DOCSLIB.ORG

Techniques for Controlling Air Pollution from the Operation of Nuclear Facilities

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Techniques for Controlling Air Pollution from the Operation of Nuclear Facilities This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ SAFETY SERIES Ok_____4 * r No. 17 Techniques for Controlling Air Pollution from the Operation of Nuclear Facilities INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 1966 This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ SAFETY SERIES No. 17: TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING AIR POLLUTION FROM THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES . CORRIGENDA page 14, Table I, column 6 Above "Variable" for 0.73 -0.23 read 0.073 -0.23 page 62, Eq. (2) ' E°L exp ( c 2x+2^n ) lead exp ) page 64. Table IV The column headings should be as follows: C 2 (metres)11 at various h values in metres Condition n h = 25 h = 50 h = 75 h = 100 page 66, Eq. (11) F o r (27r)2 read 2 ir? page 96 The third equation on the page should read: This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING AIR POLLUTION FROM THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ The following States are Members of the International Atomic Energy Agency: AFGHANISTAN FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NICARAGUA ALBANIA GERMANY NIGERIA ALGERIA GABON NORWAY ARGENTINA GHANA PAKISTAN AUSTRALIA GREECE PARAGUAY AUSTRIA GUATEMALA PERU BELGIUM HAITI PHILIPPINES BOLIVIA HOLY SEE POLAND BRAZIL HONDURAS PORTUGAL BULGARIA HUNGARY ROMANIA BURMA ICELAND SAUDI ARABIA BYELORUSSIAN SOVIET INDIA SENEGAL SOCIALIST REPUBLIC INDONESIA SOUTH AFRICA CAMBODIA IRAN SPAIN CAMEROON IRAQ SUDAN CANADA ISRAEL SWEDEN CEYLON ITALY SWITZERLAND CHILE IVORY COAST SYRIA CHINA JAMAICA THAILAND COLOMBIA JAPAN TUNISIA CONGO, DEMOCRATIC KENYA TURKEY REPUBLIC OF REPUBLIC OF KOREA UKRAINIAN SOVIET SOCIALIST COSTA RICA KUWAIT REPUBLIC CUBA LEBANON UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST CYPRUS LIBERIA REPUBLICS CZECHOSLOVAK SOCIALIST LIBYA UNITED ARAB REPUBLIC REPUBLIC LUXEMBOURG UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT DENMARK MADAGASCAR BRITAIN AND NORTHERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MALI IRELAND ECUADOR MEXICO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA EL SALVADOR MONACO URUGUAY ETHIOPIA MOROCCO VENEZUELA FINLAND NETHERLANDS VIET- NAM FRANCE NEW ZEALAND YUGOSLAVIA The Agency's Statute was approved on 23 October 1956 by the Conference on the Statute of the IAEA held at United Nations Headquarters, New York; it entered into force on 29 July 1957. The Headquarters of the Agency are situated in Vienna. Its principal objective is "to accelerate and enlarge the contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity throughout the world". © IAEA, 1966 Permission to reproduce or translate the information contained in this publication maybe obtained by writing to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Karntner Ring 11, Vienna I, Austria. Printed by the IAEA in Austria M arch 1966 This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ SAFETY SERIES No. 17 TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING AIR POLLUTION FROM THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES REPORT OF A PANEL ON TECHNIQUES FOR PREVENTING ATMOSPHERE POLLUTION FRO M THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES HELD IN VIENNA, 4-8 NOVEMBER 1963 INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY VIENNA, 1966 This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ International Atomic Energy Agency. Techniques for controlling air pollution from the operation of nuclear facilities. Report of a panel ... held in Vienna, 4 -8 November 1963. Vienna, the Agency, 1966. 117 p. (IAEA, Safety series no. 17) 621.039.584-733 614.876 628.511 TfflS REPORT IS ALSO PUBLISHED IN FRENCH; MIMEOGRAPHED COPIES IN RUSSIAN AND SPANISH ARE A V A ILA BLE ON APPLICA TIO N TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING AIR POLLUTION FROM THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, IAEA, VIENNA, 1966 STI/PUB/ 121 This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ FOREWORD The number of developing countries that are constructing new nuclear facilities is increasing. These facilities include research and power reac­ tors and radioisotope and research'laboratories, all of which pose air pol­ lution problems. The combination of a well designed ventilation system with thorough cleaning of exhaust air is the main method of preventing radioactive con­ tamination of the air in working areas as well as in the surrounding atmos­ phere, and therefore of protecting the personnel and population against inter­ ned radioactive contamination. That is why ventilation and air-cleaning sys­ tems are such an important part of the general design of any nuclear facility. Requirements for the removal of radioactive particulates and gases resulting from the operation of nuclear energy facilities generally differ from those for operations with non-radioactive substances because of the inherent toxicity of the materials; hence the very strict health and safety requirements. A second problem which often arises with radioactive ma­ terials is that the cleaning devices of filter units may become a source of direct radiation and this imposes handling restrictions or special controls. The IAEA convened a panel in Vienna, from 4-8 November 1963, to correlate present experience in the techniques for controlling nuclear faci­ lities in different countries, to agree on general principles, and to prepare this report. This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1 1.1. Purpose ....................................................................................... 1 1.2. Scope .......................................................................... ; ................ 2 2. GENERAL AIMS OF VENTILATION AND AIR-CLEANING SYSTEMS ....................................................................................................... 2 3. HEALTH AND SA FET Y REQUIREMENTS FOR DESIGN OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN NUCLEAR FACILITIES 3 3.1. Maximum perm issible concentrations ........................ 3 3.2. Ventilation design ................................................................. 4 3.3. Inlet ventilation ...................................................................... 7 3.4. Exhaust ventilation ................................................................ 7 3.5. Special ventilation re q u ire m e n ts.................................... 10 3.6. Radioactive waste incin erators ...................................... 19 4. AIR-CLEANING METHODS ............................................................ 20 4.1. Methods of removal of radioactive dust..................... 21 4.2. Methods of removing vapours and gases .................. 38 4.3. Conditioning of inlet air ..................................................... 50 5. FACTORS AFFECTING THE DILUTION OF CONTAMI­ NATED AIR DISCHARGED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE .. 53 5.1. B asic m eteorological considerations .......................... 53 5.2. Stack dispersion and meteorological control ......... 60 5. 3. Stack height and effective stack height..................... 60 5.4. Behaviour of stack effluents ........................................... 62 6. CONTROL AND MONITORING OF VENTILATION AND AIR-CLEANING SYSTEMS ............................................................. 67 6.1. Control of ventilation ............................................................ 68 6.2. Control of air cleaning ....................................................... 71 6.3. Monitoring of air contamination .................................... 73 This publication is no longer valid Please see http://www-ns.iaea.org/standards/ APPENDIX I - GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF FILTERED VENTILATION SYSTEMS ....................................... 80 1. THE SYSTEM IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA........................................ 80 1.1. Maximum permissible concentrations in air of single radioisotopes and radioisotope mixtures ... 80 1.2. Process building filtered ventilation system .......... 84 2. FIRE PREVENTION IN VENTILATION AND AIR- CLEANING SYSTEMS ....................................................................... 85 2.1. In trod u ction ................................................................................. 85 2.2. Typical hazards ....................................................................... 85 2.3. Fire prevention measures................................................... 86 2.4. Fire detection and fire extinguishing in ducting ... 91 2.5. Controls ....................................................................... '.............. 92 2.6. M aintenance................................................................................. 92 3. RESEARCH REACTOR VENTILATION...................................... 94 APPENDIX II - TECHNICAL INFORMATION ON AIR- CLEANING DEVICES ................. ............................ 95 1. MECHANISM OF AEROSOLS FILTRATION ............................ 95 2. METHODS OF TESTING HIGH EFFICIENCY FILTERS 96 3. VARIOUS GASEOUS RADIOISOTOPES OR SUBSTANCES CONTAINING T H E M -.......................................................................... 99 3.1. Isotopes formed in nuclear reactors ........................... 99 3.2. Isotopes formed in hot and radioisotope lab oratories ................................................................................. 101 4 . VARIOUS METHODS USED IN THE SOVIET UNION TO REMOVE RADIOACTIVE
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Soil Contamination and Human Health: a Major Challenge For
    Soil contamination and human health : A major challenge for global soil security Florence Carre, Julien Caudeville, Roseline Bonnard, Valérie Bert, Pierre Boucard, Martine Ramel To cite this version: Florence Carre, Julien Caudeville, Roseline Bonnard, Valérie Bert, Pierre Boucard, et al.. Soil con- tamination and human health : A major challenge for global soil security. Global Soil Security Sympo- sium, May 2015, College Station, United States. pp.275-295, 10.1007/978-3-319-43394-3_25. ineris- 01864711 HAL Id: ineris-01864711 https://hal-ineris.archives-ouvertes.fr/ineris-01864711 Submitted on 30 Aug 2018 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Human Health as another major challenge of Global Soil Security Florence Carré, Julien Caudeville, Roseline Bonnard, Valérie Bert, Pierre Boucard, Martine Ramel Abstract This chapter aimed to demonstrate, by several illustrated examples, that Human Health should be considered as another major challenge of global soil security by emphasizing the fact that (a) soil contamination is a worldwide issue, estimations can be done based on local contamination but the extent and content of diffuse contamination is largely unknown; (b) although soil is able to store, filter and reduce contamination, it can also transform and make accessible soil contaminants and their metabolites, contributing then to human health impacts.
    [Show full text]
  • What's in the Air Gets Around Poster
    Air pollution comes AIR AWARENESS: from many sources, Our air contains What's both natural & manmade. a combination of different gasses: OZONE (GOOD) 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, in the is a gas that occurs forest fires, vehicle exhaust, naturally in the upper plus 1% from carbon dioxide, volcanic emissions smokestack emissions atmosphere. It filters water vapor, and other gasses. the sun's ultraviolet rays and protects AIRgets life on the planet from the Air moves around burning Around! when the wind blows. rays. Forests can be harmed when nutrients are drained out of the soil by acid rain, and trees can't Air grow properly. pollution ACID RAIN Water The from one place can forms when sulfur cause problems oxides and nitrogen oxides falls from 1 air is in mix with water vapor in the air. constant motion many miles from clouds that form where it Because wind moves the air, acid in the air. Pollutants around the earth (wind). started. rain can fall hundreds of miles from its AIR MONITORING: and tiny bits of soil are As it moves, it absorbs source. Acid rain can make lakes so acidic Scientists check the quality of carried with it to the water from lakes, rivers that plants and animals can't live in the water. our air every day and grade it using the Air Quality Index (AQI). ground below. and oceans, picks up soil We can check the daily AQI on the from the land, and moves Internet or from local 2 pollutants in the air. news sources. Greenhouse gases, sulfur oxides and Earth's nitrogen oxides are added to the air when coal, oil and natural gas are CARS, TRUCKS burned to provide Air energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Improving Air Quality for Operators of Mobile Machines in Underground Mines
    atmosphere Article Improving Air Quality for Operators of Mobile Machines in Underground Mines Andrzej Szczurek 1, Monika Maciejewska 1,*, Marcin Przybyła 2 and Wacław Szetelnicki 2 1 Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrze˙zeWyspia´nskiego27, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland; [email protected] 2 Centrum Bada´nJako´scisp. zo. o., ul. M. Skłodowskiej-Curie 62, 59-301 Lubin, Poland; [email protected] (M.P.); [email protected] (W.S.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +48-7132-028-68 Received: 12 November 2020; Accepted: 9 December 2020; Published: 18 December 2020 Abstract: In underground mines, mobile mining equipment is critical for the production system. The microenvironment inside the mobile machine may cause exposure to strongly polluted mine air, which adversely affects the health and working performance of the operator. Harmful pollutants may access the cabin together with the ventilation air delivered from the machine’s surroundings. This work proposes a solution that is able to ensure that the air for the machine operator is of proper quality. The proposal emerged from an analysis of the compliance of cabins of mobile machines working underground in mines with occupational health and safety (H&S) standards. An analytical model of air quality in a well-mixed zone was utilized for this purpose. The cabin atmosphere was investigated with regard to the concentration of gaseous species in the surrounding air, the cabin ventilation rate, and human breathing parameters. The analysis showed that if currently available ventilation approaches are used, compliance with multiple H&S standards cannot be attained inside the cabin if standards are exceeded in the surroundings of the machine.
    [Show full text]
  • Indoor Air Quality
    Indoor Air Quality Poor indoor air quality can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, headache, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or other breathing problems or who have allergies may have severe reactions. Common Indoor Air Pollutants Poor indoor air quality comes from many sources, including: » Tobacco smoke » Mold » Pollen » Allergens such as those from cats, dogs, mice, dust mites, and cockroaches » Smoke from fireplaces and woodstoves » Formaldehyde in building materials, textiles, and furniture » Carbon monoxide from gas furnaces, ovens, and other appliances » Use of household products such as cleaners and bug sprays » Outdoor air pollution from factories, vehicles, wildfires, and other sources How to Improve Indoor Air Quality » Open windows to let in fresh air. • However, if you have asthma triggered by outdoor air pollution or pollen, opening windows might not be a good idea. In this case, use exhaust fans and non-ozone-producing air cleaners to reduce exposure to these triggers. » Clean often to get rid of dust, pet fur, and other allergens. • Use a vacuum cleaner equipped with a HEPA filter. • Wet or damp mopping is better than sweeping. » Take steps to control mold and pests. » Do not smoke, and especially do not smoke indoors. If you think poor indoor air is making you sick, please see or call a doctor or other health care provider. About CDC CDC is a federal public health agency based in Atlanta, GA. Our mission is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury and disability. For More Information We want to help you to stay healthy.
    [Show full text]
  • Monitoring of Airborne Contamination Using Mobile Equipment
    STUK-A130 FEBRUARY 1996 9- Monitoring of Airborne Contamination Using Mobile Equipment T. Honkamaa, H. Toivonen, M. Nikkinen 1 0 r 1 v. f STUK-A130 FEBRUARY 1996 Monitoring of Airborne Contamination Using Mobile Equipment T. Honkamaa, H. Toivonen, M. Nikkinen FINNISH CENTRE FOR RADIATION AND NUCLEAR SAFETY P.O.BOX 14 FIN-00881 HELSINKI Finland Tel. +358 0 759881 NEXT PAGE(S) left BLANK FINNISH CENTRE FOR RADIATION STUK-A130 AND NUCLEAR SAFETY T. Honkamaa, H. Toivonen, M. Nikkinen. Monitoring of Airborne Contamination Using Mobile Equipment. Helsinki 1996, 65 pp. ISBN 951-712-094-X ISSN 0781-1705 Key words Radioactive particles, in-field gamma-ray spectrometry, emergency preparedness ABSTRACT Rapid and accurate measurements must be carried out in a nuclear disaster that releases radioactive material into the atmosphere. To evaluate the risk to the people, .external dose rate and nuclide-specific activity concentrations in air must be determined. The Finnish Centre for Radiation and Nuclear Safety (STUK) has built an emergency vehicle to accomplish these tasks in the field. The present paper describes the systems and methods to determine the activity concentration in air. Airborne particulate sampling and gamma-ray spectrometric analysis are quantitative and sensitive tools to evaluate the nuclide-specific concentrations in air. The vehicle is equipped with a pump sampler which sucks air through a glassfiber filter (flow about 10 1 s"1). Representative sampling of airborne particles from a moving vehicle is a demanding task. According to the calculations the total collection efficiency in calm air is 60 -140% for the particle size range of 0.1 - 30 um.
    [Show full text]
  • 4 Air Pollution Impacts on Forests in a Changing Climate
    GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES 4 Air Pollution Impacts on Forests in a Changing Climate Convening lead author: Martin Lorenz Lead authors: Nicholas Clarke and Elena Paoletti Contributing authors: Andrzej Bytnerowicz, Nancy Grulke, Natalia Lukina, Hiroyuki Sase and Jeroen Staelens Abstract: Growing awareness of air pollution effects on forests has, from the early 1980s on, led to intensive forest damage research and monitoring. This has fostered air pollution control, especially in Europe and North America, and to a smaller extent also in other parts of the world. At several forest sites in these regions, there are first indications of a recovery of forest soil and tree conditions that may be attributed to improved air quality. This caused a decrease in the attention paid by politicians and the public to air pollution effects on forests. But air pollution continues to affect the structure and functioning of forest ecosystems not only in Europe and North America but even more so in parts of Russia, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. At the political level, however, attention to climate change is focussed on questions of CO2 emission and carbon sequestration. But ecological interactions between air pollution including CO2 and O3 concentrations, extreme temperatures, drought, insects, pathogens, and fire, as well as the impact of ecosystem management practices, are still poorly under- stood. Future research should focus on the interacting impacts on forest trees and ecosystems. The integrative effects of air pollution and climatic change, in particular elevated O3, altered nutrient, temperature, water availability, and elevated CO2, will be key issues for impact research. An important improvement in our understanding might be obtained by the combination of long-term multidisciplinary experiments with ecosystem-level monitoring, and the integration of the results with ecosystem modelling within a multiple-constraint framework.
    [Show full text]
  • WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality : Selected Pollutants
    WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY: WHO GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR AIR QUALITY: This book presents WHO guidelines for the protection of pub- lic health from risks due to a number of chemicals commonly present in indoor air. The substances considered in this review, i.e. benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, naphthalene, nitrogen dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (especially benzo[a]pyrene), radon, trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethyl- ene, have indoor sources, are known in respect of their hazard- ousness to health and are often found indoors in concentrations of health concern. The guidelines are targeted at public health professionals involved in preventing health risks of environmen- SELECTED CHEMICALS SELECTED tal exposures, as well as specialists and authorities involved in the design and use of buildings, indoor materials and products. POLLUTANTS They provide a scientific basis for legally enforceable standards. World Health Organization Regional Offi ce for Europe Scherfi gsvej 8, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Tel.: +45 39 17 17 17. Fax: +45 39 17 18 18 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.euro.who.int WHO guidelines for indoor air quality: selected pollutants The WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe coordinated the development of these WHO guidelines. Keywords AIR POLLUTION, INDOOR - prevention and control AIR POLLUTANTS - adverse effects ORGANIC CHEMICALS ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE - adverse effects GUIDELINES ISBN 978 92 890 0213 4 Address requests for publications of the WHO Regional Office for Europe to: Publications WHO Regional Office for Europe Scherfigsvej 8 DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark Alternatively, complete an online request form for documentation, health information, or for per- mission to quote or translate, on the Regional Office web site (http://www.euro.who.int/pubrequest).
    [Show full text]
  • Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings
    Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings OSHA 3430-04 2011 Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 “To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women; by authorizing enforcement of the standards developed under the Act; by assisting and encouraging the States in their efforts to assure safe and healthful working conditions; by providing for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health.” This publication provides a general overview of a particular standards-related topic. This publication does not alter or determine compliance responsibili- ties which are set forth in OSHA standards, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. More- over, because interpretations and enforcement poli- cy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the courts. Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, without permission. Source credit is requested but not required. This information will be made available to sensory- impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: 1-877- 889-5627. Indoor Air Quality in Commercial and Institutional Buildings Occupational Safety and Health Administration U.S. Department of Labor OSHA 3430-04 2011 The guidance is advisory in nature and informational in content. It is not a standard or regulation, and it neither creates new legal obligations nor alters existing obligations created by OSHA standards or the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
    [Show full text]
  • Air Pollution and Its Impact on the Elements of Soil and Plants in Helwan Area
    Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2018). 5(6): 38-59 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG(USA) Volume 5, Issue 6 – 2018 Research Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2018.05.06.004 Air Pollution and its Impact on the Elements of Soil and Plants in Helwan Area S. A. Alkhdhairi*, Usama K. Abdel-Hameed*, A. A. Morsy*, Mohamed E. Tantawy* *Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Egypt Abstract Over the past two decades, the threat of environmental pollution elements has attracted attention as much as the air pollution. Concentrations of many trace elements in the environment have been significantly affected by man’s activities. The present study was made to evaluate the potential effects of ambient air pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO and PM10) on Calotropis procera and soil in Helwan city. The study also aimed to evaluate the damaging effect of human activities on soil and some plants, where samples would have collected from industrials, traffic and domestic sources in Helwan city. Sampling and measurements were based on the environmental protection agency (EPA) and the American Standard test methods (ASTM). Evaluation of air pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO and PM10) was measured by Miran Gas Analyzer and Thermo Dust Meter. It was found that all metals were belonging to very high contamination category at all sites near the factories except iron. the internal parts of the leaf and shoot in the Calotropis procera are not affected by concentrations of air pollutants found in Helwan industrial area air or even high concentrations in soil Keywords: Calotropis procera ; Air Pollution; Heavy Metals; Soil; Helwan.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate Change Decreases the Quality of the Air We
    AIR CLIMATE CHANGE WE DECREASES BRE THE QUAALITTHEY OF THE Climate change poses many risks to human health. Some health impacts of climate change are already being felt in the United States. We need to safeguard our communities by protecting people’s health, wellbeing, and quality of life from climate change impacts. Many communities are already taking steps to address these public health issues and reduce the risk of harm. BACKGROUND When we burn fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, we release carbon dioxide (CO2). CO2 builds up in the atmosphere and causes Earth’s temperature to rise, much like a blanket traps in heat. This extra trapped heat disrupts many of the interconnected systems in our environment. Climate change might also affect human health by making our air less healthy to breathe. Higher temperatures lead to an increase in allergens and harmful air pollutants. For instance, longer warm seasons can mean longer pollen seasons – which can increase allergic sensitizations and asthma episodes and diminish productive work and school days. Higher temperatures associated with climate change can also lead to an increase in ozone, a harmful air pollutant. THE CLIMATE-HEALTH CONNECTION Decreased air quality introduces a number of health risks and concerns: According to the National Climate Assessment, climate change will affect human health by increasing ground-level ozone and/or particulate matter air pollution in some locations. Ground-level ozone (a key component of smog) is associated with many health problems, including diminished lung function, increased hospital admissions and emergency department visits for asthma, and increases in premature deaths.
    [Show full text]
  • Air Pollution Due to Opencast Coal Mining and It's Control in Indian Context M K Ghose • and S R Maj Ee Centre of Mining Environment
    Jou rn al of Scientific & Industrial Research Vol. 60, October 200 I, pp 786-797 Air Pollution due to Opencast Coal Mining and It's Control in Indian Context M K Ghose • and S R Maj ee Centre of Mining Environment. In dian School of Mines, Dhanb ad 826004, India Received: 29 Janu ary 200 I; accept ed : 29 June 200 I Open cast mining dominates th e coal production scenario in India. It creates more serious air pollution prob le m in the area. Coal producti on scenari o and its impact on air quality is descri bed. To maint ain th e energy demand in opencast min ing i~ growing at a phenomenon rate. There is no wcll-clefinccl method for assess in g the impact on air qu alit y clu e to minin g projects. An investi gati on is condu cted to evalu ate th e impact on ai r enviro nment due to opcncast coal mining. Emi ssion fac tor dat a arc utili zed for computati on of du st ge neration due to different mining ac ti viti es. Approach for the selec ti on of work zo ne and ambient air monitoring stations arc cl cscribccl. Work zone air qu alit y, ambient air qu alit y, and seasonal va riati ons arc di sc ussed. whi ch shows hi gh po llution potential clue to SPM. The statu s of air pollution clue to opencast mining is evaluated and its impac t on air environment is assessed. Characteristics SPM show a great concern to human hea lth .
    [Show full text]
  • Air Pollution and Health What Is Air Pollution? Air Pollution Is the Name for the Mixture of Substances in the Atmosphere (The Air Around Us That We Breathe)
    AMERICAN THORACIC SOCIETY PATIENT HEALTH SERIES Air Pollution and Health What is air pollution? Air pollution is the name for the mixture of substances in the atmosphere (the air around us that we breathe). Air pollution can cause health problems, by inhaling particles, such as reactive chemicals like ozone, and biological materials like pollens. Air pollution is produced both by human activity (such as combustion of fossil fuels from burning coal) and naturally occurring events (such as volcanoes, dust storms, and wild fires). Author: It is important to remember that; air ■ Seek care for proper management of John R. Balmes, MD, lung and heart conditions on behalf of the pollution is a mixture of many agents, Environmental and can come from many sources, and varies Occupational Health Assembly depending on weather conditions. While What problems might I have if air many pollutants can a!ect our health, pollution is a!ecting me? www.thoracic.org ATS Patient Health Series ozone and particulate matter (soot) have a You may experience any of the following ©2011 American Thoracic Society major impact on the public’s health. Ozone problems. can cause chest discomfort, decreases in ■ Chest discomfort like trouble taking lung function, and airway inflammation a deep breath or feeling like you are (i.e., irritation and injury to the tissue having a heart attack lining the airways). People with asthma ■ Shortness of breath can develop breathing problems after ■ Phlegm/mucus production exposure to ozone. Particulate matter (PM) ■ A cough where you may or may not also can cause respiratory problems, and bring up mucus has been shown to increase the risk of ■ Wheezing which may worsen with heart problems in older people, especially activity those with a prior history of heart disease.
    [Show full text]