Air Pollution
History - Principles
Acute vs. Chronic
Examples: SO
2
, Acid Rain and
Ozone

Crude Examination of History
Industrial Revolution
Age of the Automobile
2008
‘Present’
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Ötzi - man Acute
Local
Point
SO
2
Impacts: Individual, human health
Non-human impacts
Visibility
Climate Change
Chronic
Dispersed
Non-point
Complex
Smog
Acid Precipitation
Longdistance
Transport
Ozone
Ozone-CO
2 interactions
Particulates
Heavy
Regulations/Laws metals
Issues of Social Justice

Ötzi - der Mensch aus dem Eis
Arsenic
Copper http://www.viewzone.com/oetzi.html

North America’s Largest
Sources of SO
2
• Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (1883 to present)
• Copper Hill/Duck Town, Tennesse (Pre-
European to 1983)
• ASARCO Smelter - Tacoma (1890 -
1985)
• Anaconda Smelter - MT (1884 - 1980)
• Smelterville/Kellogg, Idaho (1888 - 1981)
• Trail BC

History Continued - Sudbury
Smelting of Nickel & Copper
Point Source
1883
First
Mine
1890
Ground
Level
Roasting
Beds
1928
Roasting
Beds - gone
Tall stacks
1972
Super
Stack
1250’
1990’s
Further
Reductions
Acute to Chronic
Local to Distant
Simple to Complex http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/sudbury/air_quality/index.htm

Sudbury - Ecological Effects
Principles of Acute, Point-Source Air Pollution
90 miles
7000 Lakes
Waste Land
Timber harvesting
Stages of Acute
Air Pollution
Damage
II
I
I - Visible
Damage on sensitive species
III
II - Sensitive tree
IV
IV - Only most tolerant plants alive species dies, other trees show deformed crowns
III - Shrubs and herbaceous plants die

Transition from Acute, Point Source,
Local to Chronic, Non-point source
(or multiple), Distant
• Acid Precipitation
• Result of transferring problem from local to distant
• Application of technologies to reduce smoke and soot
• Takes incredible detective work, especially with terrestrial vs. aquatic systems
• Greatest financial impact: structures

Acid Rain - 1
H + SO
4
= NO
3
http://www.umac.org/ocp/4/info.html

Acid Rain - 2
Bottomline :
• H + is being added
• SO
4
= is being added
• NO
3
is being added

Acid Rain - 3

Acid Rain - Effects on Forest
Ecosystems

Acid Rain - Effects on Forest &
Aquatic Ecosystems: Major
Detective’s job
• Shallow rooted trees and plants
Where do plants get their required water and nutrients?
CO
2
- air
N - soil & decomposition
& input of NO
3
Other minerals (Ca, Mg,
K) - decomposition & weathering

Continued
Rocks
(minerals)
Chemical &
Physical
Secondary minerals
(clays)
Weathering
1. Parent material
2. Climate
3. Topography
Parent
Material 4. Vegetation
5. Time
• Geology of parent material
• Certain soils are more susceptible to acid rain
• Low soil carbon - poor acid buffering capacity

Continued
• H + acts to remove K + , Mg + , Mn + , Ca ++
• NO
3
combines with K + , Mg + , Mn + , Ca ++
• Combination is very soluble, leaches out
• If H + very high, then Al +++ is removed.
Clay Ca ++
Organic matter K +
Clay H + Ca ++ NO
3
-
Organic matter H + K + NO
3
-
Parent
Material
Clay H +
Organic matter H +
Al +++

Images

Smog and LA
≤ 60 ppb
> 125 ppb

18%
77%
5%
Regarding the behavior of aspen in the article you read - select the false statement
1. Aspen is relatively widely distributed
2. Greatest impact of ozone on aspen is in the Pacific Northwest
3. Aspen is very sensitive to ozone

Example of an Ozone Episode

Ozone Formed
• Correct precursors
• Sun light, warm temperatures
• Inversion

General Principle
• Chronic levels of a pollutant do not kill humans, or plants outright; weaken.
• A weakened person or plant --
Plant: its productivity or ability to make biomass decreases . How might this affect a trophic pyramid or prices of food?
Human: Immune system compromised
• Other factors also weaken humans and plants.
• THEN some other factor usually kills the human or plant.

Next Steps
• Laws and Regulations: Clean Air Act of
1970 and modifications
• Combinations of ozone and elevated carbon dioxide.
• Long-distance transport
• Cap and trade model for controlling SO
2