in a nutshell + air pollution

what kind of energy reaches the Earth from the sun?

UV energy (ultra-violet)

when UV energy bounces off the Earth it becomes….?

IR energy (infra-red)

what traps IR heat rays in Earth’s atmosphere?

greenhouse gases

human activities that cause GHG’s

• burning fossil fuels

• tilling soil

• deforestation

problems caused by excessive GHG’s

• ice melting leading to rising sea levels

• change in weather pattern

• salt water intrusion

• loss of biodiversity

what layers of the atmosphere does ozone occur?

• stratosphere (good)

• troposphere (bad)

ozone protects the Earth from this

harmful UV

what chemical causes the ozone layer to break down?

CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) used in old fridges, solvents, styrofoams due to its high heat capacity

what is the chemical equation for ozone reaction with CFC’s?

O₃ + CFC —> O₂ + ClO

what does harmful UV cause?

• skin cancer

• cataracts

• crop damage

human activities that burn LOTS of fossil fuels

• driving cars (combustion)

• making electricity (equipment/processes)

what TWO chemical compounds are added to the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned?

the chemical compounds added by fossil fuel combustion are:

• NOx (nitrogen oxides)

• SOx (sulfur oxides)

what do chemicals react with in Earth’s atmosphere when burned

H₂O (water)

what acids are formed during acid rain

acids formed during acid rain are:

• H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid)

• HNO₃ (nitric acid)

bad effects of acid rain

three bad effects include:

• kills plants

• releases heavy metals

• damages buildings

what causes photo-chemical smog?

VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) or NOx + UV sunlight

what causes industrial smog?

SOx (soot) + UV sunlight

how is bad ozone created?

• chemicals from combustion react with UV sunlight (photo-chemical smog)

NO₂ + UV → NO + O
O₂ + O →O₃

list 3 bad effects of photo-chemical and industrial smog

• respiratory illness

• crop damage

• animals reduced lung capacity

primary pollutants of industrial smog

SOx

secondary pollutants of industrial smog

• SO₃

• H₂SO₄

• particulate matter

industrial smog consequences

source →fossil fuel burning (coal-burning power plants)

location problems →beijing china

bad effects —> respiratory illness, loss of aesthetic appeal

primary pollutants of photo-chemical smog

• NOx

• VOC’s

secondary pollutants of photo-chemical smog

• ozone

• PAN’s

photo-chemical smog consequences

source → fossil fuel burning internal combustion engines (vehicle exhaust)

location problems →los angeles, california, USA

bad effects → respiratory illness, eye irritation, reduced photosynthesis, structural damage

primary pollutants of acid deposition

• SOx

• NOx

secondary pollutants of acid deposition

• H₂SO₄

• HNO₃

acid deposition consequences

source → coal burning & vehicles

location problems →eastern USA

bad effects → heavy metals leach into soil, damages plants/leaves/roots, affects aquatic ecosystem

primary pollutant of ozone depletion

• CFC’s

• Halons

secondary pollutant of ozone depletion

none

ozone depletion consequences

source → refrigerators, aerosols

location problems → stratosphere over antarctica

bad effects → sunburn, skin cancer, reduced photosynthesis, and climate change

primary pollutant of climate change

• C₂O

• CH₄

• H₂O

• N₂O

• CFC’s

• Halons

secondary pollutant of climate change

• none

climate change consequences

source → combustion, deforestation, agriculture

location problems → everywhere, arctic regions mostly affected

bad effects → melting ice, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity, changing ocean currents