest in area as not so polluted
+ return of species
but waste and litter still dumped into river
costly - millions
water pollution in Rio
Guanabara Bay
open sewers
industrial waste
oil spills and fuel from ships
- threat to wildlife
- fishing declined by 90% in last 20 years
- threat to tourism
