Download Sources of CO in your home - Livingston Public Schools

Warm Up
• On the front of your Index Card answer the following questions to the best
of your ability:
1) Name as many types of air pollutants as you
know.
2) Pick 1 pollutant from those you listed and:
- give one source of that pollution.
- describe one way it affects human health.
- describe one way it negatively affects the
environment.
Sources of CO in your home
Common sources of carbon
monoxide include a furnace,
gas water heater, gas oven or
range, gas dryer, kerosene
space heater, wood burning
stove or fireplace.
Major Sources of CO
The Basics
• What is carbon monoxide?
• Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas
which could be created whenever a fuel (such as wood, gasoline,
coal, natural gas, kerosene, etc.) is burning.
• How does carbon monoxide harm you?
• Quite simply, carbon monoxide prevents oxygen from being used by
your body. Carbon monoxide is poisonous and can harm your
central nervous system and even your heart.
• Who is at risk?
• Everyone is at risk of being poisoned by carbon monoxide. However,
individuals with existing health problems such as heart and lung
disease and the elderly are especially vulnerable. Infants, children
and pregnant women are also at high risk
Steps to Reduce Exposure to Carbon
Monoxide
• It is most important to be sure combustion equipment is maintained and
properly adjusted.
• Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
• Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented
one.
• Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.
• Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
• Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
• Choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission
standards. Make certain that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly.
• Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating
system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks
promptly.
• Do not idle the car inside garage.
• Never use a generator inside homes, garages, crawlspaces, sheds, or
similar areas. Deadly levels of carbon monoxide can quickly build up in
these areas and can linger for hours, even after the generator has shut off.
CO detectors/alarms can help prevent exposure to unhealthy
CO concentrations, but are not a substitute for proper use
and upkeep of appliances and other potential sources of CO.
What do CFCs do?
• CFCs break down Ozone
in the stratosphere
• Ozone in the
stratosphere protects us
from UV radiation
• It is a chain reaction – so
it keeps happening over
and over again
• Less ozone means more
UV
• UV radiation is linked to
increased rates of skin
cancer
Even though CFCs were banned in the 80’s the
CFCs stay in the atmosphere for many years.
What has happened to CFC production
over the last 30 years
What would have happened to the ozone
layer if CFC’s had not been banned?
Effects of UV radiation on Human
Health
• Skin Cancer (Melanoma, Basal Cell Carcinoma,
Squamous Cell Carcinoma)
• Premature Aging
• Cataracts in the eyes
• Immune Suppression
Environmental Effects of UV Radiation
• Alters the structure and development of plants
• Kills phytoplankton (the main producer for
aquatic ecosystems)
• Damage to early developmental stages of fish,
shrimp, crab, amphibians and other animals.
Damage includes decreased reproductive
capacity and impaired larval development.
• Could affect terrestrial and aquatic
biogeochemical cycles - thus altering both
sources and sinks of greenhouse and other
important gases
What are VOCs?
• VOC = Volatile Organic Compound
• Includes a variety of chemicals that evaporate
into the air and give off fumes
Sources of VOCs
VOCs from cars
• Types of Vehicle
Emissions:
• Evaporative:
Compounds that
evaporate as the engine in
vehicles heats up
• Refueling Losses:
Some evaporation of
gasoline occurs as vehicles
refuel
Where can you find them in your house?
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Paints and lacquers
Paint strippers
Cleaning supplies
Pesticides
Building materials and furnishings
Correction fluids
Carbonless copy paper
Permanent markers
Photographic solutions
Wood preservatives
Aerosol sprays
Moth repellents
Air Fresheners
Stored Fuels
Automotive Products
Office equipment such as copiers and printers
Graphics and craft materials including glues and adhesives
Dry-cleaned clothing (take the plastic off right away when you get it home)
Exposure to VOCs in your Home
• Studies have found that levels of several organics
average 2 to 5 times higher indoors than outdoors.
During and for several hours immediately after certain
activities, such as paint stripping, levels may be 1,000
times background outdoor levels.
• A common misconception regarding the “off-gassing”
of VOCs is that it ceases once the paint or other
substance is dry, or if there is no detectable odor. Most
paints and other products will continue to release
harmful vapors for several days after application.
• (“off-gassing” is when something gives off fumes)
Health Effects of Exposure to VOCs
• Health effects varies greatly from highly toxic to no known health
effect.
• The extent and nature of the health effect will depend on many
factors including level of exposure and length of time exposed.
• Symptoms include:
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Eye irritation
Respiratory tract irritation
Headaches
Dizziness
Visual disorders
Memory impairment
• Many organic compounds are known to cause cancer in animals;
some are suspected of causing, or are known to cause, cancer in
humans.
Reduce, Prevent, Protect
Healthy Painting and Remodeling Guidelines
• Pain in the fall or spring when windows are
more easily left open for ventilation.
• Choose 100% non-VOC paints and related
products, or ask for assistance in selecting
low-toxic, low-VOC products from qualified
retailers or contractors.
• Keep windows wide-open for at least 48 to
72 hours after painting, refinishing floors, or
other activity involving chemicals.
• Make sure there is cross ventilation. Use
window mounted box fans if available.
• Take frequent fresh air breaks while painting
and use masks or other respiratory
protection.
• Keep pregnant women and young children
from freshly painted rooms.
• Leave painted areas if you experience eye
watering, headaches, or dizziness.
Steps to Reduce Exposure
• Follow label instructions carefully.
• Throw away partially full containers of old or
unneeded chemicals safely.
• Buy limited quantities.
• Keep exposure to emissions from products containing
methylene chloride to a minimum (paint stripppers
and related products).
• Keep exposure to benzene to a minimum (found in
gasoline).
• Keep exposure to perchloroethylene emissions from
newly dry-cleaned materials to a minimum.
Sources of NOx
Health Effects Associated with
Nitrogen Dioxide
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Eye, nose, and throat irritation.
May cause impaired lung function
Increased respiratory infections in young children.
Smog can trigger asthma attacks
Extremely high-dose exposure (as in a building fire) to NO2 may
result in pulmonary edema (swelling of blood vessels near the heart
and lungs) and lung injury.
• Continued exposure to high NO2 levels can contribute to the
development of acute or chronic bronchitis.
• Low level NO2 exposure may cause
– increased bronchial reactivity in some asthmatics
– decreased lung function in patients with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease
– increased risk of respiratory infections, especially in young children.
Environmental Effects of NOx
• Contributes to the formation of Ground Level
Ozone and Smog
• Contributes to the formation of Acid Rain
• Contributes to the formation nitrate particulates
that can reduce visibility
• Can react with other chemicals to form toxic
substances
• Decreases water quality
• Linked to climate change
A global view of nitrogen dioxide concentrations shows an improvement in air quality
in many parts of the world. In the Eastern United States and in Europe, nitrogen
dioxide concentrations are decreasing, but in East Asia, they are increasing as a result
of the rapid boom in manufacturing and industry in this region of the world.
Credit: NASA
Nox Contributes to Acid Rain
NOx contributes to Ground Level Ozone
NOx Emission Trends for All Acid Rain Program Units, 1990 – 2008
• The Acid Rain Program (ARP), established under the 1990 Clean Air Act
(CAA) Amendments, requires major emission reductions of SO2 and NOx,
the primary precursors of acid rain, from the electric power industry. NOx
reductions under the ARP applies to a subset of coal-fired electric
generating units (EGUs). Since the program began in 1995, the ARP has
achieved significant emission reductions.
• From 1995 to 2008, annual NOx emissions from ARP units dropped by
about 3.1 million tons, a net decrease of 51 percent. Forty-two states and
the District of Columbia reduced NOx emissions during this period versus
six states that accounted for only about 15,600 tons of increased NOx
emissions during the same period.
Catalytic Converters in Cars have
reduced NOx emissions since their
introduction in 1973
How does ground level ozone form?
How does SMOG form?
• Ground Level Ozone and other chemicals (in particular
particulate matter) combine to form SMOG
Ozone can affect your health by…
• Making it more difficult to breathe deeply and vigorously.
• Causing shortness of breath and pain when taking a deep
breath.
• Causing coughing and sore or scratchy throat.
• Inflaming and damaging the airways.
• Aggravating lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and
chronic bronchitis.
• Increasing the frequency of asthma attacks.
• Making the lungs more susceptible to infection.
• Continuing to damage the lungs even when the symptoms
have disappeared.
• Children are at greatest risk from exposure to
ozone because their lungs are still developing
and they are more likely to be active outdoors
when ozone levels are high, which increases
their exposure. Children are also more likely
than adults to have asthma.
Ozone can Damage Ecosystems
• Interferes with the ability of sensitive plants to produce
and store food.
• Visibly damages the leaves of trees and other plants,
harming the appearance of vegetation in urban areas,
national parks, and recreation areas.
• Reduces tree growth
• Continued ozone exposure over time can lead to
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Increased susceptibility to disease
Damage from insects,
Increased damage from other pollutants
Harm from severe weather.
Loss of species diversity
Changes to habitat quality and water and nutrient cycles.
On Days when High Ozone Levels are Expected,
Take these Extra Steps to Reduce Pollution:
• Choose a cleaner commute - share a ride to work or
use public transportation.
• Combine errands and reduce trips. Walk to errands
when possible.
• Avoid excessive idling of your automobile.
• Refuel your car in the evening when its cooler.
• Conserve electricity and set air conditioners no lower
than 78 degrees.
• Defer lawn and gardening chores that use gasolinepowered equipment, or wait until evening.
What is SO2 gas? Where does it come
from?
• Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a highly reactive gas linked
with a number of adverse effects on the
respiratory system.
• 93% of SO2 emissions are from fossil fuel
combustion at power plants and other industrial
facilities. 73 % of that is for power plants alone.
• Smaller sources of SO2 emissions include
extracting metal from ore, and the burning of
high sulfur containing fuels by locomotives, large
ships, and non-road equipment.
How can sulfur dioxide affect your health?
• Sulfur dioxide irritates the skin and mucous
membranes of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs.
• High concentrations of SO2 can cause inflammation and
irritation of the respiratory system, particularly during
heavy physical activity.
• The resulting symptoms may include pain when taking
a deep breath, coughing, throat irritation, and
breathing difficulties.
• High concentrations of SO2 can affect lung function,
worsen asthma attacks, and aggravate existing heart
disease in sensitive groups.
• This gas can also react with other chemicals in the air
and convert to a small particle that can lodge in the
lungs and cause similar health effects.
People particularly sensitive to sulfur
dioxide include:
• People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic
bronchitis, and emphysema will generally experience more
serious health effects at lower SO2 levels.
• Children are at higher risk from SO2 exposure because they
are more likely to have asthma, which may be aggravated
by SO2 exposure. Their lungs are still developing.
• Older adults may be more affected by SO2 exposure,
possibly because they are more likely to have pre-existing
lung or cardiovascular disease.
• Active people of all ages who exercise or work vigorously
outdoors have higher exposure to sulfur dioxide than
people who are less active.
SO2 causes Acid Rain
Effects of Acid Rain
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The Acid Rain
Program (ARP),
established under the
Clean Air Act (CAA)
Amendments,
requires major
emission reductions
of sulfur dioxide
(SO2) from the
electric power
industry. The SO2
program sets a
permanent cap on
the total amount of
SO2 that may be
emitted by electric
generating units
(EGUs) in the United
States. The final 2010
SO2 cap was set at
8.95 million tons, a
level of about onehalf of the emissions
from the power
sector in 1980.
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The states with the highest emitting sources in 1990 have
generally seen the greatest SO2 reductions under the ARP. The
reductions have resulted in important environmental and health
benefits over a large region. In addition, from 2008 to 2009,
reductions in SO2 emissions from ARP units in 45 states totaled
about 1.89 million tons, or about 25 percent for the year. Six
states (Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
West Virginia) accounted for most of the one-year reductions
from 2008 to 2009.
What is particulate matter?
• "Particulate matter," also known as particle
pollution or PM, is a complex mixture of
extremely small particles and liquid droplets.
Particle pollution is made up of a number of
components, including acids (such as nitrates
and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, and
soil or dust particles.
The size of the particles matters…
• The size of particles is directly linked to their potential for
causing health problems. EPA is concerned about particles
that are 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller because those
are the particles that generally pass through the throat and
nose and enter the lungs. Once inhaled, these particles can
affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health effects.
EPA groups particle pollution into two categories:
– "Inhalable coarse particles," such as those found near roadways
and dusty industries, are larger than 2.5 micrometers and smaller
than 10 micrometers in diameter.
– "Fine particles," such as those found in smoke and haze, are 2.5
micrometers in diameter and smaller. These particles can be
directly emitted from sources such as forest fires, or they can form
when gases emitted from power plants, industries and
automobiles react in the air.
Where does PM come from?
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Construction sites
Unpaved roads
Fields
Smokestacks
Forest fires
Chemicals such as sulfur dioxides and nitrogen
oxides that are emitted from power plants
• Combustion in cars
• Burning vegetation
• Incinerating garbage
Health Effects
• Particle pollution - especially fine particles - contains
microscopic solids or liquid droplets that are so small that
they can get deep into the lungs and cause serious health
problems. Numerous scientific studies have linked particle
pollution exposure to a variety of problems, including:
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premature death in people with heart or lung disease,
nonfatal heart attacks,
irregular heartbeat,
aggravated asthma,
decreased lung function
increased respiratory symptoms, such as irritation of the
airways, coughing or difficulty breathing.
Environmental damage
• making lakes and streams acidic
• changing the nutrient balance in coastal
waters and large river basins
• depleting the nutrients in soil
• damaging sensitive forests and farm crops
• affecting the diversity of ecosystems.
• contributing to acid precipitation
• contributing to smog
PM Special Case - Asbestos
• Asbestos is a very common material that was
used extensively in construction materials for
many decades. Legislation was introduced in
1978 to ban Asbestos from building materials
however many homes built prior to 1990
contain some asbestos in various materials,
the older the home is, the higher the chance
of asbestos containing materials could be
present.
Asbestos Do's and Don'ts for the Homeowner
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Do leave undamaged asbestos-containing materials alone.
Do keep activities to a minimum in any areas having damaged material that may contain
asbestos, including limiting children's access to any materials that may contain asbestos.
Do take every precaution to avoid damaging asbestos-containing material.
Do have removal and major repair done by people trained and qualified in handling
asbestos. It is highly recommended that sampling and minor repair also be done by a
trained and accredited asbestos professional
Don't dust, sweep, or vacuum debris that may contain asbestos.
Don't saw, sand, scrape, or drill holes in asbestos-containing materials.
Don't use abrasive pads or brushes on power strippers to strip wax from asbestos
flooring. Never use a power stripper on flooring that may contain asbestos.
Don't sand or try to level asbestos flooring or its backing. When asbestos flooring needs
replacing install new floor covering over it, if possible.
Don't track material that could contain asbestos through the house. If you cannot avoid
walking through the area, have it cleaned with a wet mop. If the material is from a
damaged area or if a large area must be cleaned, call an asbestos professional.
Follow these Tips Every Day to
Reduce Pollution:
• Conserve energy - at home, at work, everywhere.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office
equipment.
• Carpool, use public transportation, bike, or walk whenever possible.
• Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery,
being careful not to spill fuel and always tightening your gas cap
securely.
• Consider purchasing portable gasoline containers labeled “spillproof,” where available.
• Keep car, boat, and other engines properly tuned.
• Be sure your tires are properly inflated.
• Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever
possible.
• Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste.
• Consider using gas logs instead of wood.
Wrap Up
• On the BACK of your Index Card answer the following
questions to the best of your ability:
1) Name as many types of air pollutants as you know.
2) Pick 2 pollutants from those you listed and give at
least one source for each pollutant (where did they
come from?)
3) Pick 2 pollutants from those you listed and describe
how each one it affects human health (at least one
health effect for each).
4) Pick 2 pollutant from those you listed and describe
how each negatively affects the environment (at least
one effect for each).