Air Pollution

 Problems/Case Studies

"On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" David W. Kelley, University of St. Thomas, and Rebecca Helgesen, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
In this case, developed for an introductory environmental studies course, students grapple with the issue of air pollution, specifically the causes and effects of haze and smog as ubiquitous, persistent air quality problems that plague urban and rural areas alike. In analyzing local conditions in Minnesota, students explore the wider environmental, political, social, and human health implications of air pollution.
This case is appropriate for undergraduate environmental science, public health, and atmospheric science courses.

"Breathing Easy About New Air Pollution Standards" Kathryn Rowberg, Purdue University Calumet. State University of New York at Buffalo’s National Center for Case Study Teaching
A town meeting is the backdrop for a role-playing case about ground-level ozone air pollution. The case consists of a flier and scripts drawn from public comment records on the current government mandate to reduce ground-level ozone by limiting nitrogen oxide emissions. Students play the parts of stakeholders and develop recommendations for reducing emissions
This case is appropriate for undergraduate environmental science courses.


CNN Video Clips

 Topic: State of the Air 2002: Environmental Science 6th Ed. CNN Ed (2:06)
Environmental Science 6th Ed. CNN Ed (2:06) According to the State of the Air 2002 report by the American Lung Association, nearly 50% of the U.S. population lives in areas where air pollution levels puts them at risk for major health problems.  In fact, over 142 million Americans live in areas that contain dangerous levels of ozone pollution or smog.  Ozone, or smog pollution as it is commonly known, is a byproduct of automobile exhaust and fossil fueled industries, which emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons.  As these gases mix and react with sunlight, they form a dangerous gas that is harmful to human body tissues, such as the eyes, throat, and lungs.  Individuals most at risk are the elderly, people with lung disease, and children with asthma.  Ozone pollution is normally at its highest concentrations during the months of May through September when higher temperatures and sunlight exposure combine to enhance the effects of smog pollution.  Typically, ozone pollution is concentrated in largely populated cities.  However, in some cases, smaller cities in remote areas have been found to contain high amounts of smog pollution caused by ozone pollution that has drifted away from nearby larger cities with high amounts of ozone pollution.  Of the 678 counties in the U.S. with air pollution monitors, 391 counties received an “F” for ozone pollution (an “F” grade indicates an area has nine or more days per year of unhealthful air, based on the EPA Air Quality Index).  Four cities in California remain at the top of the list as the most polluted areas since 2000.  Los Angeles remains the worst ozone polluted area, followed by Bakersfield, Fresno, and the Visalia area.  The fifth most ozone-polluted area was Houston, Texas, followed by Atlanta, Georgia; Merced, California; Knoxville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Sacramento, California.  Only 56 counties in the U.S. scored an “A” for having no or relatively low amounts of ozone pollution.  The cleanest areas include Bellingham, Washington; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Duluth, Minnesota; Fargo, North Dakota; Flagstaff, Arizona; Honolulu, Hawaii; Laredo, Texas; Lincoln, Nebraska; McAllen, Texas; Salinas, California; and Spokane, Washington.  Most of the clean air cities are credited with having relatively fewer sources of greenhouse gas polluters, but can also be attributed to the climate and location of the areas.  The worksheet includes the URL for the American Lung Association website.  (Student worksheet provided on CD)

 Topic: Smog Pollution: Environmental Science 7th Ed. CNN Ed (1:40)
Ozone, or smog pollution as it’s commonly known, is a byproduct of automobile exhaust and emissions from fossil fuel industries, both of which release nitrogen oxides (NOX) and hydrocarbons into the atmosphere. As these gases mix and react with sunlight, they form a dangerous gas that is harmful to human body tissues, such as the eyes, throat, and lungs. From 1952 to 1953, the city of London, England, experienced severe air pollution levels that caused nearly 4,000 deaths. Because of this significant air pollution, the government created the Clean Air Act to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future. Nearly 50 years later, air pollution is still present in many major cities and causes the premature deaths of nearly 24,000 people each year.  (Student worksheet provided on CD)

Topic: Air Pollution: Environmental Science 7th Ed. CNN Ed (2:07)
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, almost 50% of the U.S. population lives in areas where air pollution levels put them at risk for major health problems. In fact, of the 146 million Americans that live in the U.S., nearly 50,000 individuals go to the hospital every year because of their exposure to air pollution. Overall, pollution levels have decreased over the past 30 years. However, U.S. power consumption has grown by 42%, and the average American drives three times longer than drivers in 1970. Ozone, or smog pollution, is a byproduct of automobile exhaust and emissions from fossil fuel industries. It is harmful to human body tissues, and the side effects of exposure include difficulty breathing, stroke, or heart attack. Individuals most at risk are the elderly, people with lung disease, and children with asthma.  (Student worksheet provided on CD)

Topic:   "Fuel cell vehicles":  Environmental Science 5th Ed. CNN Ed 2002 (1:46)
  As our country’s population and travel requirements grow so does the need for a cleaner burning energy.  To meet this growing demand, vehicle manufacturers have created the Ford Focus Fuel Cell Vehicle (FCV), General Motors AUTOnomy, and Daimler-Chrysler Town and Country Natrium.  These three new vehicles are unlike the standard automobile that burns gasoline.  Instead, the Focus (FCV) and AUTOnomy use hydrogen and oxygen for fuel to power the vehicles, while the Natrium uses sodium boro-hydride (a compound related to the laundry soap Borax) to make the hydrogen.  Industry and government officials comment that making the vehicles may be an easier task than figuring out what type of fuel will dominate the market and incorporating the new fuel in gas stations throughout the U.S.
 
Topic:  "Ozone pollution"  Environmental Science 5th Ed. CNN Ed 2002 (1:44)
According to the State of the Air 2001 report by the American Lung Association, the majority of Americans live in areas where ozone pollution is putting them at risk for health problems.  The majority of Americans include over 141 million people who live in areas that received an “F” for ozone pollution (an “F” grade means that an area had nine or more days of unhealthful air, based on the EPA Air Quality Index).  The report indicates that the most ozone-polluted area is Los Angeles, California.  Other California cities that followed with high ozone pollution are Bakersfield, Fresno, and Visalia.  The fifth worst ozone-polluted city was Houston, Texas, followed by Atlanta, Georgia; the Washington D.C. area; Charlotte, North Carolina; Knoxville, Tennessee; and the Philadelphia area.  Ozone—or smog pollution as it is commonly known—is a mixture of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and hydrocarbons from automobile exhaust and fossil-fueled industries, which react with sunlight to form a dangerous gas that is harmful to human body tissues such as the eyes and lungs.  Ozone pollution is normally at its highest concentrations during the months of May through September when higher temperatures and sunlight exposure combine to increase the effects of smog pollution.  Typically, ozone pollution is more concentrated in highly populated cities.  However, in some cases, smaller cities have higher amounts of smog pollution due to increased amounts of pollution from industry, automobile exhaust, or ozone pollution that has traveled from other highly polluted areas.  The worksheet includes the URL for the American Lung Association web site.

Topic:  "World Trade Center Air Pollution":  Environmental Science 5th Ed. CNN Ed 2002 (3:13)
On 11 September 2001, the world changed; at least that’s how most people view the events that occurred on that tragic day.  The aftermath of the destruction left behind an enormous amount of debris and air pollution, which is believed to be the cause of a new illness affecting New York City rescue workers.  At least one out of three rescue firemen who were present at ground zero have been affected by the illness.  The new unknown illness is termed by doctors as the World Trade Center cough and includes symptoms of fatigue, dry mouth, nosebleeds, watery eyes, sore throats, chronic bronchitis, and other symptoms.  New York City medical personnel are compiling data on individuals who suffer from the cough; however, no one is sure what the cause of the illness is or how long the illness will last.  Measurements of high levels of asbestos, lead, fiberglass particles, PCBs, dust, and other chemicals have been found by individuals conducting independent studies on the air quality of the World Trade Center area.  To the contrary, over 4,000 air quality tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency have found that toxin levels are within normal ranges and conclude that any exposure to the area poses no long-term risk to individuals.  The worksheet includes the URL for the Environmental Protection Agency web site.