Air Pollution Indoor

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Indoor Air Pollution

description

ap env science

Transcript of Air Pollution Indoor

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Indoor Air Pollution

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Indoor Air pollution

▪Indoor pollution 2-5 times greater than outdoor pollution

▪Well insulated buildings in warm climates allow buildup

▪People spend 70-98% time indoors…

▪Sick building syndrome▪dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue▪New buildings “sick” more often than older buildings▪“Offgassing”

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Insert Fig 20-13

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4 Most Dangerous Indoor Pollutants

▪Cigarette smoke

▪formaldehyde (from particle board, carpet, paneling, furniture)

▪radon-222 gas (natural decay of uranium releases gas in ground)

▪Very small fine and ultrafine particles

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Formaldehyde

▪Colorless, extremely irritating gas used to manufacture common household materials

▪20-40 million Americans suffer from chronic breathing problems, dizziness, headaches, rashes, sinus & eye irritation and nausea from daily exposure to low levels

▪Sources: building materials, plastics, furniture, adhesives in carpeting and wallpaper, drapes, wrinkle free coating on clothing

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Formaldehyde

▪1 ounce dose at 37% formaldehyde = lethal

▪allows no more than 16 ppb formaldehyde in the air in new buildings constructed for that agency.

▪Homes will often measure 0.076 ppm when brand new and 0.045 ppm after 30 days.

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Radon-222

▪Colorless, odorless, tasteless, radioactive

▪Comes from the decay of uranium-238

▪common in granite, phosphate, uranium, shale soils & rocks

▪when rocks breakdown gas is released, normally filters through soil & diluted in atmosphere

▪problem if seeps into buildings; can potentially increase the risk cancer

▪Basements!

▪Radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking!

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Ultrafine Particles

▪Smaller than 100 nanometers, carbon based or metallic▪ Outdoor sources: volcanic lava, ocean spray, and smoke▪ Indoor sources: laser printers, fax machines, photocopiers, the peeling of

citrus fruits, cooking, tobacco smoke, penetration of contaminated outdoor air, chimney cracks and vacuum cleaners

▪Not effectively captured by most air pollution control equipment

▪Small enough to penetrate body defenses

▪Bring other cancer/toxic substances into body

▪Can cause chronic irritation that can trigger asthma attacks, aggravate lung disease and cause lung cancer▪ interfere with bloods uptake of oxygen and release of CO2, which strains the

heart and increases the risk of death from heart disease

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Asbestos

▪Initially… next best thing…was used extensively due to extreme resistance to heat▪ firefighters uniforms, building walls, ceilings, SCHOOLS etc

▪Microscopic fibers decay-cannot be broken down by body when inhaled▪ lodges in lung and “saws” lung tissue over time → lung cancer▪172,000 Americans have died prematurely due to asbestos exposure▪Mesothelioma

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Major health risk today concerning asbestos:

▪Among miners and workers in developing countries

▪Remodeling, Tear-out, Demolition workers

▪90% of these deaths can be prevented by:▪Wearing a mask▪Wetting asbestos▪Changing clothes before and after handling

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Ways Body Protects Us From Air Pollution

▪Hairs in nose

▪Sticky mucus in lining of upper respiratory tract

▪Sneezing and coughing

▪Cilia in upper respiratory tract

▪BUT prolonged exposure can overload our defenses.

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Air pollution health concerns…

▪ Air pollution can lead to:▪lung cancer▪asthma▪chronic bronchitis (often in children of smokers)▪Chronic obstructive pulmonary disorders▪emphysema- loss of lung elasticity can’t pull in air

▪Smoking makes all exposure worse-concentrated

radiation of lungs breaks down natural defenses

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Air quality legislation

▪Clean Air Acts -1970 (1st major environmental law in US) 1977, 1990

▪EPA established NAAQS (national ambient air quality standards)

▪addresses acceptable levels of each pollutant

▪Focuses on pollution clean-up rather than prevention

▪Allows for SO2 emissions trading▪Enables the 110 most polluting power plants in 21 states to buy and sell

SO2 pollution rights

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Cap and Trade Emissions trading

▪Each year a coal burning plant is given a certain number of emmission permits (called: “allowances”)

▪ Enacted as per the Acid Rain program of the Clean Air Act (1990)

▪ SO2 emissions were reduced by 50% from 1980 levels by 2007

▪ experts argue that the cap-and-trade system of SO2 emissions reduction has reduced the cost of controlling acid rain by as much as 80% versus source-by-source reduction

▪Coal plants that emit less than limit have a surplus of credits and can sell to other utilities, transfer to another plant, or “bank” for the future

▪Problem: “overallocation” setting the bar too low by setting the cap too high. Allows for banking of credits

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