Criteria Air
Pollutant
Sources
Sinks
Health Effects
CO
incomplete combustion,
vehicle exhaust. boilers,
furnaces, gas water
heaters, wood stoves,
fireplaces; gas stoves
combustion of leaded
gasoline, lead smelters,
waste incinerators,
utilities, and lead-acid
battery manufacturers
oxidation, upward
migration in the upper
layers of the
atmosphere, and uptake
by soils
low concentrations:
fatigue;impaired vision
and coordination;
headaches; dizziness;
confusion; nausea.
Deposition into soils
neurological effects in
children ; high blood
pressure and heart
disease in adults.
decreased growth and
reproductive rates in
plants and animals, and
neurological effects in
vertebrates
PM 10
construction sites,
unpaved roads, fields,
smokestacks, or fires
gravitational settling
("impaction")
damaged lungs
decrease visibility
stricter emissions
standards
PM 2.5
fireworks , power plants,
industries, and
automobiles
gravitational settling
("impaction")
small enough to enter
the bloodstream
through the lungs
decrease visibility
stricter emissions
standards
Forms from reactions of
NOx, VOCs with O2 that
require sunlight
photolysis, reacting to
form OH, urban
photochemical smog
chest pain, coughing,
throat irritation, and
congestion. It worsens
bronchitis, emphysema,
and asthma
decreases crop yields,
damages plants
mass transit, reduction
of traffic congestion,
driving less
acid rain
cap & trade allowances
Carbon
Monoxide
Pb
Lead
O3
Ozone
SO2
burning coal
Sulfur Dioxide
NO2
Nitrogen
Dioxide
combustion, vehicle
exhaust
Cloud condensation/acid
deposition
respiratory illness
("scavenging"); can also
form PM
Cloud condensation/acid
deposition
respiratory illness
("scavenging"), reacts to
form O3
Environmental Mitigation
Effects
Strategy
contributes to groundlevel ozone, smog
acid rain
Maintaining and
adjusting combustion
equipment:gas
appliances, furnaces,
flues, and chimneys.
banning leaded gasoline
cap & trade allowances,
reduce combustion
temperature (which in
turn reduces power)
Hazardous Air
Pollutant
Sources
Sinks
CFC
refrigerants, solvents,
accelerants in aerosol
cans, and foam blowing
agents
photolysis with intense
UV radiation (in
stratosphere); release
chlorine or bromine,
which then deplete
ozone
Hg
coal-burning power
plants
VOCs/
hydrocarbons
Outdoors: evaporation
during fueling, vehicle
exhaust (incomplete
combustion)
Indoor Air
Pollutant
Radon
Asbestos
Indoors: emitted from
products produced from
or treated with
petroleum products
(paints, carpet,
furniture, particle
board, insulation, etc.)
forms naturally in soils
containing uranium; it is
a biproduct of uranium's
radioactive decay
disturbed insulation
(due to renovation or
damage)
Health Effects Environmental Mitigation
Effects
Strategy
resulting stratospheric
ozone depletion
increases skin cancer
rates
ozone depletion
banning CFCs
bioaccumulation
cap-and-trade
Reduce combustion of
fossil fuels (hybrids,
public transit, biking,
etc.)
condensation,
precipitation, deposition
Damages the nervous
system and the brain;
“mad hatters”
Photolysis (UV), reaction
with H20 (g), OH (g);
react with O to form
aldehydes, releasing a
free radical used in
transforming NOx into
O3; also
deposition/impaction
Eye, nose, and throat
irritation; headaches,
loss of coordination,
nausea; damage to liver,
kidney, and central
nervous system
contributes to groundlevel ozone, smog
carcinogenic
n/a
Rd-222 has a half-life of
4 days; decays into
polonium-218 (half-life
of 3 minutes), which
decays to lead.
deposition
Lung cancer/
mesothelioma
use paint thinners,
aerosols, etc. only in
well-ventilated spaces
n/a
monitor/test basements
Use insulation that does
not contain
asbestos/don't disturb
insulation that does
have asbestos