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Photochemical Smog
Published in Stanley E. Manahan, Environmental Chemistry, 2022
The harmful effects of smog occur mainly in the areas of (1) human health and comfort, (2) damage to materials, (3) effects on the atmosphere, and (4) toxicity to plants. The exact degree to which exposure to smog affects human health is not known, although substantial adverse effects are suspected. Pungent-smelling, smog-produced ozone is known to be toxic. Ozone at 0.15 ppm causes coughing, wheezing, bronchial constriction, and irritation to the respiratory mucous system in healthy, exercising individuals. In March 2008, the US Environmental Protection Agency released a revised eight-hour national ambient air quality standard for ground-level ozone of 0.075 ppm based on likely health effects of this pollutant. At the same time, the EPA also revised the secondary standard for ground-level ozone to the same 0.075 ppm level. In 2015, the EPA proposed lowering the ozone standard only slightly to 0.070 ppm although the agency's scientific panel had earlier proposed a standard of 0.060 ppm. The secondary standard is based on evidence of ozone damage to plants, trees, and crops during the growing season. In addition to ozone, oxidant peroxyacyl nitrates and aldehydes found in smog are eye irritants.
Global Abatement of Air Pollution Through Green Technology Routes
Published in Shrikaant Kulkarni, Ann Rose Abraham, A. K. Haghi, Renewable Materials and Green Technology Products, 2021
Sijo Francis, Remya Vijayan, Ebey P. Koshy, Beena Mathew
The sky darkening and reduction in visibility are the after-effects of smog and fog in industrial areas. Smog is a type of air pollution. Smog is formed in a warmer climate where the presence of UV radiation is high. Photochemical smog originates from vehicle exhausts mainly from nitric oxide and hydrocarbons as well as from other industrial sources. This also affects road safety. Haze, which constitutes a part of air pollution, is also a threat to road safety. Haze is produced by NOx and SOx combined with smoke from industries/wildfires. Haze-causing particles can be carried by the wind to a large distance. Thick blanket of haze particles affects photosynthesis by diminishing the availability of sunlight essential for it and reduce road safety. Thus, we can say that air quality is of at most importance in road safety. Reducing air pollution levels will decrease the rate of road accidents.3
Pillar
Published in Andrew Braham, Sadie Casillas, Fundamentals of Sustainability in Civil Engineering, 2020
The second metric, smog, was created as a by-product of the visual effect of pollution, commonly found over urban areas. Smog comes from two primary sources: emissions from coal power plants or emissions from transportation sources. When coal burns, it releases many emissions, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, and PM10. While significant efforts have been made to clean the air as it escapes from coal power plants in the United States, some undesirable emissions still make it to the atmosphere. This problem is significantly higher in developing countries versus developed countries, as the cost of emission control at point sources is significantly high. The second main source of smog, transportation, often emits carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides, VOC, and various hydrocarbons (such as methane). High volumes of vehicles, especially slow-moving vehicles (such as those in traffic flow approaching jam density), exacerbate the emissions. What is more, once sources such as power plants or traffic emit emissions to create smog, a photochemical process can compound smog generation. When sunlight strikes nitrous oxide or VOC, it reacts with these emissions and generates even more smog. A continuous cycle is formed, where emissions that cause smog react with the sunlight to create more smog.
Who is susceptible to perceive higher smog-induced health risk? Comparative analysis between physical and mental health dimensions
Published in Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 2020
The results showed that skilled workers living in areas severely polluted by smog obviously perceived higher physical and mental risk than people living outside of these severely polluted areas. Because skilled workers living in severely polluted areas live close to a hazardous pollution source, they perceive a stronger intensity of physical health risk (Li et al.2016). In addition, toxic substances in smog may result in family members suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory diseases (Zhang et al.2015; Xu et al.2013), which are likely to cause people to amplify their physical health risk perception. Moreover, smog has a negative impact on individuals’ mental health. Individuals who are exposed to smog may face serious outcomes, such as aggravation of depression and high rates of suicide (Chen et al.2018; Bakian et al.2015; Cho et al.2014), such as aggravation of depression and high rates of suicide. Thus, the smog-induced mental health risk perception of skilled workers living in areas severely polluted by smog was higher than that of skilled workers living outside of these severely polluted areas.
Public smog knowledge, risk perception, and intention to reduce car use: Evidence from China
Published in Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 2019
Shanyong Wang, Jing Wang, Xingjun Ru, Jun Li
Though self-protective behaviors could help individuals to lower the risks of adverse health effects from smog pollution, they have no significant effects on alleviating smog pollution. Self-protective behaviors are the passive responses to smog pollution. Pro-environmental behaviors could significantly reduce the smog pollution and thus to reduce its negative effects (Shi et al.2017). To some extent, pro-environmental behavior is the positive and active responses to smog pollution. Exploring the relationship between risk perception and pro-environmental behavior could enrich the research on smog pollution. Meanwhile, there is a consensus that controlling various pollution sources is important to reduce smog pollution. The main sources of smog pollution include coal combustion, industrial emissions, construction and road dust and motor vehicle exhaust (Wang et al.2012; Yang and Shi 2017). In fact, among these pollution sources, construction and road dust, coal combustion, and industrial emissions are not directly related to individual behavior. However, motor vehicle exhaust emission is directly associated with individual behavior. Reducing car use could significantly reduce motor vehicle exhaust emission and it belongs to individual pro-environmental behavior (Tvinnereim et al.2017). Reducing car use has been regarded as a positive response to smog pollution and an effective way to alleviate smog pollution (Yang and Shi 2017). Hence, in this research, we mainly focus on the relationship between risk perception and car use reduction behavior.
Emission analysis of Azolla methyl ester with Bi2O3 nano additives for IC engine
Published in Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2018
Hydrocarbon consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms in various combination. Gasoline is a hydrocarbon fuel and is the source of automotive hydrocarbon emissions. Hydrocarbon, in combination with other compounds, can produce ground-level Ozone or Photochemical smog. Photochemical smog is a condition that develops when nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds created from fossil fuel combustion interact under the influence of sunlight to produce a mixture of hundreds of different chemicals. The variation of HC emissions with the load for all the fuel samples is shown in Figure 3. It is observed that HC emissions are lower for Bi2O3 nanoparticles blends compared to the B20 blend due to the better combustion and higher cetane number. This is also due to the addition of nanoparticles to the biodiesel blend lowers the carbon activation temperature and promotes the enhanced combustion. It is also observed that HC emissions of B20 blend is increased due to the lower oxygen available in the blend results poor combustion and leads to the formation of HC emissions (Karthikeyan and Prathima 2016b).