Word: sulfurous
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...people of Mexico City call it nata, or scum. It is the sickly brown cloud that stubbornly hangs over the megalopolis, home to 23 million people. Composed primarily of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone, the smog has made the winter of 1991 the most toxic in Mexico City history, triggering a 16% to 20% jump in the incidence of respiratory infections, nosebleeds and emphysema. Since September, the city has enjoyed only six days in which noxious gases did not exceed danger levels. "The atmosphere has no time to recuperate," says Homero Aridjis, president of the Group...
...posed by the fiery oil wells, which after a month of continuous burning will create enough smoke and soot to cover an area half the size of the U.S., according to some projections. The by-products of combustion include carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and, because of the high sulfur content of Kuwaiti crude, a good deal of sulfur dioxide -- a prime component in acid rain...
That could be literally true. American specialists warn that the smoke, which is high in sulfur dioxide, can cause serious lung ailments, especially among the elderly and the very young living within 20 miles of the burning oil wells. Some scientists fear that the acrid plumes will climb into the stratosphere, darken the skies, lower temperatures and change the weather pattern of the entire gulf region. And, say oil experts, it might take until the end of 1991 to extinguish all 600 blazes...
Just before despair set in, I heard of another student on the same quest. John Sparks '91, of Sulfur, Okla., also sees red when he hears anyone mention the subject. "Everybody's got a buddy who's done it, but nobody ever does it," said Sparks...
Unfortunately, most American refiners can only process low-sulfur "sweet" crudes. The bottom line for consumers? They will face higher prices, just what this rigamarole was supposed to prevent. The big refiners will ratchet up prices to pay for the extra refining, and the smaller refiners will raise prices to offset the loss of business...