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UCM BIOL 1005 - Air

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BIOL 1005 1st Edition Lecture 20 Outline of Last Lecture I. Solid WasteII. United StatesIII. The ProblemIV. The Old SitesV. Methods of DisposalVI. IncinerationVII. Mass BurnVIII. LandfillsIX. RecyclingX. ProblemXI. Paper or Plastic?XII. Source ReductionXIII. 3 R’sOutline of Current Lecture I. AirII. Human Intake Per DayIII. BackgroundIV. Threshold LevelV. Natural ProcessesVI. Human InfluenceVII. The AtmosphereVIII. Clean Air LegislationIX. Regulated PollutantsX. EffectsXI. Human HealthXII. Effects of Air PollutionXIII. Agriculture EffectsXIV. OzoneXV. Materials and Aesthetics XVI. Indirect ProblemsXVII. Photochemical SmogCurrent LectureThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.I. Air- We take it for granted- Usually can’t see a problem- Always changingII. Human Intake Per Day- Food consumption about 3 pounds per day- Water consumption is about 2.5 liters (6 pounds) per day- Air- “couch potato” needs about 50 pounds per day- Air – light work (walking to class) needs about 100 pounds per dayIII. Background- London, 1952o Home heating went up increasing ash, sulfur oxides, and sooto Cars increased nitrogen oxides and..o Between December 4 and 10, over 4,000 people died- Humidity – 80%- Temperature dropping – 1 degree C- Fog IV. Threshold Level- The level of a pollutant below which no ill effects are observedo The level at which there is an observable effect We can see what happens- Air pollutants have a time and concentration componentV. Natural Processes- Volcanoes, natural fires, dust storms ect. Have released pollutants for millions of years- Other natural processes remove, assimilate, and recycle these pollutantsVI. Human Influence- Human’s discovered fire about 100,000 years ago- Simply vented combustions fumes to atmosphere- “The solution to pollution is dilution”- “If you don’t like it – move”VII. The Atmosphere- Nitrogen – 78%- Oxygen – 21%- Argon - 0.9%- Carbon Dioxide – 0.03%- Trace Elements - 0.07%- Methane, ozone, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide- Water Vapor from 0 to 4 %- As life evolved, the atmosphere has changed slightly, but changes are considered “natural”o Example: plants evolved using carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen- For humans, the fastest moving medium has always been the most convenient place to dispose of wastesVIII. Clean Air Legislation- Clean Air Act (1963) - First national air pollution control.o First federal legislation to protect air quality- Clean Air Act (1970) rewrote original Act.- Identified critical pollutants.- Established ambient air quality standards.- Primary Standards - Human health- Secondary Standards - Materials, environment, aesthetic and comfort.IX. Regulated Pollutants- Particulates- Hydrocarbons- Carbon Monoxide- Nitrogen Oxide (NOx)- Sulfur Oxide (SOx)- Lead- Ozone ( O3)X. Effects- Air Pollution is an “alphabet soup” of the materials listed before- Each pollutant varies in concentration and duration – sources, climate, etc.- Observed effects from mixture over lifespan (long term).- Some pollutants work synergistically- We don’t know exactly what is in the air, it is always changingXI. Human Health- Particulates – Respiratory disease and cancer- Heavy metals – some carcinogens- Lead – mental retardation, learning disabilities, high blood pressure- Organics – some carcinogens- Initial studies show higher rate of respiratory disease in cities with high air pollution- Maine - asthmaXII. Effects of Air Pollution- Human Health- EPA estimates each year 50,000 people die prematurely from illnesses related to air pollution.- Likelihood of suffering ill health is related to intensity and duration of exposure.- Inhalation is the most common route, but absorption through the skin and consumption via food can also occur.XIII. Agriculture Effects- Experimental design??- Plants more sensitive than humans- SOx and O3 toxic at high levels- Stunted growth at lower concentrationsXIV. Ozone – Decrease Yield- Corn – 3%- Wheat – 8%- Soybeans – 17%- Peanuts – 30%- That would be $5 billion at 1995 rates- Decrease in productivityXV. Materials and Aesthetics- Particulates turn things grey- Paint and fabric deteriorate quicker- Rubber becomes hard and brittle- Metals and stonework corrode- Visibility reduced (aesthetic)XVI. Indirect Problems- Photochemical Smog- Acid Deposition (Rain)- Ozone Layer Thinning- Global WarmingXVII. Photochemical Smog- Brownish Haze- NOx + Hydrocarbons + Sunlight- Thermal inversions increase problem- Comes from burning


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