Air Pollution and Gaseous Pollutants

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering sources, effects, and types of air pollutants and smog from Chapter 8.

Air pollution

The degradation of air quality due to the concentration of harmful contaminants that affects human, plant, and animal lives.

Smog

A dark, thick, dust and soot laden fog formed as a combination of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur and of partially-oxidized hydrocarbons and their derivatives produced by industries and automobiles.

Sulphur dioxide

A gaseous pollutant that affects the yield of crops and causes damage to lungs.

Hydrogen sulphide gas

A gaseous pollutant that reduces the growth of crops and causes irritation to human eyes.

Fluorides

Pollutants that cause the destruction of vegetation and affect teeth and bones.

Nitrogen oxides

Gaseous pollutants ($N_2O$, $NO$, and $NO_2$) that cause the death of many plants and are suspected to cause cancer.

Carbon monoxide

A gaseous pollutant that prevents haemoglobin from carrying oxygen to different parts of the body.

Tobacco smoke

A pollutant that causes lung cancer.

Lead (from tetraethyl lead)

A particulate released into air from motor vehicles using tetraethyl lead that impairs the body's metabolic activities.

Cotton dust

A particulate matter pollutant that produces lung fibrosis.

Smoke particles

Particulate matter that causes asthma and other lung diseases.

Decay of crop residue

The main source of carbon monoxide and methane in rural areas.

Particulates

Small solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air, such as dust, smoke, mist, spray, fume, and sand.

Major pollutants contributing to >90% of global air pollution

Nitrogen oxides ($N_2O$, $NO$, $NO_2$), Hydrocarbons (mainly methane, $CH_4$), Sulphur oxides ($SO_2$, $SO_3$), Hydrogen sulphide ($H_2S$), Carbon monoxide ($CO$), and Particulates.