AP Environmental Science Unit 7

Is particulate matter from a wood stove primary or secondary pollution?

Primary

Is tropospheric ozone accumulates during the day primary or secondary pollution?

Secondary

Is carbon dioxide released from a volcano primary or secondary pollution?

Primary

Is burning natural gas forming nitrogen oxides primary or secondary pollution?

Primary

Is sulfur dioxide combines with oxygen in the atmosphere to make sulfur trioxide primary or secondary pollution?

Secondary

Is toxic metals are released during coal combustion primary or secondary pollution?

Primary

Currently, levels of CO2 in the atmostphere are ___ parts per million.

420

What six air pollutants are regulated as part of the Clean Air Act?

Sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, ozone, and lead

What pollutant has been reduced the most by the Clean Air Act?

Lead

What change has led to the dramatic drop of lead used?

It is no longer used in gasoline

What five conditions will lead to a higher amount of photochemical smog?

Warm climate, city in a valley, urban area, high population, and sunny climate

Why do urban conditions cause more photochemical smog?

More traffic means more NO2, hotter, more VOCs, more electricity on demand

Why do warmer conditions cause more photochemical smog?

Hotter atm. temp. speeds O3 formation, evaporation, VOCs & thus smog formation

Why do sunny conditions cause more photochemical smog?

Drive O3 formation by breaking down NO2 → NO + O, then free O atoms bond with O2

What components are necessary in order to make long-lasting photochemical smog?

Nitrogen oxides and VOCs.

In urban areas, nitrogen oxide builds up in the atmosphere during the day/night?

Day, because more cars are going releasing and power plants are working, leading up to pollutant build up.

Are all VOCs anthropogenic?

No, many come from natural sources like plants.

What is the role of VOCs in forming photochemical smog?

VOCs bond wiht NO to form photochemical oxidants which are what combine with the O3 to form photochemical smog.

What is the purpose of the ozone layer in the stratosphere?

It absorbs a portion of the suns radiation protecting the Earth.

Why is ozone considered a pollutant when it is formed in the troposphere?

Because it absorbs radiation, it acts as a harmful greenhouse gas and can be damaging when too close.

How does ozone/photochemical smog impact human health?

Can cause harm to the respritory system, and worsen asthma, cause bronchitis, COPD, irritates eyes.

How does ozone/photochemical smog impact plants?

Reduces sunlight, limiting photosynthesis, O3 damages plant stomata.

Explain ozone formation.

NO2 splits into NO+O and the lone oxygen joins O2 to create ozone, O3. NO & VOCs also bond to create photochemical oxidants which then mix with the O3 to create photochemical smog.

What is the temperature levels for normal conditions without thermal inversions?

Warm, cool, cooler

What are the temperature levels for thermal inversion?

Cool warm cool

Is cool air more or less dense than warm air?

More

Why does density affect the trapping of smog during thermal inversion?

Cool dense air gets trapped by the warm air

What are the five causes of thermal inversion?

Nearness to bodies of water & direction of prevailing winds, at night warm urban surfaces cooling more quickly than air aloft, high pressure system, valleys or basins, and cold front moving in forcing warm air upwards.

Name two cities that frequently experience thermal inversion and why?

Los Angles because of basin topography, Salt Lake City because of valley locations

What are potential human health impacts of thermal inversion?

Respiratory irritation: asthma flare ups leading to hospitalization, worsened COPD, emphysema

Draw a scene that depics non-anthropogenic sources of CO2 and particulate matter.

See 7.4 practice

What type of particulate matter, PM2.5 or PM10, is more of a health concern?

PM2.5 is smaller so that it can travel deeper into the lungs.

What in a house can be a source of lead?

Paint in older houses

What can be a source of asbestos in a house?

Insulation in older houses

What can be a source of radon in a house?

Some soils can have radon

What can be a source of formaldehyde of VOCs in houses?

New furniture, carpet, and paint

What can be a source of CO and nitrogen oxide in houses?

Natural gas burning in heaters & fire places

Is indoor pollution more or less of a threat to human health than outdoor air pollution?

More of a threat

What kind of conditions lead to mold problems?

Dark, moist conditions

Carbon monoxide is classified as an asphyxiant. What does that mean? Explain what CO does in the body and how it can result in asphyxiation.

Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin in the blood, preventing oxygen from binding. If the blood can not pick up oxygen, oxygen can not get to body cell, and the body dies from lack of oxygen.

How does formaldehyde impact human health?

Irritates the skin and respitory tract, dizziness and nausea

How does nitrogen oxides impact human health?

Lung irritation and headaches

How does lead impact human health?

Neurological problem, weakness, kidney and brain damage, birth defects

How does radon impact human health?

Lung cancer

How does asbestos impact human health?

Lung irritation, lung disease, lung cancer

How does particulates impact human health?

Lung & eye irritation, difficulty breathing

What can you do to prevent radon from entering and building up in your home?

Increase ventilation and air flow. Seal cracks in floors and walls. Use plastic sheeting as a barrier between ground and home.

What is the purpose of a vapor recovery nozzle and where would you find them?

Traps VOCs while pumping gas and stores them in an underground tank. You would find at gas stores.

What year were all cars and trucks required to hae a catalytic converter and where is it located in a vehicle?

1975 and between the englines and muffler.

Why are catalytic converters so expensive?

They are so full of rare and expensive metals which are necessary for conducting the reactions that clean the exhaust.

Wet scrubbers use _____ to trap pollutants and separate them from exhaust streams, while dry scrubbers use _________.

Water, dry chemicals

Where would you find a wet or dry scrubber?

Power plants

How to electrostatic precipitators clean particulate matter from the air?

Dirty air passed through an area with high negative charge, which passes that negative charge to the pollution in the air. The dirty air is then passed between positively charged plates, which attract the negatively charged particles. The particles stick to the plates, allowing clean air to exit the filter.

How do baghouse filters clean particulate matter from the air?

Dirty air is passed through the bags. Bags capture particles and clean air comes through.

What pH does normal rainwater have?

5.4

Acid depositions refers to precipitation with a pH less than what?

5

How does the fact that pollutants can travel thousands of miles by wind make reducing local acid deposition more difficult?

The impact of acid rain is often very far away from the source of pollutants, even across the world. Regulations must be global to truly stop the problem.

How/why does acid deposition reduce biodiversity?

Acid deposition changes pH of aquatic habits, which can lead to fish death. Acid harms plants and can kill seedlings. Acid leaches internals from the soil which can lead to deficiencies in plants, which leads to nutrient deficiencies in herbivores that rely on them.

The greatest effects of acid deposition are on (terrestrial/aquatic) ecosystems

Aquatic

Explain the connection between acid deposition linked to metal pollution.

Acids leach metals from the soil, such as mercury and aluminium. These metals are toxic to both plants & animals.

Regions with naturally acidic soils and granite bedrock are more/less susceptible to the effect of acid deposition, while regions with limestone bedrock are most/less susceptible.

More, less

Examples of noise pollution from transportation

Cars and truck engines, horns, road noise, and screeching tires

Examples of noise pollution from construction

Heavy machinery, saws, hammering, drilling

Examples of noise pollution from domestic (at home)

Vacuum, loud music, lawn mower, washer/dryer, dog barking

Examples of noise pollution from industrial (at work)

Industrial equipment, engines running, fans

How is human health impacted by noise pollution?

Stress, anxiety, irritation, trouble sleeping, high blood pressure, cardiac problems, cognitive and memory problems.

How are humpback whales affected by marine noise pollution?

Many whales rely on sound to communicate excessive and loud noises can damage their hearing and cause behavior changes. Including stranding which can lead to death.

What causes sulfur dioxide to form?

Combustion of fuels that contain sulfur, including coal, gasoline, oil, and diesel

How are nitrogen oxides formed?

Combustion, including fossil fuels, wood, and other biomass

What is a cause of carbon monoxide?

Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, wood, and other biomass and malfunctioning exhaust systems and poorly ventilated cooking fires.

What is a cause of lead?

Outdoor - Gasoline additive, emitted from coal plants

Indoor - Old paint, pipes and pipe joints

What is a cause of ozone?

Secondary pollutant formed by the combination of sunlight, oxygen, NOx, and VOCs

What are causes of particulate matter?

Outdoor - combustion of coal, oil, diesel and biomass like manure and wood, pollen, Agriculture, road construction, and other activities that mobilize soil, soot, and dust

Indoor - combustion of biomass like manure or wood for heating and cooking m

What are causes of VOCs?

Evaporation of fuels, solvents, paints, flues and improper combustion of fuels like gasoline.

What are causes of mercury?

Combustion of coal, oil, and gold mining. Coal combustion is the largest contributor to mercury in the air.

What are causes of radon?

Product of radioactive decay of uranium in the soil, gets in to homes through cracks, joints, well water, especially concerning in basements

What are causes of asbestos?

Insulation, shingles on homes, old floor tiles, mining metamorphic rock

What are solutions to air poisoning to sulfur dioxide?

Burn coal lower in sulfur, switch from coal combustion to natural gas combustion or renewable energy sources, wet and dry scrubbers, crushed limestone and liquidized bed combustion in power plants

What are solutions to nitrogen oxides air pollution?

Switch from coal combustion to natural combustion, catalytic converters in vehicles, more renewable energy sources

What are solutions to carbon monoxide air pollution?

Drive less, renewable resources, catalytic converters in vehicles. Ventilate properly indoors or use a generator outside far from the home instead of inside.

What are solutions to lead air pollution?

Ban lead in gasoline, remove lead paint in homes, and cities replace lead pipes

What are solutions to ozone air pollution?

Switch from coal combustion to natural gas, renewable energy sources, vapor recovery nozzle

What are solutions to PM air pollution?

Switch from coal combustion to natural gas or renewable resources, electrostatic precipitators and bag house filters in power plants. Indoors, no smoking and get rid of mold.

What are solutions to VOC air pollution?

Vapor recovery nozzles, ventilate home after getting new carpet, low VOC paint

What are solutions to mercury air pollution?

Switch from coal combustion to natural gas combustion in electric power plants, more renewable energy sources

What are solutions to radon air pollution?

Increase ventilation especially in basements, seal cracks and joints, radon mitigation system.

What are solutions to asbestos air pollution?

Don’t disturb it (dangerous to tamper with), professional removal

What type of pollution does a vapor recovery nozzle reduce?

VOCs and gasoline fuels from vehicles

What type of pollution does catalytic converter reduce?

CO, NOx, and hydrocarbons from vehicles

How does a vapor recovery nozzle work?

Captures hydrocarbon VOCs released from gasoline fumes during refueling, separate tube inside nozzle captures vapors and returns them to underground storage thank beneath the gas station.

How does a catalytic converter work?

Nitrogen oxide is broken up

What type of pollution does crushed limestone reduce?

SO2 from fossil fuel power plants

What type of pollution does fluidized bed combustion reduce?

SO2, NOx from fossil fuel power plants

What type of pollution does dry scrubbers reduce?

SO2, NOx, VOCs from fossil fuel power plants

What type of pollution do wet scrubbers reduce?

SO2, NOx, VOCs, PM

How does crushed limestone work?

Calcium carbonate in limestone combines with SO2 to produce calcium sulfate, reducing the SO2 gas being emitted.

How does fluidized bed combustion work?

Jets of air bring more O2 into rxn, making combustion more efficient and bringing SO2 into more contanct with calcium carbonate in limestone.

How do dry scrubbers work?

Large column filled with chemicals that absorb or neutralize oxides from exhaust streams. Calcium oxide is a common dry scrubber additive which reacts with SO2 to form calcium sulfite.

How do wet scrubbers work?

Mist droplets and PM trapped in them fall to the bottom of the scrubber or get trapped at the top by mist eliminator.

What kind of pollution do electrostatic precipitators reduce?

Particulate matter