Chapter 10.1-10.4 IESS GEOLOGY 212

Air pollution

gaseous and particulate contaminants that are present in the earth’s atmosphere.

Primary Pollutants

pollutants with a direct impact on the environment

Secondary Pollutants

Pollutants formed in the lower atmosphere by chemical reactions. Ozone.

Outdoor Air Pollution

Exposures that take place outside of a built environment.

Indoor Air Pollution

Involves exposure to particulates, carbon oxides, and other indoor air or dust pollutants.

Stationary Source of Air Pollution

Emission source that does not move, ex: factories

Area Source

Small sources of air pollution that together pose a threat to the environment.

Mobile Source

a source capable of moving on its own power, ex: cars

Agricultural Sources

farms, animal houses, manure storage areas, fertilizers, pesticides.

Natural Sources

volcano eruptions, prairie fires.

Ground-level ozone (O3)

Emissions from industrial facilities and electric utilities, vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and solvents can produce NOx and VOC which can create ground-level ozone. Harmful on human health and different from the ozone layer.

Particulate Matter

Particle pollution, complex mix of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Ex: acids, organic chemicals, metals, soil

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

colorless and odorless gas emitted from combustion, can kill people

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

group of highly reactive gasses known as nitrogen oxides (NOx). Forms from vehicle emissions, powerplants, and off-road equipment. Bad effects on the respiratory system.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Mostly comes from fossil fuel combustion at power plants, and industrial facilities.

Lead

Used to be used in gasoline which caused awful health effects.

Sick Building Syndrome

building occupants have health symptoms associated only with spending time in a building. Poor ventilation, indoor air pollution, and biological contaminants are mostly to blame.

Ozone (O3)

gaseous molecule that occurs in different parts of the atmosphere.

Stratospheric Ozone

forms when energy of sunlight breaks apart the two oxygen atoms in an O2 molecule. each lone oxygen forms with another O2.

Ultraviolet Light

shorter wavelengths than visible light and has more energy.

Ozone Depletion

Caused by CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons) and other Ozone-depleting substances (ODS) CFCs are found in refrigerants, degreasing solvents, and propellants. CFCs and ODSs destroy ozone molecules and more UV light enters the earth.

Montreal Protocal

Controls the production and emission of 96 chemicals that damage the ozone layer. Also requires wealthier countries to develop technologies to replace these chemicals.

Acid Rain

Mix of wet and dry deposition (deposited material) from the atmosphere containing higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids.

Acidification

Decreases the pH of rain which affects lakes, streams, and damages structures.

Visibility Impairment

We cannot see as far or as clearly through air due to pollutants.

Greenhouse Effect

Trapping infrared energy from the sun to create higher temperatures.

Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

GHGs allow incoming visible light energy from the sun to pass, but they block infrared radiation radiating from Earth toward space.

Global Warming

Refers to the recent and ongoing rise in global average temperature near the Earth’s surface. Caused mostly by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Represents one aspect of climate change.

Climate Change

Refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Primary greenhouse gas that is contributing to recent global climate change. Emitted from burning fossil fuels, and changes in land use. Atmospheric CO2 has increased by 45% since pre-industrial times.

Methan (CH4)

Produced in wetlands, agricultural activities, fossil fuel extraction and transport.

Little Ice Age

17th-19th centuries. Low solar activity with cooler temperatures.

Albedo

Refers to the amount of solar radiation reflected from an object or surface. Earth has 30% meaning that 70% of the sunlight that reaches the planet is absorbed.

Aerosols

Small particles or liquid droplets in the atmosphere that can absorb or reflect sunlight. Burning coal (cooling), black carbon (warming).

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Created by the UN Environment Programe and World Meteorological Organization to study climate change.

Ocean Acidification

Process of ocean waters decreasing in pH. Oceans become more acidic as CO2 emissions in the atmosphere dissolve into the ocean. Affects corals, plankton, mollusks, shellfish by reducing calcium chlorate in the water.