Sulfur dioxide smog pollutant

Three properties of photochemical smog were evident first in Los Angeles eye irritation haze (aerosol) formation and the d adation of rubber products. All three are associated with oxidants, although aerosols can also be formed by other pollutants, particularly sulfur dioxide. 

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. 

Approximately half of the world s population now lives in urban areas, and half of these people suffer an atmosphere containing harmful amounts of substances such as sulfur dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter. Approximately 4000 people died from lung and heart conditions during a London smog episode in December 1952. Globally, around 50% of cases of chronic respiratory illness are now connected with ah pollution. The most... 

Industrial smog Visible airborne pollution containing large amounts of particulates and sulfur dioxide and produced largely from the combustion of coal and oil. 

A limited amount of work has been carried out on the effect of pollutants. Sulfur dioxide decreased the amount of iodine liberated from all reagents the difference between reagents II and III was small. Nitrogen dioxide yielded 8 to 11% interference with reagent III, and about the same with II. Five tests with 500 p.p.m. of nitric acid vapor showed an average interference of 0.5 p.p.m. of ozone with reagent III. Interferences from other smog constituents have not been completely evaluated. 

The first death occurred on the third day and on the fourth day, the number of deaths increased so that a temporary morgue had to be set up. The town s eight physicians were too few in number to attend to all who were affected. All during this period, the plants continued to spew pollution, containing particulates, sulfur dioxide/sulfuric acid, zinc, lead and cadmium, into the air. It was not until the morning of the 30th that the Donora Zinc Works shut down and later that afternoon, rains finally arrived and washed the smog from the air. 

As is the case with smog, the chemicals responsible for acid rain are not persistent pollutants. They are rapidly removed from the air by natural weather processes. Acid rain is a persistent problem because we continue to manufacture the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in massive amounts by the combustion of fossil fuels. If we stop this combustion, the acid rain would disappear in a matter of months. 

Sulfur oxides, in the form of sulfur dioxide (SO-) sulfur trioxide (SO-), sulfuric acid (H-SO ) and sulfates (SO ). Most of these pollutants are emitted to the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide, which is chemically converted by oxidation to SO- and sulfates in the air. Both particulate matter from smoke and sulfur oxides are known to be components in the smogs of London. They are mainly the result of combustion of coal. 

The earliest reports of acute environmental incidents were of air pollution emergencies. In the Meuse Valley of Belgium during 1930, 63 persons died and thousands became ill from sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid air pollution (French 1989). The Donora, Pennsylvania, smog disaster in 1948 left 20 dead and more than 5,000 ill (French 1989). 

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