APES Ch 11: Atmospheric Pollution

Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)

Carbon dioxide doesn't usually affect human health unless it's present in very large quantities. Environmentally, it plays a major role in climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere, which leads to melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and coastal flooding. To prevent excess carbon dioxide emissions, carbon sequestration methods can be used to capture and store it before it enters the atmosphere.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)

Sulfur dioxide can make it hard to breathe, especially for people with asthma or other respiratory issues. In the environment, it harms plants and trees by damaging leaves and slowing their growth. It also contributes to acid rain, which can harm soil and water ecosystems. Prevention methods include gas scrubbing and fluidized bed combustion, which help remove sulfur from emissions.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ)

Nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of photochemical smog and can cause serious respiratory problems. They also lead to acid rain, which harms lakes, forests, and buildings. Health issues can include chronic lung disease and long-term respiratory damage. Catalytic converters in cars and scrubbers using hydrogen peroxide or sodium hydroxide in factories are used to limit nitrogen oxide emissions.

Toxic Metals

The impact of toxic metals depends on the type, but they can be very dangerous to both human health and the environment. Some toxic metals can damage the nervous system, organs, or contaminate ecosystems. Technologies such as catalytic reduction, electrostatic precipitators, and other advanced filters are used to reduce or remove these pollutants.

Particulates

Particulates, like dust or soot, are tiny particles that can get deep into the lungs, and some are small enough to enter the bloodstream. They cause haze and can damage lakes, streams, and soil depending on their composition. Particulates are controlled using baghouse filters or electrostatic precipitators in industrial settings.

Clean Air Act

A U.S. law that regulates air pollutants, including limits on lead in fuels and overall air quality standards.

Lead

Can cause permanent nerve damage, anemia, and developmental problems like mental retardation.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Combine with nitrogen oxides and heat to form photochemical smog.

Thermal Inversion

Happens when warm air traps cooler, polluted air close to the Earth's surface, making pollution worse.

Radon-222

A radioactive gas from decaying uranium in the ground; it's the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.

Catalytic Converter

A car device that turns harmful gases into less harmful substances before they exit the exhaust.

Vapor Recovery Nozzle

Found at gas pumps; captures gasoline vapors before they escape into the air.

Wet & Dry Scrubbers

Devices that clean air by removing pollutants (like particulates or gases) from industrial exhaust.

Electrostatic Precipitators

Machines that use electric charges to remove fine particles from smokestack emissions.

Anthropogenic

A fancy word meaning “caused by humans.”

Noise Pollution

Any sound that’s loud or long enough to harm people or animals.

Ozone (Ground-level)

Forms during photochemical smog events, especially in hot afternoons. It causes chest pain, throat irritation, coughing, and worsens conditions like asthma or bronchitis.

Photochemical Smog

Common in warm, busy places with lots of traffic and industry. It forms when VOCs, nitrogen oxides, heat, and sunlight mix, producing smog and ground-level ozone. It can irritate the eyes and lungs.

Acid Rain (Acid Deposition)

Created when sulfur and nitrogen oxides mix with water in the air and fall to Earth as acidic rain, snow, fog, or dust. It harms plants, buildings, and aquatic ecosystems.