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SULFUR AND NITROGEN EMISSION TRENDS FOR THE U.S. by Rudolph B. Husar

SULFUR AND NITROGEN EMISSION TRENDS FOR THE U.S. by Rudolph B. Husar. Summary Report by Sarah Lahr ME 449 Sustainable Air Quality 2/4/02. Introduction. The burning of fossil fuels is the most significant contributor of sulfur and nitrogen compounds to the air and in turn land and water

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SULFUR AND NITROGEN EMISSION TRENDS FOR THE U.S. by Rudolph B. Husar

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  1. SULFUR AND NITROGEN EMISSION TRENDS FOR THE U.S.by Rudolph B. Husar Summary Report by Sarah Lahr ME 449 Sustainable Air Quality 2/4/02

  2. Introduction • The burning of fossil fuels is the most significant contributor of sulfur and nitrogen compounds to the air and in turn land and water • Coal and oil products combustion and metal smelting cause the majority of sulfur and nitrogen emission to enter the atmosphere • Various fuels have been the primary fuel used over the years including: wood (1850-1880), coal (1900-1925, 1940-1945), natural gas and petroleum (after 1960).

  3. Sulfur Emissions from Coal Production • Coal is mined in 3 regions in the U.S. • Appalachian - varying range of sulfur (1-4%) • Midwest - high-sulfur percentage (2-4%) • West - cleaner, low-sulfur percentage (<1%) • The use of Western coal has increased dramatically in the past 30 years because of its low-sulfur contentOver the past 40 years, the use of coal has been determined by the electric utilities

  4. Sulfur Emissions from Other Sources • Oil Production • During the process of crude oil refining, some of the sulfur can be recovered as sulfuric acid • More than 50% of the sulfur is now recovered in this form • Copper and Zinc Smelting • Sulfuric acid can also be removed from smelter gases using converters • 50-70% of the sulfur can be removed using tightly hooded converters (further removal requires scrubbing) • Since 1980, more than 50% of the sulfur from metal smelting was recycled

  5. Nitrogen Oxide Emissions • Despite nitrogen’s natural presence, it is a pollutant and hazardous to humans when in the following forms: NO, NO2, N2O • In 1980, the NOx emission came from the transportation sector (internal combustion engines), power plants and industrial sources (boilers) • High temperature combustion of fossil fuels leads to nitrogen emissions (metal-processing plants and open-air biomass are insignificant)

  6. Emissions have fluctuated from 8-16 million tons per year Main source: Coal combustion in power plants Results from oxidation of sulfur impurities in fossil fuels and metal ores Removal must occur in the fuel or in the fuel gases Nitrogen oxides monotonically increased until 1970 Main Source: Internal combustion engines Results primarily from fixation of atmospheric nitrogen at high temperature Removal can occur with further technological advances in combustion Comparing Sulfur and Nitrogen Emissions Nitrogen Sulfur

  7. What I learned This article made me think about the various kinds of fuel that the U.S. has used since the 19th century and how history affected what was being used. I learned a lot about coal production and the differences between the coal in different parts of the country. I also found the problem-solving to limit the amount of emission to be interesting, especially the section on nitrogen emissions.

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