10.1 — Air Pollution (& Asthma)

Examples of Chemical Air Pollutants

1. Carbon monoxide 2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) 3. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) 4. Lead 5. Ground-level ozone

Reducing Outdoor Air Pollution

1. Command-and-Control Regulation 2. Green Tax 3. Tax Credit 4. Subsidies 5. Cap-and-Trade Programs

Consequences of Air Pollution

5.5 million people die prematurely each year from exposure to air pollution -Children are more susceptible -Maternal exposure to air pollution is linked to premature births and low birth weights -People living in polluted areas have higher rates of heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Many animals suffer the same respiratory distress as humans Exposure to pollutants can damage plant tissue and reduce photosynthesis Pollution negatively impacts tourism Pollution damages buildings and monuments

IV. What are the causes and consequences of acid deposition?

Acid deposition is a secondary pollutant that results from fossil fuel burning. It lowers the pH of soil and waterbodies, and can harm plants and animals that are exposed

Agriculture and Air Pollution

Agriculture is a source of nonpoint source outdoor pollution -Toxic pesticides sprayed on crops can become airborne and travel as far as 30 kilometers (20 miles) -Confined animal feeding operations produce significant odor problems and particulate pollution -Cattle and rice paddies release methane, which contributes to global warming

III. What are the health, economic, social, and ecological consequences of air pollution?

Air pollution causes health problems, damages structures, reduces visibility, and contributes to stratospheric ozone depletion and climate change Air pollution is often especially bad in minority and low-income areas, raising concerns of environmental justice

I. What is air pollution, and what is its global impact?

Air pollution is a serious problem that causes millions of deaths each year, worldwide

Indoor Air Pollution

Cigarette smoke causes significant health problems Many household items such as paint, carpet, and furniture release VOCs Outdoor pollutants such as radon gas can also find their way into our buildings Some cooking methods in developing countries contribute significantly to indoor air pollution

VII. How can air pollution be reduced, and what are the trade-offs of reducing it?

Cleaner fuels and emission-control technologies can reduce industrial outdoor air pollution. Regulations and economic incentives can spur innovation and will decrease the true cost of energy production but may raise the costs of providing energy or doing business

VI. What are the main sources of indoor air pollution and what can be done to reduce it?

Homes trap or are the source of many indoor air pollutants. Better ventilation and alternative building or household materials can reduce this pollution In developing countries, air pollution mainly comes from poorly ventilated indoor cooking fires. It can be reduced by using cleaner fuels and solar ovens

Criteria Air Pollutants

In 1971, the EPA set standards for the most common pollutants that were suspected to be problematic

V. What air pollutants are regulated by the Clean Air Act?

In addition to the criteria pollutants, the EPA regulates volatile organic compounds and mercury; it is also mandated to regulate carbon dioxide, an air pollutant linked to climate change, but political battles have hampered its ability to do so

Effects of Acid Deposition

It can harm aquatic organisms by: -Reducing the hatching success of fish and amphibian eggs -Interfering with the passage through later developmental stages Acidification of soil can change the soil chemistry and mobilize toxic metals such as aluminum -Hinders plants' ability to take up water -Lead to nutrients leached from the soil -Decrease plant growth -Weaken and kill plants

II. What are the main types and sources of outdoor air pollution?

Outdoor air pollution is caused by natural and anthropogenic sources and includes emissions that are directly harmful (primary pollutants) and those that are converted to harmful forms (secondary pollutants) Air pollution can be a transboundary pollutant, causing state and/or national conflicts between regions where the pollution originates and regions where it falls

Acid Deposition is a Secondary Pollutant

Produced when sulfur and nitrogen emissions from burning fossil fuels react with oxygen and water in the atmosphere to form sulfuric or nitric acids

Reducing Indoor Air Pollution

Removing the sources Properly storing potential sources of air pollution Providing adequate ventilation

Environmental Racism

a form of racism that occurs when minority communities face more exposure to pollution than average for the region Sources of major pollution like power plants and waste incinerators are often placed in areas where residents have less ability to fight for their rights. -Children of low-income families are at particular risk

Tax Credit

a reduction in the tax one must pay in exchange for some desirable action

Ground-level Ozone

a secondary pollutant that forms when some of the pollutants released during fossil fuel combustion react with atmospheric oxygen in the presence of sunlight

Green Tax

a tax (fee paid to government) assessed on environmentally undesirable activities

Command-and-Control Regulation

a type of regulation that involves setting an upper allowable limit of pollution release that is enforced with fines and/or incarceration Typical regulation of the Clean Air Act

Secondary Air Pollutants

air pollutants formed when primary air pollutants react with one another or with other chemicals in the air includes: -ground level ozone -smog

Primary Air Pollutants

air pollutants released directly from both mobile sources (such as cars) and stationary sources (such as industrial and power plants)

Air Pollution

any material added to the atmosphere (naturally or by humans) that harms living organisms, affects the climate, and/or impacts structures -May play a role in the recent asthma spike -Linked to serious health issues such as cancer, respiratory infection, and cardiovascular diseases in humans, animals, and plants

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

chemicals that readily evaporate and are released into the air as a gas Many present a health hazard if inhaled or if sensitive tissue like eyes are exposed Some are produced naturally, but most are released from fossil fuel combustion Household products such as paint, carpets, and cleaners release VOCs and contribute to indoor air pollution

Subsidies

financial assistance given by the government to promote desired activities

Smog

hazy air pollution that contains a variety of primary and secondary pollutants, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, tropospheric ozone, and particulates

Particulate Matter (PM)

particles or droplets small enough to remain aloft in the air for long periods of time A common component in smoke and soot Released when just about anything is burned Particles of diameter less than 2.5 micrometers (μm): -Aggravate asthma and other chronic lung diseases -Increase the risk for death

Nonpoint Source Pollution

pollution from dispersed or mobile sources like vehicles and lawn mowers More difficult to monitor and regulate

Point Source Pollution

pollution that comes from an identifiable smokestack or other outlet ex: industry and power plant emissions

Transboundary Pollution

pollution that is produced in one area but falls in a different state or nation -can lead to conflict between states or nations -Even the most isolated regions on Earth are vulnerable -Pesticides and industrial chemicals have been found in remote Arctic and Antarctic regions

Acid Deposition

precipitation that contains sulfuric or nitric acid; dry particles may also fall and become acidified once they mix with water Comes in many forms: rain, snow, sleet, fog, and dry deposition

Cap-and-Trade Programs

regulations that set an upper limit for pollution emissions, issue permits to producers for a portion of that amount, and allow producers that release less than their allotment to sell permits to those who exceeded their allotment Also known as permit-trading Successfully reduced sulfur pollution from coal-fired power plants in the United States in the 1990s Downside is that pollution can become concentrated in areas where individual industries choose to buy additional permits rather than reduce emissions

Asthma

respiratory ailment marked by inflammation and constriction of the narrow airways of the lungs -One of the most common chronic childhood diseases in developed nations -A major cause of childhood disability -In the United States, prevalence of childhood asthma at historically high levels -Leading cause of school absences and lost revenue for public schools, whose federal funding is based on attendance

Environmental Justice

the concept that access to a clean, healthy environment is a basic human right Example: Low-income and minority areas often have some of the worst air quality

The Clean Air Act (CAA)

the main U.S. law that authorizes the EPA to set standards for dangerous air pollutants and enforce those standards