1. A coal burning power plant consumes 10,000 tons of coal per day. The coal contains 2% sulfur by weight. If the sulfur oxides released during a certain day are confined to a volume of 1011 cubic meters, calculate the concentration of SO2 (in µg/m3) in the air surrounding the power plant. To comply with acid rain control requirements, the plant is considering switching to a low-sulfur coal. How low does the sulfur content in the coal have to be so that the power plant can meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) (i.e., 365 µg/m3), if all other conditions are the same? [5]
2. In 2018, it was estimated that the number of gasoline-powered cars in the world was 1 billion. If a car averages 16,000 km per year at 7.8 liters of gasoline per 100 km and that the combustion of 1 liter of gasoline produces approximately 2.3 kg of CO2, calculate the annual CO2 emissions from automobiles assuming 25% CO2 overheads emission incurred at production, refinery and downstream.
[Note: 1,000 kg = 1 ton = 109 gigaton (Gt)] [5]
