Troposphere pollution prevention

David T. Allen, Pollution Prevention Engineering Design at Macro-, Meso-, and Microscales John H. Seinfeld, Jean M. Andino, Frank M. Bowman, Mali J. L. Forstner, and Spyros Pandis, Tropospheric Chemistry... 

Krishna has worked for the Shell Oil Cbmpany for many years his chapter on the selection of multiphase reactors carries the knowledge of a skilled practitioner, which complements his theoretical teachings as a professor at the University of Amsterdam. Allen is one of the early pioneers in the application of engineering design to pollution prevention, and his chapter deals with macro-, meso-, and microscales. Seinfeld et al. write on tropospheric chemistry, the arena where a great many of our air pollution problems reside. 

The temperature inversion at the tropopause prevents mixing between the stratosphere and troposphere, with hotter air (less dense) sitting on top of cooler air (more dense). Pollutants (such as chlorofluorocarbons) present in the stratosphere have very long lifetimes (of order 30 years) and become persistent problems, especially... 

Relatively little of the atmosphere s mass is located above the troposphere, but the chemistry that occurs there is nonetheless crucial to maintaining life on earth. Particularly important is what takes place in the ozone layer, an atmospheric band stretching from about 20-40 km above the earth s surface. Ozone (03) is a severe pollutant at low altitudes but is critically important in the upper atmosphere because it absorbs intense ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Even though it is present in very small amounts in the stratosphere, ozone acts as a shield to prevent high-energy solar radiation from reaching the earth s surface, where it can cause such problems as eye cataracts and skin cancer. 

Section 18.4 In the troposphere the chemistry of trace atmospheric components is of major importance. Many of these minor components are pollutants. Sulfur dioxide is one of the more noxious and prevalent examples. It is oxidized in air to form sulfur trioxide, which, upon dissolving in water, forms sulfuric acid. The oxides of sulfur are major contributors to acid rain. One method of preventing... 

---