Unit 7 Set 1

Primary air pollutants

Harmful chemicals that enter directly into the air

Carbon monoxide

Primary air pollutant that is a colorless, odorless gas; produced namely by cars burning fossil fuels; deprives cells of oxygen

Sulfur dioxide

Primary air pollutant that is colorless and smelly; produced namely from burning coal; irritates lungs & contributes to acid rain

Nitrogen dioxide

Primary air pollutant that is a reddish, smelly gas; produced namely from power plants & cars burning fossil fuels; inhibits plants growth, aggravates asthma, & contributes to acid rain

VOCs

Primary air pollutant that are toxic fumes; produced from car engines, cleaners, & industries; can cause cancer

Particulate matter

Primary air pollutant like soot, dust, and lead; come from fires, agriculture, & construction; cause difficulty breathing

Secondary air pollutants

Form when a primary pollutant comes into contact with other primary pollutants or with naturally occurring substances such as water vapor and a chemical reaction takes place

Ozone pollution

Close to ground; caused when sunlight catalyzes reactions between NO2 and VOCs; cause upper-respiratory illnesses, is toxic to plant life

Smog

A gray-brown haze formed by chemical reactions among pollutants released into the air by industrial processes and automobile exhaust

Acid precipitation

Precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere; has a pH less than 5

Scrubber

A device that removes airborne pollutants from smokestacks in factories

Ozone layer

A layer in the stratosphere (at approximately 20 miles) that contains a concentration of ozone sufficient to block most ultraviolet radiation from the sun

CFCs

Chlorofluorocarbons: a group of chemical compounds that destroy the ozone layer