Name Johnny Poon

Air Pollution

I. Air Pollutant Sources

Air pollution is a growing issue that affects many different environmental and societal
sectors. Air pollution can negatively affect human health, especially in populations more
prone to harm (“sensitive populations”) such as young children, the elderly, and those
with chronic health issues. Air pollution is not limited to human impacts, however, it may
also damage crops, wildlife, and growing air pollution is creating positive feedback loops
(such as arctic warming that deepens methane emissions from arctic soils) that worsen as
time goes on.

Give a definition of the sources of air pollutants listed below that were discussed in class.
List three examples each of pollutants for each pollution source category. Note that there
are overlaps in source, i.e., the same air pollutant can belong to various source categories.

a. Primary Air Pollutants:

CO, CO2, SO2, NO, NO2, N2O, CH4 and most other hydrocarbons, Most
suspended particles

b. Secondary Air Pollutants:

SO3, HNO3, H2SO4, H2O2, O3, PANs, Most NO3- and SO4^2- salts

c. Anthropogenic air pollutants (clarify where exactly the air pollutants are emitted
from, e.g., cars, smoke stacks, etc.):Transportation (cars/buses), Fuel combustion
in stationary sources, Industrial processes (factories), Solid waste disposal (waste
plants)

d. Natural air pollutants: Smog (burning coal), Sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid,
suspended solid particles, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, soot

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II. The Clean Air Act and NAAQS

The American Clean Air Act (CAA) was enacted in 1963 following the controversy of
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring and the growth of the environmental movement, and many
subsequent amendments improved this important environmental regulation. Silent Spring
was a widely read novel which featured the harmful ecological effects of the popular
pesticide DDT, including the destruction of bird populations and potential effects on the
human population. According to the EPA’s official Summary, the CAA “is the
comprehensive federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile
sources” and among other things requires the EPA to “establish National Ambient Air
Quality Standards (NAAQS) to protect public health and public welfare”.

Table 1 shows the current EPA NAAQS for the six EPA criteria air pollutants. An
important distinction to be made is that of primary vs. secondary standards. Primary
standards are those set for public welfare including the health of “sensitive populations”.
Secondary standards account for public welfare, and includes environmental factors such
as protection against decreased visibility, damage to animals, harm to crops and
vegetation, and deterioration of structures and buildings. In the following exercises, you
will be asked to examine the EPA criteria pollutants listed in the table and answer some
questions.

a. List the six EPA criteria air pollutants.

Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Particle Pollution, Sulfur Dioxide

b. What is the difference between primary and secondary NAAQS ?

Primary NAAQS have public health protection that includes asthmatics, children and
elderly.
Secondary NAAQS have public welfare protection that includes protection against
decreased visibility and damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.

c. Name an example each of a pollutant that only has a primary NAAQS, only a
secondary NAAQS, and both a primary and secondary NAAQS.

Only primary NAAQS: CO, NO2, PM2.5, SO2

Only secondary NAAQS: PM2.5, SO2

Both primary and secondary NAAQS: Pb, NO2, O3, PM2.5, PM10

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Table 1: NAAQS Table with primary contaminants taken from epa.gov

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III. Smog

“Smog” is a term originally meant as a combination of smoke and fog. In the mid-late
20th century, at the height of the industrial revolution, rare weather anomalies lead to
disastrous pollution events that killed hundreds and even thousands of people within a
few days. Weather anomalies trapped factory smoke emissions and forced them back to
ground level over towns and cities. In 1948 over Donora, PA, a “wall of smog”
descended, killing 20 people and sickening 7,000. This prompted the first discussions of
clean air regulations. Eight years later in London, England, another weather anomaly
known as an “anticyclone” trapped a thick layer of smog over London for four days. This
event known as the “Great Fog of London” killed thousands and made thousands more
ill. These events represent instances of “classic fog”.

More contemporarily, an important modern air pollutant is photochemical smog. It is not

a primary pollutant because it is formed by chemical reactions of other pollutants (so-
called precursor substances) within the atmosphere. The reaction of sunlight,
hydrocarbons (otherwise known as volatile organic compounds, ‘VOCs’), and nitrogen
oxides lead to the formation of a dangerous ozone and other oxidants such as aldehydes
that can violate both primary and secondary air quality standards. Populations living in
areas with daily formation of photochemical smog are known to have heavier instances of
respiratory issues, inflammation of eyes and respiratory tracts, and other health
symptoms.

a. In the pictures below, mark whether these pictures identify “London-type Smog”
or “Photochemical Smog”. Furthermore note what emission sources and what
other factors in these city would promote the types of fog seen in the pictures.

Photochemical Smog – Sun’s UV radiation bc

it is in a high pressure condition dominated environment (base of mountain) and
Mexico City has lots of industrial factories.
Figure 1: Mexico City, Mexico

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 London-Type smog b/c burning coal from factories and homes, suspended
particles in air

Figure 2: Donora, PA

Photochemical smog b/c it is formed

under the influence of sun’s UV radiation and factories like power plants, industrial
facilities, and motor vehicles.

London-type smog b/c NYC

used lots of burning coal back in
1920s for factories and homes in
industrialized urban areas.

Figure 4: New York City, NY (1920s)

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 Photochemical smog b/c of high pressure
conditions, lots of motor vehicles, factories, and power plants in New Delhi,
sunlight+VOCs+NOx
Figure 4: New Delhi (current)

IV. Air Pollution and meteorology

From Atmosphere Volume 8, 1970 METEOROLOGICAL ASPECTS OF A1R

POLLUTION CONTROL. L. Shenfeld. Meteorological factors have an important effect
on the amount of pollution in the atmosphere. Temperature and solar radiation affect the
quantities of pollutant emitted by their influence on the amount of space heating required.
Sunshine is required in a photochemical production of oxidants forming smog. The wind
velocity, turbulence and stability affect the transport, dilution and dispersion of the
pollutants. The rainfall has a scavenging effect in washing out ("rainout") particles in the
atmosphere. Finally, the humidity is a frequent and important factor in determining the
effect that concentrations of pollutants have on property, vegetation and health.

Based on what you know about the emissions and formation of air pollutants, discuss a
typical air pollution situation observed in the Figure below. Discuss how weather
conditions and other aspects affect pollution distributions. In particular, discuss the high
levels of air pollution in the central Valley of California and in southern California. Also
discuss the high levels of air pollutants observed along the East Coast.

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General patterns observed:
Low Pressure and high ground tend to have/create more pollution.

Southern California: (Moderate) to (unhealthy for sensitive groups) air because of fires
and low pressure, maybe due to high elevations in some parts of California down to
Tijuana

East Coast: Low Pressure+High Pressure creates (Moderate) to (unhealthy for sensitive
groups) air, mountainous in WV, VA, TN

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