2009 APS March Meeting
Volume 54, Number 1
Monday–Friday, March 16–20, 2009;
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Session H8: The Greening of the City of Pittsburgh: The History, Science and Examples
8:00 AM–10:24 AM,
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Room: 414/415
Sponsoring
Unit:
FPS
Chair: Brian Schwartz, City University of New York
Abstract ID: BAPS.2009.MAR.H8.2
Abstract: H8.00002 : Air Quality from Early Pittsburgh to the Present: The Science of Change
8:36 AM–9:12 AM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
Cliff Davidson
(Carnegie Mellon University)
Throughout Pittsburgh's history over the past 250 years, coal reserves in
the city and nearby have influenced its economy, demographics, and
environmental quality. They have also played a major role in determining air
quality in the region. For example, Pittsburgh became famous for its high
particle loadings as early as the beginning of the nineteenth century, when
the first complaints about air quality in the city were recorded.
Nevertheless, residents tolerated the high coal smoke levels since jobs
depended on the iron works, steel mills, and other industries. When natural
gas was discovered just east of the city in the 1870's and replaced coal for
some applications, particle concentrations decreased. But the local supplies
of natural gas ran short several years later, and as industry continued to
expand in the 1890's the city went back to the use of coal as its primary
fuel. The return to smoky air was met with resistance that marked the
beginning of sustained public outcry and initiation of several air pollution
studies. The next half century was marked by periods of occasional high and
low concentration, the latter due to events such as the financial panic of
1907 and the depression of the 1930's. It was not until the 1940's that
effective regulations were passed to reduce smoky conditions. Particle
levels fell throughout the 1950's and 1960's, and eventually the decline of
heavy industry in Pittsburgh led to relatively clean air in many parts of
the city. Over the past few decades, airborne particle concentrations
averaged across the Pittsburgh region have remained below their earlier
levels. However, there are still ``hot spots'' of high concentration
resulting from regional background coming from upwind areas and emissions of
some large sources that have continued to operate in the Pittsburgh region.
Furthermore, the composition of airborne particles in the city has changed
from earlier times. Such particles are now the result of emissions from
sources in upwind states, greater numbers of mobile sources, and the
influence of control technologies that remove certain classes of pollutants
but not others.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2009.MAR.H8.2