Air Pollution

Air Pollution

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About Air Pollution

Air Pollution is the presence of toxic chemicals or compounds (including those of biological origin) in the air, at levels that pose a health risk. In a more broad way to explain it, Air Pollution means the presence of chemicals or compounds which are usually not present and which lower the quality in the air or cause detrimental changes to the quality of life (such as the damaging of the ozone layer or causing global warming). Some causes of Air Pollution are burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gas, and gasoline which produces electricity and powers our devices. Dust and dirt is also another cause of air pollution because agricultural and construction industries lift up dirt and dust that goes airborne in the atmosphere and then causes air pollution.


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Air Pollutants

31Jan

Air Pollutants

This is about the 6 major Air Pollutants.

The six major Air Pollutants are Ground-Level Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, Particulate Matter, and Lead.

  • Ground-Level Ozone can irritate the respiratory system by making you experience an uncomfortable sensation in your chest, it can also aggravate asthma, and inflame and damage cells that line your lungs. It can also aggravate chronic lung diseases such as Emphysema and Bronchitis and reduce the immune system's ability to fight off bacterial infections in the respiratory system. 
  • Some Nitrogen Oxides are a group of 7 gases and compounds composed of Nitrogen and Oxygen. Nitrogen Oxides react with sunlight and other chemicals to form smog. Nitrogen Oxides and Sulfur Dioxide reacts with substances in the atmosphere to form acid rain. Nitrogen Dioxide is used to produce rocket fuels and explosives.
  • Carbon Monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. Carbon Monoxide is a commercially important chemical as it is formed in many chemical reactions and in the thermal or incomplete decomposition of many organic materials.
  • Particulate Matter is a term that describes extremely small solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. Particulate Matter can be made up of a number of components such as nitrates, sulphates, organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles, and allergens. Particulate Pollution mainly come from motor vehicles, wood burning heaters and industry. During bushfires or dust storms, particle pollution can reach really high concentration.
  • Lead is an elemental heavy metal found naturally found in the environment as well as in manufactured products. Lead can be directly released into the air as suspended particles.


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31Jan

Other Air Pollutants

These are some other Air Pollutants.

Some other air pollutants are Carbon Disulfide, Kerosene, Benzene, and Acrolein.

  • Carbon Disulfide evaporates at room temperature, and the vapor is twice as heavy as air. It easily explodes in air and catches on fire very easily. In nature, small amounts of Carbon Disulfide are found in gases released to the earth's surface as in volcanic eruptions or over marshes.
  • Kerosene is a light fuel obtained by distilling petroleum, used especially in jet engines, domestic heaters, and lamps and as a cleaning solvent.
  • Benzene evaporates into the air very quickly and dissolves slightly in water. It is highly flammable and is formed from both natural processes and human activities.
  • Acrolein is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde and is highly flammable, very reactive, is fatal when swallowed, and causes burn to skin and eyes.

       

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Solution

30Sep

Solution

Solution to Air Pollution!

To address Air Pollution, we have long been looking for solutions.  First and foremost, we are in the process of reducing air pollution because factories are moving to cleaner sources of energy.  Companies began moving to these cleaner sources of energy once it was demonstrated that the emissions were cleaner and that the entire process would be cheaper.  However, another solution to this will be by reducing our carbon footprint, which would require us as consumers to reduce our daily use of electricity and energy.  Second, we can reduce Air Pollution by reducing emissions from vehicles.  One of the projects of the Paris Accords included India and China adding CNG conversion kits (a kit to modify a car's engine to burn natural gas instead of gasoline) to all cars that use gasoline.  This coupled with the increased use of electric vehicles and/or the shared use of vehicles would reduce Air Pollution.  Further, we can begin to reduce use of private jets to force people to use commercial airlines or other alternative forms of transportation.  Lastly, we should begin researching the use of bacteria to fight Air Pollution since the pollutants are mostly organic-based.  Research is already pretty far along on a bacteria that eats oil from an oil spill.  However, this could be modified to an airborne bacteria that eats the Air Pollutants.  Similar to the oil-eating bacteria, this bacteria would die off after the food source disappears.  With a little luck, these should reduce Air Pollution to a tolerable level. 

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Fun Facts

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3 Fun Facts!

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3 More Fun Facts!

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Major Milestones

1950

Air Pollution and cars were first linked in the early 1950's by a California researcher who determined that Pollutants from traffic was to blame for the smoggy skies over LA. At the time, average new cars were emitting about 13 grams per mile hydrocarbons, 3.6 grams per miles nitrogen oxides, and 87 grams per mile carbon monoxide. Since then, the U.S. EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set standards to bring down levels of pollutants, and the auto industry has responded by developing new emission control technologies.

2/1/2019

1970

Congress passes first major Clean Air Act, requiring a 90% reduction in emissions from new automobiles by 1975. President Richard Nixon establishes EPA, and the new agency is given it broad responsibility for regulating motor vehicle pollution. New cars must meet EPA emission standards for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. The law also directs EPA to set health-based "National Ambient Air Quality Standards" for 6 pollutants.

2/1/2019

1971

EPA begins testing the fuel economy of cars, trucks, and other vehicles, the first step towards informing consumers about the gas mileage of their vehicles.

2/1/2019

1975

Congress passes the Energy Policy Conservation Act, setting the first fuel economy goals. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program establishes a phase-in of more stringent fuel economy standards beginning with 1975 model vehicles. The "first generation" catalytic converters are built, significantly reducing vehicle emissions. Unleaded gasoline is also introduced because lead in gasoline may cause disintegration of catalytic converters. This results in dramatic reductions in ambient lead levels and alleviates many serious environmental and human health concerns associated with lead pollution.

2/1/2019

1977

Congress amends the Clean Air Act which set a schedule for continued reductions in emissions from automobiles.

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1981

New cars meet the amended Clean Air Act standards for the first time. Sophisticated three-way catalysts with on-board computers and oxygen sensors appear in most new cars, helping to optimize the efficiency of the catalytic converter.

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1985

EPA sets stringent standards for emissions of NOx from heavy-duty engines and of PM from heavy-duty diesel-powered trucks and buses. EPA issues final regulations to cut the amount of lead in gasoline by 90 percent starting January 1, 1986. The new standard is 0.10 grams per gallon.

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1989

For the first time, EPA sets fuel volatility limits aimed at reducing evaporative emissions.

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1993

The Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles is established to develop new automotive technology to help reduce air pollution by tripling the fuel economy of typical family sedans without sacrificing safety, performance, and affordable cost.

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1994

EPA issues final regulations requiring that gasoline sold in certain areas be reformulated to reduce vehicle emissions of toxic and ozone-forming compounds.

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1996

EPA completes its 25-year mission to completely remove lead from gasoline. Lead is banned from gasoline as of January 1, 1996. EPA issues regulations that aim to produce cleaner technology and better engine performance in new marine spark-ignition (SI) engines. The emission standards, which apply to outboard engines and gasoline marine engines used in personal watercraft and jet boat applications, will reduce HC emissions by 75 percent by 2025.

2/1/2019

2000

EPA adopts final rule for nonroad small spark-ignition handheld engines (e.g., trimmers, brush cutters, and chainsaws) that rule reduces HC and NOx emissions by 70 percent beyond the previous standards. EPA develops a comprehensive national control program to regulate the heavy-duty vehicle and its fuel as a single system. These new standards apply to model year 2007 heavy-duty on-road engines and vehicles.

2/1/2019

2005

EPA amends the existing emission standards for NOx for new commercial aircraft engines. These standards are equivalent to the NOx emission standards of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization, and thereby bring United States aircraft standards into alignment with the international standards. EPA finalizes durability procedures applicable to light-duty vehicles and trucks, and some heavy-duty vehicles. Manufacturers use these procedures to predict what the emission levels of new vehicles will be at the end of their useful life period.

2/1/2019

2015

The EPA and NHTSA propose model years 2018 to 2027 greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy standards for medium and heavy duty vehicles.

2/1/2019

2016

United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization adopted international carbon dioxide emissions standards for aircraft. EPA is working currently working through the process of potentially setting GHG standards for greenhouse gas emissions from certain classes of aircraft.

2/1/2019

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