enviro: air pollution

air pollution

chemicals, particulate matter, microorganisms, into atmosphere at concentrations high enough that harms things, occurs in troposphere, occurs naturally or anthropogenically

major air pollutants

sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulate matter, tropospheric ozone, lead, volatiles organic compounds, mercury, carbon dioxide

sulfer dioxide (socks) (SO2)

gas, comes from combustion of fuels like cars and oil, factories, forest fires and volcanic eruptions, respiratory irritant

nitrogen oxides (NOx)

gas, fossil fuel combustion, cars, respiratory irritant, precursor to tropospheric ozone and photochemical smog

carbon oxides

CO: formed during incomplete combustions, cars, dangerous indoors

CO2: formed during complete combustions, absorbed by plants

particulate matter

solids or liquid particles suspended in air, combustion of wood, manure, coal, oil, dust, smaller items (less than 2.5 micrometers) are worse, too many particles cause haze in air

photo chemical oxidents

formed by sunlight acting on compounds like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides, tropospheric ozone is harmful, in the presence of nitrogen oxides and VOC ozone reacts to form harmful oxidents , oxidents and particulate matter make smog, brown smog is mostly ozone, gray smog is mostly sulfur oxides

lead

trace metals found in rocks and soils, added into gasoline bc helped with fuel efficiency, but removed in 1996

mercury

trace metal found in coal and oil, combustion of fossil fuels, bioaccumulation in fish

Volatile organic compounds, VOC

vapors, scents, gasoline, lighter fluid, dry cleaning fluid, perfumes, pine from tree, not super dangerous but can lead to photochemical smog.

primary pollutants

stuff that comes directly out of smoke stacks, exhaust pipe, volcano, CO, CO2, SO2, NOx

secondary pollutants

pollutants that have gone transformation in presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other stuff, tropospheric ozone, sulfate, and nitrate, ozone is good in stratosphere but bad in troposphere

natural sources of air pollution

volcanos, lightning, forest fires, plants

thermal inversioin

when warmer air covers a layer of cold dense air below, the warm air traps emissions that then accumulate beneth it, warm air is trapped between two latyers of cold air

acid deposition

when secondary pollutants break down into nitrate and sulfate which cause the acid

effects of acid deposition

• lowers ph of lake water

• decreases species diversity

• moving metals in soils into surface water

• damages statues, monuments, buildings, and limestone and painted surfaces

heat islands

when an urban area is significantly warmer than surrounding area, low albedo bc no light being reflected

how to reduce heat islands

• more trees and vegetation

• green roofs

• cool reflective roofs and pavements

• smart growth practices

  • walkability

how to prevent air pollution

• the fly ash

• use less fuel, efficient fuel, low sulfur coal

• filter

• catalytic converter, on cars reduces co and no

• baghouse filters

• scrubbers on smoke stacks

• electrostatic preciptators

• vapor recovery nozzles on gas pumps

catalytic converter

• changes harmful no co and hcx into n2 co2 and h2o

• reduction and oxidation changes them

baghouse filter

1. dirty air comes in

2. particles moves throuhgh filler bags

3. clean air moves out

4. shaker mechanism moves out particles in collection hopper

electrostatic precipitators

1. dirty air enters precipitator unit

2. high voltage negitive electrode gives the particle a negitive charge

3. negtitive particles gets attratced into posiitvly charged collection plates

4. clean air moves out

5. plates get discharged and particles fall off so they get removed

scrubber

1. dirty air comes in

2. air gets showered in a mist of water and stuff

3. mist collects particles and scrubs air and moves to the bottom of the unit

4. dirty air moves to sludge removeal system

5. sludge is disposed of

6. water gets resued

7. mist collects on sccreens

8. cleaned air moves thorugh stack

clean air act allowences

• u r responsible for the air u put out

• one allowance is one ton of SO2 in a year

• u can buy and sell allowances

• SO2s have been cut in half from 1982-2008

stratosshperic ozone

• 45-60 kilometers above earth

• ozone absorbes uv radiations

• good type of ozone

UVA

passes without being absorbed and can do skin cancer

UVB and C

significant tissue and DNA damage gets absorbed 99%

number one thing that kills ozone

CFC, choloroflourocarbons, ac, fridges, aresol, styorfoam, live in startoshpere and breaks apart ozone

O3+Cl—> CLO+O2

CLO+O—> CL+O2

chlorine breaks ozone and pulls off oxygen

free oxygen pulls oxygen from CLO and seperates them

montreal protocol

did stuff to limitsubstances that depleat the ozone layer

asbestos

fiberous materials used for insolation, lung irritant and cancer causing made of sillicate

carbon monoxide

causes oxygen deprevision and detah

radon

radio active gas thats in rocks and cracks in foundation