QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
New standard =
75 ppb
Air Pollution
• Definitions
• History - Patterns & Principles
• Examples: SO2, Acid Rain, Ozone,
Particulates (Aerosols and soot)
Definitions
•
•
•
•
Air pollution
Standards
Acute versus chronic
Point versus non-point sources
• Asbestos, Pb, O3, Hg, Particulates, SO2,
NOx, CO, 188 toxins
• Acute: High concentrations, short- or
• Global: Acid rain, climate change, O3
long-term,
immediate health effects or
(stratospheric)
• Primary:
Human Health
visible damage
• Health and Ecosystem Protection: acid rain,
• Secondary:
Services
and Facilities
Chronic:
Low
concentrations,
long-term,
UV, Visibility
weakened
•• produces
Visibility
Indoor air: asthma,
CO, organisms
mold, radon, smoke
Crude Examination of History
2008
‘Present’
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Climate Change
Ötzi - man
Takehome lessons:
1. Presence since fire (or longer)
2. Natural ---- Anthropogenic
3. In your face, simple, acute
4. Everywhere, pervasive, chronic,
complex
5. Role of development, technology
Longdistance
Transport
Ozone
Ozone-CO2
interactions
Particulates
(aerosols &
soot)
Heavy
metals
Ötzi - der Mensch aus dem Eis
Arsenic
Copper
http://www.viewzone.com/oetzi.html
Crude Examination of History
Industrial Revolution
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Ötzi - man
Today
Acute
Local
Point
SO2
Impacts: Individual, human health
Visible damage
black smoke
North America’s Largest
Sources of SO2
• Sudbury, Ontario, Canada (1883 to
present)
• Copper Hill/Duck Town, Tennesse (PreEuropean 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’
Acute to Chronic
Local to Distant
Simple to Complex
http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/sudbury/air_quality/index.htm
1990’s
Further
Reductions
Sudbury - Ecological Effects
Acute, Point-Source Air Pollution: Principle
Stages of Acute
Air Pollution
Damage
90 miles
7000 Lakes
Waste Land
+
I
I - Visible
Damage on
II
sensitive species
III
II - Sensitive tree
species dies,
IV
other trees show
deformed crowns
III - Shrubs and
IV - Only most herbaceous
tolerant plants plants die
alive
Crude Examination of History
2008
‘Present’
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Ötzi - man
Age of the Automobile
Beginning of
Climate
significant regulations Change
Chronic
Dispersed
Non-point
Complex
Smog
Acid Precipitation
Regulations/Laws
Longdistance
Transport
Ozone
Ozone-CO2
interactions
Particulates
(aerosols &
soot)
Heavy
metals
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 is on structures
Tree & Ecosystem Images Acid Rain
Smog and LA
≤ 60 ppb
> 125 ppb
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 stressors
• THEN some other factor usually kills the
human or plant.
Today
• Laws and Regulations: Clean Air Act of
1970 and most recent modifications
• Combinations of ozone and elevated carbon
dioxide.
• Long-distance transport
• Soot and aerosols
• Yoram’s lecture: Cap and trade model for
controlling SO2
Crude Examination of History
2008
‘Present’
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Ötzi - man
Climate
Change
Longdistance
Transport
Ozone
Ozone-CO2
interactions
Particulates
(aerosols &
soot)
Heavy
metals
Climate Problems/Global
Change/Air Pollution 21st Century
• Greenhouse gases: global warming
(CO2, CFCs, NOx, CH4, H20)
• Air pollution: NOx, SO2, haze, aerosols,
O3, heavy metals (Hg, Pb, Cd), organic
compounds
• Ozone depletion: O3
Contrails
In the article by Travis and Carleton
(2002), they used the abbreviation
DTR. DTR = ?
74%
1. Diffuse transmitted
radiation
2. Diurnal
temperature range
3. Delta transfer
4. Delayed
transmission
26%
0%
1%
DTR =
Daily temperature range
Results
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Tmax - Tmin = DTR; set to zero for 1971 - 2000. Above
the line, greater, below the line smaller.
1971 2000
Mechanism
QuickTime™ and a
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
eded to see this picture.
decompressor
Warmer
are needed to see this picture.
Colder
Contrails
Day
No Contrails
Day
Contrails
No Contrails
Night
Night
Aerosols, Haze and Soot
V. Ramanathan in his testimony before
Congress maintains that BC has the
following characteristics: (select the false
statement; three statements are true)
1. Is spread rapidly
2. Has major health
impacts
3. Has a major impact
on global warming
4. Has a relatively
long atmospheric
life-time
0%
1
0%
0%
2
3
0%
4
Very Impressive Person
Aerosols, BC and Climate Change
Global
Dimming
Aerosols
The good old days
Day
Aerosols & Soot
Global Transport
Synthesis
Greenhouse gases
CO2
CH4
Carbon Cycle
Photosynthesis,
respiration,
decomposition/fire
fossil fuels/biofuels
N2O
NO2
Nitrogen Cycle
Aerosols
Acid precipitation
SO4=
SO4=
SO2
NO3-
Sulfur Cycle
Combustion
Biotic production
N - cycle processes of reduced sulfur
gases by bacteria
Volcanoes
Combustion
Summary
•
•
•
•
Definitions
Principles
History
Dan Jaffe’s Lecture on Wednesday
– Long-distance transport
– Tighter regulations/standards
• Yoram’s lecture on Friday
– Cap and trade
– Taxes
Orphaned Slides from
previous Lectures
• Emphasis on Acid Precipitation
• What it is
• How it impacts ecosystems
Acid Rain - 1
H+
SO4=
NO3-
http://www.umac.org/ocp/4/info.html
Acid Rain - 2
Bottomline:
• H+ is being added
• SO4= is being added
• NO3- is being added
Acid Rain - 3
Acid Rain - Effects on Forest
Ecosystems
Crude Examination of History
2008
‘Present’
Industrial Revolution
Age of the Automobile
-3300 BC
-5300 YBP
Ötzi - man
Climate Change
Acute
Local
Point
SO2
Impacts: Individual, human health
Non-human impacts
Visibility
Chronic
Dispersed
Non-point
Complex
Smog
Acid Precipitation
Longdistance
Transport
Ozone
Ozone-CO2
interactions
Particulates
(aerosols &
soot)
Regulations/Laws Heavy
metals
Issues of Social Justice
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?
CO2 - air
N - soil & decomposition
& input of NO3
Other minerals (Ca, Mg,
K) - decomposition &
weathering
Continued
Chemical &
Physical
Rocks
(minerals)
Parent
Material
Secondary
minerals
(clays)
Weathering
1. Parent material
2. Climate
3. Topography
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++
• NO3- 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++NO3Organic matter -H+ K+ NO3-
Parent
Material
Clay - H+
Organic matter -H+
Al+++