ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DDT DDT DDT POLLUTION HISTORY. Environment. Throstur Thorsteinsson 1. Throstur Thorsteinsson

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1 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DDT 1947 Throstur Thorsteinsson First synthesized in 1874, DDT's insecticidal properties were not discovered until 1939, and it was used with great success in the second half of World War II to control malaria and typhus among civilians and troops. DDT 3 DDT DDT Let's put it everywhere! DDT spraying of children Very brief Houses of Parliament, London - Sun breaking through the fog (Claude Monet, 1904) POLLUTION HISTORY Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 1

2 Pittsburg Victorian times - London Pittsburg, USA in Beijing 2008 Around the Olympics in 2008 a lot of concern regarding air pollution Two major historic events Two event changed people s awareness for air quality Donora, W-Pennsilavania 1948 London in 1952 The killer fog Cairo smog Donora Donora 1910 Zinc plant At least 21 people died due to this pollution event 1948 Donora Zinc Works of the American Steel and Wire Company is dimly seen through fume-laden smoke and fog in Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 2

3 Donora The killer smog Nurses Betty Tropak and Eleanor Novak supervise oxygen treatment for two of forty persons hospitalized by fume-laden smoke and fog. Occurred in London in December Coal ovens caused the pollution, which lasted for a week. Visibility was only a few meters, SO 2 levels rose to 7x the normal level, CO to 2x the normal level London 1952 Spring 2013 ENVIRONMENT Throstur Thorsteinsson ThrosturTh@hi.is ENR & IES, University of Iceland Houses of Parliament, London, Sun Breaking Through the Fog, Monet 1904 Pollution Climate concerns Very closely related to energy use CO 2 emission growth Coal consumption Grew by 7.6% in 2010 Share of global energy consumption 29.6% China share 48.2% Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 3

4 Potential emissions could result in GHG concentration levels far above 600ppm LCA GHG Emission Air quality / quality of life Air pollution Presence of substances in high enough levels to threaten health, survival or activities of humans or others Sources Natural Anthropogenic And this little warning light flashes when the air outside becomes too polluted to breathe. Impact Local Trans-boundary Environmental impact where does the cost come from? Recovery: damage to fragile ecosystems, water and air pollution, and waste disposal Refining: soil, water and air pollution Delivery and Use: energy to power automobiles, produce electricity, etc. Environmental impact Household Scale Carbon monoxide Local (community) Scale Fuel-derived air pollution/urban pollution. Electric Power sector - particles, NOx and SOx, lead e.g. Local pollution Car exhaust - Small particles, NOx, SOx, VOC - Smog Oil Spills: impact on water and terrestrial ecosystems, very difficult to clean. Local impact from extraction Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 4

5 Env. impact Stationary and Mobile Sources of Air Pollution Regional scale Acid Rain Global Scale Climate change Two Sources of Air Pollution 1. Stationary Sources: have a relatively fixed location Point Sources Area Sources Fugitive sources (from pressurized equipment) 2. Mobile Sources: move from place to place while emitting pollutants Ex. Airplanes, vehicles General Effects of Air Pollution Visual quality of the environment Discoloration, clarity Health of Vegetation, Animals, Soil Water Quality Acidity, heavy metals Natural and Artificial Structures Human Health (dose response) Indoor, outdoor Primary vs. Secondary Pollutants Primary Pollutants Those emitted directly into the air S0 2, CO, Hydrocarbons, particulates Secondary Pollutants Produced through reactions between primary pollutants and normal atmospheric compounds Ozone, Acid rain Major Local and Trans-boundary Air Pollutants Sulfur Dioxide Nitrogen Oxide Carbon Monoxide Ozone and Other Photochemical Oxidants Volatile Organic Compounds Particulate Matter Hydrogen Sulfide Hydrogen Fluoride Trans-boundary Pollutants Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 5

6 Sulfur Dioxide Sulfur Dioxide local impact Colorless, highly corrosive and irritates the lungs, shortness of breath, narrow airways Natural sources are volcanoes, sea spray, rotting vegetation and plankton 50% of all sulfur in atmosphere is emitted from anthropogenic sources Mostly from the use of fossil fuels, coal fired power plants, industrial processes Precursor for acid rain Impact on humans: enhances respiratory diseases. Impact on Plants: Many plants of economic importance are sensitive to sulfur dioxide including potatoes, cucumbers, peas, gladiolus, tulips, grass and several types of trees. On Visibility : Can reduce levels of visibility. Acid Rain Acid Rain - Impact Erodes buildings, fabrics, books etc. Visibility Damages aquatic life Releases heavy metals Alters the chemical equilibrium of soils Affects vegetation Health 2005 John Wiley and Sons Publishe 34 Energy related pollution More Land use Water use Visual effects - NIMBY Land use 36 Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 6

7 Water consumption Throstur Thorsteinsson Throstur s research: (English) 37 Throstur Thorsteinsson (ThrosturTh@hi.is) 7