HAN 450

• 18th and 19th Century Air Pollution Event


  industrial revolution "blackened" the air with smoke
• 1952 London Air Pollution Event


  severe cold weather trapped smoke, fumes, and exhaust causing more than 4,000 deaths
• 1948 Donora, PA Air Pollution Event


  similar to 1952 london weather inversion caused negative health effects
• 1950s-1960s


  US air quality began noticeably deteriorating due to automobiles causing federal government passing emission standards in 1965 for 1968 model-year cars
• 1970 Clean Air Act


  set air quality standards, limited some major pollutants, and mandated emission reduction of automobiles and factories;

  amended in 1977 and 1990 to strengthen standards;

  requires monitoring/regulation of 6 criteria air pollutants than can be products of combustion
• Criteria Air Pollutants


  particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, ozone, lead, etc.
• Particulate Matter


  most visible air pollution formthat includes smoke, soot, and ash which were typical during the industrial revolution;

  6-city study found that higher levels correlated with higher death rates;

  smaller = deeper penetration into lungs
• Particulate Matter Standards


  set by EPA;

  originally pm10 µm before being further reduced in 1997, 2006, and 2012 to 2.5 µm, the diameter which lung cancer, other lung diseases, and heart disease are proportional to;

  opponents sued for cost-benefit analysis but the supreme court ruled in favor of the EPA
• Sulfur Dioxide


  produced by the combustion of sulfur-containing fuels, especially coal that causes irritation of respiratory tracts, acid rain, and potential respiratory tract damage;

  91% decline between 1980 and 2018
• Carbon Monoxide


  highly toxic gas mostly produced in motor vehicle exhaust that is especially harmful to patients with cardiovascular disease and causes headaches and impairs mental processes
• Nitrous Oxides Main Sources


  on-road motor vehicle exhaust, off-road equipment, power plant emissions
• Nitrous Oxides Contribute to


  respiratory tract irritation, acid rain, and ozone formation;

  responsible for yellowish-brown smog appearance
• Ozone


  highly reactive variant of oxygen produced by sunlight acting on other air pollutants that irritates the eyes and respiratory system and increases mortality from cardiovascular and respiratory disease
• Lead


  damages nervous system, blood, and kidneys;

  poses special risk to the development of children's intellectual abilities;

  used in leaded gasoline which was phased out in the US by 1995 resulting in a dramatic air pollutant decrease
• Other Air Pollutants


  1990 clean air act amendments directed the EPA to set standards for 187 specific chemicals, but as of 1993 only asbestos, mercury, beryllium, benzene, vinyl chloride, arsenic, radionuclides, and coke-oven emissions had been acted on due to controversies
• Motor Vehicle Emission Reduction Strategies


  limit tailpipe emissions, implement vapor recovery systems on gasoline pumps, set inspection and maintenance requirements, require that auto makers develop 0 emission vehicles (electric cars), develop public transportation, HOV lane, and carpool parking and development, and tax parking spaces
• Industrial Source Emission Reduction Strategies


  install scrubbers on smokestacks, use less polluting fuels, and use a market approach where pollution allowances can be bought and sold
• New Source Review Provision


  clean air act sets standards for newly built power plants that do not apply to existing plants;

  ignored by companies leading to states pressing lawsuits;

  replaced with weaker clear skies initiative by the bush administration
• Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (1988)


  requires businesses to report locations and quantities of chemicals stored and they must disclose information on the kinds and amounts of pollutants discharged to allow for better emergency preparation
• 54%


  amount air pollution has decreased since 1970
• Indoor Air Quality


  people spend more time indoors than out;

  lack of sufficient ventilation may lead to "sick building syndrome" caused by tobacco smoke, wood-burning stoves and fireplaces, gas ranges and furnaces, radon that seeps up through the soil and rock, formaldehyde, consumer products, microbes, and allergens
• Biological Pollutants


  bacteria, mold, dust mites, and animal dander
• Formaldehyde


  sources include insulation, particleboard, plywood, some floor coverings, and textiles;

  regulated by department of housing and urban development
• Consumer Products


  sources include pesticides, drywall from china, dry-cleaning solvents, paint and paint thinners, hairspray, and air fresheners;

  use with caution
• Microbes


  include legionella and hantavirus
• Allergens


  include mold, house mites, and animal dander
• Global Effects of Air Pollution

  acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer due to certain air pollutants, and the greenhouse effect and global warming due to carbon dioxide produced by burning fossil fuels;

  montreal protocol of 1987
• Acid Rain


  damages forests and crops, turns lakes and rivers acidic, and kills fish and plants
• Montreal Protocol (1987)


  29 nations met and signed an agreement to reduce production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which were eventually phased out allowing the ozone layer to stabilize