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Pollution from Energy Generationand Energy Use
Air Pollution in Eastern Europe
Atmospheric Physics
Sources of Air Pollution
Air Quality Standards
Energy in the NewsOPEC Price Changes
Lackner Lecture on Friday
Sustainable Energy Roundtable (Thursday)
Air Pollution in Eastern EuropeTrabant: East German car
Radioactive waste dumps in Moscow
Air pollution in Moscow
No information on health under communism
Copsa Mica, Romania; most polluted city in the world
Composition of Normal AirPollutants: parts of normalAir that are added by humansAnd are toxic to animals,Vegetation or property
Two main components of Air are…..
Air PressureWe live at the bottom of an oceanOf air.
Pressure = force per unit area
Pressure =mgh/areaUnits of pressure=psi=lb per squareInch OR newtons per square meter
1 Newton per square meter = 1 Pascal(MKS system)
Air pressure changes as a functionOf elevation- How?
A Simple Barometer
Atmospheric Pressure
Although you can’t see it, the atmosphere exertsPressure on you
Examples:1) suction cup holding a tile2) glass of water upside down with paper on top3) sucking water through a straw
Other examples?
A Barometer
Temperature Decrease with ElevationPV=nRT (ideal gas law)
Pressure * Volume = number of moles * R * Temperature
If decrease pressure, what happens to temperature?
Adiabatic lapse rate: 7 degrees C per kilometer, Or about 3.5 degrees F per thousand feet
Buoyant ForceA solid object will float if its density is equal to or less than the density of the medium it is in.
So: light air rises and heavy air sinks.
What determines if air is light or heavy?
Normal Air Temperature Profile
Y axis:elevationElevation increasesTowards the top
X axis: temperatureTemperature increasesTowards the right
What do all profilesHave in common?
Unusual Air Temperature ProfileX:Temperature increasingTo right
Y: ElevationIncreasing Towards the top
What is the commonfeature ofAll of theseTemperatureProfiles?
Temperature Inversion
What you get when there is a hot layerOf air on top of colder air.
Hot layer: lid that traps pollutants
Why?
Air Pressure Systems
Why does warm risingAir produce lowerPressures
Why does cold sinking airProduce higher pressures?
Wind Systems
What are the pressure differences at ground levelBetween a high pressure and low pressure system?
Global Wind Systems
Winds move pollutantsWhich direction do theyMove pollutants in the UnitedStates (on average)?
Form of Air PollutantsAerosols: Small droplets of liquid suspended in a gas
What are common aerosols that you encounter? (3 or more)
Particulates: Small particles of solid material?
Examples of common particulates? (3 or more)
Does size of particulates matter? Why or why not?
Particulates can be charged: they are then more likely toAdsorb other materials on their surfaces
Types of PollutantsPM10- Particulate matter under 10 microns in sizePM2.5-Particulate matter under 2.5 microns in size
Carbon Monoxide-produced by incomplete combustion
Sulfur Oxides-from burning of fossil fuels and oxidation of sulfur. Produce acid rain
Pb (plumbum or lead)-heavy metal, neurotoxin
Hg-(mercury)-also a heavy metal and neurotoxin
Nitrogen Oxides-from high temperature combustion,also sourceOf acid rain
VOC-volatile organic compounds, also O3-Ozone
Biggest < 10 micron Particulate Sources
PowerCo.2-68-9?1820-2225
CoalMining11
Non Attainment Areas PM10
DoIndustrialSourcesDominateTheEmissionOf PM10
Why orWhy not?
Particulates:Why Size Matters
Smaller particulates can enter the lungs and remain there. Allparticulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter can do this.Separation of matter less than 10 microns and less than 2.5 micronsIs relatively new. Why? Difficult to measure size.
What diseases are caused directly and indirectly by small particulates?(at least three)
Black LungDiseasesProduced by highConcentrationsOf small particulate matter:
Black lung (emphysema)AsthmaLung cancer(Indirectly: congestiveHeart failure)
Trace Elements in Coal
Which trace elements are most dangerous?
Why?
Urban Particulates and Dust
Concentrations normalized to Al (that is AluminumConcentration is set to be 1.) This is because most common weathering product of crustal weathering is clay.All clay minerals are rich in Al. What dangerous elements areEnriched by over 100 times?
Relative Contributions to City Dust
Minor constituents
Major constituents
Which are most surprising?
Sootprints
All carbon is not alike !!!Gray:Carbon charDark aqua: Carbon ashPurple:Carbon from gas turbineLight Blue:Carbon from high pressureDiesel engineRed:Carbon from medium pressure Diesel engineGreen: carbon from idling diesel engineDark Blue: amorphous carbon
Energy loss in electron volts: productOf thermal history of carbonWhy is this work important?
Largest Pb Emission Sources
Power Co Nos:5-7101517
Others:SteelGENavy
Pb non attainment areasDo IndustrialSourcesDominatePbEmission?
Why or Why Not?
Largest VOC Emissions SourcesOilCompanyNos:IncludingRefineries2-4.6,15,16,23
Electricity9,18
Natural Gas10
VOC Sources
Oil RefineriesCarsMethane from decay (also termites)Aromatic compounds from trees= terpenes
e.g. pine, eucalyptus
Largest SO2 Emissions SourcesPowerPlantNos:1-25
WhatFossilFuelDo These PlantsUse?
Non Attainment Areas Sulfur Dioxide
Do industrialSourcesDominateSO2?
WhatElse is controllingSO2
PollutionLevels?
Sources of Sulfur Dioxide
Coal (sulfur content variable)VolcanoesHydrogen sulfide gas from decay of organic matterOil (sulfur content variable)
Effects of Sulphur Dioxide on Health
At high exposure levels and/or longer durations of exposureTo sulphur dioxide:
1) airway resistance increases (harder to breathe)
2) health of bronchitis patients declines
3) number of hospital admissions increases
4) number of deaths from heart attacks increases
5) incidence of heart diseases increases
How Sulfur Oxides Produce Acid Rain
2SO2+O2= 2SO3
SO3+H2O=H2SO4
Sulfate Deposition
pH 2000
What areas have the highest pH in rain? Why?
pH 1994
Has there been improvement since 1994 in acid rain? Where?
Fish Populations in Adirondacks
What changesHave occurredIn fish stocks?
Why?
(also geology)(projections forFuture)
Largest NO2 Emission Sources
PowerPlantNos:1-25
Are theseOld orModernPlants?
Why?
How Nox and VOC Produce Smog
Photodissociation of NO2:Light energy +NO2 = NO + O
O + O2 = O3
O3+NO = NO2 + O2
Ordinarily an equilibriumVolatile organic compounds disturb this equilibriumBy producing organic radicals that are strong oxidizing Agents. Result is SMOG.
Strong oxidizing agents:prevent the destruction of ozoneTherefore more ozone accumulates.What would a strong reducer do?
Effect of Time of Day on Pollutants (LA basin)
Why does ozonePeak later in the day than Nitric oxide andNitrogen dioxide?
Largest Carbon Monoxide Stationary SourcesChemicalPlantNos:5,1016-1822(not allOrganic)
Others:SteelPaperAluminum
Non Attainment Areas: CO
AreIndustrialSourcesDominatingCO?
Why or Why not?
Why dowesternStatesDominate?
Total Precipitation: 2000
Does rainWash COOut of theAir?
Or it is Legislative?(gasolineAdditivesMTBE)
Mercury: Sources of Pollution
What is the best way toReduce the overall amountOf Mercury pollution?
What does mercury do?(Alice in Wonderland)(methyl mercury)
Sources of Major Air Pollutants
What pollutantsAre dominatedBy stationarySources?
By moving Sources?
Indoor Air Pollutants
US National Air Quality Standards
Particulate Levels in Different CitiesMoscow (personalExperience)
Truck drivers in Moscow
Russian truck and car factories
Personally Imposed Pollution
ToxicityDefinitions:Are they relevantTo these products?
More Personal Choices
New Silent Spring: Our Stolen Future by Theo Colbourn et al