A Discussion on recent research in air pollution - The application of air pollution research to power station design

The aim of this contribution to the Meeting is to describe how the results of research work have been applied to the design of power stations in Britain. Before doing so, however, it is perhaps worth while giving an outline of the fundamental principles involved in the selection of air pollution control measures as they are seen by the engineers who must make practical decisions on plant design, and in this way define the specific objectives for the research work being undertaken. First, it must be appreciated that unless one accepts an exceedingly narrow definition of what constitutes air pollution, then clean air must be regarded as a matter of degree and not of kind. All sorts of naturally occurring gases and particulates pollute the atmosphere, even in places remote from mankind’s industrial and domestic activities. Volcanic dust and ashes, sulphur dioxide and other gases of geophysical origin, wind-blown dust, residues of sea-spray, pollen, spores, ozone, ammonia and many other substances exist quite naturally in the air we breathe. What constitutes an air pollution problem is the occurrence of pollutants in unduly high concentrations in a particular place or at a particular time. As a corollary of this, the aim of air pollution control measures is to prevent such high concentrations from occurring. This principle is fundamental to the whole concept of air pollution control, since once it is accepted then practical control measures need not necessarily be restricted to the prevention of the emission of pollutants, but can include also the manner of emission, in so far as this can influence subsequent concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere