CIEG 434: Air Pollution Control

Lecture 1

Steve Dentel
Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware

Spring 2007
 Course Logistics
INSTRUCTORS:
• Part I – Particulate contaminants and controls:
Steve Dentel, 348 DuPont Hall, 831-8120,
dentel@udel.edu
• Part II - Gaseous contaminants and controls:
Pei Chiu, 344B DuPont Hall, 831-3104,
pei@ce.udel.edu.
OFFICE HOURS:
Monday 11:30 - 1:30.  You can also make an appointment with
either instructor by phone or email, or simply stop by.
 
TEXTBOOK:
Cooper, C. D. & Alley, F. C., "Air Pollution Control - A Design
Approach", 3rd ed, Waveland Press, 2002.
 
REFERENCES:
(1) De Nevers, N., "Air Pollution Control Engineering", 2nd
ed., McGraw-Hill, 2000.
(2) Heinsohn, R. J. and Kabel, R. L. "Sources and Control of
Air Pollution", Prentice Hall, 1998.
(3) Crawford, M. "Air Pollution Control Theory", McGraw-
Hill, 1976.
 ACTIVE
PARTICIPATION:
Activities and extra efforts that contribute to and
demonstrate understanding of the subject matter
are encouraged and will be rewarded with extra
"active participation" points (up to 10
points/person/semester).
 GRADING:
The total number of points is 250. 

If you earn a total of

230 points or more, you will receive an A or A-
205 points or more, you will receive a B+, B, or B-
180 points or more, you will receive a C+, C, or C-
160 points or more, you will receive a D+, D, or D-
You will need a minimum of 160 points to pass.
 Priority Air Pollutants

Sources, Properties, and Effects

 Definition of Air Pollution (DNREC)

"The presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more air

contaminants in sufficient quantities and of such characteristics
and duration as to be injurious to human, plant, or animal life or
to property or which unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment
of life and property within the jurisdiction of the State."
Health concerns
NAAQS exist for 6 "criteria
pollutants"
1.*PM10 and PM2.5
2.CO
3.*Pb
4.SO2
5.NO2
6.O3 (secondary)

*
particulate matter
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• colorless, tasteless, odorless, poisonous
• from incomplete combustion of carbonaceous fuels
• oxygen, temperature, mixing, residence time
• important pollutant in urban and indoor air
• ~3/4 of CO emissions are related to transportation

• CO competes (>200x) with O2 to bind hemoglobin

Lead (Pb)
• Before 1984, major Pb source was Pb(C2H5)4, an

antiknock agent in gasoline invented by T. Midgley

• 1970 CAAA required 90% cut in CO, NOx, VOC

• Auto industry chose to use catalytic converters

• Catalytic converters were poisoned by Pb
• In 1984, EPA lowered allowable [Pb] in gasoline
• Now most Pb comes from point (industrial) sources
Lead (Pb)
• industrial sources: smelters, lead acid batteries, etc.

• other sources: Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 and Pb3O4 in paint,

soil around highways, etc.

• most exposure through inhalation of Pb particles
(also through drinking water due to Pb solder)
• esp. detrimental to children and pregnant women
NOx (NO + NO2)
• NO: colorless, non-toxic, oxidizes to NO2

• NO2: red-brown, lung irritant, bronchitis, pneumonia

• Sources: ~50% industrial, ~50% mobile

• Mechanisms: fuel NOx & thermal NOx (≥1000 K)

• NOx + VOCs + h ——> photochemical smog

• NOx + OH. ——> HNO3 (acid precipitation)

• Eutrophication
SOx (SO2 + SO3)
• approx. 20 MT/yr, 90% from fossil fuel burning, of
which 85% comes from power plants (~75% of total)
• other sources: oil refining, copper smelting, autos
• coal > oil (less than 1 ppm after refining) > gas
• both highly soluble, absorbed after inhalation

• SOx + OH./O2 —> SO3 —> H2SO4 (acid rain)

• SO4= also forms 2o PM2.5; may reach deep into lungs

O3 + VOC (smog)
• NOx + VOCs + h —> photochemical smog (O3,

formaldehyde, peroxyacetyl nitrate, other oxidants)

• urban [O3] peaks at ~11 am, after NO & NO2

• cough, headache, eye/throat irritation, lung damage

(susceptible sub-populations; e.g., people w/ asthma)
• believed to be responsible for most of the damage to
agriculture due to air pollution
Particulate Matter (PM)
• Tiny solid or liquid particles suspended in air
• >10 m: easily captured by nose & upper tracks
• <0.1 m: captured, exhaled, or coagulate to >0.1 m
• 0.1-10 (esp. 2-4) m: penetrate & deposit in lungs
• May contain metals, PAHs, pesticides, other toxics
• visibility reduction by 0.3-0.7 m particles
• damage to infrastructure by acid mist/fog
 CO2
• Not included in NAAQS
• Was approximately 0.03% of atmospheric
air (300 ppm). Now approaching 400 ppm.
• Sources: respiration, combustion, dissolved
carbonates in surface waters, etc.
• Now “unequivocally” linked to global
warming