Premium
SOURCES, CHARACTERISTICS, AND FATE OF ATMOSPHERIC CARBON MONOXIDE
Author(s) -
Jaffe Louis S.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1970.tb49774.x
Subject(s) - national ambient air quality standards , air pollution , air quality index , carbon oxide , administration (probate law) , carbon monoxide , political science , chemistry , law , meteorology , geography , organic chemistry , catalysis , biochemistry
Carbon monoxide (CO) is the most abundant and widely distributed air pollutant found in the lower atmosphere (excepting COX) .* Emission of CO generally exceeds that of all other pollutants combined, particularly in urban atmospheres. Carbon monoxide is principally a man-made pollutant. About 63% of the technologically formed CO emissions or about 58% from all sources in the United States is derived from the combustion of fossil fuels in motor vehicles. Smaller amounts are contributed by stationary combustion sources, industrial processes, and solid waste combustion. Some CO is also produced by natural sources. Carbon monoxide is relatively chemically inert and is oxidized very slowly by molecular oxygen in the lower atmosphere. Although the tonnage of CO emitted to the atmosphere continues to increase with the world-wide increased consumption of fossil fuels, the background levels of CO in clean air do not appear to be increasing significantly. It has been postulated, therefore, that one or more scavenging processes or “sinks” for CO exist in the atm0sphere.l