NATS 101 Lecture 31 Air Pollution Meteorology AMS
- Slides: 42
NATS 101 Lecture 31 Air Pollution Meteorology
AMS Glossary of Meteorology • air pollution—The presence of substances in the atmosphere, particularly those that do not occur naturally. • These substances are generally contaminants that substantially alter or degrade the quality of the atmosphere. • The term is often used to identify undesirable substances produced by human activity, that is, anthropogenic air pollution. • Air pollution usually designates the collection of substances that adversely affects human health, animals, and plants; deteriorates structures; interferes with commerce; or interferes with the enjoyment of life.
Major Air Pollution Episodes of Historic Significance • Some of the worst events in the last two centuries occurred in London – Key ingredients: calm winds, fog, smoke particles from coal burning – 1873 - 700 deaths – 1911 - 1150 deaths – 1952 - 4000 deaths • Last event led to the Parliament passing a Clean Air Act in 1956
http: //www. atmos. washington. edu/2005 Q 4/212/Kaufman_health. pdf
Major U. S. Air Pollution Episodes of Historic Significance • U. S. air quality degraded shortly after the beginning of the industrial revolution • Coal burning in Central and Midwest U. S. – 1948 Donora, PA in the Monongahela River Valley – 20 deaths, 1000’s took ill in 5 days • Prompted Air Pollution Control Act of 1955 – Ignored automobiles
Major U. S. Air Pollution Episodes of Historic Significance • 1960 s - NYC had several severe smog episodes • 1950 s onward – LA had many smog alerts from an increase in industry and motor vehicle use • Led to passage of the Clean Air Act of 1970 (updated 1977 and 1990) – Empowered Federal Government to set emission standards that each state had to meet
U. S. Air Pollution Examples Smog in San Gabriel Valley, 1972. (Photo: EPA. ) 1963 photo of a severe smog episode in New York City. (Photo: AP/Wide World Photo, EPA Journal Jan/Feb 1990. )
Air Pollution in Grand Canyon Even remote areas are affected by pollution Canyon on a clear day Canyon on a smog day http: //apollo. lsc. vsc. edu/classes/met 130/notes/ Nice link to Lyndon Valley State College that has useful material for a NATS-type course
Primary Pollutants Injected directly into atmosphere • Carbon Monoxide (CO) – odorless, colorless, poisonous gas – byproduct of burning fossil fuels – body acts as if CO is O 2 in blood, can result in death • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx, NO) – NO - nitric oxide – emitted directly by autos, industry
Primary Pollutants • Sulfur Oxides (SOx) – SO 2 - sulfur dioxide – produced largely through coal burning – responsible for acid rain problem • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – highly reactive organic compounds – released through incomplete combustion and industrial sources • Particulate Matter (dust, ash, smoke, salt) – 10 um particles (PM 10) stay lodged in your lungs – 2. 5 um particles (PM 2. 5) can enter blood stream
Secondary Pollutants Form in atmosphere from chemical-photochemical reactions that involve primary pollutants • Sulfuric Acid H 2 SO 4 – major cause of acid rain • Nitrogen Dioxide NO 2 – brownish hue L. A. Sky Colors Dec 2000 Mark Z. Jacobson
Secondary Pollutants • Ozone O 3 – colorless gas – has an acrid, sweet smell – oxidizing agent • Primary and secondary pollutants are found in the two types of smog: – London-type smog – LA-type photochemical smog SMOG = SMOKE + FOG
Human Response to One Hour Pollutant Exposure (Turco, p 194) Pollutant Concentration Part per million by mass CO 10 -30 ppmm Symptom Time distortion (typical urban level) 100 ppmm Throbbing headache (freeway background, 100 ppmm) 300 ppmm Vomiting, collapse (tobacco smoke, 400 ppmm) 600 ppmm Death CO sticks to hemoglobin, forming carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), which reduces the capacity of hemoglobin to carry O 2 to cells
Physiology of Exposure to CO COHb level is 5%-15% for cig puffers! http: //apollo. lsc. vsc. edu/classes/met 130/notes/
Human Response to One Hour Pollutant Exposure (Turco, p 194) Pollutant Concentration Parts per million by mass NO 2 0. 06 -0. 1 ppmm Respiratory impact (long term exposure promotes disease) 1. 5 -5. 0 ppmm Breathing difficulty 25 -100 ppmm Acute asthma 150 ppmm Symptom Death (may be delayed)
Human Response to One Hour Pollutant Exposure (Turco, p 194) Pollutant Concentration Parts per million by mass O 3 0. 02 ppmm Odor threshold (sweet) 0. 1 ppmm Nose and throat irritation in sensitive people 0. 3 ppmm General nose and throat irritation 1. 0 ppmm Airway resistance, headaches (long term lead to premature aging of lung tissue) Symptom
Human Response to One Hour Pollutant Exposure (Turco, p 194) Pollutant Concentration Parts per million by mass SO 2 0. 3 ppmm Taste threshold (acidic) 0. 5 ppmm Odor threshold (acrid) 1. 5 ppmm Bronchiolar constriction Respiratory infection Symptom
Table 12 -2, p. 328
Beijing Air Pollution Record Pollution Levels AQI > 300 - Hazardous 11 -5 -2005 AFP Photo Where’s Beijing? 11 -4 -2005 NASA MODIS Visible http: //www. terradaily. com/news/pollution-05 zs. html
Pollution Knows No Boundaries April 2001 China Dust Transport Across Pacific Fig. 12 -4, p. 322
U. S. Pollutant Trends 1940 -1995 • Most pollutants decreased after the 1970 Clean Air Act Lead Particulates SO 2 VOC’s CO NO 2 is Leveling Off Fig. 12 -9, p. 328
AQI > 150 for CO, SO 2, NO 2, O 3 and PM Fig. 12 -10, p. 329
http: //www. arb. ca. gov/research/health/fs/pm-03 fs. pdf
90% total pollutants 10% total pollutants Table 12 -1, p. 320
Percentage of Primary Pollutants Fig. 12 -2 a, p. 320
Percentage of Primary Sources Fig. 12 -2 b, p. 320
Air Pollution Weather • Strong low-level inversion Subsidence inversion that diurnal heating does not break or weaken significantly • Weak surface winds Persistent surface anticyclone • Sunny weather for photochemical smog • Hot weather to accelerate O 3 production
Fig. 12 -12, p. 333
Top of Mixing Layer Fig. 12 -13, p. 333
Valleys Trap Pollutants L. A. is in a basin surrounded by mountains that trap pollutants and usually has onshore flow that creates frequent inversions. Pollutants can only escape through narrow canyons Fig. 12 -15, p. 334
Leading Edge of Sea Breeze and “Smog Front” over Inland So. Cal Fig. 12 -14, p. 333
Air Pollution Dispersion • Air pollution dispersion is often studied with simple models, termed Box Models. How is a box defined for the LA basin? Box Model Boundaries for the LA Basin • Ventilation factor is a simple way of relating concentrations of pollutants to parameters that modulate the dispersion of pollutants in a local environments. • An increase in either the mixing height or the wind speed increases the effective volume in which pollutants are allowed to mix. • The larger the volume, the lower the pollution concentration. • How does a box model work?
Ventilation Factor (VF) Mixing Height Volume ~ Length Height Length = Wind Speed Time VF = Mixing Height Wind Speed
Acid Rain and Deposition • Sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) within clouds (including fog) form acidic particles when they react with water: SO 2 + H 2 O H 2 SO 4 (sulfuric acid) NOx + H 2 O HNO 3 (nitric acid) • Acid Rain is worse downstream of the point sources of pollution • Acid Rain affects Trees, Lakes, Structures • Acid Deposition is a world-wide problem
p. H is logarithmic scale. An one unit change denotes a factor of 10 difference. Fig. 12 -17, p. 338
p. H = 5. 6 for pristine rain
Acidified Forest in Czechoslovakia http: //www. atmos. washington. edu/2005 Q 4/212/Acid. Deposition. Slides. pdf Fig. 12 -19, p. 339
Impact on Aquatic Organisms http: //www. epa. gov/airmarkets/acidrain/effects/surfacewater. html#fish
Sandstone Figure in Germany Herr Schmidt-Thomsen 1908 Herr Schmidt-Thomsen 1968 http: //www. atmos. washington. edu/2005 Q 4/212/Acid. Deposition. Slides. pdf
Summary • Air Pollutants – Long History – Primary: CO, NOx, SOx, VOC, PM – Secondary: H 2 SO 4, NO 2, O 3 • Global Problem - Knows No Boundaries! – Serious Health Consequences • US Air Improving - Clean Air Act But It is Degrading in Emerging Economies • Air Pollution Weather and Air Dispersion • Acid Rain
Next Assignments • Next Class – Quiz #6 • Next Lecture Topic – Ozone Depletion Reading – Ahrens pg 324 -327, 330 Problems – 12. 10, 12. 11
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