APES Pollution

Troposphere

The atmospheric layer closest to the earth's surface. Contains 75-80% of the earth's air mass and extends 11 miles about the earth's surface.

Stratosphere

The second layer in the atmosphere and extends 11-30 miles above the Earth and has a higher concentration of Ozone than the Troposphere.

How is Ozone produced?

When oxygen interacts with Ultraviolet radiation.

What does ozone protect us from?

Sunburn, cataracts, cancer of the skin and eyes, and damage to our immune system.

Air Pollution

Chemicals in the atmosphere in concentrations high enough to affect climate, health, and materials.

Where does air pollution come from?

Mostly from natural sources such as dust, plant decay and forest fires as well as burning fossil fuels.

Primary Pollutants

They enter directly into the troposphere. (soot and carbon monoxide)

Secondary Pollutants

They form when primary pollutants interact with one another or with the air to form new pollutants.

Carbon Dioxide

It warms the earth and contributes to global warming. Concentrations have increased due to the increase of burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.

Photochemical Smog

formed by the reaction of nitrogen oxides and volatile hydrocarbons under the influence of sunlight.

What does Photochemical smog do?

irritate the respiratory tract and damage crops and trees.

Where is photochemical smog?

It begins inside automobile engines and in the boilers of coal burning power plants. They are in cities in warm, dry, sunny areas.

Industrial Smog

A mixture of sulfur dioxide, droplets of sulfuric acid, and a variety of suspended solid particles emitted by burning coal and oil.

How can outdoor air pollution be reduced?

Precipitation, sea spray, and winds.

How can outdoor air pollutions be increased?

Urban buildings, mountains, and high temperatures.

What can prevent outdoor pollutants from rising and dispersing?

A layer of warm air sitting on top of a layer of cool air near the ground.

Temperature Inversion

A layer of warm air sits over a layer of cold air, prevents the mixing, and dense, colder air becomes stagnant and accumulates more pollutants.

What are two areas that are susceptible to inversions?

A city located in a valley surrounded by mountains that experiences cloudy, cold weather and a sunny climate with light winds and mountains on three sides and several million people and vehicles.

Southeastern Asia

Has a huge brown cloud of industrial smog from coal burning.

Acidic Chemicals

Can be produced by sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates that react in the atmosphere.

Tall Smokestacks

Reduce local pollution but increase regional pollution.

Acidic Particles

Remain in the atmosphere for 2-14 days.

Acidic Deposition

Can cause or worsen respiratory disease, attack metallic and stone objects, decrease atmospheric visibility and kill fish.

Reducing Acid Deposition in the U.S.

Clean Air Act led to reductions in Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from coal-fired power and industrial plants.

# of Prevention and control methods that can reduce acid deposition (politically difficult to implement)

-reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. -use of low sulfur coal: lowers sulfur dioxide but emits more mercury, carbon dioxide and radioactive particles. -inclusion of env. and health costs to the current costs of coal -approaches to neutralize acid lakes by adding limestone or lime or phosphate fertilizer to soil.

Indoor vs. Outdoor air pollution

Indoor is a greater threat to human health.

Health Risks of IP

Are magnified because people spend 70-98% of their time indoors or in vehicles.

4 most dangerous air pollutants

cigarette smoke, formaldehyde, radioactive argon-222 gas and very small fine/ultrafine particles.

Clean Air Act

Has greatly reduced outdoor air pollution from six major pollutants.

National air Quality Standards

Were established for six outdoor criteria pollutants

National Emissions Standards

Has been established for 188 hazardous air pollutants that may cause serious health and ecological effects by the EPA

Emissions from the six major air pollutions

Been decreased: 93% for lead, 41% for carbon monoxide, 40% for volatile organic compounds, 34% for suspended particulate matter, 33% for sulfur dioxide, and 15% for nitrogen oxides.

Mercury and Dioxins

Have increase in recent years but are at very low levels.

Problems with the Clean Air Act

-we rely too much on cleanup rather than protection, -fuel efficiency of cars has not been increased, -inefficient two-cycle engines have been inadequately regulated regarding emissions, -oceangoing ships have little or no air pollution regulations -not done much to reduce greenhouse gases emissions -little has been done to deal seriously with indoor air pollution that is considered the more serious problem.

Preventing and controlling air pollution from motor vehicles:

-get older, more polluting vehicles off the road, -a new process removed pollutants from fuels of vehicles that is more efficient than catalytic converters, -hybrid-electric vehicles and zero-emission vehicles should reduce emissions over the next 10-20 years -developing countries are increasing their air pollution with more vehicles on the road that are over 10 years old and are without pollution controls.

IP Greater threat to human health

Little effort has been spent on reducing it. In developing countries, indoor air pollution can be reduced by use of clay or metal stoves and venting to the outside, and by use of solar cookers in sunny areas. This would also reduce deforestation.