2. What is Pollution?
• Any undesired change that affects the Earth’s natural
resources
• Negative impact on humans and other organisms
3. Why is Pollution Important?
• Introduces chemicals or biological materials that harm
humans and other living organisms
• One of the main problems that humans face today
• Makes up 25-30% of the AP Environmental Science Test
4. Sources of Air Pollution
• Primary air pollutants
• Pollutants that are produced by the polluter or process
• E.g. volcanic eruption, carbon monoxide from motor vehicle
exhaust
• Secondary air pollutants
• Pollutants that are produced when a chemical reacts with other
particles in the air
• Indirect
• E.g. ground level ozone (makes up photochemical smog)
5. Major Air Pollutants
• Criteria Air Pollutants
• Six major pollutants under the US Clean Air Act
• Identified as causing serious degradation of land and water
resources
1. Carbon Monoxide (CO)
2. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)
3. Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
4. Particulate Matter
5. Ozone
6. Lead
6. CAP1: Carbon Monoxide
• Colorless, odorless gas
• Very poisonous
• Created by incomplete combustion of fuel
• Major source is exhaust from vehicles
• Most common type of fatal air poisoning in many countries
• Symptoms of CO poisoning include:
• Headache
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
7. CAP2: Sulfur Dioxide
• Produced by volcanoes and industrial processes
• Produced by combustion of coal and petroleum
• Causes acid rain by forming H2SO4 (Sulfuric acid)
• Associated with respiratory disease and difficulty in breathing
8. CAP3: Nitrogen Dioxide
• Produced during thunderstorms and electrical discharge
• Appears as a reddish-brown toxic gas
• One of the most prominent air pollutants
• Long term exposure decreases lung function and increases
respiratory symptoms
• Major sources are internal combustion engines and power
stations
9. CAP4: Particulate Matter
• Tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in gas
• Possible sources:
• Volcanoes
• Dust storms
• Forest fires
• Sea spray
• Combustion of fossil fuels
• Anthropogenic aerosols contribute to 10% of total aerosols in
the atmosphere
• Linked to heart disease and lung cancer
10. CAP5: Ozone (Ground Level)
• Formed from Nitrogen oxides and Volatile Organic compounds
(VOCs)
• Major sources are from human combustion of fossil fuels
• Constituent of smog
• Human health problems:
• Irritates respiratory systems
• Reduces lung function
• Aggravates asthma
11. CAP6: Lead
• Extracted along with zinc and silver ore
• Half of all lead is produced from recycled scrap
• Found in fish in lakes across the United States at dangerous
levels
• Lead paint was commonly used in the past
• Health Problems:
• Main target is the nervous system
• Nephropathy (damage of kidney)
• Reduced fertility in males
12. Measurement Units
• There are several units of
measurement for pollution.
• We will be covering the
ones in the book.
• Parts-per notation (ppm,
ppb, ppt)
• Unit of concentration
• Quantity per quantity
measure
• Scale of Reference:
• One ppt is one-twentieth
of a drop of water in an
Olympic-sized Swimming
pool
13. Measurements Units (cont.)
• Toxic Release Inventory (TRI)
• Requires manufacturing facilities to report annual releases of
more than 650 toxic materials
• Rates toxic materials on a scale of 0 to 1
• Air Quality Index (AQI)
• Used to quantify the quality of air at a certain location
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 +
Moderate (4- Very high
Risk: Low (1-3) High (7-10)
6) (above 10)
14. Smog
• Smog – collection of
noxious gaseous
chemicals that results
from air pollution
• Causes are mining
operations, smelters, and
power plants
• Reduces visibility
• Grand Canyon –
visibility used to be 300
km, now it is 20 km
• Haze blob – 3000 km
wide blob of haze that
covers east US in the
summer
15. Acid Deposition
• Pollutants can by transported long distances by air currents
• Far-reaching ecological effects
16. A Quick Introduction to the pH
Scale
• Scale from 0 to 14
• <7 = acidic
• >7 = basic
• 7 = neutral (distilled water)
• Related to the concentration
of hydrogen ions
• Acids have high
concentration of H+
• Bases have high
concentration of OH-
17. How does pH affect organisms?
• pH of bodily fluids is tightly
regulated by acid-base
homeostasis
• Physiological pH (natural pH
of blood) = 7.4
• Enzymes and other proteins
• Optimal range
• To the right: Hydrangea
macrophylla
• Blooms can vary from blue to
pink, depending on pH
• Affects uptake of aluminum
from soil
18. Aquatic Effects
• Most common acids that affect aquatic environments are
H2SO4 and HNO3
• Eggs of several species of fish can not survive in pH below 5.0
• Adult fish can die at this pH as well
• Most sensitive fish are trout, salmon, and other game fish
• 2/3 of acid deposition in North America and Europe comes
from sulfates – the other 1/3 comes from nitrates
19. Forest Damage
• Spruce-fir forests in North Carolina showed a decline in
seedling production, tree density, and viability
• Forest soils in New Hampshire have been depleted of natural
buffering reserves of cations such as calcium and magnesium
• Main cause of plant mortality
• Replacement of normal cations with hydrogen and aluminum ions
20. Heat Islands
• Heat island effect -
Temperature in urban
areas is higher than
surrounding rural areas
• Factors:
• Sparse vegetation
• Concrete and glass
• Heat absorption
• Typically 3-5 degrees
Celsius hotter than rural
areas
• Air masses concentrate
pollutants in a “dust
dome”
21. Temperature Inversions
• Temperature inversion: Stable layer of warmer air overlays cooler
air
• Prevents convection currents from dispersing pollutants
• Cold front slides under adjacent warmer air mass
• Cool air subsides down a mountain slope to displace warmer air
• Winds tend to break up these inversions, so they are not stable
• Los Angeles is a classic example of thermal inversions and smog
• Morning-sunlight is absorbed by aerosols and chemicals in inversion
layer
• Brews up toxic chemicals
• Evening – convection currents break down inversion, pollutants
carried back to surface
22. Indoor Air Pollution
• EPA – found that concentrations of toxic pollutants are higher
indoors than outdoors
• People spend more time inside than outside
• Most important air pollutant: smoking
• Cause of more than 400,000 deaths each year
• Total costs are $100 billions each year
• Examples:
• Chloroform, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, formaldehyde,
styrene
• Less developed countries – organic fuels such as firewood +
poor ventilation = greatest source of indoor air pollution
• Women and children exposed to carbon monoxide, particulates,
aldehydes
23. Remediation
• From “The Restoration Glossary” Handout – Table 13.1, Page
279
• “Remediation – to clean chemical contaminants from a polluted
area using relatively mild or nondestructive methods.”
• Uses chemical, physical, and biological methods to remove
pollution
• The intent is to cause as little disruption as possible
24. Reduction Strategies
• Particulate Control
• Electrostatic precipitators
• Scrubbers
• Removes gases from industrial exhaust streams
• Removes VOC’s, NOX
• Catalytic Converter in car removes VOCs
25. Clean Air Act
• Established seven conventional or criteria pollutants
• Maximum ambient air levels are mandated
• These are the ones we have seen before
• Give a fact about each of these CAPs.
• Carbon Monoxide
• Sulfur Dioxide
• Nitrogen Oxide
• Particulates
• Ozone Lead
26. Clean Air Act: Controversy
• AP Test might ask you to weigh the
benefits and costs of the Clean Air
Act Victims of Industry
• First national legislation in the Air Special
United States aimed at air pollution Pollution Interest
control groups
• Most contested aspect: “new
source review” • Environmentalists support
• Grandfather in existing equipment cap-and-trade
and exempt them • However, it has led to
• Result: corporations did nothing local hotspots
• Clinton administration tried to make • Many believe that carbon
industries enforce modern pollution dioxide should be classified
limits; Bush reversed this decision as a pollutant because of its
role in global warming
27. Other Relevant Laws
• Montreal Project/Montreal Protocol
• Phase out of ozone depleting products
• Banned aerosols, phased out CFCs – chlorofluorocarbons
• Pollution Prevention Act
• Reduces generation of pollutants
28. Noise pollution
• Noise pollution is the excessive production of sound which
may disrupt the usual balance of life.
• Major producers are construction sites, motor vehicles,
airplanes, as well as trains.
• This could also be attributed to poor planning on the part of
the city, if an industrial site, or interstate, is next to a
residential district, then it is safe to assume that there will be
a lot of noise.
29. Effects
• Can cause loss of hearing among both animals and humans.
• Can cause high levels of stress among humans, which could
lead to high blood pressure.
• Animals can also be frightened away from their usual path,
therefore it can affect their breeding habits, hunting routes,
which can lead to a diminishing predator prey relationship.
30. Noise Mitigation
• Restrictions have been placed on how low a plane may fly,
and the routes that they may take.
• Car engines have been made quieter, and many highways
have had barriers erected to diminish the effect of the
highway from surrounding homes.
• There has also been the production of soundproofing in the
walls of buildings and in the architectural design of the
buildings as well.
33. Vocab
• red tide
• cultural eutrophication
• thermal plume
• TMDL- Total Maximum Daily Loads
• Primary Treatment
• Secondary Treatment
• Tertiary treatment
• effluent sewerage
• BPT- Best Practicable Control Technology
• BAT- Best Available, Economically Achievable Technology
34. Types
• Infectious agents- when there are bacteria, viruses, or
parasites in the water that could potentially make a
population sick. Usually caused by human or animal waste.
• Organic chemicals- Oils, plastics and other materials that we
have created from natural components. Could be poisonous.
Comes from industrial, household, and farm waste.
• Inorganic chemicals- Acids, salts, and metals, etc. These can
be ingested by the body and cause an infection, and can be
poisonous. Caused by surface runoff, cleaning agents, and
acidic chemicals.
35. Types
• Radioactive materials- Uranium, thorium, iodine, and radon.
Can cause diseases such as different types of cancer, birth
defects. Caused by the mining of ores, nuclear power plants,
as well as weapons.
• Sediments- Soil and Silt. Caused by the erosion of
surrounding land.
• Plant nutrients- Nitrates, phosphates, and ammonium.
Caused by fertilizers, sewage, and manures.
• Oxygen demanding plants- Manure, and plant residues. Can
cause a lower DO content. Caused by sewage, paper mills,
agricultural runoff, and food processing.
• Thermal- Disrupts the range of tolerance. Caused by power
plants, and industrial cooling.
37. Causes and Effects
• Over 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to
clean, healthy drinking water.
• Millions of people die each year from diarrhea, and parasites
within their bodies.
• Coliform, E. coli, and Salmonella can also be contracted from
polluted drinking water.
38. Causes and Effects
• Lower DO content can lead to fish populations dying,
therefore the food source for possibly thousands of people
could diminish.
• The area immediately affected by the pollution causing the
over use of oxygen is called the Oxygen Sag, once into the
recovery zone, the DO content will pick back up again.
39. Cultural Eutrophication
• Cultural Eutrophication is when the amount of nutrients in
the surrounding area begin to increase in the surrounding
number of organisms.
• The problem with this is that it could cause something like an
algae bloom, which decreases the amount of oxygen in the
water, therefore depriving organisms that require higher
levels of oxygen, what they need to survive.
40. Groundwater Pollution
• The main problem is that groundwater is hard to monitor as
well as maintain.
• Half of the population of the US relies on aquifers for their
drinking water, this means that if that water is polluted,
many people could become sick, and we would not know it
right away.
• Main causes of this pollution are industrial waste, surface
runoff, leaking storage tanks, pesticides, and leaking septic
tanks.
• The Clean Water Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
41. Water Quality and Purification
• The cheapest and easiest way to reduce water pollution is to
reduce the number of sources of the pollution.
• Land management is one way to reduce the risk of a nonpoint
source.
• Another way is to treat our sewage.
• Purification of the water is also another way to to increase water
quality.
42. Sewage Treatment
• The first step in sewage treatment is Primary treatment
which is the removal of large solid objects from the sewage.
Then removes the smaller solids from the sewage in the grit
tank.
• Secondary treatment is the removal of dissolved organic
compounds. Sludge is removed, and recycled. Most sludge,
however, is disposed of in a landfill which proves to be an
expensive cost to the system.
• Tertiary treatment is the removal of plant nutrients, such as
nitrates and phosphates. Many areas use chemicals to
remove the nutrients however some states are beginning to
use UV light to remove the nutrients.
43. Legislation
• Clean Water Act- was meant to restore and maintain the
integrity of our Nation's waters.
• Over 500 sections, including urban runoff, and wetland
drainage.
• "Fishable and Swimable" conditions
• Over $182 billion were given to sewage treatment plants
across the nation.
• Most of that money was given by cities and states after the
federal government initiated unfunded mandates, which
required for the states to pay for most of the restoration.
44. Legislation
• Federal water pollution control act
• Marine Protection Research and Sanctuaries act
• Ports and waterways safety act
• Safe drinking water act
• Resource conservation and recovery act
• toxic substances and control act
• comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and
liability act
• London dumping convention
45. Solid Waste-Types
• Household Waste
• Also known as municipal waste
• Generated from residential and commercial complexes
• Four broad categories:
• Organic waste
• Vegetables, leaves, etc.
• Toxic waste
• Paints, fertilizers
• Recyclable
• Paper, glass
• Soiled
• Cloth soiled with bodily fluids e.g. blood
46. Solid Waste-Types
• Industrial Waste
• Contains toxic substances
• Factory waste contaminated by chemicals
• Formaldehyde, phenols, mercury
• Major industry contributors of waste:
• Metal, chemical, paper, refining, rubber goods
47. Solid Waste-Types
• Biomedical Waste
• Sharps, soiled waste, disposables, anatomical waste
• Highly infectious; can be a threat to human health
48. Solid Waste - Disposal
• Several methods of disposal
• Landfill
• Burying waste
• Common practice in most countries
• Unused quarries, or abandoned mining voids
• Incineration
• Solid organic wastes are combusted into residue and gaseous products
• Reduces volume to about 1/5-1/3
• High emission of pollutants
• Recycling
• Collection and reuse of waste materials
• Materials are reprocessed into new products
• Most common recycled products are aluminum cans and copper wire
49. Solid Waste Reduction
• Integrated Waste Management
• Source Reduction
• Design and manufacture of products to reduce amount of trash generated
• Recycling
• Composting-diverts organic wastes from disposal facilities
• Waste Combustion and Landfilling
• Reduces bulk of waste, but causes harmful emissions
• Can be reduced by promoting wise use and reuse of resources
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
• Reduce the amount of trash discarded
• Reuse containers and products
• Use recycled materials, and compost
