AICE Environmental Management Final Exam Review - Unit#7 Managing the Atmosphere

These flashcards cover key concepts related to acid deposition, photochemical smog, ozone depletion, and strategies for managing air pollution relevant to Environmental Management.

What is acid deposition?

A mix of air pollutants that deposit from the atmosphere as acidic wet deposition (with a pH <5.6) or acidic dry deposition.

What are primary pollutants?

Pollutants that result directly from a source, such as industrial pollution or volcanic activity; for example, sulfur dioxide from burning coal.

What are secondary pollutants?

Pollutants that result from primary pollutants chemically reacting with other chemicals or with sunlight in the atmosphere; examples include smog and sulfuric acid.

What is wet deposition?

Acidic rain, snow, hail, and fog that falls far from the source, consisting of secondary pollutants like sulfuric acid and nitric acid.

What is dry deposition?

Dust and gases that fall close to the source, consisting of primary pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.

What is photochemical smog?

A mixture of air pollutants and particulates, including ground level ozone, formed when oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight.

What are some impacts of acid deposition?

It can kill aquatic organisms, damage vegetation and crops, and erode stone and brick buildings.

What are strategies to prevent acid deposition?

Use renewable energy sources, increase public transportation, walk or bike, legislation like The Clean Air Act, and installation of scrubbers on industrial smoke stacks.

What is the main cause of ozone depletion?

The release of synthetic chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from refrigerants, aerosols, and solvents.

What is the ozone hole?

An area with less than 100 Dobson Units (DU) of ozone concentration.

What are the impacts of ozone depletion on human health?

Eye cataracts and increased risk of skin cancer.

What are alternatives to ozone depleting substances?

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which have fewer chlorine atoms and contribute less to ozone depletion.

What international agreement promotes cooperation on the effects of human activities on the ozone layer?

The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

What is the Montreal Protocol?

A global agreement to protect the Earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the chemicals that deplete it.