1. VCE Environmental Science: Unit 4 Area of Study 1: Pollution

2. Air pollution is the introduction ofchemicals, particulate matter orbiological materials that cause harmor discomfort to humans or otherliving organisms, or cause damageto the natural or built environment,into the atmosphere. There is great concern overdeteriorating air quality as it cancontribute to many health problemsin our community, especially for thevery young, the elderly and thosewho already have respiratoryproblems. 3. 1. List in the chat window all the possiblesources of air pollution in your local area. 4. A. Industrial sourcesB. Electricity generationC. Transport emissionsD. All of the above 5. Cancers and premature deathcan also be attributed to poor airquality. Air pollution not only has a realhealth cost, it also has aneconomic and environmentalcost. Economic effects include theincreased use of the healthsystem and reduced activity ofaffected people, whileenvironmental effects includedamage to plants, animals andman-made structures, such asbuildings and monuments. 6. Weather conditions can affect the amount of pollution in the air: Wind Temperature Airpressure Cloud cover Fog, dew and frost Precipitation (rain, snow, hail) 7. 1. I think air pollution is getting worse 2. Photochemical smog occurs wherethere is lots of sunlight and high temps. 3. The main component of smog is ozone 4. Jogging on high smog days harms yourhealth 5. Wood-heaters add fine particles to theair 6. Air quality could be improved if morepeople used public transport. 8. Larger particles in the air are readily washed out inlight rain. Fine and ultra fine particles require moderateto heavy rain to be washed to the ground. It should be noted that pollutant gases are generallynot affected by light rain. However, nitrogen dioxidedissolves in water and is washed to the ground.Rainfall measurements will also be helpful ininterpreting other air pollution measurements. For example, if there was exposed soil, windy dayswould cause much of this to be blown into theatmosphere and raise particulate (PM) readings.However, if there had been rain in the previous 48hours, the soil may well stay put and hence, particulatereadings would be lower. 9. Name as many as you can think of in the chat window. 10. Carbon monoxide and CO2 Nitrogen oxides (esp. NO2) CFCs Volatile Organic Compounds Ammonia Odours Particulate matter Pollen, dust-mites and other allergens Radioactive compounds Oxides of Sulphur (esp. SO2) 11. It has been estimated thatthere were more dioxinsreleased into theatmosphere from thefireworks in Sydney for thecommencement of theyear 2000 than wasreleased for the entireyear from industrialsources. If this is so, whyis there such a focus onindustry, rather than othersources for controllingdioxins? 12. COis a colourless,odourless, non-irritating but verypoisonous gas. It is a product byincomplete combustionof fuel such as naturalgas, coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is amajor source of carbonmonoxide. 13. CO2is a colourless, odourless, non-toxic greenhouse gas associated with ocean acidification, emitted from sources such as combustion of fossil fuels, cement production and respiration. 14. NOx, especially nitrogendioxide, are emitted from hightemperature combustion. Theycan be seen as the brown hazedome above or plume downwindof cities. Nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-brown toxic gas with acharacteristic sharp, bitingodour. NO2 is one of the mostprominent air pollutants, causingrespiratory illnesses andreducing ventilation (air gettingto the lungs), especially in youngchildren, the elderly and thosewith respiratory illnesses. 15. NO2 is also a precursor to summersmog, which is fast becoming amajor problem in our cities. TheNO2 in the atmosphere reacts withoxygen (O2) in the air when it issunny and the temperatures arehigh to form ozone (O3) themajor component of summersmog. Summer smog causes eye, noseand throat irritation, damages therespiratory tract and increases oursensitivity to allergens. These oxides of nitrogen areremoved from the air by rain, byplants and by contact withsurfaces. 16. Chloroflourocarbons(CFCs) are harmful tothe ozone layer They are emitted fromold aerosol cans andrefrigeration units. Banned from usesince 1989. 17. VOCs include methane andother hydrocarbons, such asbenzene, toluene andxylene. VOCs are significantgreenhouse gases via theirrole in creating ozone and inprolonging the life ofmethane in the atmosphere. VOCs are suspectedcarcinogens and may lead toleukemia through prolongedexposure. 18. Ammonia is emitted fromagricultural processes and isnormally encountered as a gas witha characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly tothe nutritional needs of terrestrialorganisms by serving as a precursorto foodstuffs and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly orindirectly, is also a building block forthe synthesis of manypharmaceuticals. Although in wideuse, ammonia is both caustic andhazardous 19. Odours are alsoclassified as airpollutants and canoriginate from: Garbage and landfills Sewage and treatmentplants Industrial processes(milk and cheeseprocessing for example) Dairies, sheep-yards,saleyards, zoos andabattoirs 20. Particulates, alternatively referredto as particulate matter (PM) or fineparticles, are tiny particles of solidor liquid suspended in a gas. In contrast, aerosol refers toparticles and the gas together.Sources of particulate mattercan be man made or natural. Some particulates occur naturally,originating from volcanoes, duststorms, forest and grassland fires,living vegetation, and sea spray. Dirty Little Secrets from ABCCatalyst is about the effects of PMon human health.http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1630007.htm 21. Indoorparticulate matter can include dust,smoke, pollen, animal dander, tobaccosmoke, particles generated from combustionappliances such as cooking stoves, andparticles associated with tiny organisms suchas dust mites, moulds, bacteria, and viruses. Outdoors, the anthropogenic sources ofparticulate matter can be vehicle exhausts,industrial processes, wood heaters, fuel-reduction burning and power generation. 22. http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/ResearchCenter/ReportsandPublications/Pages/ResearchCenter/publications/general/emde/vol1no12/particlepollution_photo.aspx 23. Human activities, such as theburning of fossil fuels invehicles, power plants andvarious industrial processes alsogenerate significant amounts ofaerosols. Averaged over the globe,anthropogenic aerosolsthosemade by human activitiescurrently account for about 10percent of the total amount ofaerosols in our atmosphere. Increased levels of fine particlesin the air are linked to healthhazards such as heart disease,altered lung function and lungcancer. 24. The increased rates of allergy and asthma in cityenvironments and in those living close to highways has drawnattention to the role of outdoor pollution. Common air pollutants, such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, andnitrogen dioxide probably act more as irritants than aspromoters of sensitization. These pollutants have been shown to be hazardous to adultsand children with asthma. Recent studies suggest thatprematurely born children are more sensitive to the respiratoryeffects of outdoor pollution. There may also be an association with diesel exhaust particlesand the worldwide increase in respiratory allergies. Dieselexhaust has been shown to enhance the ability to make theallergy antibody, IgE, in response to exposure to allergens. 25. Indoor air pollution is among thetop five environmental healthrisks.* Gaseous pollutants can bereleased from furnishings and fromadhesives, paints, varnishes,cleaning products and pesticides,all of which contribute to poorindoor air quality. Pollen, dust-mitefaeces, skin flakes, pet dander,tobacco smoke and otherallergens can be reduced byregular cleaning and adequateventilation. *http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html 26. Pollen is in the air seasonally,with the amount varying fromone area to another,depending on the types of windpollinating plants in the regionand the weather conditions.For some people the amount ofpollen in the air has a directeffect upon their health.Airborne pollen on its own, or incombination with fine particlesin the air, can influence theincidence and severity ofasthma and hayfever in thecommunity. 27. During and after rain (oftenthunderstorms) some grains ofpollen burst, releasing theallergen containing starchgranules. In Melbourne afterrain, air samples have beenshown to contain up to 50 timesmore starch granules than airsampled on a sunny day duringthe grass pollen season. Thestarch granules are smallenough to be breathed in andcan enter the bronchi (tubes tothe lungs), where they maytrigger allergic asthma. 28. Produced by nuclear explosions and damaged nuclear power plants, war explosives and natural processes such as the radioactive decay of radon. 29. Oxides of Sulphur, especiallysulphur dioxide, a chemicalcompound with the formula SO2are common pollutants of the air.SO2 is produced by volcanoes andin various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum oftencontain sulphur compounds, theircombustion generates sulphfurdioxide. Further oxidation of SO2,usually in the presence of acatalyst such as NO2, formsH2SO4, and thus acid rain. 30. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is acolourless gas that is similar insmell to a matchstick beingstruck. As its name suggests it is acompound consisting of sulphurand oxygen, and has bothnatural and anthropogenic orman-made sources. It has significant health andenvironmental effects, includingthe formation of acid rain andsmog and influences globalwarming. 31. Sulphur dioxide consists of one atomof sulphur bonded to two atoms ofoxygen. It is a strong, acrid smelling,non-flammable gas. It reacts in the atmosphere to formsulphur trioxide, and dissolves readilyin water vapour, forming sulphuric acid.It can also attach to dust and sootparticles in the atmosphere to formparticulates. From these reactions, a wide range ofeffects are possible, including theformation of pollutants that influenceboth human health and environmentalprocesses. 32. Sulphur dioxide is formed through anumber of pathways, including the burningof sulphur in the presence of oxygen andthe oxidation of hydrogen sulphide,commonly emitted from wetlands. Natural sources include volcanoes, forest-fires, oceans and decaying plant matter.These outweigh anthropogenic sources,with volcanic activity producing about 20%of the global total.In Australia, the two main anthropogenicsources are power stations and metalmanufacturing, while smaller sourcesinclude home-heating, chemical productionand transportation emissions. 33. Sulphur dioxide is a naturally occurring compound with a number of sinks or areas that can absorb excess amounts thus reducing its abundance in the environment, such as the oceans, wetlands and lakes. 34. This phenomenon resultswhen sulphur dioxidedissolves in moisture in the air,forming sulphur acids, whicheventually fall to the surface ofthe earth as acid rain. Acid rain directly attacks theprotective coating of plants,acidifies lakes and soils whichmay result in the formation ofsubstances that are toxic toplants and animals. 35. This has been a major problem innorthern USA, Canada andScandinavia, where forests havebeen severely damaged, butfortunately regulations are improvingemission standards, and reducing theincidence of acid rain. Coal mined in Australia is typicallylow in sulphur; therefore emissionsare usually not a problem. We also have large sinks (oceans) inthe southern hemisphere whichassists to reduce the effects. 36. In addition to damagingliving organisms, acid raincan have a severe effecton buildings made ofmarble or limestone.Commonly used in statuesand older buildings, thesematerials slowly dissolveunder acidic conditionsleading to structural failure.This has been a significantproblem in Europe withmany old buildings madeof marble and limestone. 37. The presence of high levels of sulphurdioxide has a negative effect on humanhealth and society. Inhaled sulphur dioxide quicklydissolves with moisture on the lining ofthe lungs and nose, burning the mucousmembranes. This is clear to anyone whoaccidentally inhales the smoke from amatch being struck. Chronic - or long-term - exposure to highlevels of SO2 leads to breathingproblems and respiratory illnesses suchas asthma, bronchitis as well as heartdisease. Children tend to more vulnerable due toless developed lungs. 38. http://www.npi.gov.au/students/sulfur-dioxide.html http://www.npi.gov.au/substances/sulfur-dioxide/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide http://science.howstuffworks.com/nature/climate-weather/atmospheric/acid-rain.htm