Sulfur Dioxide Emissions

Extracted Attributes

• Odor

  Pungent, sharp, irritating odor (smell of burnt matches)

• Physical State

  Colorless gas

• Historical Name

  "Volatile spirit of sulfur" (known to medieval alchemists)

• Natural Sources

  Volcanic activity

• Chemical Formula

  SO2

• Environmental Role

  Precursor of sulfate aerosol, key player in Earth's energy balance, sunlight-blocking properties, contributes to global warming when reduced

• Toxicity to Humans

  Toxic when inhaled in relatively large quantities; can affect lung function, worsen asthma attacks, and worsen existing heart disease in sensitive groups (e.g., people with lung diseases, children)

• Anthropogenic Sources

  Burning sulfur-bearing fossil fuels, metal refining/smelting, power plants, commercial and institutional boilers, internal combustion engines, manufacturing, industrial processes (e.g., petroleum refining), diesel engines (buses, trucks, locomotives, ships, off-road equipment)

• US Anthropogenic Emissions (2011)

  Just over 6 million short tons per year

• US Anthropogenic Emissions (2020)

  Approximately 1.8 million short tons per year

Timeline

• Sulfur dioxide was known to medieval alchemists as "volatile spirit of sulfur". (Source: wikipedia)

  Medieval times

• US anthropogenic sulfur dioxide emissions were just over 6 million short tons per year. (Source: web_search_results)

  2011

• The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted its 'IMO 2020' regulation to drastically reduce shipping-related sulfur dioxide emissions. US anthropogenic sulfur dioxide emissions were approximately 1.8 million short tons per year. (Source: web_search_results)

  2020

• The likely side-effect of the 2020 regulations to cut air pollution from shipping is estimated to increase global temperatures by around 0.05C. (Source: web_search_results)

  2050 (estimated)

Sulfur dioxide

Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula SO2. It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activity and is produced as a by-product of metals refining and the burning of sulfur-bearing fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide is somewhat toxic to humans, although only when inhaled in relatively large quantities for a period of several minutes or more. It was known to medieval alchemists as "volatile spirit of sulfur".

Web Search Results

• Sulfur Dioxide Effects on Health

  Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless, reactive air pollutant with a strong odor. This gas can be a threat to human health, animal health, and plant life. The main sources of sulfur dioxide emissions are from fossil fuel combustion and natural volcanic activity. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (NP) is unique in the national park system because it sometimes has extremely high concentrations of sulfur dioxide — far higher than any other national park, or even most urban areas. [...] health advisories? How does sulfur dioxide affect national parks? What is sulfur dioxide? Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colorless, reactive air pollutant with a strong odor. This gas can be a threat to human health, animal health, and plant life. The main sources of sulfur dioxide emissions are from fossil fuel combustion and natural volcanic activity. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (NP) is unique in the national park system because it sometimes has extremely high concentrations of sulfur [...] can affect lung function, worsen asthma attacks, and worsen existing heart disease in sensitive groups. This gas can also react with other chemicals in the air and change to a small particle that can get into the lungs and cause similar health effects. Who is at risk? People sensitive to sulfur dioxide include: People with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema will generally have more serious health effects at higher SO2 levels. Children are at higher risk from

• Sulfur Dioxide

  As of 2020, human-made sources in the U.S. emit about 1.8 million short tons of sulfur dioxide per year (down from just over 6 million short tons per year in 2011) mainly from burning fuels. Power plants, commercial and institutional boilers, internal combustion engines, manufacturing, and industrial processes such as petroleum refining and metal processing are the largest sources of emissions, followed by diesel engines in old buses and trucks, locomotives, ships, and off-road equipment such [...] as construction vehicles. Emissions of sulfur dioxide will decline as cleanup of many of these sources continue in future years. [...] ### Where Do High SO2 Concentrations Occur? Coal-fired power plants remain one of the biggest sources of sulfur dioxide in the U.S. Columns of emissions (plumes) such as from chimneys of a coal-fired power plant are moved by wind over long distances before touching down at ground level at far away sites. These plumes could also get trapped at the ground level by unusual weather conditions such as a layer of warmer air occurring higher up in the atmosphere (inversion).

• Aerosols: are SO2 emissions reductions contributing to global ...

  and SO2. Sulphur dioxide emissions are the precursor of sulphate aerosol, which is a key player in Earth’s energy balance. [...] In 2020, the International Maritime Organization adopted its ‘IMO 2020’ regulation to drastically reduce shipping-related sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions. Studies have concluded that the drop in emissions significantly reduced the formation of clouds over shipping lanes. An analysis by Carbon Brief estimated that that “the likely side-effect of the 2020 regulations to cut air pollution from shipping is to increase global temperatures by around 0.05C by 2050. This is equivalent to approximately

• [PDF] Overview of Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Air Quality in the United States

  3 Inventory Year SO2 Emissions (kTons/year) 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017 2020 0 3000 6000 9000 12000 15000 Stationary Fuel Combustion Industrial and Other Processes Transportation Other Anthropogenic Sources Figure 2. U.S. anthropogenic SO2 emissions trend, 2002-2021. Source: EPA’s Air Pollutant Emissions Trends Data Index Index Sulfur Dioxide Emissions Density in tons/year/mi^2 (# Counties) 0−0.04 (911) 0.05−0.19 (1140) 0.2−0.99 (690) 1−4.99 (304) 5−288 (175) Figure 3. U.S. county-level SO2 [...] Wildfires 5% Agricultural & Prescribed Fires 3% Stationary Fuel Combustion: Coal 57% Stationary Fuel Combustion: Other 7% Industrial Processes 19% Mobile Sources 8% Other 1% SO2 Emissions (2,715 kTon/year) Figure 1. U.S. SO2 emissions by sector. Source: 2017 NEI. [...] Figure 3 shows the SO2 emissions density in tons/mi2/year for each U.S. county based on the 2017 NEI. The majority of SO2 emissions tend to be located near large point sources such as coal-fired EGUs or large industrial facilities. Counties near urban areas also tend to have higher SO2 emissions due to the higher concentration of industrial facilities. Counties in rural areas may also have higher emissions due to oil and gas extraction or fires.

• Sulfur dioxide | Environment, land and water

  The scrubbed sample passes into a reaction chamber where it is irradiated with ultraviolet (UV) light at 214nm (nanometres) generated by a zinc discharge lamp and a UV bandpass filter. Sulfur dioxide absorbs UV radiation at wavelengths between 200nm and 240nm. Emission of fluorescence (light-producing) photons at higher wavelengths (around 350nm) follows this absorption of UV radiation by the molecule. [...] Queensland Government Queensland Government Queensland Government #### Popular services #### Browse by category # Sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide molecule Sulfur dioxide molecule Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is a colourless gas with a sharp, irritating odour. It is produced by burning fossil fuels and by the smelting of mineral ores that contain sulfur. Erupting volcanoes can be a significant natural source of sulfur dioxide emissions. ## Environmental effects