Atmospheric pollution carbon monoxide

The following graph shows the concentration of an atmospheric pollutant, carbon monoxide, for the period 1997 2006. As shown by this graph, carbon monoxide levels have decreased in the atmosphere because of mandatory reductions legislated by the Clean Air Act. 

Carbon monoxide (CO) is generally formed by the partial combustion of carbonaceous material in a limited supply of air. Small quantities of carbon monoxide are produced by the combustion of coal and from spontaneous combustion. In the atmosphere the carbon monoxide is eventually converted to carbon dioxide. These emissions are not considered to be a problem for environmental pollution. 

As discussed in greater detail in Chapter 7 with respect to atmospheric reactions of air pollutants, hydroxyl radical, HO-, is the most important reactive intermediate in atmospheric chemical reactions. Ultraviolet radiation is very much involved in the formation of hydroxyl radical through various photochemical reactions, and depletion of UV-absorbing stratospheric ozone may increase the levels of this species. The HO- radical is very active in determining the fates of atmospheric methane, carbon monoxide, hydrochlorofluorocarbons and hydrofluorocarbons that are substitutes for ozone-depleting CFCs, and other gases relevant to climate and ozone levels, and it is very much involved in the formation and dissipation of photochemical smog (see Chapter 7, Section 7.8). 

Air pollution (qv) problems are characteri2ed by their scale and the types of pollutants involved. Pollutants are classified as being either primary, that is emitted direcdy, or secondary, ie, formed in the atmosphere through chemical or physical processes. Examples of primary pollutants are carbon monoxide [630-08-0] (qv), CO, lead [7439-92-1] (qv), Pb, chlorofluorocarbons, and many toxic compounds. Notable secondary pollutants include o2one [10028-15-6] (qv), O, which is formed in the troposphere by reactions of nitrogen oxides (NO ) and reactive organic gases (ROG), and sulfuric and nitric acids. 

Nitrogen Oxides. From the combustion of fuels containing only C, H, and O, the usual ak pollutants or emissions of interest are carbon monoxide, unbumed hydrocarbons, and oxides of nitrogen (NO ). The interaction of the last two in the atmosphere produces photochemical smog. NO, the sum of NO and NO2, is formed almost entkely as NO in the products of flames typically 5 or 10% of it is subsequently converted to NO2 at low temperatures. Occasionally, conditions in a combustion system may lead to a much larger fraction of NO2 and the undeskable visibiUty thereof, ie, a very large exhaust plume. 

Miscellaneous Reactions. Ethylene oxide is considered an environmental pollutant. A study has determined the half-life of ethylene oxide ia the atmosphere (82,83). Autodecomposition of ethylene oxide vapor occurs at - 500° C at 101.3 kPa (1 atm) to give methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and ethane (84—86). 

Except for fine particulate matter (0.2 /xm or less), which may remain airborne for long periods of time, and gases such as carbon monoxide, which do not react readily, most airborne pollutants are eventually removed from the atmosphere by sedimentation, reaction, or dry or wet deposition. 

For any pollutant, air quality criteria may refer to different types of effects. For example. Tables 22-1 through 22-6 list effects on humans, animals, vegetation, materials, and the atmosphere caused by various exposures to sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, and lead. These data are from fhe Air Quality Criteria for these pollutants published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

The atmosphere of the world cannot continue to accept greater and greater amounts of emissions from mobile sources as our transportation systems expand. The present emissions from all transportation sources in the United States exceed 50 biUion kg of carbon monoxide per year, 20 billion kg per year of unbumed hydrocarbons, and 20 billion kg of oxides of nitrogen. If presently used power sources cannot be modified to bring their emissions to acceptable levels, we must develop alternative power sources or alternative transportation systems. All alternatives should be considered simultaneously to achieve the desired result, an acceptable transportation system with a minimum of air pollution. 

The UK Environment Agency deals with over 6000 oil pollution incidents each year. One estimate suggests tliat tlie cheiTtical industry contributes to 50% of all ah pollution witli proportions approximating to sulphur dioxide (36%), carbon dioxide (28%), nitrogen oxides (18%), carbon monoxide (14%) and black smoke (10%). Motor spirit refining is responsible for ca 26% of emissions of volatile organic compounds to the atmosphere. In 1996 there were over 20 000 reports of water pollution incidents with 155 successful prosecutions. 

Combustion processes are the most important source of air pollutants. Normal products of complete combustion of fossil fuel, e.g. coal, oil or natural gas, are carbon dioxide, water vapour and nitrogen. However, traces of sulphur and incomplete combustion result in emissions of carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, oxides of nitrogen, unburned hydrocarbons and particulates. These are primary pollutants . Some may take part in reactions in the atmosphere producing secondary pollutants , e.g. photochemical smogs and acid mists. Escaping gas, or vapour, may... 

Emissions to the atmosphere from ammonia plants include sulfur dioxide (SOj), nitrogen oxides (NOJ, carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (COj), hydrogen sulfide (HjS), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, methane, hydrogen cyanide, and ammonia. The two primary sources of pollutants, with typical reported values, in kilograms per ton (kg/t) for the important pollutants, are as follows ... 

In densely populated areas, traffic is responsible for massive exhausts of nitrous oxides, soot, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide. Traffic emissions also markedly contribute to the formation of ozone in the lower parts of the atmosphere. In large cities, fine particle exposure causes excess mortality which varies between one and five percent in the general population. Contamination of the ground water reservoirs with organic solvents has caused concern in many countries due to the persistent nature of the pollution. A total exposure assessment that takes into consideration all exposures via all routes is a relatively new concept, the significance of which is rapidly increasing. 

Air quality, concern about deposition of toxic chemicals, 135 Air quality in Mexico City atmospheric pollution, sources, 150r carbon monoxide standards, 156r,157/ fuel consumption in metropolitan area and Mexico, 153r,154 fuel quality, 155... 

VOCs - A VOC is any compound of carbon, excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metal carbides or carbonates and ammonium carbonate, which participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions1. VOCs are precursors to ground-level ozone production and various photochemical pollutants and are major components in the formation of smog through photochemical reactions2,3. There are many sources of VOCs, as will be discussed later. 

Some pollutants fall in both categories. Nitrogen dioxide, which is emitted directly from auto exhaust, is also formed in the atmosphere photochemically from NO. Aldehydes, which are released in auto exhausts, are also formed in the photochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons. Carbon monoxide, which arises primarily from autos and stationary sources, is likewise a product of atmospheric hydrocarbon oxidation. 

The photochemistry of the polluted atmosphere is exceedingly complex. Even if one considers only a single hydrocarbon pollutant, with typical concentrations of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, water vapor, and other trace components of air, several hundred chemical reactions are involved in a realistic assessment of the chemical evolution of such a system. The actual urban atmosphere contains not just one but hundreds of different hydrocarbons, each with its own reactivity and oxidation products. 

In summary the concentration of ozone in the polluted atmosphere is controlled by the intensity of sunlight and the ratio of nitrogen dioxide to nitric oxide. Hydrocarbons and other pollutants—such as aldehydes, ketones, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide—react to form peroxy radicals. These, in turn, react with nitric oxide, causing the ratio [NOjjilNO] to increase. As a consequence of Equation 2-5, the ozone concentration also increases. 

Chemicals can be labeled as either a primary air pollutant or secondary air pollutant. Primary air pollutants are those such as carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide that enter the atmosphere directly as a result of human or natural events. Carbon monoxide s primary source in the atmosphere is the incomplete combustion of gasoline. Hundreds of different chemicals are present in gasoline. The combustion of octane, C Hj, can be used to represent the general reaction of hydrocarbons in an automobile engine to produce energy ... 

The air emissions of fossil fuel combustion are dispersed and diluted within the atmosphere, eventually falling or migrating to the surface of the Earth or ocean at various rates. Until recently, most attention was focused on the so-called primary pollutants of fossil fuel combustion that are harmful to human health oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, carbon monoxide, suspended particles (including soot), heavy metals, and products of incomplete combustion. These pollutants are most concentrated in urban or industrialized areas close to large or multiple sources. However, the primary pollutants may interact with each other, and with atmospheric constituents and sunlight, forming secondary pollutants that disperse far beyond the urban-... 

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