Sulfur dioxide pollution effect

Sulfur dioxide pollution may cause leaves to yellow or brown in between the veins. Sulfur dioxide also combines with moisture in the air to form acid rain. While the exact effect of acid rain on plants isn t known, it... 

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. 

One way to control gaseous pollutants like SO2 and SO3 is to remove the gases from fuel exhaust systems by absorption into a liquid solution or by adsorption onto a solid material. Absorption involves dissolving the gas in a liquid while adsorption is a surface phenomenon. In each case, a subsequent chemical reaction can occur to further trap the pollutant. Lime and limestone are two solid materials that effectively attract sulfur dioxide gas to their surfaces. The ensuing chemical reaction converts the gaseous pollutant to a solid nontoxic substance that can be collected and disposed or used in another industry. 

Wilson, W. E., Jr., A. Levy, and D. B. Wimmer. A study of sulfur dioxide in photochemical smog. II. Effect of sulfur dioxide on oxidant formation in photochemical smog. J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc. 22 27-32, 1972. 

Many deleterious effects have been associated with photochemically polluted air ozone is deflnitely associated with respiratory problems, plant damage, and material damage PAN has deflnitely been associated with plant damage, and some other members of this class of chemical compounds have been associated with eye irritation the hydroxyl radical is considered to be an important factor in the conversion of gas-phase intermediates to end products, such as sulfur dioxide to particulate sulfate the particulate complex is responsible for haze formation and has also been associated with eye irritation and respiratory effects. The aldehydes have been associated with eye irritation. Ozone and PAN themselves do not cause eye irritation. For purposes of control, much more research is needed, in order to relate the laboratory data about the concentrations of these various materials that have significant effects to their formation in the atmosphere from emission and their atmospheric distribution. The lack of convenient measurement methods has hindered progress in gaining this understanding. 

Even less is known about the effects of ozone on carbohydrates. Buell et al. observed a decrease in the depolymerization of hyaluronic acid after treatment of the lungs of ozone-exposed rabbits (1 ppm for 1 h) with hyaluronidase. B. Goldstein et al. reported a loss in membrane neuraminic acid of red cells exposed in vitro to high concentrations of ozone. It would be important to study the effects of ozone on respiratory tract mucus, which is rich in carbohydrates, including neuraminic acid. This could indude determination of foe extent to which ozone is able to penetrate mucus that is unaltered, whether foe reaction of ozone with mucus results in the formation of cytotoxic intermediates, and evaluation of the interaction in mucus of ozone with other air pollutants, particularly sulfur dioxide. Of possible pertinence is a study by Falk et who observed that ozone produced a loss in foe viral hemagglutinating ability of snail mucus. 

Oxidant air pollutants exist as parts of a complex mixture of gases, many of which may be phytotoxic. However, expect for ambient-air studies and simulated photochemical-oxidant studies, little research was done with pollutant combinations until the classic work of Menser and Heggestad in 1966. It is of interest that Thomas et suggested that sulfur dioxide might lessen the effect of oxidants in causing foliar injury to pinto bean. Middleton et working with ratios of sulfur... 

Other combinations of pollutants with ozone, PAN, or both may be important, but have received little study. Matsushima reported additive foliar effects on pinto bean and tomato from a mixture of sulfur dioxide and PAN and a less than additive effect on tomato from mixtures of ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Fujiwara reported a greater than additive effect on pea from a mixture of ozone and nitrogen dioxide. Kress and Kohut studied the response of hybrid poplar to ozone-PAN mixtures. Kress used sequential exposures and found a greater than additive effect after most exposures after others, he reported mixed responses. Kohut used simultaneous exposure and found all three responses in three replicates of a study. The reasons for these variations are unclear. 

Early work with sulfur dioxide showed a linear relationship between visible injury and reduction in yield for many crop species. The assessment was made that no reduction in yield would be found unless visible injury were noted. Definitive research with ozone, other oxidants, or mixtures of these pollutants with other gases has not been done. Thus, we do not know whether such relationships between visible injury and yield hold for the oxidants, but data in Table 11-3 suggest that for acute exposures there may be good correlations between injury and yield reductions. Many researchers have hypothesized that the oxidants may have an effect on plants that will produce a yield reduction with little or no visible injury. Such studies need to be designed in a more defmitive manner before it is concluded that yield reductions without visible symptoms are clearly acceptable. Projections of yield losses have made use of some of the data reported earlier. ... 

Tingey, D. T., and R. A. Reinert. The effect of ozone and sulfur dioxide singly and in combination on plant growth. Environ. Pollut. 9 117-126, 1975. 

The effects of sulfur dioxide on cone production have been described by Scheffer and Hedgcock and Pelz. Generally, the decrease in tree vigor caused by the pollutant may eliminate or lower the frequency of cone production and diminish the size, weight, and germination of seed. The effects of chronic ozone injury on conifer seed production may be similar, in that tree vigor is drastically reduced. The effects of chronic ozone injury on ponderosa and Jeffrey pine seed production are under investigation by Luck (in Kickert et al,... 

---