Environmental Pollution Essays

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Environmental Pollution and
Waste: Air, Water, and Land
Media
Environmental Sustainability Educational Resources prepared by
Gregory A. Keoleian
Associate Research Scientist,
School of Natural Resources and Environment
Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Systems
University of Michigan

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Contents
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Air Pollution Impacts
[slide 4]
Sources of Air Toxics
[slide 5-6]
Criteria Air Pollutants
[slide 7-9]
Trends in National Emissions of Criteria Pollutants
[slide 10]
Comparison of 1970 and 1999 Emissions
[slide 11-12]
Comparison of Growth in Population, VMT, GNP with
Emissions
[slide 13]
Percent Change in Air Quality
[slide 14]
Number of People Living in Nonattainment Areas[slide 15]
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Trends in Sulfur Dioxide Emissions
[slides 16]
Water Pollution
[slides 17- 18]
Sources of Point and Nonpoint Source Pollution [slide 19-22]
Water Quality of Assessed Rivers, Lakes and Estuaries
[slide 23]
Pollutants and Sources Causing Impairments of Assessed Rivers,
Lakes and Estuaries
[slide 24]
Toxic Release Inventory
[slide 25-28]
TRI data
[slides 29-31]
Industrial Waste
[slides 32-33]
Municipal Solid Waste
[slide 34-35]
Additional Resources
[slide 36-37]
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Air pollutant impacts
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Greenhouse effect
Ozone depletion acidification smog formation eutrophication human health ecosystem health
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Criteria Air Pollutants
• EPA uses six "criteria pollutants" as indicators of air quality
• EPA established for each of them a maximum concentration above which adverse effects on human health may occur.

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Criteria air pollutants
• Nitrogen Dioxide: NO2
– brownish gas irritates the respiratory system originates from combustion (N2 in air is oxidized); NOx sum of NO, NO2, other oxides of N

• Ozone: ground level O3
– primary constituent of urban smog
– reaction of VOC + NOx in presence of heat +sun light

• Carbon monoxide: CO
– reduces bloods ability to carry O2
– product of incomplete combustion
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• Lead: Pb
– cause learning disabilities in children , toxic to liver, kidney, blood forming organs
– tetraethyl lead – anti knock agent in gasoline
• leaded gasoline has been phased out

• Particulate Matter: PM10 (PM 2.5)
– respiratory disorders

• Sulfur Dioxide: SO2
– formed when fuel (coal, oil) containing S is burned and metal smelting
– precursor to acid rain along with NOx
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Comparison of 1970 and 1999 Emissions

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Number of People Living in Counties with
Air Quality Concentrations Above the Level of the NAAQS in 1999

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Trends in Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Following
Implementation of Phase I of the Acid Rain Program:
Total State-level Utility SO2 (1980, 1990, 1999)

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Water Pollution
• Based on current water quality standards, over
70 percent of our rivers, 68 percent of our estuaries and 60 percent of our lakes now meet legislatively mandated goals.
• Some of the risks include
– pollutant runoff from agricultural lands
– stormwater flows from cities
• About 40,000 times each year, sanitary sewers overflow and release raw sewage to streets and waterbodies.
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Water Pollution
– seepage into ground water from nonpoint sources – the loss of habitats such as wetlands.
– we cannot always eat what we catch because fish flesh is contaminated by the remaining discharges and sources of toxic substances.
– Microbial contamination of drinking water still presents problems in many communities.
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Pollution Sources
• Point sources are direct discharges to a single point;
– examples include discharges from sewage treatment plants, injection wells,and some industrial sources.

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Pollution Sources
• Non-point sources are diffused across a broad area and their contamination cannot be traced to a single discharge point.
– Examples include runoff of excess fertilizers,
herbicides,
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