AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION

IV. AIR AND NOISE POLLUTION 4.1. Air Composition 4.2. Air Pollution 4.3. Legislation 4.4. Air cleaning processes 4.3. Noise Pollution

Air pollution is the appearance of air contaminants in the atmosphere that can create a harmful environment to human health or welfare, animal or plant life, or property.

Air supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our bodies to live. Air is 99.9% nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases.

a) Weather control.
b) Transmit energy. the solar

c) Protector shield from UV light and meteorites. d) Supports the birds and insects fly. e) Transports seeds and spores. f) It gases are one of the important sources for life.

The atmosphere is a complex dynamic natural gaseous system that is essential to support life on planet Earth.

The atmosphere is monitored by:

1) Meteorological Satellites 2) Radiosonda balloons (measures T, P, humidity)

3) Land stations (measures the atmosphere properties every hour)

Air pollution is woven throughout the fabric of our modern life. A by-product of the manner in which we build our cities, air pollution is waste remaining from the ways we produce our goods, transport ourselves and our goods, and generate the energy to heat and light the places where we live, play, and work. A major cause of air pollution is combustion, yet combustion is essential to life as we know it.

There are several main types of pollution and well-known effects of pollution which are commonly discussed. These include smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer. Each of these problems has serious implications for our health and well-being as well as for the whole environment.

Carbon oxides (CO, CO2) Sulfur oxides (SOx) Nitrogen oxides (NOx) Volatile organic compounds (CFCs)

Air Pollutants

Suspended particles (dust, pollen, smog)

Photochemical oxidants compounds (O3) Radioactive compounds (Rd, Ir, Sr) Heat Noise

Sulfur oxides (SOx) - especially sulfur dioxide (SO2). It is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes. Since coal and petroleum often contain sulfur compounds, their combustion generates sulfur dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2, usually in the presence of a catalyst such as NO2, forms H2SO4, and thus acid rain.
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) - especially nitrogen dioxide are emitted from high temperature combustion. Can be seen as the brown haze dome above or plume downwind of cities. Nitrogen dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula NO2. It is one of the several nitrogen oxides. This reddish-brown toxic gas has a characteristic sharp, biting odor. Carbon monoxide - is a colorless, odorless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide. Carbon dioxide (CO2) - a colorless, odorless, non-toxic greenhouse gas associated with ocean acidification, emitted from sources such as combustion, cement production, and respiration. Volatile organic compounds - VOCs are an important outdoor air pollutant. In this field they are often divided into the separate categories of methane (CH4) and non-methane (NMVOCs). Methane is an extremely efficient greenhouse gas which contributes to enhanced global warming. Other hydrocarbon VOCs are also significant greenhouse gases via their role in creating ozone and in prolonging the life of methane in the atmosphere, although the effect varies depending on local air quality. Within the NMVOCs, the aromatic compounds benzene, toluene and xylene are suspected carcinogens and may lead to leukemia through prolonged exposure. 1,3-butadiene is another dangerous compound which is often associated with industrial uses.

One type of air pollution is the release of particles into the air from burning fuel for energy. Diesel smoke is a good example of this particulate matter . The particles are very small pieces of matter measuring about < 1 microns or about > 10 microns.

1) Big particles (over 10 um like pollen): Remains in the troposphere 1 or 2 days before to fall by gravity or precipitation.

2) Medium particles (between 1 and 10 um, such as coal dust, flour): Remains several days before their precipitation.
3) Thin particles (less than 1 um, like paint pigments, cigarettes smoke, smog): Remains few weeks and it can climb up to the stratosphere. Also this particles can penetrates the pulmonary barriers and causes diseases like cancer.

Pollution also needs to be considered inside our homes, offices, and schools. Some of these pollutants can be created by indoor activities such as smoking and cooking. We spend about 80-90% of our time inside buildings, and so our exposure to harmful indoor pollutants can be serious. It is therefore important to consider both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Legislation
Normas Oficiales Mexicanas Normas para evaluar la calidad del aire como medida de proteccin a la salud de la poblacin.
Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-020-SSA1-1993. Salud Ambiental. Criterios para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al ozono (O3). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-021-SSA1-1993. Salud Ambiental. Criterios para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al monxido de carbono (CO). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-022-SSA1-1993. Salud Ambiental. Criterios para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al bixido de azufre (SO2). Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-023-SSA1-1993. Salud Ambiental. Criterios para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente con respecto al bixido de nitrgeno. Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-024-SSA1-1993. Salud ambiental. Criterio para evaluar la calidad del aire ambiente, con respecto a las partculas suspendidas totales (pst). Valor permisible para la concentracin de partculas suspendidas totales (pst) en el aire ambiente, como medida de proteccin a la salud de la poblacin. Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-025-SSA1-1993. Salud Ambiental. Criterios para evaluar el valor lmite permisible para la concentracin de material articulado. Valor lmite permisible para la concentracin de partculas suspendidas totales PST, partculas menores de 10 micrmetros PM10 y partculas menores de 2.5 micrmetros PM2.5 de la calidad del aire ambiente.

Normas que establecen los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin del contaminante. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-034-SEMARNAT-1993, que establece los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin de monxido de carbono en el aire ambiente y los procedimientos para la calibracin de los equipos de medicin. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-035-SEMARNAT-1993, que establece los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin de partculas suspendidas totales en el aire ambiente y el procedimiento para la calibracin de los equipos de medicin. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-036-SEMARNAT-1993, que establece los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin de ozono en el aire ambiente y los procedimientos para la calibracin de los equipos de medicin.

NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-037-SEMARNAT-1993, que establece los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin de bixido de nitrgeno en el aire ambiente y los procedimientos para la calibracin de los equipos de medicin.
NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-038-SEMARNAT-1993, que establece los mtodos de medicin para determinar la concentracin de bixido de azufre en el aire ambiente y los procedimientos para la calibracin de los equipos de medicin. NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-041-SEMARNAT-1999, que establece los lmites mximos permisibles de emisin de gases contaminantes provenientes del escape de los vehculos automotores en circulacin que usan gasolina como combustible.

Air particle cleaners

The following items are commonly used as pollution control devices by industry or transportation devices. They can either destroy contaminants or remove them from an exhaust stream before it is emitted into the atmosphere.

Particulate control: Mechanical collectors (dust cyclones, multicyclones) Electrostatic precipitators (ESP), or electrostatic air cleaner removes particles from a flowing gas (such as air) using the force of an induced electrostatic charge. Baghouses, designed to handle heavy dust loads, a dust collector consists of a blower, dust filter, a filter-cleaning system, and a dust receptacle or dust removal system (distinguished from air cleaners which utilize disposable filters to remove the dust). Particulate scrubbers, the term describes a variety of devices where the polluted gas stream is brought into contact with the scrubbing liquid, by spraying it with the liquid, by forcing it through a pool of liquid, or by some other contact method, so as to remove the pollutants. Baffle spray scrubber Cyclonic spray scrubber Ejector venturi scrubber Mechanically aided scrubber Spray tower

Dust Cyclones

Dust Cyclones

The air is drawn in through the top of a cone shaped baffle and the larger particles drop as they are spin around in the cyclone filter and the air is exhausted out the rear of the unit The air entrance speed of a cyclone lies between 10 and 20 m/s, the most usual speed is approx. 16 m/s. At fluctuations with these speeds (with lower speeds) the separation efficiency decreases very rapidly.

As the air comes in at an angle, it moves down the cone in a spiral, increasing in speed as the cone's circumference grows smaller. This creates a vortex much like a tornado or cyclone. Large particles are thrown against the sides of the cone and drop to a bin at the bottom.

A fan at the top of the cyclone cone draws lighter particles and the air up the center of the cyclone to an exhaust tube or outlet, usually to a filter for catching fine particles. The height of the cone, diameter of the cone and the angle of the walls all affect the efficiency of particle removal.
Cyclones are most efficient at high air entrance speed, small cyclone diameter and large cylinder length (pencil cyclones). The advantages of a cyclone as separator for substance are: Simple construction No moving components Little maintenance Low investment and functioning costs Constant pressure drop Saves room

The disadvantages are:

High pressure drop (0.5 - 2.5 kPa), depending on of the construction version Low output for low particle diameter Bad performances at charge Emission of effluent at wet cyclone Erosion sensitive and constipation danger to the entrance Possible noise

Usually a cyclone is used for its relatively high remaining emission because of its relatively small efficiency and used as a pre-separator to remove the largest dust load for second dust removal installation

Efficiency equations for Cyclones

Electrostatic precipitators (ESP)

Electrostatic precipitators (ESP)

Is a particle control device that uses electrical forces to move the particles out of the flowing gas stream and onto collector plates. The particles are given an electrical charge by forcing them to pass through a corona, a region in which gaseous ions flow.

The electrical field that forces the charged particles to the walls comes from electrodes maintained at high voltage in the center of the flow lane.
Once the particles are collected on the plates, they must be removed from the plates without reentraining them into the gas stream.

This is usually accomplished by knocking them loose from the plates, allowing the collected layer of particles to slide down into a hopper from which they are evacuated. Some precipitators remove the particles by intermittent or continuous washing with water.

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

the plate-wire precipitator, the most common variety the flat plate precipitator the tubular precipitator the wet precipitator, which may have any of the previous mechanical configurations the two-stage precipitator.

Plate-Wire Precipitators
Plate-wire ESPs are used in a wide variety of industrial applications, including coal-fired boilers, cement kilns, solid waste incinerators, paper mill recovery boilers, petroleum refining catalytic cracking units, sinter plants, basic oxygen furnaces, open hearth furnaces, electric arc furnaces, coke oven batteries, and glass furnaces. In a plate-wire ESP, gas flows between parallel plates of sheet metal and high-voltage electrodes. These electrodes are long wires weighted and hanging between the plates or are supported there by mast-like structures (rigid frames). Within each flow path, gas flow must pass each wire in sequence as flows through the unit.

Flat Plate Precipitators

A significant number of smaller precipitators uses flat plates instead of wires for the high-voltage electrodes. The flat plates increase the average electric field that can be used to collect the particles, and they provide an increased surface area for the collection of particles. Corona cannot be generated on flat plates by themselves, so coronagenerating electrodes are placed ahead of and sometimes behind the flat plate collecting zones.
These electrodes may be sharp-pointed needles attached to the edges of the plates or independent corona wires. Unlike place-wire or tubular ESPs, this design operates equally well with either negative or positive polarity. The manufacturer has chosen to use positive polarity to reduce ozone generation.

Tubular Precipitators

The original ESPs were tubular like the smokestacks they were placed on, with the high-voltage electrode running along the axis of the tube. Tubular precipitators have typical applications in sulfuric add plants, coke oven byproduct gas cleaning (tar removal), and, recently, iron and steel sinter plants. Such tubular units are still used for some applications, with many tubes operating in parallel to handle increased gas flows. The tubes may be formed as a circular, square, or hexagonal honeycomb with gas flowing upwards or downwards. The length of the tubes can be selected to fit conditions. A tubular ESP can be tightly sealed to prevent leaks of material, especially valuable or hazardous material.

Two-Stage Precipitators

The previously described precipitators are all parallel in nature, i.e., the discharge and collecting electrodes are side by side. The two-stage precipitator invented by Penney is a series device with the discharge electrode, or ionizer, preceding the collector electrodes. For indoor applications, the unit is operated with positive polarity to limit ozone generation.

Wet Precipitators

Any of the precipitator configurations discussed above may be operated with wet walls instead of dry. The water flow may be applied intermittently or continuously to wash the collected particles into a sump for disposal. The advantage of the wet wall precipitator is that it has no problems with rapping re-entrainment or with back coronas. The disadvantage is the increased complexity of the wash and the fact that the collected slurry must be handled more carefully than a dry product, adding to the expense of disposal.

Discharge Electrodes Rapperselectrodes and Vibrators Discharge are also referred to as corona electrodes, corona wires, Rapping and systems are incorporated in an cathodes, high-voltage electrodes. ESP to dislodge dust from the collecting Shell Collection Electrodes The discharge electrodes are and discharge surfaces; their maintained at high voltage during effectiveness and reliability are essential The casing is fabricated of steel that is Collection electrodes are the grounded operation of the ESP. The high voltage Hopper suitable for the which application (type of metal plates upon the dust collects. electrodes ionize the gas and establish process, heat range, The shell is ESPs arehoppers designed using many shapes the electric field, which imparts a charge Dust are etc.). required for of reinforced to handle maximum positive or flat collecting electrodes and some are Gas Flow Distribution to particles and causes precipitation temporary storage of the collected negative pressure, support the collection weight designed with cylindrical High Voltage Equipment upon collection plates. dust.grounded The most common hopper of the internals, and sustain environmental surfaces. plate configurations are design isAll pyramidal, converging to a stresses such as discharge those imposed by wind, designed to maximize the electric and square or round area. field snow, anddust earthquake. The shell and to minimize re-entrainment. insulator housing form a grounded steel chamber, completely enclosing all the voltage equipment to ensure the safety of personnel.

Design Factors that affects the performance

Gas Volume Flow Specific Collection Area Maximum Superficial Velocity Collection Plate Spacing Dust Resistivity Particle Size

Baghouses

These devices are fabric collectors that use filtration to separate dust particulates from dusty gases. They are one of the most efficient and cost effective types of dust collectors available and can achieve a collection efficiency of more than 99% for very fine particulates. Dust-laden gases enter the baghouse and pass through fabric bags that act as filters. The bags can be of woven or felted cotton, synthetic, or glass-fiber material in either a tube or envelope shape. The high efficiency of these collectors is due to the dust cake formed on the surfaces of the bags.

Baghouses, can be found in virtually every industry:

Foundry and steel operations Pharmaceutical producers Food manufacturers Chemical producers

Types of baghouses As classified by cleaning method

Mechanical shaker In mechanical-shaker baghouses, tubular filter bags are fastened onto a cell plate at the bottom of the baghouse and suspended from horizontal beams at the top. Dirty gas enters the bottom of the baghouse and passes through the filter, and the dust collects on the inside surface of the bags. Cleaning a mechanical-shaker baghouse is accomplished by shaking the top horizontal bar from which the bags are suspended. Vibration produced by a motor-driven shaft and cam creates waves in the bags to shake off the dust cake. Shaker baghouses range in size from small, handshaker devices to large, compartmentalized units. They can operate intermittently or continuously. Intermittent units can be used when processes operate on a batch basiswhen a batch is completed, the baghouse can be cleaned. Continuous processes use compartmentalized baghouses; when one compartment is being cleaned, the airflow can be diverted to other compartments.

Reverse air

In reverse-air baghouses, the bags are fastened onto a cell plate at the bottom of the baghouse and suspended from an adjustable hanger frame at the top. Dirty gas flow normally enters the baghouse and passes through the bag from the inside, and the dust collects on the inside of the bags. Reverse-air baghouses are compartmentalized to allow continuous operation. Before a cleaning cycle begins, filtration is stopped in the compartment to be cleaned. Bags are cleaned by injecting clean air into the dust collector in a reverse direction, which pressurizes the compartment. The pressure makes the bags collapse partially, causing the dust cake to crack and fall into the hopper below. At the end of the cleaning cycle, reverse airflow is discontinued, and the compartment is returned to the main stream. The flow of the dirty gas helps maintain the shape of the bag. However, to prevent total collapse and fabric chafing during the cleaning cycle, rigid rings are sewn into the bags at intervals

In reverse-pulse-jet baghouses

In reverse-pulse-jet baghouses, individual bags are supported by a metal cage, which is fastened onto a cell plate at the top of the baghouse. Dirty gas enters from the bottom of the baghouse and flows from outside to inside the bags. The metal cage prevents collapse of the bag. Bags are cleaned by a short burst of compressed air injected through a common manifold over a row of bags. The compressed air is accelerated by a venturi nozzle mounted at the reverse-jet baghouse top of the bag. Since the duration of the compressed-air burst is short (0.1s), it acts as a rapidly moving air bubble, traveling through the entire length of the bag and causing the bag surfaces to flex. This flexing of the bags breaks the dust cake, and the dislodged dust falls into a storage hopper below. Reverse-pulse-jet dust collectors can be operated continuously and cleaned without interruption of flow because the burst of compressed air is very small compared with the total volume of dusty air through the collector. Because of this continuouscleaning feature, reverse-jet dust collectors are usually not compartmentalized. The short cleaning cycle of reverse-jet collectors reduces recirculation and redeposit of dust. These collectors provide more complete cleaning and reconditioning of bags than shaker or reverse-air cleaning methods. Also, the continuous-cleaning feature allows them to operate at higher air-to-cloth ratios, so the space requirements are lower.

Scrubbers

The polluted air first enters the scrubber through a 90 bend and is intercepted by an array of water droplets. The air is accelerated as it enters the scrubber by a venturi plate to increase the number of collisions with the water droplets. Water is recirculated from the water tank to the spray jets. Some of the particles drop out into the water tank below at this stage. The remainder of the combined airwater mixture travels through to the perforated baffle. The water that passes through here produces a dam of water which acts as another stage of filtration. Finally, the air-water mixture enters a mist eliminator to remove any moisture present in the air stream. Sludge forms in the collection tank below.

Application Food powders, Brick dust, Metal grinding, Explosive dusts The term "scrubber" has referred to pollution control devices that use liquid to wash unwanted pollutants from a gas stream

Typical Scrubber Data Cleaning efficiency: 70% of fine dust and 80% of coarse dirt Air velocity through the washer: 2 - 3 m/s Air flow pressure drop resistance: 50 - 140 N/m2 Water pressure before nozzles: 100 - 170 kN/m2 Water consumption: 0.45 - 0.55 l/m3 air (depends on the temperature of the process air)

Scrubbers are one of the primary devices that control gaseous emissions, especially acid gases.

Baffle spray scrubber

In addition to using the energy provided by the spray nozzles, baffles are added to allow the gas stream to atomize some liquid as it passes over them. Liquid sprays capture pollutants and also remove collected particles from the baffles. Adding baffles slightly increases the pressure drop of the system. A number of wet-scrubber designs use energy from both the gas stream and liquid stream to collect pollutants. Many of these combination devices are available commercially.

Cyclonic spray scrubber

They use the features of both the dry cyclone and the spray chamber to remove pollutants from gas streams. Generally, the inlet gas enters the chamber tangentially, swirls through the chamber in a corkscrew motion, and exits. At the same time, liquid is sprayed inside the chamber. As the gas swirls around the chamber, pollutants are removed when they impact on liquid droplets, are thrown to the walls, and washed back down and out.

Cyclonic spray scrubbers are more efficient than spray towers, but not as efficient as venturi scrubbers, in removing particulate from the inlet gas stream. Particulates larger than 5 m are generally collected by impaction with 90% efficiency.

Ejector venturi scrubber

To this end, an ejector venturi scrubber uses a preformed spray, the difference is that only a single nozzle is used instead of many nozzles. This nozzle operates at higher pressures and higher injection rates than those in most spray chambers. The high-pressure spray nozzle (up to 689 kPa or 100 psig) is aimed at the throat section of a venturi constriction.

Ejector venturi is effective in removing particles larger than 1.0 m in diameter. These scrubbers are not used on sub micrometer-sized particles unless the particles are condensable [Gilbert, 1977].

Mechanically aided scrubber

In addition to using liquid sprays or the exhaust stream, scrubbing systems can use motors to supply energy. The motor drives a rotor or paddles which, in turn, generate water droplets for gas and particle collection. Systems designed in this manner have the advantage of requiring less space than other scrubbers, but their overall power requirements tend to be higher than other scrubbers of equivalent efficiency.

Spray tower
They consist of empty cylindrical vessels made of steel or plastic and nozzles that spray liquid into the vessels. The inlet gas stream usually enters the bottom of the tower and moves upward, while liquid is sprayed downward from one or more levels. This flow of inlet gas and liquid in the opposite direction is called countercurrent flow.

The gas velocity is kept low, from 0.3 to 1.2 m/s (1 to 4 ft/s) to prevent excess droplets from being carried out of the tower.

VOC abatement

Adsorption systems, such as activated carbon Flares Thermal oxidizers Catalytic converters NOx control Biofilters Absorption (scrubbing) Low NOx burners Cryogenic condensers Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) Vapor recovery systems Selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) NOx scrubbers Exhaust gas recirculation Catalytic converter (also for VOC control Acid Gas/SO2 control Wet scrubbers Dry scrubbers Flue gas desulfurization

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution (or environmental noise) is displeasing human, animal or machinecreated sound that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.

Noise pollution is a type of energy pollution in which distracting, irritating, or damaging sounds are freely audible. As with other forms of energy pollution (such as heat and light pollution), noise pollution contaminants are not physical particles, but rather waves that interfere with naturally-occurring waves of a similar type in the same environment.

What are the sources of outdoor noise pollution?

Transportation systems and motor vehicles Aircraft noise Rail noise Construction

Car alarms Emergency service sirens Mechanical equipment Fireworks Compressed air horns Grounds keeping equipment Barking dogs Appliances Audio entertainment systems Loud people

Annoyance and aggression Hypertension High stress levels Hearing loss Sleep disturbances

Cause animals stress Interfering with their use of sounds in communication (reproduction and navigation) Reduction of habitat (extinction)

Tabla. Estaciones de la Red de Monitoreo de Quertaro y parmetros que mide

N 1

ZONA Sureste

ESTACION Colegio Washington*

SO2 X

PST X

2
3 4 5

Sureste
Centro Centro Noroeste

Nicols Campa
Bellas Artes Flores Magn Conalep

X
X X X

X
X X X

Noroeste

Felix Osores

* (Se encuentra fuera de operacin)

INEGI/ Instituto Nacional de Ecologa/ Direccin de Ecologa del estado, 2008