Week 10: Pollution

DEC and environmental organizations have repeatedly rejected the findings of EPA's Five-Year Review Report on the Hudson River cleanup remedy. With unacceptably high levels of contamination remaining in river sediment, the State called on EPA to declare the remedy "not protective" in accordance with EPA rules, and to thoroughly reexamine its cleanup to effectively protect public health and the environment over the long term.

2017 update

Not anymore.........

2017 update:

The majority of air toxics come from humanmade sources: factory smokestack emissions coal-fired powerplants motor vehicle exhaust gasoline vapor industrial sources such as chemical factories, refineries, and incinerators small industrial and commercial sources such as dry cleaners and printing shops

Air pollution: How do pollutants get into the air?

President Obama and EPA announced the Clean Power Plan for reducing carbon pollution from power plants and the pollutants that cause the soot and smog that harm health designed to strengthen the fast-growing trend toward cleaner and lower-polluting American energy (expand the capacity for zero- and low-emitting power sources) shows the world that the United States is committed to leading global efforts to address climate change will reduce carbon pollution from power plants, the nation's largest source outlined Carbon Pollution Standards for new, modified, and reconstructed power plants These are the first-ever national standards that address carbon pollution from power plants.

August 2015: Clean Power Plan #CleanPowerPlan

is the repeated uptake of pollutants by an organism so that the concentrations in that organism become several orders of magnitude greater than their surrounding environment (a clam filters polluted water and concentrates the toxins in its tissue)

Bioaccumulation

a pollutant that can be broken down into less harmful components by bacteria. This only works to a point. The biota can be overwhelmed by excess pollution. Some examples: sewage, paper, wood, cloth, leather, wool, vegetable/plant matter are biodegradable pollutants

Biodegradable pollutant

higher concentrations of a particular pollutant are reached in organisms higher up the food chain, generally through a series of prey-predator relationships (a hawk eats five contaminated mice

Biomagnification

(guest lecture on lead)

Case Study: LEAD pollution

Lipid soluble Long-lived Suspected human carcinogens Hormone mimickers (endocrine disrupters) Circulate globally in food chains

Chlorinated hydrocarbons: DDT, PCBs

Sulfur dioxide - High concentrations of SO2 affect breathing and may aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Sensitive populations include asthmatics, individuals with bronchitis or emphysema, children, and the elderly. Sulfur dioxide is also a primary contributor to acid deposition, or acid rain. Particulate matter - Short term exposure to particulate matter can aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, may increase susceptibility to respiratory infections and has been linked to heart attacks. Nitrogen oxides - Nitrogen oxides can cause ground-level ozone, acid rain, particulate matter, global warming, water quality deterioration, and visual impairment. Nitrogen oxides play a major role, with volatile organic chemicals, in the atmospheric reactions that produce ozone. Children, people with lung diseases such as asthma, and people who work or exercise outside are susceptible to adverse effects such as damage to lung tissue and reduction in lung function.

Coal-fired power plants release:

develop cleaner-burning fuels more efficient engines make sure that pollution control devices installed in motor vehicles work properly EPA has issued requirements that are leading to cleaner-burning diesel engines, reducing releases of particle pollution and air toxics.

EPA is working with industries to:

Yes

Have we seen any good results since the Clean Water Act was established in 1972?

Lead began leaching from pipes in 2014 after an emergency manager appointed by gov. Rick Snyder tried to save money by switching to the polluted Flint River as a water source without adding chemicals that would have prevented corrosion.

How did lead get into the water supply in Flint, Michigan?

water is turned into steam, which in turn drives turbine generators to produce electricity. (Burn coal to heat water to create steam to drive turbine to produce electricity.)

In a coal-fired power plant...

pollutant from coal-fired power plants also from incinerators neurotoxin When mercury falls on land, it is absorbed by soil and by fallen leaves that are consumed by worms and insects. Songbirds then feed on the bugs, absorbing the mercury (Evers, 2014). The mercury interferes with reproduction.

MERCURY

As you know, current policy coming out of The White House is attempting to change many of the topics included in these notes. Continue to fight for what you believe in.

NOTE

pollution from an unclear source, e.g., finding fertilizers in ground water could be from any number of sources: homes, farms, golf courses.

Non-point source pollution

pollutant that can not be broken down or metabolized. They accumulate over time and therefore become more dangerous. Examples, PCBs, DDT, dioxin, heavy metals (mercury arsenic lead).

Nonbiodegradable

PCBs are oily solvents used in the electrical industry. GE Co. factories legally released more than one million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River between 1946 and 1977. PCBs were banned in 1977. In 1983, 200 miles of the Hudson River were designated as a federal Super Fund site. GE and EPA battle over nature of problem and the solution.

PCBs and the Hudson River

pollution from a precise origin, e.g. industrial plant

Point source pollution

unwanted alteration of natural systems as a result of human activity.

Pollution

protects surface water quality Goal: reduce direct pollutant discharges into waterways, finance municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and manage polluted runoff Evolution of CWA programs over the last decade has also included something of a shift from a pollutant-by-pollutant approach to more holistic watershed-based strategies. Under the watershed approach equal emphasis is placed on protecting healthy waters and restoring impaired ones.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) 1972

EPA. DEC and environmental organizations have repeatedly rejected the findings of EPA's Five-Year Review Report on the Hudson River cleanup remedy. With unacceptably high levels of contamination remaining in river sediment, the State called on EPA to declare the remedy "not protective" in accordance with EPA rules, and to thoroughly reexamine its cleanup to effectively protect public health and the environment over the long term.

The NY DEC used to battle GE over the Hudson River PCB pollution problem. With whom does the DEC now battle over the Hudson River PCB pollution problem? Why?

main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans' drinking water Under SDWA, EPA sets standards for drinking water quality and oversees the states, localities, and water suppliers who implement those standards. MCL is maximum contaminant level. Every town gets their water tested and this type of report is available to all residents. Any violations must me addressed.

The Safe Drinking Water Act 1974 (SDWA)

EPA has regulated both large and small sources of air toxics, but has mainly focused efforts on larger sources. It makes good sense to regulate by categories of industries rather than one pollutant at a time, since many individual sources release more than one toxic chemical.

Under the 1990 Clean Air Act...

EPA alleges Volkswagen illegally installed software to evade standards for reducing smog on their diesel cars. Volkswagon admits it. EPA uncovered emissions-cheating software on more Volkswagen and Audi cars than previously disclosed; also discovers illegal software in luxury Porsche models. Volkswagen must fix the 11 million vehicles worldwide that contain a so-called defeat device, which effectively lowered emissions for testing purposes.

Volkswagon emissions scandal:

industry waste CSOs septic systems agricultural runoff leaking landfills golf courses and suburban lawns illegal dumping parking lot runoff

WATER POLLUTION: How do pollutants get into the water?:

In 2009, EPA determined that greenhouse gas pollution threatens Americans' health and welfare by leading to long-lasting changes in our climate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas pollutant, accounting for nearly three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions and 82 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. 2014 was the hottest year in recorded history, and 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all occurred in the first 15 years of this century. Recorded temperatures in the first half of 2015 were also warmer than normal. Overwhelmingly, the best scientists in the world, relying on troves of data and millions of measurements collected over the course of decades on land, in air and water, at sea and from space, are telling us that our activities are causing climate change. Fossil fuel-fired power plants are by far the largest source of U.S. CO2 emissions, making up 31 percent of U.S. total greenhouse gas emissions. Taking action now is critical. Reducing CO2 emissions from power plants, and driving investment in clean energy technologies strategies that do so, is an essential step in lessening the impacts of climate change and providing a more certain future for our health, our environment, and future generations.

WHY WE NEED THE CLEAN POWER PLAN (Ref: epa.gov 2016)

Clean Power Plan

What about CO2 as a pollutant from power plants?

At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system to cause coma, convulsions and even death. Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with mental retardation and behavioural disorders. At lower levels of exposure that cause no obvious symptoms, and that previously were considered safe, lead is now known to produce a spectrum of injury across multiple body systems. In particular lead can affect children's brain development resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment. Lead exposure also causes anaemia, hypertension, renal impairment, immunotoxicity and toxicity to the reproductive organs. The neurological and behavioural effects of lead are believed to be irreversible.

What are the health effects of lead poisoning in children?

Mining, smelting, manufacturing and recycling activities, and, in some countries, the continued use of leaded paint, leaded gasoline, and leaded aviation fuel. More than three quarters of global lead consumption is for the manufacture of lead-acid batteries for motor vehicles. Lead is, however, also used in many other products, for example pigments, paints, solder, stained glass, lead crystal glassware, ammunition, ceramic glazes, jewelry, toys and in some cosmetics and traditional medicines. Drinking water delivered through lead pipes or pipes joined with lead solder may contain lead

What are the sources of lead pollution?

• inhalation of lead particles generated by burning materials containing lead, for example, during smelting, recycling, stripping leaded paint, and using leaded gasoline or leaded aviation fuel; and • ingestion of lead-contaminated dust, water (from leaded pipes), and food (from lead-glazed or lead-soldered containers).

What are the various modes of lead exposure for people?

Nonpoint source pollution consists of diffuse, nonbounded discharges from many contributors, such as runoff from city streets or agricultural fields, so it is more challenging to control.

What is a nonpoint source pollutant?

Water pollution is relatively easier to control when it comes from a POINT SOURCE- a distinct, limited discharge source as a factory, which can be required to clean up or reduce its effluent.

What is a point source pollutant?

The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an organism. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a substance at a rate faster than that at which the substance is lost by catabolism and excretion.

What is bioaccumulation?

The buildup of certain substances, such as DDT, in the bodies of organisms at higher trophic levels of food webs. The concentration of toxins in an organism as a result of its ingesting other plants or animals in which the toxins are more widely disbursed.

What is biomagnification?

Examined data on 825 pigeons from various neighborhoods from 2010-2015. Dr. Calisi found that elevated lead levels in pigeons from Greenwich and SoHo, for example, correlated positively with elevated lead levels in children in those neighborhoods, as identified by NYC health department.

What was Dr. Calisi's experimental method and main result?

Because they live in close proximity to people and eat much of the same food. And unlike many birds, they tend to spend their entire lives within the same square mile.

Why are pigeons ideal for for making comparisons with human health?

Particles make it difficult for humans to breathe. Many truck and bus depots and routes are along poor neighborhoods. This causes bad air quality. High asthma rates in these neighborhoods.

Why are we concerned with particles emitted into the air from diesel engines?