ESC 20

ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING
Today’s Discussion focuses on…

Ambient Air Air Pollution

Quality Control
Parameters
AMBIENT AIR QUALITY
• the general amount of pollution present in a broad
area;
• the atmosphere's average purity as distinguished from
discharge measurements taken at the source of
pollution;

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"Air pollutant" means …
any matter found in the atmosphere other than
oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, carbon dioxide,
and the inert gases in their natural or normal
concentrations. (Clean Air Act of 1999, RA 8749)

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 SOURCES OF AIR POLLUTANTS

Mobile Sources Stationary Sources

(vehicles) (power plants, factories)
VOCs, NO2, PM NO2, SO2, PM

Area Sources Natural Sources

(drycleaners, gas stations) (forest fires, volcanoes)
VOCs PM
AMBIENT AIR CONTAMINANTS

1. CRITERIA POLLUTANTS
2. AIR TOXICS
3. BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS

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 AMBIENT AIR CONTAMINANTS
1. CRITERIA AIR POLLUTANTS
• air pollutants that have been regulated and are used as
indicators of air quality
•they are generally widely distributed across the country.

1. Carbon monoxide 4. Ozone

2. Lead 5. Particles (TSP)
3. Nitrogen dioxide 6. Sulfur dioxide

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Image taken from: https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics
 AMBIENT AIR CONTAMINANTS

2. AIR TOXICS
• referred to as 'hazardous air pollutants’
• can lead to an increase in the incidence of cancer,
birth defects, genetic damage, central nervous
system defects, immunodeficiency, and disorders of
the respiratory and nervous systems

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 AMBIENT AIR CONTAMINANTS

2. AIR TOXICS
1. formaldehyde
2. benzene
3. toluene
4. xylene
5. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)

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 AMBIENT AIR CONTAMINANTS

3. 'BIOLOGICAL POLLUTANTS'
• From microbiological contamination, eg moulds, the skin of
animals and humans and the remains and droppings of pests
such as cockroaches.

• can be airborne and can have a significant impact on indoor

air quality.

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AMBIENT AIR QUALITY PARAMETERS

• Physical (TSP, odor, visibility, etc.)

• Chemical (Toxic fumes, etc.)

• Biological (Presence of pathogens, etc.)

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Today’s Discussion focuses on…

Ambient Air
Air Pollution
Quality
Control
Parameters
Most Air Pollution Control
Mechanisms are designed for…

1. Gaseous pollutants
2. Particulates

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Treatment Schemes for
Gaseous Pollutants include…
1. Absorption
2. Adsorption
3. Combustion/Flaring/Oxidation

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1. Gas Absorption
• A unit operation to separate gases by
washing or scrubbing a gas mixture with a
suitable liquid.
• An example is Flue Gas Desulfurization
(FGD) that is usually employed to remove
SOx in outlet gas

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Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD)
• Uses chemicals such as lime, limestone,
caustic soda, soda ash, and ammonia to
remove sulfur in gas
▪ SO2 + CaCO3 ---> CaSO3 + CO2

▪ SO2 + Ca(OH)2 ---> CaSO3 + H2O

CaSO3 + 1/2 O2 ---> CaSO4

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Absorption Systems include…
▪ Venturi Scrubber
▪ Static packed bed reactor
▪ Moving bed reactor
▪ Tray tower
▪ Spray towers

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 Vertical Venturi Scrubber

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 Packed Bed Scrubber

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2. Adsorption of Gases on Solids
• Activated Carbon treatment is a popular air
pollution control method.
• This method sees the use of dry chemical
scrubbing media such as carbon filters for the
adsorption of fumes from the air.

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Pressure Swing Adsorption

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 3. Combustion/Flaring
Flaring is a VOC combustion control
process in which the VOCs are piped to a
remote location and burned in an open
flame, auxillary fuel, and steam or air to
promote mixing for nearly complete
(>98%) VOC destruction

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(photo courtesy of AMCEC Inc., www.amcec.com)
 3. Combustion/Flaring
• Cannot be used to treat halogenated compounds
• The combustion (and thereby loss) of VOC's,
produce NOx emissions and is typically
unacceptable as the only means of eliminating
VOC from highly concentrated streams

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(photo courtesy of AMCEC Inc., www.amcec.com)
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http://www.theozonehole.com/ozonedestruction.htm
https://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/wxwise/ozone/OZONE2.html
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 In the catalytic converter, partial combustion
products (i.e. CO) is completely oxidized…

Image taken from: http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/~stampfl/co2-form.html

Control Measures for
Particulate Pollutants include…
1. Cyclone
2. Filter
3. Liquid scrubbing
4. Electrostatic precipitation (ESP)

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1. Cyclone Separators
The particles exit the bottom while the gas turns
upward into the vortex and leaves through
the top of the unit.

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2. Air Filtration
a device composed of
fibrous materials which
removes solid
particulates such as
dust, pollen, mold, and
bacteria from the air.

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Air Filtration systems may
involve…
▪ Impaction
▪ Diffusion
▪ Straining (Interception)
▪ Electrostatics

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3. Liquid Scrubber
• Venturi

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4. Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP)

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