Pollution: Contamination of natural environment w/ harmful substances as a consequence of human activities High enough concentration to interfere w/ Health (human & wildlife) Ecosystem processes (Nutrient cycling, photosynthesis) Comfort & Safety Los Angeles: Worst Air Quality in USA
Major Air Pollutants Carbon oxides (CO 2, CO), Sulfur & Nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, ozone Sources: Burning Fossil Fuels (Transportation, power plants, industry) Burning wood (deforestation) Industrial & personal chemical use (VOC s) Agriculture (soil erosion, cows=methane)
Health Risks Cardiovascular Disease: Arthrosclerosis, heart attack, stroke) Particulates, CO, ozone Respiratory: (Lung cancer, Asthma, emphysema, allergies)
Health Risks Nervous System: vision, dexterity, learning, headaches, fatigue, dizziness Cancer: impacts all types Reproductive: infant mortality, low birth weight Death: 2.4 million deaths/year from causes directly attributable to air pollution 60,000 U.S. deaths/yr from particulates
primary Tropospheric Ozone (Bad) Carbon oxides + NO x + VOC + sunlight tropospheric ozone Stratosphere Good Ozone Troposphere Bad Ozone (Man-made)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Chemicals emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids Dry cleaning solution, paint, varnish, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials & furnishings, office equipment (copiers, printers, correction fluid), glue, adhesive, permanent markers, cosmetics, hair products, fuels Headaches; nausea; liver, kidney, & CNS damage; cancer VOCs indoors often 10x higher than outdoors
Ozone: Health, Environmental Effects in respiratory distress (all people) Repeated exposures to ozone: Susceptibility to respiratory infection Lung inflammation, chest pain, cough Aggravates pre-existing respiratory diseases (asthma, allergies) Lung function plant susceptibility to disease, pests Kids especially at risk
Photochemical Smog
Sulfur & Nitrogen oxides: Environmental Effects Acid Rain: human emissions of sulfur & nitrogen react in atmosphere to produce acid Acidification of watersheds, damages leaves & removes nutrients Nitric & sulfuric acid Decreased Visibility Little acid rain in So. Cal. Why?
Air Pollution - Environmental Impacts Stratospheric Ozone (Good) Depletion (CFCs, pesticides) Climate Change (CO 2, NO 2, CFCs) Aesthetics (reduced visibility, damage to buildings, monuments, etc.) Acid Rain Kills Forests Acid Rain Damage
Air Pollution Solutions: Laws & Regulations EPA regulates Clean Air Act (1967) U.S., State, Regional SCAQMD Reducing Emissions: EPA National standards limit emissions (Vehicles, Industry, Utilities) Unleaded gas (1996) 25 yr phase-out Vehicle fuel economy
Vehicle Fuel Economy U.S. average (1987) = 26.2 mpg (light trucks = 28.1% of market) Decreasing since 1980 s?!!!!! 2004 = 24.6 mpg (lt. trucks = 46.7%) Light truck CAFÉ (Corporate Avg. Fuel Economy) = Co. s whole fleet avg. must meet: 27.5 mpg (cars) & 22.2 mpg (lt. trucks) Current Standard Stagnant for over a decade Lt. truck standard 1.2 mpg in 2007
Increasing Fuel Economy New Standards: U.S. 2020 standard = 35 mpg Europe 2012 = 47 mpg If we Café to 40 mpg for all vehicles, we ll save: 4 million oil barrels/day (@ $115/barrel) $29 billion by 2015 $5,000 over life of car CO 2 emissions by 600 million tons/yr.
Air Pollution Solutions Industrial & Car technology: Scrubbers, Gas caps, Catalytic converter DMV emission testing Hybrid/electric vehicles, low-sulfur diesel (not in CA) Renewable Energy (Wind, solar) Hybrid Mass transit Conserve Energy wood burning (deforestation) Catalytic Converter Scrubber
In this figure you have the representation of the daily numbers of deaths and the daily levels of black smoke in London during the first 15 days of December 1952.After a rapid decrease in temperature, levels of air pollutants, as represented by black smoke in this figure reached very high concentrations. It has been generally agreed that about 4000 excess deaths resulted from the 1952 fog (Ministry of Health, 1954). Subsequent studies, however, have discussed such appraisal as they estimated about 12,000 exceeding deaths occurred from December 1952 through February 1953 because of acute and persisting effects of the 1952 London smog (Bell and Davis, 2001).