From chemistry-request@ccl.net Thu Jun 11 02:10:34 1992
Date: Wed, 10 Jun 92 21:41:14 +0200
From: bayard@chitheo1.univ-lyon1.fr (BAYARD Francois URA805 LYON 72 44 82 79)
Subject: A new unit for pollution ?
To: chemistry@ccl.net
Status: RO

Dont blame me too much if I go away from computational chemistry topic this 
time, but this BBS is the only one of which allows me to speak with others 
chemists.

--- be indulgent I'am just testing an idea --- 

Dear Netters,

A few days ago, I proposed the following message to the biosph-L BBS.
As now a small program is available for this calculation, I submit this idea
for your cristicism. I hope that this subject which deals with modelling of 
pollution will be of interest to some of you. I will summarize in two weeks.

Francois BAYARD

PS: the program is available on request

===============================================================
original message :

>From bayard Thu Jun  4 17:03:06 1992
Subject: a new unit for pollution ?

Aside discussion about the conference of Rio
============================================

The conference of Rio gives me the opportunity to propose a
potentially new method to account for the relative level of
pollution.

I suggest the creation of a pollution unit which would
quantize this level, so that people could gain a better
understanding of the effects of their pollution on the
bio-sphere.

This unit situated at the molecular level could be calculated
as the number of molecules contained in one litre of air or
water (or "bio-fluids") after complete dispersion of the polluant
into the atmosphere or water supply.

	      m      <---- nbre of molecules of polluant
     Pol = --------
	      M      <---- nbre of litres of the bio-fluid present
			   on the earth 


Because of the magnitude of Avogadro's number this unit will be
sufficiently sensible to the human mind.
In it's conception it is of the same order of magnitude as the
Becquerel radiation unit.

examples :
========

A few month ago I made a the calculation for the exhaust of a
car burning 8 liters/100km :
(it should be checked)

it gives                          -1    -1
        683 molecules. liter of air   km   = 683 Pol/km for CO2

				  -1    -1
        0.2 molecules. liter of air   km   = 0.2 Pol/km for HC

It means that when you drive 1 km, everybody on the earth will 
get 683 CO2 molecules more for one liter of air.


Values for the total mass of bio-fluids
=======================================
The reference values for the mass of atmosphere was taken from
The Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (69th edition) according
to A.Poldervart 1955. 
This point could change slightly in the future (but less than 
one order of magnitude).

I will be  happy to hear about such a unit if it already exists,
and I will summarize  all comments and answers.

Also any suggestion on the best way to submit it to a
scientific standard organisation would be appreciated.


------
Francois BAYARD                     
GROUPE DE CHIMIE THEORIQUE - LABORATOIRE DE CHIMIE INDUSTRIELLE 
UNIVERSITE CLAUDE BERNARD LYON 1   |  e-mail bayard@chitheo1.univ-lyon1.fr
43 Bd du 11 Novembre 1918          |  fax    (+33) 72 44 08 03
F-69622 VILLEURBANNE - FRANCE      |  tel    (+33) 72 44 82 79
--------------------------------------------------------------------------