Regional air pollution

Keuken M, Sanderson E, van Aalst R, Borken J, Schneider J (2005) Contribution of traffic to levels of ambient air pollution in Europe. In Krzyzanowski M et al (eds) Health effects of transport-related air pollution. Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization, Copenhagen. ISBN 92 890 1373 7... 

To provide basic geographic units for the air-pollution control program, the United States was divided into 247 air quahty control regions (AQCRs). By a standard rollback approach, the total quantity of pollution in a region was estimated, the quantity of pollution that could be tolerated without exceeding standards was then calculated, and the degree of reduction called tor was determined. States were required by EPA to develop state implementation plans (SIPs) to achieve comphance. 

Problems of air pollution exist on all scales from extremely local to global. These are divided in this chapter into five different scales local, urban, regional, continental, and global. The local scale includes up to about 5 km. The urban scale extends to the order of 50 km. The regional scale is from 50 to 500 km. Continental scales are from 500 to several thousand km. Of course, the global scale extends worldwide. 

At least three types of problems contribute to air pollution problems on the regional scale. One is the carryover of urban oxidant problems to the regional scale. With the existence of major metropolitan areas in close proximity, the air from one metropolitan area, containing both secondary pollutants formed through reactions and primary pollutants, flows on to the adjacent metropolitan area. The pollutants from the second area are then added on top of the "background" from the first. 

In a relatively small continental area such as Europe, there is not much difference between what would be considered the regional scale and the continental scale. However, on most other continents there would be a difference between what is considered regional and what continental. Perhaps of greatest concern on the continental scale is that the air pollution policies of a nation are likely to create impacts on neighboring nations. Acid rain in Scandanavia has been considered to have had impacts from Great Britain and Western Europe. Japan has considered that part of their air pollution problem, especially in the western part of the country, has origins in China and Korea. Cooperation in the examination of the North American acid rain problem has existed for a long time between Canada and the United States. 

The harmful effects of air pollutants on human beings have been the major reason for efforts to understand and control their sources. During the past two decades, research on acidic deposition on water-based ecosystems has helped to reemphasize the importance of air pollutants in other receptors, such as soil-based ecosystems (1). When discussing the impact of air pollutants on ecosystems, the matter of scale becomes important. We will discuss three examples of elements which interact with air, water, and soil media on different geographic scales. These are the carbon cycle on a global scale, the sulfur cycle on a regional scale, and the fluoride cycle on a local scale. 

Fig. 12-2. NO-NO2-O3 ambient concentration profiles from average of four Regional Air Monitoring Stations (RAPS) in downtown St. Louis, Missouri (USA) on October 1, 1976. Source RAPS, Data obtained from the 1976 data file for the Regional Air Pollution Study Program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1976.

Data obtained from the 1976 data file of the Regional Air Pollution Study Program. U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, 1976. 

National Research Council, "Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution." National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1991. 

Sandroni, S. (ed.), "Regional and Long-Range Transport of Air Pollution." Elsevier Science Publishers, New York, 1987. 

Lamb, R. G., "A Regional Scale (1000 km) Model of Photochemical Air Pollution. Part... 

Many dty and regional agencies responsible for air pollutant measurements also measure wind and temperature at some of their air pollutant sampling stations. Because exposure at air quality stations is generally considerably less ideal than at airport stations, the data may be representative of extremely local conditions. 

An important effect of air pollution on the atmosphere is change in spectral transmission. The spectral regions of greatest concern are the ultraviolet and the visible. Changes in ultraviolet radiation have demonstrable adverse effects e.g., a decrease in the stratospheric ozone layer permits harmful UV radiation to penetrate to the surface of the earth. Excessive exposure to UV radiation results in increases in skin cancer and cataracts. The worldwide effort to reduce the release of stratospheric ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons is directed toward reducing this increased risk of skin cancer and cataracts for future generations. 

None of the interstate air quality control regions operates as a unif 1 air pollution control agency. Their control functions are all exercised, their separate intrastate components. 

The ICS/SCS control system has been used for control of emissions from nonferrous smelters. Discuss at least one such active system in terms of its success or failure. Discuss the reasons why the interstate air pollution control region concept has failed in the United States. 

Is there a local air pollution control agency in your city, county, or region How is it organized Where is its principal office Who is its head ... 

Choose. a representative area (a city, county, region, etc.) and prepare a table slimving the change in air pollution emission if natural gas were used as a fuel instead of ii coal. 

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