Briefing notes: a status report on sulfur oxides

Book · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1974

OSTI ID:7195249

Finklea, J F; Turner, D B; Akland, G G; Larsen, R I; Hasselblad, V; Shearer, S D

Sulfur oxides emissions and their environmental effects are described. Fuels contain varying amounts of sulfur which is oxidized to sulfur dioxide or sulfur trioxide during combustion. These oxides are transformed into acid sulfate aerosols which can be transported in the atmosphere for long distances. These aerosols cause adverse effects on human health, vegetation, materials, and visibility. They are respiratory irritants because their small particle size allows deep penetration into the lung. Adverse effects on public health include aggravation of asthma, increases in deaths, and aggravations of illness among the elderly and infirm. Recent reductions of SO/sub 2/ emissions in major cities have not controlled urban sources of acid sulfate aerosols. Massive conversion of urban power plants to high sulfur fuels or unrestricted use of tall stacks and supplementary control systems can greatly aggravate the acid sulfate aerosol problem. Flue gas desulfurization, cleaner fuels, or modified combustion processes are required to control the acid sulfate aerosol problem. (Air Pollut. Abstr.)

• OSTI ID: 7195249
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AEROSOLS
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
DISPERSIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
FLUE GAS
FOSSIL-FUEL POWER PLANTS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
OXIDATION
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
POWER PLANTS
SOLS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFUR TRIOXIDE
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
WASTES