Human Health Benefits of Ambient Sulfate Aerosol Reductions under Tilte IV of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments

摘要

The Acid Rain Provisions (Title IV) of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 call for about a 10 million ton reduction in annual SO_2 emissions in the United States by the year 2010. Although the provisions apply nationwide, most of the reduction will take place in the eastern half of the United States, where use of high sulfur coal for electricity generation is most common. One potentially large benefit of Title IV is the expected reduction in adverse human health effects associated with exposure to ambient sulfate aerosols, a secondary pollutant formed in the atmosphere when SO_2 is present. Sulfate aerosols are a significant consitituent of fine particulate (PM_(2.5)).