EESA10H3 Lecture 2: EESA10- Lecture 2- Air Pollution
17 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Human Health and the Environment
EESA10- Lecture 2- Air
Case Study 1: London Smog (1952)
- Before the Industrial Revolution, any air pollution was natural but during and after the Industrial
Revolution, the burning of coal (a source of energy) and the mass production of goods in
factories resulted in an increase in the amount of pollution released into the earth.
- The extensive use of coal for energy consumption increased over the decades
- One specific type of coal that is dangerous to burn is soft coal because it contains lots of
sulfur, and burning soft coal releases Sulfur Dioxide gas into the atmosphere.
- Burning soft coal also emits particulate matter into the atmosphere
- During the Industrial Revolution, people were not aware of the dangers of burning soft
coal on the health of humans.
- Cold air is heavy and stagnant and stays close to the ground and therefore lasts longer. During
cold winters in the 50’s, lots of coal was burned to keep houses and buildings warm. The
particulate matter started to accumulate and stayed in the air for two weeks. Many people (an
estimated 4,000 people) got sick and died by inhaling SO2 gas and particulate matter. The
number of deaths was directly proportionate to the concentration of SO2 gas and particulate
matter in the air.
- Sulfur Dioxide can be easily dissolved in water but when inhaled, it gets dissolved in the human
mouth and causes a strong burning sensation in the throat.
- This event lasted until warmer weather and stronger winds came
- When it was realized that coal was dangerous to burn, countries would switch to a cleaner
alternative- natural gas
- We still have air pollution, but the state of the environment has dramatically changed
Case Study 2: Indonesian Fires (1997)
- In tropical areas, a process called slash-and-burn-, which involved burning portions of forests in
order to clear areas for a rich agricultural foundation for farming. Once the richness of the soil
eventually wears off, another plot of land would be sought out and burned and the process
would continue, while the previous land would be left to regenerate. This process occur every
year
Human Health and the Environment
- As forest fires were lit, monsoons- seasons of heavy rainfall- were relied on to extinguish the
fires. However, in 1997, monsoons arrived very late and the fires continued to burn until the
smoke from the fire occupied land the size of the US. This resulted in a large release of gas, a
large amount of biomass that was burned, and a large release of particulate matter.
Two Types of Air Pollution:
Gases such as HNO2, HNO3, H2O2, O3, SO3, H2SO4, PANs, most NO3- and SO42- salts are produced
through natural sources such as volcanoes, and other natural gases that are released during regular
processes on earth
●✰ When human sources joined with natural sources, this results in primary air pollutants
:
(human sources include stationary industries that release gases and mobile vehicles such as cars
and trucks that use gasoline to move)
●Primary Air pollutants:
○Just know that primary air pollutants include:
■Particulate matter
■Carbon monoxide
■Nitrogen oxides
■Sulphur oxides
■Volatile Organic Compounds
■Lead
■Hydrocarbons
○And the only secondary air pollutant to know is:
■Ozone
○These chemicals react with each other or with other chemicals in the air and are
called secondary air pollutants. Sometimes it is produced in the presence of
certain environments such as the exposure to sunlight. These chemicals are not
released but are formed in the atmosphere.
- This course will focus on the primary air pollutants and ozone as the secondary
pollutants
Summary of Table 4.1 on lecture notes:
- The difference between coal or oil with gasoline is the presence of sulfur in coal.
Document Summary
Before the industrial revolution, any air pollution was natural but during and after the industrial. Revolution, the burning of coal (a source of energy) and the mass production of goods in factories resulted in an increase in the amount of pollution released into the earth. The extensive use of coal for energy consumption increased over the decades. One specific type of coal that is dangerous to burn is soft coal because it contains lots of sulfur, and burning soft coal releases sulfur dioxide gas into the atmosphere. Burning soft coal also emits particulate matter into the atmosphere. During the industrial revolution, people were not aware of the dangers of burning soft coal on the health of humans. Cold air is heavy and stagnant and stays close to the ground and therefore lasts longer. During cold winters in the 50"s, lots of coal was burned to keep houses and buildings warm.
