Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 9.4
Effects of Criteria Air Pollutants on Human Health, Fauna and Flora, and Structures and
Materials
Pollutant
Health Effect
Fauna and Flora Effect
Structure and Material
SO
2
Bronchoconstriction, cough.
Cellular injury, chlorosis, wither-
ing of leaves and abscission. Pre-
cursor to acid rain: acidification
of surface waters with commu-
nity shifts and mortality of some
aquatic organisms. Possible ef-
fect on uptake of Al and other
toxic metals by plant roots.
Weathering and corrosion. De-
facing of monuments.
NO
x
Pulmonary congestion and edema,
emphysema,
Chlorosis and necrosis of leaves.
Precursor to acid rain and photo-
oxidants.
Weathering and corrosion.
nasal
and
eye
irritation.
O
3
and photo-
oxidants
Pulmonary edema, emphysema,
asthma, eye, nose, and throat ir-
ritation, reduced lung capacity.
Vegetation damage, necrosis of
leaves and pines, stunting of
growth, photosynthesis inhibitor,
probable cause of forest die-back,
suspected cause of crop loss.
Attack and destruction of natural
rubber and polymers, textiles and
materials.
NA
a
CO
Neurological symptoms, impair-
ment of reflexes and visual acu-
ity, headache, dizziness, nausea,
confusion. Fatal in high concen-
trations because of irreversible
binding to hemoglobin.
NA
Particulate matter
Nonspecific composition: bron-
chitis, asthma, emphysema. Com-
position dependent: brain and
neurological effects (e.g., lead,
mercury), toxigens (e.g., arsenic,
selenium, cadmium), throat and
lung cancer (e.g., coal dust, coke
oven emissions, polycyclic aro-
matic
NA
Soiling of materials and cloth.
Visibility impairment due to light
scattering of small particles.
hydrocarbons,
chromium,
nickel, arsenic).
a
NA, not available.
Adapted from Wark, K., C. F. Warner, and W. T. Davis, 1998.
Air Pollution: Its Origin and Control
. Reading: Addison-Wesley.
9.2.4
Air-Quality Modeling
After leaving the smoke stack or exhaust pipe, the primary air pollutants disperse into the atmosphere
by turbulent diffusion, advect by winds, and transform into secondary pollutants by chemical
reactions among themselves and with atmospheric species. The estimation of the concentration
of pollutants in space and time is called air-quality modeling. It is also called source-receptor
modeling or dispersion modeling, where the sources are emissions from point (e.g., a smoke
stack), line (e.g., a highway), or area (e.g., an industrial complex) sources, and the receptors are
