Page 107 - Fundamentals of Air Pollution

I. General 77

or poorly operated sewage treatment plant can cause an air pollution prob-
lem which will arouse citizens to demand immediate action. A burning
dump is a sure source of public complaint, even though it may be explained
to the same public that it is the "cheapest" way to dispose of their solid
waste. The public has shown its willingness to ban burning dumps
and pay the additional cost of adequate waste disposal facilities to have a
pollution-free environment.
3, Personal Sources
Even though society has moved toward centralized industries and utili-
ties, we still have many personal sources of air pollution for which we
alone can answer—(1) automobiles/ (2) home furnaces, (3) home fireplaces
and stoves, (4) backyard barbecue grills, and (5) open burning of refuse
and leaves. Figure 6-4 illustrates the personal emissions of a typical U.S.
family.
The energy release and air pollution emissions from personal sources in
the United States are greater than those from industry and utilities com-
bined. In any major city in the United States, the mass of pollutants emitted

Fig. 6-4. Estimated personal emissions from U.S. family of four persons. P, particulate
matter in kilograms per year; G, gases in kilograms per year.