Escuela Politcnica del Ejrcito ESPE

Contaminacin del aire y su control

Ren Parra Narvez rparra@corpaire.org Quito, mayo de 2009

Introduccin
Muchas personas asocian la contaminacin del aire con el advenimiento de la Revolucin Industrial (Peavy et al., 1998) La contaminacin del aire ha estado presente desde hace siglos Los primeros eventos de contaminacin probablemente fueron de origen natural (gases de volcanes, incendios forestales, resuspensin elica, aerosoles naturales formados por terpenos) Luego, las causas de tipo antrpico aparecen en 2 escena

Introduccin
Actualmente, la contaminacin del aire se genera principalmente por las actividades socioeconmicas (demanda de energa) Industria Transporte

Generacin elctrica
Agricultura

Consumo domstico de combustibles

En algunas regiones, ciertas fuentes naturales3 pueden ser de importancia

Introduccin
Cada da, millones de personas desarrollan actividades que demandan energa (IEA, 1997) Hay que trasladarse hasta los sitios de trabajo, universidades, producir bienes de consumo, servicios, transportar mercancas, calentar o enfriar las viviendas y edificios.

La energa es imprescindible para estas actividades

El consumo de energa es la base sobre la que se desarrollan las sociedades y su economa El uso de energa implica la emisin de contaminantes del aire y gases de efecto invernadero

Introduccin
Eficiencia energtica (The World Bank, 1998): It is one of the main strategic measures not only for conservation of energy resources but also for abatement of air pollution and the slowing down of anthropogenic climate change. measures to reduce energy demand should be priorities across all sector of economy

Contaminacin del aire:

Presencia de material indeseable en el aire, en cantidades suficientes para producir efectos dainos (Nevers, 2000) Gases, lquidos o slidos suspendidos en la atmsfera con suficiente concentracin para afectar la salud de seres humanos, animales, vegetacin, o producir daos en los bienes (Jacobson, 1999) La presencia de sustancias contaminantes en el aire, que interfiere con la salud o el bienestar humano, o que produce otros efectos negativos en el ambiente (EPA)(Vallero, 2008)

Debido a actividades naturales o antropognicas

Calidad del aire en Quito. El Camal

24 jul - 2006. 08h30 25 jul - 2006. 08h30
26 jul - 2006. 08h30

(g m-3)

(mg m-3)

28 jul - 2006. 08h30

31 jul - 2006. 08h30

23-jul

25-jul

27-jul

29-jul

31-jul

Introduccin
Contaminacin del aire La sociedad moderna basa su nivel de vida en actividades que consumen ingentes cantidades de recursos energticos Las eliminacin de estas actividades afectara de manera drstica el nivel de vida. Esta opcin muy pocas veces es considerada. En todos los pases se prefiere continuar con las actividades y tratar de controlar la emisin de contaminantes del aire
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Brief history of air pollution

The impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment can be traced back many centuries Mishnah Laws in Israel (first and second centuries AD) required that, because of the odors emitted, tanneries be located at least 30 m away from the town and only on the east side, due to prevailing westerly winds (Mamane, 1987)

Brief history of air pollution

Another ancient source of pollution was cooper smelting to produce coins near the Mediterranean Sea during Roman times and in China during Song dynasty (960-1279) caused airborne copper concentrations to increase (Hong et al., 1996)

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Brief history of air pollution

Moses Maimonides (Hebrew philosopher, 1135 1204), wrote (Goodhill, 1971):
Comparing the air of cities to the air of deserts and arid lands is like comparing waters that are befouled and turbid to waters that are fine and pure. In the city, because of the height of its buildings, the narrowness of its streets, and all that pours forth from its inhabitants and their superfluities the air becomes stagnant, turbid, thick, misty, and foggy . If there is no choice in this matter, for we have to grown up in the cities and have become accustomed to them, you should select from cities one of open horizons endeavor at least to dwell at the outskirt of the city
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Brief history of air pollution

Moses Maimonides (Hebrew philosopher, 1135 1204), wrote (Goodhill, 1971):
If the air is altered ever so slightly, the state of the Psychic Spirit will be altered perceptibly. Therefore you will find many men in whom you can notice defects in the actions of psyche with the spoilage of the air, namely, that they develop dullness of understanding, failure of intelligence and defect of memory Many of us can relate to his view of the health and psychology impacts of heavy smog episodes (Finlayson and Pitss, 2000)
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Brief history of air pollution

In London, in Middle Ages, a major source of pollution was the heating of lime stone (CaCO3, calcium carbonate) in kilns, using oak brushwood as energy source to produce quicklime (CaO, calcium oxide)(Jacobson, 2002) It released organic gases, nitric oxide, carbon dioxide and organic particulate matter into the air Sea coal was introduced in London as early as 1228. It released sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide, soot and particulate organic matter 13

Brief history of air pollution

The pollution in London due to the burning of sea coal became so severe that by 1306, King Edward I banned the use of coal in lime kilns Between the thirteen and eighteen centuries, the use of sea coal and charcoal increased in England

Coal was used not only in lime kilns and forges, but also in glass furnaces, brick furnaces, breweries and home heating
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Brief history of air pollution

London smog: sulfur dioxide, Acidic aerosols and soot. Evelyn (seventeenth century) wrote (Finlayson and Pitts, 2000) :
But, without the use of Calculations it is evident to every one who looks on the yearly Bill of Mortality, that near half of the children that are born and bred in London die under two years of age. Some have attributed this amazing destruction to luxury and the abuse of Spirituous Liquors: These, no doubt, are powerful assistants; but the constant and unremitting Poison is communicated by the foul Air, which, as the Town still grows larger, has made regular and steady advances in its fatal influences 15

Brief history of air pollution

London smog: sulfur dioxide, Acidic aerosols and soot. Evelyn (seventeenth century) wrote (Finlayson and Pitts, 2000) :
A child born in a Country Village has an even chance of living near 40 years

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1700 1840. The Steam Engine

Air quality in Great Britain worsened in the eighteen century due to the invention of the steam engine, a machine that burned coal to produce mechanical energy Due to its different uses, steam engine were located in urban areas, increasing air pollution Because the steam engine was a large, centralized source of energy, it was responsible for the shift from the artisan shop to the factory system during the Industrial Revolution (Roseberg and Birdzell, 1986) It also was used in other countries, providing a new source of energy and pollution
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1700 1840. The Steam Engine

Idea by Denis Papin

Water is boiled under a close device. The steam push up a piston in a cylinder, and the movement of the cylinder could be used to do work Thomas Savery patented the first steam engine (inefficient, capturing only 1 percent of the maximum possible energy)
James Watt improved its efficiency and made some modifications
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Some air pollution episodes in recent times

Some incidents of excess of deaths associated with smog
Year 1930 Place Meuse Valley, Belgium Number of excess deaths 63

1948
1952 1962

Donora, Pennsylvania
London London

20
4 000 700
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Meuse Valley, Belgium

In December 1930, a 5-day fog event in the presence of a strong temperature inversion and heavy emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) from coal burning resulted in the death of 63 people and the illness of 6000 others, mostly during the last two days of the pollution episodes (Jacobson, 2002) The majority who died were elderly and previously had heart or lung disease

Symptoms included chest pain, cough, shortness of breath and eye irritation 20

Donora, Pennsylvania, United States

Between October 26 and 31, 1948, heavy emission of soot and sulfur dioxide from steel mills and of metal fumes from a zinc smelter, under a strong temperature inversion resulted in the death of 20 people Respiratory illness of 7000 out of the towns 14000 residents Most of the illnesses arose by the third day

Symptoms: cough, sore throat, chest constriction, shortness of breath, eye irritation, nausea and vomiting

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Noontime photography of Donora, on October 29, 1948, during a deadly smog event (Jacobson, 2002). The smog event darkened the city during peak daylight hours

Donora, Pennsylvania, United States

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London, United Kingdom

Several London-type smog events were recorded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries The worst was in December of 1952 when 4000 excess deaths occurred Victims were greater for people older that 45 Specially with heart or respiratory problems

Temperature inversion and heavy emission of pollutants

The particle and fog cover was so heavy that the streets were dark at noontime (Jacobson, 2002)

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Photochemical smog
Also, persistent pollution problems in sunny regions have gained notoriety in the twentieth century Layer of pollution formed almost daily in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles (July 23, 2000)

Other sources than smokestacks, as locomotives, diesel trucks, backyard incinerators an automobiles
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Photochemical smog
The chemistry photochemical smog was first elucidated by Arie Haagen-Smit (1900 1977) He found than when exposed to ozone sealed in a chamber, plants exhibited the same type of damage as did plants exposed to outdoor smog, suggesting that ozone was a constituent of photochemical smog
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Photochemical smog
Haagen-Smit also found that ozone caused eye irritation, damage to materials and respiratory problems Other researchers found that rubber, exposed to high ozone levels, cracked within minutes

In 1952, Haagen-Smit discovered the mechanism of ozone formation in smog. In the laboratory, he produced ozone from oxides of nitrogen and reactive organic gases in the presence of sunlight (Jacobson, 2002)
He suggested that ozone and its precursors were the most important constituents of Los Angeles photochemical smog

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Photochemical smog
It has since been observed in most cites of the world. Notable sites: Mexico City, Santiago, Tokyo, Beijing, Johannesburg, European Mediterranean zones, specially Athens It is now recognized that to be a world-wide problem in areas where volatile organic compounds (VOC) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from major mobile and stationary sources are trapped by thermal inversion and irradiated by sunlight during transport to downwind regions (Finlayson and Pitts, 2000)

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Aspectos histricos del smog tipo Lndres y del smog fotoqumico

Caractersticas
Conocido Contaminantes primarios Contaminantes secundarios Temperatura Humedad relativa Tipo de inversin Hora de concentraciones pico

Smog tipo Lndres

Hace siglos SO2, holln H2SO4, sulfatos (SO4--), aerosoles Fra Alta, usualmente nublado Radiativa Primeras horas de la maana

Smog fotoqumico (Los Angeles)

Desde mediados de los 40s COV, NOx O3, PAN, HNO3, aldehdos, aerosoles, sulfatos, nitratos Calor Baja, usualmente caliente y seco Subsidencia Al medio da y primeras horas de la tarde 28