Global Climate

Change: Air
Quality
February 2017
List of cities with
most traffic
congestion
released
Los Angeles
104.1 hours
Moscow 91 hours
New York
San Francisco
Major air pollutants
Primary pollutants
Particulates
Nitrogen oxides
Sulfur oxides
Carbon oxides
hydrocarbons
Secondary pollutants
Ozone
Sulfuric acid
Car Exhaust
Carbon monoxide
Carbon dioxide
Hydrocarbons
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen oxides
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
results from incomplete combustion such as poor air
supply or low burning temperature
attaches to blood cells more easily than O2
It causes headaches and dizziness at low concentrations
It is deadly in high concentrations because it reduces
oxygen transport in the blood (CO binds irreversibly to
hemoglobin.)
It does not affect plants
It is mainly emitted by transportation (78%) and
forest fires.
Carbon dioxide and Hydrocarbons
Carbon dioxide: greenhouse gas
Hydrocarbons
Diverse group of organic compounds that contain
only hydrogen and carbon (ex: CH4 - methane)
Some are related to photochemical smog and
greenhouse gases (methane)

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOX)
Different nitrogen oxides: (NO, NO2,N2O)
cause acid rain
NO (nitric oxide) is produced during high
temperature combustion (auto engines)
Emitted from soils (NO and N2O)
N2O (nitrous oxide) greenhouse gas
React with hydrocarbons (HC), oxygen, and
sunlight to produce photochemical smog
NO2 + O2 + sunlight NO + O3 (ozone)
NO + HC peroxyacyl nitrates (PAN)
Sulfur Oxides (SOX; x=2,3)
some of the most damaging air pollutants
result from burning of fossil fuels that
contain sulfur
Health effects
eye and lung irritation at low concentrations
SO2 can be deadly at high concentrations
Plants are very sensitive to SO2
SO2is the main cause of acid rain
mainly emitted by coal-burning power plants
(88%)
Lichens living on rock, wood, and soil are
extremely sensitive to SO2. Sulfur dioxide damage to plants
Sources of Outdoor Air
Pollution
Two main sources
Transportation
Industry
Intentional forest
fires are also high

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Urban Air Pollution
Industrialsmog: a combination of smoke and fog
Photochemical smog: formed by chemical
reactions involving nitrogen oxides and volatile
organic carbon compounds (hydrocarbons) in the
presence of sunlight
Formation of Photochemical
Smog

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Formation of Photochemical
Smog

https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee102/node/1975
Smog chemistry
N2 + O2 + engine temp. 2NO (nitric oxide)
NO is a colorless gas

2NO + O2 (air temp.) 2NO2 (nitrogen dioxide)

NO2 is a reddish-brown gas

This is the morning smog in LA

 More Smog Chemistry
NO2 + sunlight NO (nitric oxide) + O
O + O2 (oxygen) O3 (ozone)
Ozone accumulates in the afternoon when the
sunlight is strongest.
Ozone reacts with rubber and other organic
materials (like your lungs, eyes, and plant leaves).
Ozone reacts with hydrocarbons in the air,
producing particulates (haze).
The afternoon smog is haze and ozone.
Sources of Smog in Los Angeles

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Causes of Urban Air Pollution
Automobiles are major sources of pollutants.
The pollutants are trapped in a layer of air
next to the ground. A thermal inversion
causes the air to be trapped.
A thermal inversion occurs when cold air near
the ground is overlain by warmer air.
During the day, the air warms near the ground.
At night, cool, dense air from the ocean slides
in-land, under the warm air. The sets up the
inversion.
Atmospheric Inversion

Trapped pollutants
 Why is LA So Smoggy?
LA is a coastal valley with inland mountains
This is an optimum condition to form an inversion
layer
LA has a large number of cars (~10 million)
LA has a lot of industrial emission as well
LA has lots of sunshine and photochemical smog
Smog Alerts in Southern California

1-hour limits
Layers of the Atmosphere
Good Ozone, Bad Ozone
Ozone
Tropospheric Ozone
Man-made pollutant in the lower atmosphere
Secondary air pollutant
Component of photochemical smog

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ozone Damage to Grape Leaves

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Health effects of ozone
Aggravated asthma and possibly new cases of
asthma
Reduced lung capacity
Increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses
Increased respiratory and cardiovascular
hospitalizations
Stratospheric Ozone
Naturally produced in the stratosphere
Essential component that screens out much of
the UV radiation in the upper atmosphere
All of UV-C
Most of UV-B
Not UV-A
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Chlorine-
and bromine-containing
chemicals catalyze ozone destruction
CFCs
Halons (fire retardants)
Methyl bromide (pesticide)
Methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride
(industrial solvents)
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Conditions required for ozone depletion
Presence of chlorine- and bromine-containing chemicals
Sunlight
Very cold air (circumpolar vortex)
Process
Chlorine- and bromine-containing chemicals drift up to the
stratosphere
UV radiation breaks them down, releasing the Cl and Br
Cold air causes polar stratospheric clouds to form they
contain ice crystals, to which Cl and Br adhere
Sunlight catalyzes reaction in which Cl or Br break ozone
apart (into oxygen)
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Cl and Br are not destroyed in the
process
Cl and Br remain in stratosphere for
many years
Breakup of circumpolar vortex
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=20LZef3Nf
ZM
Effects of Ozone Depletion
Human health
Cataracts
Skin cancer UV-B
 Effects of UV Irradiation on
3 DNA 5
A A
G G G G
C C
T
T T T
C G C C C
A A T A
G

A A
G G G G
C C
T
T T T
C G C C C
T A
G
Effects of Ozone Depletion
Human health
Cataracts
Skin cancer UV-B
Weakened immunity
Disrupted
ecosystems
Damage to forests, crops
Acid Deposition
Acid Deposition
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide
emissions react with water vapor in
the atmosphere and form acids that
return to the surface as either dry or
wet deposition
SO2 + H2O H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
NO2 + H2O HNO3 (nitric acid)
How Acid Deposition Develops

2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Acid Rain
It discolors paint, corrodes
metals, and dissolves building
materials
It damages coniferous trees
Can damage fish and
waterfowl in lakes, unless the
surrounding soil is alkaline
It causes about $15 billion in
damages per year in the US
alone
It often causes problems far
from the source

http://
channel.nationalgeographic.com/videos/acid-rain-invisible-menace
/
Indoor Air Pollution
Pollutants
can be
5100x greater
than outdoors

Radon, cigarette
smoke, carbon
monoxide, nitrogen
dioxide,
formaldehyde
pesticides, lead,
cleaning solvents,
ozone, and
asbestos 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Everyday Exposure to Air Toxics

Bathroom Dry Parking Photocopier Second hand Carpets

Cleaning Garage smoke
Most people are more exposed to air
toxics indoors than outside
Molds and Mold Spores
 Mold Spores
dispersed by air and water
number in air fluctuates
range in size; size of concern = 2-10 m
allergens- spores inhaled and deposited on
sensitive mucosa
toxins associated with spore, not volatile
Mold and indoor
environmental quality:

deterioration of building materials

adverse human health effects
Sources of Fungi in Indoor
Environments
occupants

outdoor air
air handling system
building materials and furnishings
Occupants as Sources of
Fungal Contaminants
waste products
foodstuffs
HVAC filter
Factors affecting the growth of
fungi in indoor environments:
nutrients

temperature

water
Nutrient Sources in Indoor
Environments
dust and dirt
food products
water (esp. floods and sewage)
indoor plants
detritus
Temperature
decreased temperatures may
slow the growth of fungi

elevated temperatures will

select certain genera or
species
Factors affecting the growth of
fungi in indoor environments:

water
nutrients

temperature
Flood waters
 Airborne and Surface-
associated Fungi May Cause:
Infections- organism invades tissue of the host
Irritant reactions - reaction to chemical substance
Allergic reactions - reaction to a foreign protein
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) - scarring of
lung
Toxicosis - reaction to chemical (toxin) exposure