Area, Mobile and Point Sources of Air Pollution

coal



Sources of air pollution like factories or cars are usually categorized by regulatory agencies into one of three groups: area, mobile, or point. When these sources are placed in a category of a specific source, this may vary depending on whether it is releasing "criteria" or "hazardous" air pollutants. Many of these sources overlap from area through point.



Criteria pollutants are the six chemicals which occur frequently in ambient air and can injure human health, harm the environment or cause property damage: carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter and sulfur dioxide.

Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) refer to other chemicals which can cause adverse effects to human health or the environment. Congress has identified over 188 of these pollutants, including substances that cause cancer, neurological, respiratory, and reproductive effects. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/orig189.html.

The release of many of the major man-made sources of air pollutants in Alaska include many of these sources such as the combustion of fossil fuels, solid waste landfills, underground injection control wells, contaminated sites, waste incineration and mining.


Area Sources

Area sources are defined as pollution sources that generally have smaller emissions on an individual basis than major "point" sources and are often too small in nature to be inventoried when conducting an emission inventory. Area sources include smaller facilities you may have in your community such as marine vessel loading and transit, gasoline marketing, open burning and municipal landfills.

Area sources can also includes sources such as wildfires and prescribed burns, commercial buildings (heating and cooling units; surface coatings), residential buildings (fireplaces; surface coatings), fuel combustion in non-road machinery, boats, railroads and even the family lawnmower or barbecue grill. Waste disposal in the form of open burning, landfills and wastewater treatment are significant area sources.

Even though emissions from individual area sources are relatively small, collectively their emissions can be a concern - particularly where large numbers of sources are located in populated areas. Area sources are responsible for particulate matter emissions and for volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions, which contribute significantly to the formation of ground-level ozone.

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The EPA defines area sources further in the Emission Inventory Improvement Program Technical Report Series Volume 3. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/eiip/techreport/volume03.

Area sources can be identified as the following sources:


Wood burning fires

In the Tribal communities of Alaska showers just get a person a little clean. To get really clean and open your pores they take a maqii (pronounced: "muck-eye") or hot steam bath. Local plants are used for extracting toxins and relaxing muscles. The hot steam bath not only cleans the body, but purifies the mind and spirit as well. This is an important part of the Alaska Native culture and wood burning helps to complete the maqii. It is important to understand that taking a maqii is healthful and that wood burning is an important part of taking a steam bath.

Train

Train

Train



Wildfires in Alaska

Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases.

Wildfires in Alaska and Canada in 2004 emitted about as much carbon monoxide as did human-related activities in the continental United States during the same time period, according to research by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The fires also increased atmospheric concentrations of ground-level ozone across much of the Northern Hemisphere. http://www.ucar.edu/.

Train

Centers for Disease Control fact sheet of wildfires and health
http://www.epi.hss.state.ak.us/eh/wildfire/CDC_WildfireFactSheet.pdf

Increases in tundra fires and global warming
http://environment.newscientist.com/article/dn13408-global-warming-may-raise-tundra-wildfire-risk.html




Industrial Processes: Construction, mining and quarrying, in-process fuel use.

Contamination of Alaska’s coastal waters by toxics and airborne pollutants (such as mercury, dioxin, and PCBs) from sources of mining control could potentially lead to contamination of rivers and land-based habitat and the food chain of migrating salmon.

Recent evidence of contaminants, such as PCBs in birds and sea mammals in the Pribilof Islands, indicates a real potential for pollution both in and outside of Alaska.

Quarries have the potential to not only pollute the air with particulate matter and extraction process using diesel heavy equipment produces exhaust that contains particulate matter. Quarries can also pollute subsistence fishing grounds by the deposition of minerals and soils into the water.

Solvent Utilization: Surface coating operations, degreasing and commercial dry cleaning, auto body painting and refinishing.


Solvent Storage and Transport: Organic chemical storage, petroleum storage and transport.

Questions concerning the adequacy oil and gas pipeline air pollution controls on Alaska pipeline systems have been raised. In late 1986, oil producers began using a new process that condenses more of the natural gas liquids (NGLs) recovered from their oil fields, resulting in a greater amount of NGLs entering the pipeline and ultimately arriving at the Valdez terminal. These added NGLs increase the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from the terminal, raising the issue of whether air quality violations have occurred. Open burning is defined as any burning where smoke is emitted directly into the air, instead of passing through a smoke stack or vent. This includes burning piles on the ground, in barrels, or inside of large open bins or containers. If done properly, open burning can be a good way to help manage waste.

Advantages of open burning include:
Burning reduces the volume of waste that must be disposed of;
Ash is less attractive to animals than raw garbage;
Ash does not require cover to prevent litter, odor and leachate formation;
Burning creates an inert ash that is less reactive and safer to dispose of;
Proper burning minimizes air and water pollution.

However, if done improperly, open burning can cause serious problems.
Poorly managed burning can smolder, creating more smoke and air pollution.
Improper burning can also leave unburned waste in the ash.

Unattended burns can start wildfires.
Landfills in Alaska may NOT conduct open burning directly on the ground.
However, most Class III landfills may conduct open burning using burn cages, burn barrels or burn boxes, where burning is contained and off the ground.


Natural Sources: Off-gasing from non-anthroprogenic sources (both biological and geological)
Tundra and methane release information
http://www.energybulletin.net/node/3647
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v346/n6280/abs/346160a0.html
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V74-4FSFX4B-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=adf9e5f97708f8f8f211a663a5017ad2
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992JGR....9716645B Bethel Research


MOBILE SOURCES

 Mobile sources include both onroad vehicles (such as cars, trucks and buses) and offroad equipment (such as ships, airplanes, agricultural and construction equipment). Marine diesel engines will be discussed in the diesel section of the Anuqa website.

Cessna


Mobile sources contribute to air pollution in Alaksa. They are sources of carbon monoxide pollution, oxides of nitrogen emissions, hazardous air pollutants, such as the recognized carcinogens benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene and diesel particulate matter.

The EPA's National-Scale Air Toxics assessment (found at at this link) splits mobile sources into two categories:
Onroad mobile sources: Vehicles found on roads and highways (e.g., cars, trucks, buses). Nonroad mobile sources: Mobile sources not found on roads and highways (e.g., airplanes, trains, lawn mowers, construction vehicles, farm machinery).

In April 2007, EPA proposed a new emission control program that would reduce hydrobcarbon emissions from small spark-ignition engines by about 35 percent. The new exhaust emissions standards would begin in 2011 or 2012, depending on the size of the engine. The proposal also includes new standards to reduce evaporative emissions from these fuel systems.


POINT SOURCES

Point sources include major industrial facilities like chemical plants, steel mills, oil refineries, power plants and hazardous waste incinerators. Point sources are defined as those that emit 10 tons per year of any of the criteria pollutants or hazardous air pollutants or 25 tons per year of a mixture of air toxics.

powerplant


Point sources like power plants, petroleum refineries, fertilizer manufacturers, industrial paper mills, copper smelters and iron and steel mills contribute large emissions of sulfur dioxide. Point sources (predominantly electrical utilities and industrial boilers) emit nitrogen oxides (NOx). Point sources are also important sources of VOCs releases.

Point sources can be identified as the following sources:

External Combustion Boilers: Electric utility power generation, industrial power generation.

Electric utilities and power plants are a major source of air pollutants that affect lung health, including sulfur dioxide which is a powerful asthma trigger and nitrogen oxide which is a component of smog. Air quality experts nationwide have identified reducing emissions from power plants as a technologically feasible, cost-effective approach to achieving cleaner air.

Even brief exposure to relatively low levels of sulfur dioxide has been repeatedly shown to trigger attacks in people with asthma. Sulfur dioxide also contributes to the formation of fine particles, and to acid rain. Power plants are also the source of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. NOx is a major component of smog and fine particulate matter, which affect human health.

Other pollutants produced in by electric utilities include carbon dioxide, a suspected contributor to global warming, and heavy metals such as mercury.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) has identified Fort Wainright in the Fairbanks Northstar Borough as having area sources of pollution that emit to the air. These can be found at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/PHA/fortwainwright/wai_p4.html.

Internal Combustion Engines: Electrical generators, industrial power generators, commercial and institutional power generation and engine testing operations.

Industrial Processes: Chemical manufacturing, food and agricultural processes and primary metal production.

Petroleum and Solvent Evaporation: Petroleum refining processes, surface coating operations, degreasing, industrial dry cleaning and organic chemical storage.

Oil and Gas Production:http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=14055.

Waste Disposal: Municipal solid waste disposal, commercial and institutional solid waste disposal, industrial solid waste incinerators including hazardous waste incinerators. Solid Waste Alaska Network http://www.ccthita-swan.org/main/index.cfm.

Maximum Achievable Control Technologies (MACT) Source Categories: Food and agricultural processes, agricultural chemical production, styrene and methylacrylate production, use of cellulose based resins.


HEALTH IMPACT OF AREA, EMISSIONS

Research has shown that communities in the vicinity of coal-fired power plants have a higher incidence of respiratory illness, including asthma. High levels of NOx have also been linked to increased susceptibility to respiratory infections, especially among children. Many of these sources increase the incidence of respiratory illness among elders and youth.

The National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) has developed Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the state of Alaska and for each MSA, the table shows PM-10 concentration and NRDC's estimate of air pollution attributable deaths. This information about air pollution and related deaths can be found at http://www.nrdc.org/air/pollution/bt/AK.asp.


Some Considerations for Area, Mobile and Point Sources

When fuels are used for heating, use listed fuels recommended by the manufacturer of your boiler or heating unit. Never use the following materials to burn:

  • trash
  • plastics
  • gasoline
  • rubber
  • naphtha
  • household garbage
  • material treated with petroleum products (particle board, railroad ties and pressure treated wood)
    leaves
  • paper products
  • cardboard

    plastic

    When you load your fire and to get a better more efficient burn to maximize fuel use, pay careful attention to loading times and amounts and do not use lighter fluids, gasoline or chemicals to start your fire.

    Electric utilities vary in their rate of emissions, depending on the fuel mix used and the extent to which they have adopted pollution control measures.


    FOR MORE INFORMATION

    For more information about electric utility emissions and pollution control programs, visit the US Environmental Protection Agency Acid Rain Program website at http://www.epa.gov/airmarkets/.

    The Natural Resource Defense Council has also published several reports quantifying the emissions from the nation's dirtiest power plants, which can be found on their website at http://www.nrdc.org.

    An example of an Alaskan Native Village Emission Inventory: First Native Alaskan Baseline Emissions Inventory:The 125-year-old Native Village of Noatak, AK http://www.epa.gov/ttn/chief/conference/ei12/tribal/jones.pdf.

    Highway Vehicles: Gasoline and diesel powered automobiles, buses and trucks: Marine Vessels: Commercial, military and recreational. http://www.epa.gov/otaq/marinesi.html. Aircraft and Railroads http://www.epa.gov/otaq/aviation.html. Non-Road Engines http://www.epa.gov/nonroad/.