Method of estimating dollar loss as a result of injury to vegetation by air pollutants

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971 · Proc., Annu. Meet., Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6166592

Benedict, H M; Olsen, R E; Miller, R J

Damage to vegetation as a result of air pollution has been occurring for decades and estimates of loss have also been made for decades. Prior to 1950, the major plant damaging pollutants arose from isolated stationary sources, however, as of today, damage from these stationary sources has been far surpassed by damage due to ozone, PAN, and nitrogen dioxide which are formed as the result of photochemical reactions of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted primarily by movable sources, automobiles, however, this is not to say that the stationary sources, industrial plants, home furnaces, etc. do not also emit their share of those pollutants. Some gross estimates have been made of economic losses but no attempt has been made to distribute these losses among farm crops, ornamental plantings, forests, etc., or to ascribe the losses to emissions from manufacturing industries, auto exhausts, commercial and residential activities. The purpose of this study is to describe a systematic method which has evolved as a result of efforts to estimate the dollar loss to vegetation as a result of ozone, PAN, and nitrogen dioxide. The authors have grouped these together because injuries due to all three occur together and the pollutants are formed as a result of photochemical reactions of hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide in the atmosphere and a large proportion of these emissions arise from movable sources, the automobile. It was the object of the authors to document each step taken so that the results could be checked. They do not expect complete agreement with a procedure but they believe the method can be followed and improved as additional data become available. The steps involved in the procedure are presented. 8 references, 14 tables.

• Research Organization: Stanford Research Institute, Irvine, CA
• OSTI ID: 6166592
• Report Number(s): CONF-710676-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Proc., Annu. Meet., Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 64
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AIR POLLUTION
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CROPS
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ESTERS
FORECASTING
FORESTS
INJURIES
LOSSES
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PEROXYACETYL NITRATE
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PLANTS
POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
PRODUCTIVITY
TOXICITY