Examining the Environmental Compartments

Air, Water, & Soil (briefly)

Air Pollution

• The accumulation of substances in the atmosphere that can cause harmful health effects to living things or negatively affect the public welfare

• Economic impact of property or crop damage

Human Activity

• Transportation

• Power and heat generation

• Industrial processes

• Burning of solid waste

Natural Processes

• Volcanic eruptions

• Natural forest fires

Air pollution laws To control smoke emissions

• 1880’s – Chicago and Cincinnati

• 1890’s – Pittsburgh and New York City

Number of days in a 5-yr period characterized by poor air circulation, for at least a 48-hr period.

Killer Fogs

• Donora, Pennsylvania - 1948

• London, England – 1952

• Caused the death of thousands and the illness of tens of thousands

• Oregon - 1952

• Became the first state to pass air pollution control legislation and establish a state air pollution control agency

Health problems brought on or aggravated by air pollution

• Lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema

• Cancer, particularly lung cancer• Neural disorders, including brain damage• Bronchial asthma and the common cold• Eye irritation• Those most sensitive:

– Young children whose respiratory systems are still forming– People who suffer from diseases of the heart and

respiratory system

Modern Smog

• No longer smoke and soot

• Photochemical reactions & electrical motors produce ozone

• Very reactive, breaking down biological tissues and cells

• Damages crops and vegetation, buildings and art treasures

Precursors to this reaction

• Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC’s created in the combustion, handling and processing of petroleum products

• Nitrogen Oxides or NOx produced by combustion

• Levels are highest during summer daytime hours

California’s Distinctions

• Most severe air quality problem

• Most advanced air pollution controls

• ¾ of the country’s health problems from air pollution are in So. California

Common Air Pollutants – Fig 5.5Table of Pollutants & Health Concerns

• Carbon monoxide

• Airborne particulates

• Sulfur dioxide

• Lead

• Nitrogen oxides

• Asbestos

• Beryllium

• Vinyl chloride

• Mercury

• Arsenic

• Benzene

• Radionuclides

National Ambient Air Quality Standards - NAAQS

• Enforced by the EPA under the authority of the Clean Air Act to reduce outdoor pollution

• Identifies safe levels of CO, Pb, NOx, O3, SO2, and particulates – the criteria pollutants

• Can pose sanctions on areas that are in nonattainment

Smog and Crops

• California’s agricultural industry is losing $300 million each year to air pollution

• Also damages forests, range and pasture land

• California's geography and climate coupled with population growth and dependence on cars

Harm to native plant groups

• Needles and debris from trees killed by smog increases the risk of forest fires, reduces seed germination and seedling survival

• At a reproductive disadvantage, these plants may be replaced by new plant communities completely altering the food chains within the ecosystem

Sources and fate of air pollutants

• Primary pollutants enter the air directly– Oxides of carbon and nitrogen and

hydrocarbons from vehicle emissions– Sulfur oxides and particulates from industry

• Secondary pollutants form from another substance that was released into the air– Ozone

Indoor air pollution

• The most people spend 90% of their time indoors

• New buildings are tightly constructed to save energy (ex. Radon)

• Up to 30% of new and remodeled buildings may have air quality problems

• Eye, nose and throat irritation• Fatigue• Headache• Nausea• Irritability• Forgetfulness • Impairment of the nervous system• Cancer

Sources of indoor pollutants

• Tobacco smoke• Building materials• Furnishings• Space heaters• Gas ranges• Wood preservatives• Air fresheners• Solvents• Cleaning agents

New Section:Water Pollution

• Over 17% of the nation’s waterways are significantly polluted

• 10% of all medium and large sized public water systems exceed health based limits for lead

• Wetlands are being destroyed at a rate of between 350,000 and 500,000 acres per year

Threats to clean water

• Applications of pesticides and fertilizers

• Uncontrolled hazardous waste disposal

• Leaking underground storage tanks

• Use of septic tanks and drainage wells

Global Perspective

• The average American uses 180 gallons of fresh clean water a day

• Rural villagers in third world countries may spend up to 6 hours a day obtaining a supply of tainted water

• 10 million people die every year of intestinal diseases

Four major categories

• Municipal (Class provide examples)

• Industrial (Class provide examples)

• Nonpoint

• Dredge and fill activities

Nonpoint Sources

• Run off from farming

• Urban areas

• Forestry

• Construction activities

• Contribute up to 75% of the contamination in rivers and streams

Dredging

• Stirs up bottom sediments re-exposing PCB’s and heavy metals

• Where sediment is piled on shore it may harm sensitive wetlands

Groundwater

• Half of Americans and 95% of rural Americans use groundwater

• From 1950-1960 groundwater use has increased by 150%

Sources of Groundwater Contamination

• Septic tanks

• Underground storage tanks

• Agricultural activities

• On-site landfills

• Surface impoundments

• Municipal landfills

• Abandoned waste sites

• Oil and gas brine pits• Saltwater intrusion• Road salting• Land application of sludge• Regulated waste sites• Mining activities• Underground injection wells• Construction activities

Key Terms

• Aquifer - water bearer, stores and transmits water

• Aquitard - confining bed

• Vadose Zone - unsaturated zone

• Saturated Zone - phreatic zone

• Water Table – piezometric surface

• Porosity – the volume of space between particles within a substance

• Permeability – how easily water can pass through (hydraulic conductivity)

• Artesian aquifers – confined aquifer

• Groundwater gradient – drop in elevation of water table, divided by the distance

Soils & Contaminants

• Soils is a connection between water (groundwater) and the atmosphere

• Soil is created from weathered rock and is a complex mixture of materials

• We’ll be covering these materials in detail in lab