APES Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution

Key Idea 1

Human activities have physical, chemical, and biological consequences for the atmosphere.

Ozone

Photochemical smog can cause ground-level ozone to occur particularly in the afternoon when it gets hot. Ozone can cause a variety of health effects such as chest pain, throat irritation, coughing, and congestion. It is particularly dangerous to people with asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema.

Photochemical smog

This type of smog occurs in warm places that have a lot of people, cars, factories, power plants, etc. It is formed when volatile organic hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, heat, and sunlight mix. Photochemical smog can cause eye irritation and respiratory illness; ground-level ozone is produced.

Acid rain (acid deposition)

When nitrogen oxides (NOx and sulfur oxides (SO2) in the atmosphere mix with the rain, snow, fog, hail, or dust, they can become acid rain and fall to the Earth. This can be in wet or dry forms.

Clean Air Act

American law that regulated the use of lead in fuels and the atmosphere.

Lead

Leads to permanent nerve damage, anemia, or mental retardation.

Volatile organic hydrocarbons

When they mix with nitrogen oxides and heat they can form photochemical smog.

Thermal inversion

Occurs when pollution gets trapped near the Earth's surface because of warm air trapping cooler, denser air near the Earth.

Radon-222

A gas that comes from uranium decay and is the second leading cause of cancer in America.

Catalytic converter

A device that converts pollutants into less dangerous things.

Vapor recovery nozzle

A device added to gasoline fuel pumps that traps the vapors before they can be released to the atmosphere.

Wet and dry scrubbers

Air pollution devices that remove particulates so they don't get into the atmosphere.

Electrostatic precipitators

Remove fine particles like dust, smoke, soot, and ash before they leave the smokestack.

Anthropogenic

Caused by humans.

Noise pollution

Sound that is loud and long enough to cause harm to humans and animals.