Air Pollution

Air Pollution:

• Has many effects on public health and the environment.

• Comes in different forms and from many sources.

• Ozone and Particulate matter are two types of Air Pollution that affect Kansas.

Primary Air Pollutants

• Carbon Monoxide CO from gas burning vehicles

• Nitrogen Oxides Nox from power plants and cars

• Sulfur Dioxide S02 from burning fossil fuels

• Volatile Organic Compounds VOC from burning fuels, vehicles are major source

• Particulate Matter PM from construction, agriculture, forest, fires

Man Made Sources of NOx

What is Ozone?

• An odorless, colorless gas composed of three oxygen atoms.

• Ozone in the upper atmosphere protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

• At ground-level in the air we breathe, ozone (smog) poses serious risks to human health.

There is a “hole’ in our Good Ozone

Ozone is created by a chemical reaction:

Where Does Ozone Come From?

O3+ =

VOC + NOx + Heat + Sunlight = Ozone

VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) and NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) come from motor vehicles, power plants, industrial facilities, and other sources.

Why is Ozone Bad to Breathe?

• The average adult breathes enough air to fill over 3,000 balloons each day. Children breathe even more!

• Ozone can irritate lungs and airways, and cause inflammation much like a sunburn on your lungs.

• Ozone can aggravate respiratory illnesses like asthma.

• 10 to 20% of summertime respiratory-related hospital visits in the Northeast are associated with ozone pollution.

• Children and people with chronic lung diseases are particularly at risk.

Health Effects of Exposure to Ozone

• Coughing

• Nose and throat irritation

• Chest pain

• Reduced lung function

• Increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses

• Aggravation of asthma

AQI: Air Quality Index

•Indicates whether pollutant levels in air may cause health concerns.

•Ranges from 0 (least concern) to 500 (greatest concern)

Air Quality Index (AQI) Values

Levels of Health Concern

151 to 200

201 to 300

301 to 500

Unhealthy

Very Unhealthy

Hazardous

0 to 50

51 to 100

101 to 150

Good

ModerateUnhealthy

for Sensitive Groups

The Air Quality Index

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnR7byHOOLA

Increase in Code “Orange”

What Makes a Bad Ozone Day

in Kansas?

Smog AlertNotification Areas

Interior CT

Southeastern MA

Coastal CT

Rhode Island

Western MA

Southern NH

Coastal ME

Central &Northeastern MA

• Notifies you by e‑mail or fax when ozone levels are predicted to be unhealthy in your area.

• Is available in most areas in New England.

• Is a free service.

• To receive Smog Alerts, register at (www.epa.gov/region01/oms)

Or contact Maine DEP’s Ozone Hotline at 1-800-223-1196 orwww.state.me.us/dep/air/ozone/ozone.htm

Smog Alert Service

Carbon MonoxideCarbon Monoxide

•colorless, odorless

•produced when carbon does not burn in fossil fuels

•present in car exhaust

•deprives body of O2 causing headaches, fatigue, and

impaired vision

Sulfur DioxideSulfur Dioxide

•produced when coal and fuel oil are burned

•present in power plant exhaust

•narrows the airway, causing wheezing and shortness of breath,

especially in those with asthma

Nitrogen DioxideNitrogen Dioxide

•reddish, brown gas

•produced when nitric oxide combines with

oxygen in the atmosphere

•present in car exhaust and power

plants

•affects lungs and causes wheezing;

increases chance of respiratory infection

Lead• Lead (Pb) is a metal found naturally in the environment as well

as in manufactured products.• The major sources of lead emissions have historically been

from fuels in on-road motor vehicles (such as cars and trucks) and industrial sources. As a result of EPA's regulatory efforts to remove lead from on-road motor vehicle gasoline, emissions of lead from the transportation sector dramatically declined by 95 percent between 1980 and 1999, and levels of lead in the air decreased by 94 percent between 1980 and 1999.

• Today, the highest levels of lead in air are usually found near lead smelters. The major sources of lead emissions to the air today are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation gasoline.

What is Particulate Matter?• particles of different substances suspended in the air• in the form of solid particles and liquid droplets• particles vary widely in size

Fine particles come from a variety of sources:• diesel trucks and buses• construction equipment• power plants • woodstoves• wildfires

Where does Pm come from?

Also, Chemical reactions in the atmosphere can transform gases into fine particles.

• Fine particles are only a fraction of the size of a human hair.

How Fine is Fine?

Fine Particles(2.5 m)

Cross section of a human hair (magnified to 60 m)

Coarse Particles(10 m)

Why are Fine ParticlesBad to Breathe?

• Scientific studies have linked fine particles with a series of significant health problems.

• Fine particles easily reach the deepest parts of the lungs.

• Particulate matter causes 15,000 premature deaths every year in the US.

• Fine particles from Diesel exhaust can cause lung cancer.

Health Effects of Exposure to Fine Particles

• Premature death

• Aggravated asthma

• Respiratory-related emergency room visits and hospital admissions

• Acute respiratory symptoms

• Chronic bronchitis

• Decreased lung function (shortness of breath)

• People with existing heart and lung disease, as well as the elderly and children, are particularly at risk

Reduce vehicle emissions:

Drive less

Keep cars well maintained and tires properly inflated

Turn off the engine when your vehicle is not in motion

Purchase low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles

Share a ride, take public transportation bike, or walk

Cut your grass after 6 p.m.

Refuel your car after 6 p.m.

Combine errands into one trip

What Can You Do?

What Can You Do?

Conserve electricity:

do not over-cool or over-heat buildings

turn off lights and appliances when not in use

Purchase electronics/appliances with energy star labels

To protect your health, avoid strenuous outdoor activities

when ozone levels are high