Chapter 19

air pollutants

gases or aerosols in the atmosphere that have harmful effects on people or the environment

hydroxyl radical

the hydroxyl group (OH), missing the electron

industrial smog

the grayish mixture of moisture, soot, and sulfurous compounds that occurs in local areas in which industries are concentrated and coal is the primary energy source

photochemical smog

the brownish haze that frequently forms on otherwise clear, sunny days over large cities with significant amounts of automobile traffic

temperature inversion

the weather phenomenon in which a layer of warm air overlies cooler air near the ground and prevents the rising and dispersion of air pollutants

atmospheric brown cloud (ABC)

a 1-3 km thick blanket of pollution that frequently sits over south and central Asia, made up of black carbon and soot from biomass and fossil fuel burning

primary air pollutants

pollutants released directly into the atmosphere, mainly as a result of burning fuels and wastes, as opposed to secondary air pollutants

secondary air pollutants

air pollutants resulting from reactions of primary air pollutants resident in the atmosphere

photochemical oxidants

a major category of secondary air pollutants, including ozone, that are formed as a result of interactions between nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons driven by sunlight

acid deposition

any form of acid precipitation and also fallout of dry acid particles

acid

any compound that releases hydrogen ions when dissolved in water

pH

the scale used to designate the acidity or basicity of solutions or soil, expressed as the logarithm of the concentration of hydrogen ions

acid precipitation

includes acid rain, acid fog, acid snow, and any other form of precipitation that is more acidic than normal

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

a progressive lung disease that makes it hard to breathe, involving three syndromes: asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema

benzene

an organic chemical present in crude and refined oil products and tobacco smoke; a known human carcinogen

acid neutralizing capacity (ANC)

in a water body, the capacity to neutralize acids due to the presence of buffer chemicals in solution

air pollution control act

federal legislation introduced in 1955 that was the first attempt to bring air pollution under control

Clean Air Act Amendments of 1970 (CAA)

amended in 1977 and 1990, the act is the foundation of US air pollution control efforts

ambient standards

air-quality standards determining certain levels of pollutants that should not be exceeded in order to maintain environmental and human health

criteria pollutants

certain pollutants whose levels are used as a gauge for the determination of air or water quality

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

the allowable levels of ambient criteria air pollutants set by EPA regulation

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs)

the standards for allowable emissions of certain toxic substances

command-and-control strategy

the basic strategy behind most public policy having to do with air and water pollution

reasonably available control technology (RACT)

applied to the goals of the Clean Air Act, EPA-approved forms of technology that will reduce the output of industrial air pollutants

maximum achievable control technology (MACT)

the best technology available for reducing the output of especially toxic industrial pollutants

mercury and air toxics standards

rules published by the EPA in 2011 that require all coal and oil fired power plants to limit their emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants; industries have four years to comply with the rules

catalytic converter

the device used by vehicle manufacturers to reduce the amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen oxides in a vehicle’s exhaust

Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

legislation establishing energy policy by emphasizing demand-side policies such as conserving energy and using renewable energy sources

hybrid electric vehicle

an automobile combining a gasoline motor and a battery-powered electric motor that produces less pollution and gets higher gasoline mileage than do conventional gasoline-powered vehicles

Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)

EPA rule published in 2005 establishing cap-and-trade programs for sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides in 28 eastern states

Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)

the ruling by the EPA that replaces the Clean Air Interstate Rule, requiring reductions in NO and SO to aid states in the East to achieve ozone and particulate matter reductions

cap-and-trade system

a form of market-based environmental policy that sets a maximum level of pollutant (the cap), distributes pollution permits, and allows industries to trade permits to achieve their allowable pollution

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

synthetic organic molecules that contain one or more of both chlorine and fluorine atoms and that are known to cause ozone destructions

ozone shield

the layer of ozone gas in the stratosphere the screens out harmful ultraviolet raidation from the sun

chlorine catalytic cycle

in the stratosphere, a cyclical chemical process in which chlorine monoxide breaks down ozone

catalyst

a substance that promotes a given chemical reaction without itself being consumed or changed by the reaction

Montreal protocol

an agreement made in 1987 by a large group of nations to cut back the production of chlorofluorocarbons in order to protect the ozone shield