Abstract
Sulfur oxides are a group of important ambient air pollutants that comprises both gaseous and particulate chemical species, including sulfur monoxide, sulfur dioxide, sulfur trioxide and disulfur monoxide. They come mainly from electric utilities, especially those that burn coal and industrial facilities that derive their products from raw materials like metallic ore, coal, and crude oil, or that burn coal or oil to produce process heat. Sulfur oxides and sulfate Particles could cause a wide variety of health and environmental impacts, particularly to susceptible subgroups of people with asthma, heart or lung disease and the elderly. Peak levels of SO2 in the ambient air could induce temporary breathing difficulty, asthma attacks and increased respiratory symptoms; long-term exposure to SO2 and sulfate particles cause respiratory illness, aggravate existing heart disease and premature death of the exposed population. Sulfur oxides react with other substances in the air to form acids rain, which accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, damages forests and crops, changes the makeup of soil, and makes lakes acidic and unsuitable for fish. WHO air quality guidelines for Sulfur dioxide are 20μg/m3 24-h mean and 500μg/m3 10-min mean, respectively.
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