Air Pollution Lecture Notes

Flashcards summarizing key vocabulary related to air pollution, its causes, effects, and regulatory measures.

Air Pollutants

Substances in the air that can cause harm to human health and the environment, including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter.

Photochemical Smog

A type of air pollution that is formed when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react in the presence of sunlight, creating ground-level ozone.

Primary Pollutants

Pollutants that are emitted directly from a source, such as carbon monoxide from vehicles.

Secondary Pollutants

Pollutants that form in the atmosphere from chemical reactions between primary pollutants and other atmospheric constituents, such as ozone.

Clean Air Act

A U.S. federal law that regulates air emissions from stationary and mobile sources, aiming to ensure that all Americans have air that is safe to breathe.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature, contributing to the formation of photochemical smog.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Gases that are produced from combustion processes, leading to the formation of ozone and contributing to acid rain.

Acid Rain

Precipitation that contains high levels of sulfuric or nitric acids, resulting from the reaction of nitrogen and sulfur oxides with water in the atmosphere.

Thermal Inversion

A weather phenomenon in which a layer of warm air traps pollutants close to the ground, worsening air quality.

Particulate Matter (PM)

A mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air that can cause respiratory issues.