Activity 3.3.1 - Air Pollution Core Activity

                                                               Air Pollution Basics

Sulfur Pollutants:

Sulfur pollutants occur from the activity of oil and gas production, volcanic activity, and the combination of fossil fuels. Two important gaseous pollutants are sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Both of these gases are toxic to the environment including plants and animals, especially if they are highly concentrated. Once they are emitted into the air, they become oxidized to other compounds and form sulfate (SO4). Since these emissions cause human-health and environmental damages, most nations have acted upon reducing the emissions. This is possible by reducing or eliminating no sulfur fuels, especially for electricity generation or installing scrubbers to remove SO2 from post-combustion before they are emitted into the atmosphere.   

Nitrogen Pollutants:

Nitrogen pollutants include gases nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous oxide, (N2O), and ammonia (NH3). Ammonia is colorless gas that is naturally emitted from the decomposition of biomass. It can also occur form the burning of follis fuels in power plants. N2O may look familiar, since it is known as "laughing gas" and used as medicine. All of these gases contribute to the creation of Ozone, which is a big problem, since Ozone is a harmful pollutant. 

Hydrocarbon and Volatile Organic Compound Pollutants: 

Hydrocarbons are a group of chemicals which contain various combinations of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Methane (CH4), which is a gas, is the simplest hydrocarbon. Methane occurs naturally in fermentation of organic matter. It also occurs in the digestion in animals and for the combustion of fossil fuels. "The environmental importance of these gases and vapors lies mainly in their role in the photochemical reactions that produce toxic ozone" (Freedman, 2018).


Air Quality Index: 

The air quality index (AQI) is the measure of daily air quality which tells you how clean or polluted the air is, and what health effects might be relevant to you from the air quality. It measures carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone on a 0-500 scale. To illustrate AQI, I have gathered the AQI current data where I live in Canyon Lake, the AQI in San Francisco, and the AIQ in Tampa, Florida. 

Comparison of Current AQI


Time of Day

AQI Current

AQI Forecast

PM 2.5

O3

San Francisco, CA

12:00pm

22

Good

10

22

Canyon Lake, TX (Where I Live)

2:00pm

31

Good

26

31

Tampa, Florida

3:00pm

44

Good

12

44


Source: Air Now-Where I Live Data

The chart above shows the air quality in 3 different cities, San Francisco, California, Canyon Lake, Texas, and Tampa, Florida. The information in the chart shows Florida as being the worst air quality index, which was 44. San Francisco has the best air quality index, which is 22. There is not much of an outlier in this category, since all 3 cities are somewhat close in AQI. Each city has a good AQI forecast and the PM 2.5 and O3 for each are not at a very high number. 

PM-2.5: PM2.5 are tiny particles that have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers in the air. The particles are so small that they remain in the air for long periods of time. Since they are in the air for a long period of time, it can lead to respiratory illnesses, which are causes from the pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels and other processes. 

Ozone (O3): Ozone, which is known as O3, is an air pollutant that is in the lower atmosphere. When it is inhaled, it can create respiratory damage in humans, such as the lungs, and create tissue damage in plants. This can decrease the productivity in plants. Below, I have shared the current PM 2.5 and Ozone levels in the city of New Braunfels and have compared them to the EPA standard. Currently at 3:30pm, San Antonio is below the EPA standard, therefore, the air quality in this city is not considered hazardous.


Comparison on Current PM2.5 and O3 to EPA Standards

National Standard 

San Antonio Current measured over 1 hour

Time of Day

PM 2.5 measured over 24 hours - 35 μg/m3

8 µg/m3

3:30pm

O3 average measured over 8 hours- 70 ppb (137 µg/m3) 

39 ppb

3:30pm

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality


Works Cited

Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. Halifax, Canada: Dalhousie University Libraries.

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2019, June 18). Air quality index basics. Air Now. https://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=aqibasics.aqi

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Go to TCEQ Web Page. (n.d.). https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Go to TCEQ Web Page. (n.d.). https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl?user_param=88502

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