Air pollutants particulate matter

Particulate matter air pollution is especially harmful to people with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, as well as people with heart disease. Exposure to particulate air pollution can trigger asthma attacks and cause wheezing, coughing, and respiratory irritation in individuals with sensitive airways. It was estimated in one major study that the excess risk of total mortality is 6.2% per each increase in 10pgPM2.s/m and 9.3% for cardiopulmonary mortality. ... 

Fitz, D. R., G. J. Doyle, and J. N. Pitts, Jr., An Ultrahigh Volume Sampler for the Multiple Filter Collection of Respirable Particulate Matter, . /. Air Pollut. Control Assoc., 33, 877-879 (1983). Flagan, R. C History of Electrical Aerosol Measurements, Aerosol Sci. Technol., 28, 301-380 (1998). 

Anderson JO, Thundiyil JG, Stolbach A (2011) Clearing the air a review of the effects of particulate matter air pollution on human health. J Med Toxicol. doi 10.1007/sl3181-011-0203-1... 

The high-volume sampler has become the most widely used tool for monitoring particulate matter air pollution. It is a low-cost, portable, easily maintained, and reasonably precise sampling device. Improvements in sampler performance have resulted from incorporation of automatic timers, flowrate recorders, and size separation devices into the basic system. Although hi-vols are the accepted standard in particulate matter monitoring, they inherently lack the ability to provide realtime particulate matter measurements. 

While some measures were taken to control the worst of the smoke dust, soot, and particulate matter, air pollution was considered a matter for local governments to control. It was not until well after World War II, that air pollution control became an accepted area of national governmental jurisdiction in Europe. Priorities were with economic development and air pollution was considered something of an unavoidable by-product of modernization. 

Brook, R.D., Rajagopalan, S., Pope, C.A., III, Brook, J.R., Bhatnagar, A., Diez-Roux, A.V., Holguin, F. et al. 2010. Particulate matter air pollution and cardiovascular disease An update to the scientific statement from the American Heart Association. 

D. Voutsa, A. Grimanis, C. Samara, Trace element in vegetables grown in an industrial area in relation to soil and air particulate matter, Environ. Pollut., 94 (1996), 325-335. 

Particulate matter in polluted air presents a mixture hazard that exceeds its own toxicology. I37l When lodged in the lungs particles can act as adsorption sites for inhaled vapors and mists. Carbon black is an example of such a particulate. Carbon readily adsorbs hydrocarbons, including PAHs, on its surface and retains these toxicants in the lungs for periods of time far exceeding their usual residence time. Asbestos, too, acts as an absorption site for other toxicants. 

Carbon in the form of soot is one of the many kinds of particulate matter in polluted air. 

Gamble JF, Lewis RJ (1996) Health and respirable particulate (PMjo) air pollution a causal or statistical association Environ Health Perspect 104 838-850 Garshick E, Laden F, Hart JE, Rosner B, Davis ME, Eisen EA, Smith TJ (2008) Lung cancer and vehicle exhaust in trucking industry workers. Environ Health Perspect 116 1327-1332 Gavett SH, Koren HS (2001) The role of particulate matter in exacerbation of atopic asthma. Int Arch Allergy Immunol 124 109-112... 

E. Bakke, "The AppHcation of Wet Electrostatic Precipitators for Control of Eiue Particulate Matter," Preprint, Symposium on Control of Tine Particulate Emissions from Industrial Sources, Joint U.S.-USSR Working Group, Stationay Source Air Pollution ControlTechnology, San Francisco, Calif, Jan. 15—18, 1974. 

E. A. Wolfe, Gas Flow Rate and Particulate Matter Determination of Gaseous Effluents, Bay Area Air Pollution Control District 1480, San Erancisco, Calif., 1961. 

Pollutant Formation and Control in Flames Key combustion-generated air pollutants include nitrogen oxides (NOJ, sulfur oxides (principally SO9), particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and unburned hydrocarbons. 

Dust storms that entrain large amounts of particulate matter are a common natural source of air pollution in many parts of the world. Even a relatively small dust storm can result in suspended particulate matter read-... 

Static sampling systems are defined as those that do not have an active air-moving component, such as the pump, to pull a sample to the collection medium. This type of sampling system has been used for over 100 years. Examples include the lead peroxide candle used to detect the presence of SO2 in the atmosphere and the dust-fall bucket and trays or slides coated with a viscous material used to detect particulate matter. This type of system suffers from inability to quantify the amount of pollutant present over a short period of time, i.e., less than 1 week. The potentially desirable characteristics of a static sampling system have led to further developments in this type of technology to provide quantitative information on pollutant concentrations over a fked period of time. Static sampling systems have been developed for use in the occupational environment and are also used to measure the exposure levels in the general community, e.g., radon gas in residences. 

The three major characteristics of particulate pollutants in the ambient atmosphere are total mass concentration, size distribution, and chemical composition. In the United States, the PM q concentration, particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 /nm, is the quantity measured for an air quality standard to protect human health from effects caused by inhalation of suspended particulate matter. As shown in Chapter 7, the size distribution of particulate pollutants is very important in understanding... 

Fig. 14-6. Schematic diagram of a four-stage cascade impactor. Source Giever, P. M., Particulate matter sampling and sizing, in "Air Pollution," 3rd ed., Vol. lil (A. C. Stem, ed.). Academic Press, New York, 1976, p. 41,...

Figure 15-1 shows the Los Angeles, California, basin stationary air monitoring network, one of the most extensive in the United States (6). At most of these locations, automated instruments collect air quality data continuously. Five pollutant gases are monitored, and particulate matter filter samples are collected periodically. 

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 concentration of indoor pollutants is a function of removal processes such as dilution, filtration, and destruction. Dilution is a function of the air exchange rate and the ambient air quality. Gases and particulate matter may also be removed from indoor air by deposition on surfaces. Filtration systems are part of many ventilahon systems. As air is circulated by the air-conditioning system it passes through a filter which can remove some of the particulate matter. The removal efficiency depends on particle size. In addition, some reactive gases like NOj and SOj are readily adsorbed on interior surfaces of a building or home. 

In the past, for many air pollution control situations, a change to a less polluting fuel offered the ideal solution to the problem. If a power plant was emitting large quantities of SO2 and fly ash, conversion to natural gas was cheaper than instaUing the necessary control equipment to reduce the pollutant emissions to the permitted values. If the drier at an asphalt plant was emitting 350 mg of particulate matter per standard cubic meter of effluent when fired with heavy oil of 4% ash, it was probable that a switch to either oil of a lower ash content or natural gas would allow the operation to meet an emission standard of 250 mg per standard cubic meter. 

Air pollution control systems using wet scrubbers will remove some water-soluble gases, but the removal of particulate matter is the primary concern for a control system. The air pollution control system, therefore, is usually a single device such as a wet scrubber, small-diameter multiple cyclones, fabric filters, or ESPs. The multicyclones are the least expensive system and the ESPs the most expensive. 

---