ENV 510 Air Pollution and Risk Assessment By K.Subramaniam, PJK MSc(Envt); BSc(Hons)(Envt&Occ.Health); Dip.RSH(London).

ENV 510

Air Pollution and

Risk Assessment

By

K.Subramaniam, PJK

MSc(Envt); BSc(Hons)(Envt&Occ.Health); Dip.RSH(London).

ELEMENTS OF AIR POLLUTION

1) Composition of the atmosphere

2) Sources of air pollution

3) Scales of air pollution

4) Effects of air pollution

COMPOSITION OF THE ATMOSPHERE

Constituents % Volume % Mass

Nitrogen 78.1 75.5

Oxygen 20.9 23.1

Argon 0.9 1.3

Water Vapour Variable Variable

Carbon Dioxide 0.037 0.040

Aerosols Variable Variable

Others <0.001 <0.001

RESIDENCE TIME OF GASES IN THE

ATMOSPHERE

Group 1: Quasi permanent

Group 2: Variable

Group 3: Very variable

GROUP 1: QUASI PERMANENT

> 10,000 – 10 million years

N2, O2, Ar, Ne, He, Kr, Xe

GROUP 2: VARIABLE

Few years

CO2, CH4, CO, H2, N2O

Chlorofluorocarbons

GROUP 3: VERY VARIABLE

Few days to month

O3, NO3, NO, HNO3, NH3, SO2, H2S

AIR POLLUTION

Defined as the presence of undesirable materials in air, in quantities large enough to produce effects (harmful or otherwise).

SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTION

Natural

Anthropogenic

Natural Sources

Volcanoes

Forest fires

Dust storms

Sea surface

Pollutants (Natural)

Particulate matter

Sulphur dioxide

Nitrogen oxides

Methane

Hydrogen sulphide

Anthropogenic Sources

Stationary

Mobile

Anthropogenic Sources

Industrial sources

Utilities

Individuals

Agriculture

Pollutants (Anthropogenic)

Particulate matter

Sulphur dioxide

Nitrogen oxides

Methane

Hydrogen sulphide

Heavy metals

CFC, Halons, etc.

Sources of airborne pollution are many: home cooking, power generation, industry, traffic,

biomass burning …

Each year we add more than 30 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the air mainly by:

a). Burning fossil fuels b). Cutting down and burning trees

Each year we add 350 to 500 million tons of methane to the air mainly by:

i. Raising livestock ii. Coal mining and drilling for oil and natural gas iii. Rice cultivation iv. Disposing of garbage in landfills v. Burning forests and fields

0.1 nm 1 nm 10 nm 100 nm 1 m 10 m 100 m

CombustionParticles

Atoms Molecules CoarseCoarse, PM 10, PM 10

.. .... . .. ...

Clouds

Natural Processes

Gas-ParticleConversion

Sea salt, Mineral dust

FFinine, PM 2.5e, PM 2.5UltrafinUltrafinee

„„Nanoparticles“Nanoparticles“

Size &Sources of Particles (PM)

AEROSOL SOURCE STRENGTH (Estimate)

SOURCESSOURCES SOURCES STRENGHSOURCES STRENGH

( billion tons/year)( billion tons/year)

OCEANICOCEANIC 1 to 21 to 2

SOLID DUSTSOLID DUST 22

GAS TOGAS TO––PARTICLE PARTICLE CONVERSIONCONVERSION 1.31.3

VOLCANOSVOLCANOS 0.0200.020

BIOSPHERE & BIOMASS BIOSPHERE & BIOMASS BURNINGBURNING 0.450.45

SCALES OF AIR POLLUTION

Defined by these four parameters

i. Horizon

ii. Vertical Height

iii. Time

iv. Organization

Scales (five)

i. Local

ii. Urban

iii. Regional

iv. Continental

v. Global

i. Local

Streets

Height of buildings

Hours

Local council

ii. Urban

< 100 km

Boundary layer

Days

State level

iii. Regional

> 100 km, 1000km

Troposphere

Weeks to month

National / Regional

iv. Continental

Continents

Stratosphere

Months to year

Regional / International

v. Global

Whole globe

Whole atmosphere

Years / decades

International (UN, WMO, WHO)

A Variety of Scales Need to Be Considered

Air Quality Analysis

SatelliteProducts

Global Assimilation

RegionalPrediction

Public Impact

Requires Close Integration of

Observations and Models

Effects of Air Pollution

i. Human health and welfareii. Biosphere (fauna & flora)iii. Material & Structuresiv. Atmospherev. Soilvi. Water bodies

Human health and welfare

i. Acute

ii. Chronic

iii. Respiratory

iv. Ingestion

v. Surface

EFFECTS OF AEROSOL ON HEALTHEFFECTS OF AEROSOL ON HEALTH

i. ULTRAFINE PARTICLES SMALLER THAN LUMIN DIAMETER HAVE HIGHER POTENTIAL TO PENETRATE INTO THE LUNG AND CAUSE INFLAMATION.

ii. SUSPENDED PARTICLES IN THE SIZE RANGE BELOW 10µM CAN INCREASE THE NUMBER OF RESPIRATORY DISEASES.

iii. HEALTH IMPACTS OF AEROSOL CONSIST OF BOTH SHORT TERM ACUTE SYMPTOMS LIKE ASTHMA, BRONCHITIS etc.

iv. LONG TERM CHRONIC IRRITATION AND INFLAMATION OF RESPIRATORY TRACK, DEVELOPMENT OF LUNG CANCER.

Fauna & Flora

Fauna – commercial animals

Yield

Growth

Forest

Cash crop

Material & Structures

a) Metal corrosion

b) Stone decay

c) Fabric and dyes

d) Rubber / plastics

e) Paint / paper / leather

Impacts of acid rain

Soil and Water Bodies

Leaching

Contamination

Atmosphere

a) Visibility

b) Stability

c) Composition

d) Weather

e) Climate

IMPACT ON VISIBILITY

PM2.5 < 10 ug/m3 (8/16/00) PM2.5 = 15 ug/m3 (8/7/00)

PM2.5 = 35 ug/m3 (8/26/00)

PM2.5 = 20 ug/m3 (8/24/00)

PM2.5 = 30 ug/m3 (8/15/00)PM2.5 = 25 ug/m3 (8/25/00)

Impact of PMImpact of PM2.52.5 on Visibility on Visibility

EFFECT OF AEROSOL ON EFFECT OF AEROSOL ON CLIMATECLIMATE

CHANGING OF AEROSOLS IN THE CHANGING OF AEROSOLS IN THE

ATMOSPHERE CAN CHANGE THE ATMOSPHERE CAN CHANGE THE

FREQUENCY OF CLOUD OCCURRENCE, FREQUENCY OF CLOUD OCCURRENCE,

AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS.AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS.

WITHOUT AEROSOLS IT IS VERY WITHOUT AEROSOLS IT IS VERY

DIFFICULT TO START THE FORMATION OF DIFFICULT TO START THE FORMATION OF

CLOUD DROPLETS.CLOUD DROPLETS.

IMPACTS OF AEROSOLS ON IMPACTS OF AEROSOLS ON CLIMATECLIMATE

AEROSOLS TEND TO CAUSE COOLING OF THE AEROSOLS TEND TO CAUSE COOLING OF THE

EARTH’S SURFACE IMMEDIATELY BELOW THEM.EARTH’S SURFACE IMMEDIATELY BELOW THEM.

MOST AEROSOLS REFLECT SUNLIGHT BACK INTO MOST AEROSOLS REFLECT SUNLIGHT BACK INTO

SPACE, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF SOLAR SPACE, REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF SOLAR

RADIATION THAT REACHES THE SURFACE.RADIATION THAT REACHES THE SURFACE.

THE AEROSOL COOLING MAY PARTIALLY OFFSET THE AEROSOL COOLING MAY PARTIALLY OFFSET

EXPECTED GLOBAL WARMING THAT IS EXPECTED GLOBAL WARMING THAT IS

ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASES IN THE AMOUNT OF ATTRIBUTED TO INCREASES IN THE AMOUNT OF

CARBON DIOXIDE FROM HUMAN ACTIVITY.CARBON DIOXIDE FROM HUMAN ACTIVITY.

Pollutants that cause Global Warming

(Hansen et al., Senate testimony, May 1, 2001;Hansen and Sato, PNAS)

CO2

CH4N2O

O3

NOx NMVOC

SO4

SO2

BC

OC dust

Elements of Air Pollution

a) Definition

b) Source

c) Scales

d) Effects

e) General knowledge

API Status Indicator

http://www.doe.gov.my/

Ambient Air Data And Monitoring

Introduction

In 1989, the Department of Environment (DOE)

formulated Recommended Malaysian Air Quality

Guidelines (RMG) for air pollutants, defining the

concentration limits of selected air pollutants

which might adversely affect the health and

welfare of the general public.

Based on the MG, DOE later developed its first air

quality index system, known as the Malaysian Air

Quality Index (MAQI) in 1993.

An index system has an important role in conveying to both

decision-makers and the general public the status of ambient air

quality, ranging from good to hazardous.

Application of the index system, particularly in industrialised

countries, has demonstrated its useful role in providing a sound

basis for both the effective management of air quality, as well as

the effective protection of public health.

In line with the need for regional harmonisation and for easy

comparison with countries in the region, the Department revised

its index system in 1996, and the Pollutant Index (API) was

adopted.

The API system of Malaysia closely follows the Pollutant

Standard Index (PSI) system of the United States.

Industrial Emission and Open Burning

How does air pollution occur?

Air pollution occurs when air impurities in the form of

gaseous or particles are emitted into the atmosphere.

It is important to recognize that air pollution is not a

single entity but an alphabet soup of foregoing

materials mixed with the normal constituents of air.

Air pollutant comes from a variety of natural and man-

made sources.

Man made sources include emission from

industrial activities, emissions from motor

vehicles and burning of fossil fuels and

biomass.

Environmental issues relating to industrial

emissions and open burning activities will

be discussed in detail.

Industrial Emission and Open Burning

Air ToxicsAir Toxics

Climate Climate ChangeChange

Stratospheric Stratospheric Ozone Ozone

DepletionDepletion

Acid RainAcid Rain

Water QualityWater QualityEutrophicationEutrophication

Human HealthHuman Health(Risk)(Risk)

Visibility andVisibility andEcosystemEcosystem

Impacts of Air Pollution

Risk Assessment

Risk Controls

INTEGRATED L.I.F.T APPROACH

i. LEGISLATION

ii. INSTITUTIONAL

iii. FINANCIAL

iv. TECHNOLOGY

PLAN OF ACTION

SHORT TERM PLANNINGSHORT TERM PLANNING

LONG TERM PLANNINGLONG TERM PLANNING

CONCLUSION

INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY, FINANCIAL INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY, FINANCIAL

AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES AREAND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES ARE

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BEESSENTIAL ELEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE

ADDRESSED SERIOUSLY IN ORDER TOADDRESSED SERIOUSLY IN ORDER TO

TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF AIR POLLUTION TACKLE THE PROBLEM OF AIR POLLUTION

IN THE LONG RUN. IN THE LONG RUN. HOWEVER, THIS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVEDHOWEVER, THIS CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED

THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE ANDTHROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE AND

EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIONEFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTION

PLAN.PLAN.

Thank you