6.3 Photochemical smog

how can the combustion of fossil fuels produce photochemical smog

the combustion of fossil fuels produces primary pollutants which may generate secondary pollutants and lead to photochemical smog

in short, how can photochemical smog be reduced

by decreasing human reliance on fossil fuels

what are some examples of primary pollutants

carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, soot, unburned hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur

when do secondary pollutants form in the atmosphere

often when exposed to sunlight, primary pollutants undergo a variety of reactions with other chemicals already present in the atmosphere

what is tropospheric ozone an example of

a secondary pollutant, formed when oxygen molecules react with oxygen atoms that are released from nitrogen dioxide in the presence of sunlight

why is tropospheric ozone bad

it is highly reactive and damages crops, irritates eyes, causes respiratory illnesses and damages fabric and rubber materials

what does the frequency and severity of smog in an area depend on

local topography, climate, population density and fossil fuel use

why do thermal inversions occur

due to lack of air movement when a layer of dense cool air is trapped beneath a layer of less dense, warm air, this causes concentrations of air pollutants to build up near the ground instead of being dissipated by normal air movements

what are some smaller contributing factors to smog

economic losses caused by urban air pollution can be significant

what are some population management strategies to help manage photochemical smog

altering human activity to consume less fossil fuels, regulating and reducing pollutants at point of emission via government regulation and taxation, using catalytic converters to clean exhaust, regulating fuel quality by governments, adopting clean-up measures such as reforestation, re-greening, and conservation of areas to sequester carbon dioxide