Refinery Emissions ignored by CARB, nightly air pollution
According to their own “study”, where ARB inventories the pollution they failed to stop,
http://www.arb.ca.gov/app/emsinv/emseic1_query.php?F_DIV=-4&F_YR=2006&F_SEASON=A&SP=2007&F_AREA=CA
The “Total Organic Gases”, mostly HxCx, released statewide are 5,690.77 tons per DAY (TPD), with Reactive Organic Gases (the really bad stuff) at 2,321.39 TPD.
More importantly, SOx (future Sulfuric Acid) and NOx (future Nitric acid) emissions (SOx and NOx) total 304.26 TPD and 3,557.70 TPD, respectively.
That’s pretty bad, and much of it is due to on-road pollution from Internal Combustion (”IC”) cars.
What’s even worse is the concentration around refineries:
Reactive organic gases of 134.5 TPD, with 13.71 TPD of Carbon Monoxide, 9.31 TPD of potential Nitric Acid (”NOx”) and 42.5 TPD of potential Sulfuric Acid (”SOx”).
From the AQMD presentation in Wilmington, their hope is that “meteorological conditions” will carry away the pollution, moving it to poison more people over a wider area.
To put things in perspective, each molecule of Carbon Monoxide (CO) complexes with a Hemoglobin molecule (red blood cell) just as Oxygen (O2) does; but CO, unlike O2, won’t let go.
http://www.edinformatics.com/interactive_molecules/carbon_monoxide.htm
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/coftsht.html
So essentially, each molecule of CO destroys one red blood cell, lowering the effective Oxygen content of the blood, decreasing the respiratory ability, and increasing the danger of asphixiation to those suffering from pernicious anemia, asthma, or low red-blood-cell count. Essentially, CO operates exactly the same as Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN), each CN radical destroys one red blood cell.
Now how many molecules of CO are there in 13 tons of CO? Quite a lot. In each gram-mole of CO, there are 600,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 molecules of CO, that’s 28 grams.
Yes, in each OUNCE (about 27 grams) of CO there are that many CO molecules, 6 times ten to the 23rd power, each one hungry to take out a red blood cell in kids lungs, lowering their respiratory ability and helping kill the elderly.
Now what about friendly-sounding NOx? Well, NOx stands for OXIDES OF NITROGEN, which include NO and NO2, which form eventually anhydrous NITRIC ACID, and there’s quite a lot of it in 9.31 tons of NOx. In the presence of Ozone, sunlight and HxCx, very bad acids are formed, which are “bad for those with respiratory problems”. And if you don’t have any, you soon will have some.
http://www.raypak.com/lownoxtech.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxide
The same devils’ brew occurs with SOx, which are Sulfurous and Sulfuric radicals, which form in the presence of water both Sulfurous and Sulfuric acid. The lower oxidation state can be converted, in the presence of Ozone and sunlight, into the sulfuric radical, which forms plain old Sulfuric Acid when it hits water, such as is found in lung tissue. These are not good for lungs, we might suspect. In the presence of Ozone and HxCx, SOx again forms some very bad things.
http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/Ozone/ozone.html (Oxidizing Nitrous to Nitric is given as an example, but the same holds for Sulfurous to Sulfuric)
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn07/wn07-3/wn07-302.html
Now the problem is the concentration. Around refineries, the prevailing wind blows toward nearby residents, who bear an inordinate share of the burden for petroleum refining. But even for those her away, the refineries are a big part of the problem, and have no place in the air basin.
But ARB and AQMD just ignore these problems, dismissing them as “NOx” and “SOx”.
Duration : 0:5:27
[youtube B9oBibGzDG0]
shut the up …
shut the up because i bet you didn’t do you homework. so how do you know what it is
Big oil liars claim …
Big oil liars claim that environmentalists are stopping them from building new refineries; the truth is, they have to close inefficient refineries because new methods mean that the same refinery can handle much more “throughput”. So it’s just the consolidation of Big Oil, nothing else.
You’re missing the …
You’re missing the point. It’s a SLOGAN, it’s proclaiming the importance of living without BURNING oil.
Yes, oil is valuable; it’s congealed sunlight. But why burn it foolishly when it can be conserved, we’re drawing down millions of years of stored energy.
There are many …
There are many polluters; but burning oil is the worst.
Actually, CARB runs …
Actually, CARB runs tests on the air downwind of these emitters, and there’s data showing it.
To be honest, you …
To be honest, you don’t know what is being released, do you? But you choose to make up lies instead of telling the truth, which is that the refinery industry is heavily regulated BECAUSE it emits toxins.
Gram-mole is a …
Gram-mole is a technical expression used in Chemistry, which you might study. One gram-mole of H2O is 18 grams, containing Avogadro’s number of molecules of H2O. One molecule of CO does, in fact, complex with hemoglobin (just as does O2 or CN) but the CO doesn’t release the hold (like CN). 30 mg of CN is enough to kill an average person.
There’s no such …
There’s no such thing as a gram-mole. It’s rediculous to say 1 molecule of CO kills a red blood cell, there are trillions of heme molecules in each cell. You lack a basic understanding of how “kids’ lungs” work. You’re also too dumb to know not to film while driving. You’re obviously lying about the smell because the fumes are moving away from you. I doubt you know what those factories make or what chemicals are being released.
Im a pipefitter and …
Im a pipefitter and yes that is steam. some of it is chemicals but they burn it off with flares.
B U L L S H I T. …
B U L L S H I T. They only let it out at night, when no one is around; and while SOME of it is hydrogen dioxide, the lungs say it contains HxCx!!
All that “shit” …
All that “shit” that you’re showing is actually steam. Might want to do your homework before you get your panties in a bunch.
hair, hair …
hair, hair colouring, hair curlers, hearing aids, heart valves, heating oil, house paint, ice chests, ink, insect repellent, insulation, jet fuel, life jackets, linoleum, lip balm, lipstick, hair, hair colouring, hair curlers, hearing aids, heart valves, heating oil, house paint, ice chests, ink, insect repellent, insulation, jet fuel, life jackets, linoleum, lip balm, lipstick, hair, hair colouring, hair curlers, hearing aids, heart valves, heating oil, house paint…I could go on if you want
And what about …
And what about these products: Air conditioners, ammonia, anti-histamines, antiseptics, artificial turf, asphalt, aspirin, balloons, bandages, boats, bottles, bras, bubble gum, butane, cameras, candles, car batteries, car bodies, carpet, cassette tapes, caulking, CDs, chewing gum, cold, combs/brushes, computers, contacts, cortisone, crayons, cream, denture adhesives, deodorant, detergents, dice, dishwashing liquid, dresses, dryers, electric blankets, electricians tape….
Our plug-in car …
Our plug-in car runs on solar power we make on our own roof. If you can buy a plug-in car, you can pay for your solar system with the money you don’t pay for gasoline.
What do you propose …
What do you propose as an alternative to living oil free?
They don’t see it …
They don’t see it as much as night; and rush past it. Mostly, at 2AM, the 405 is empty. It’s not me that says it’s toxic, it’s studies by academics. I too lived in the shadow of a refinery for years, but felt the catch of breath (it was the Union then).
I’m also troubled …
I’m also troubled by your name, “liveoilfree”. Do you have any idea what products you use everyday that are hydrocarbon based? Asphalt for your Prius, plastic to coat your paper cup of Free Trade Organic coffee. Lipstick for your girlfriend (or boyfriend?). Linoleum to cover your crappy apartment. You’ll NEVER be oil free, and refineries help keep us from plunging into the Stone Age. What do you propose?
When it isn’t seen? …
When it isn’t seen?! It’s off the I-405, everyone sees it! Look I work at a refinery now and worked with the Carson Refinery as well. At both places, I’ve lived 1-2 miles away comfortably, knowing well what comes out of the flares and process units. What I’d really worry about is in the ports…lots of ships keeping their engines running to power generators….that’s the big polluter. I know there’s no point talking to a fundamentalist, I just hope others get their facts straight.
I want Chevron to …
I want Chevron to disgorge control of the NiMH Electric car batteries, which they are patent-squatting on.
It’s dilute SO3, …
It’s dilute SO3, which becomes H2SO4 in the lungs of kids. Even dilute, it eats away tender lung tissue, making holes. This is not my invention; it’s a USC study that proves it.
LOL!! I know how …
LOL!! I know how AQMD works, they are on first name basis with the devil, “Western States Petroleum”. On another video, I took daytime and night pics of the same refinery, showing that they don’t release it in the daytime, only at night when it isn’t seen.
This is the most …
This is the most ignorant, retarded video I’ve seen yet. He has NO idea what he’s talking about. I know from working with the refineries down there what kinds of restrictions the AQMD has placed upon them limiting emissions, not to mention the other regulatory agencies, so don’t give me that crap that no one is doing anything about it. And don’t even get me started about substance abuse in the neighborhoods due to toxins. Go back to Eugene, Oregon.
If the sulfuric …
If the sulfuric acid was highly concentrated then all plants would die. I understand your concern and it is great that you care about other people. A similar situation happened in Toronto back in August 2008 when a propane station exploded and thousands had to be evacuated from their homes. Accordingly, the propane station was built near residents; legally. Yet, logically this is illegal.Once again, thank you for sharing your concern and I hope change is near!
Dark, I understand …
Dark, I understand your angst. But refineries don’t have many jobs! The entire 700 acre complex mainly has value as free property tax revenue to the city, not for its job creation. Refineries are highly automated now, with extremely efficient processing that can handle much higher quantities of OIL in the same space and with fewer personnel. That’s why the big refiners are closing obsolete plants, to cut payroll.
And yes, back then …
And yes, back then there was really no care about the enviromental impact of heavy indusrty, but now, especially refineries, the EPA is so strick about emissions (esspecially at the BP plant down the block from me), that they can’t risk the fines slapped on them for being careless. I even go jogging around the BP refinery here because it looks so cool, and I never have any breathing problems, even after 15 years of doing my jogging around it, I love it!