Air pollution Vocab

Acid deposition

The accumulation of acidic substances on the surface of the earth.

Acidfication

The lowering of pH of a solution.

Acute

Rapid onset and shorter duration.

Air pollutant

Substances found in the air that can have harmful effects to the environment, humans, and animals.

Ambient

The immediate surroundings

Anthropogenic

Caused by human activities

Asbestos

Heat-resistant fiborous material that is used for insulation, but is harmful if inhaled.

Asphyxiant

A material that causes the victim to suffocate.

Atmosphere

The thin layer of gases that surround the earth.

Carbon Dioxide

A colorless, ordorless gas produced by respiration and by combustion of organic compounds.

Carbon Monoxide

A toxic, colorless, and odorless produced by incomplete combustion of organic compounds.

Carcinogen

A substance that causes cancer.

Catalytic converter

A device that reduces the amount of CO and NOx emissions from vehicles.

Chronic

Long lasting and persistent.

Clean Air Act

Electrostatic Precipitator

A device used for removing particles from smokestack emissions by attracting charged particles to an oppositely charged metal plate.

EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency, an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment.

Formaldehyde

An indoor air pollutant that is a colorless chemical used to manufacture building materials and many household products, such as particleboard and hardwood plywood paneling.

Heavy metals

Metals of relatively high density that can be toxic to organisms in small quantities.

Industrial smog

Type of air pollution resulting from emissions from factories and other sources due to the burning of fossil fuels.

Lead

A heavy metal air pollutant that has been greatly reduced due to its removal from gasoline, and now primarily enters the atmosphere through industrial processes.

Limestone

A hard sedimentary rock, composed mainly of calcium carbonate.

Mercury

A heavy metal air pollutant that is mainly produced through coal combustion.

Mitigation

Actions that reduce the severity of effects of something.

Mold

Fungi that are a common indoor air pollution source.

Neutralize

when an acid and a base come in contact with each other bringing the pH closer to neutral.

Nitric Acid

A common component of acid precipitation that forms when NOx combine with water in the air.

Nitrous Oxides

Also known as NOx, includes NO2 and NO3 that are emitted from industry and vehicles.

Noise pollution

Unwanted or potentially damaging sounds

Ozone

A gas molecule that is made up of three oxygen atoms that is formed naturally in the stratosphere but when formed in the troposphere is considered a pollutant.

PANs

Peroxyacyl nitrates, a group of chemicals that are found in photochemical smog.

Particulate Matter

Solid and liquid matter suspended in the air that reduces visibility & causes respiratory irritation.

Sulfur dioxide

A colorless, corrosive gas produced during the combustion of fossil fuels that is directly damaging to living things as well as a precursor to acid precipitation.

pH Scale

A range of values used to show the amount of hydrogen ions in a solution, or how acidic/basic it is.

Photochemical Smog

Form of air pollution that is created from the interaction between chemicals in the air and sunlight.

Primary pollutants

Pollutants that are put directly into the air by human or natural activity.

Radioactive

Elements that spontaneously emit radiation.

Radon

A gas that occurs naturally in the soil due to the decay of Uranium and is a common indoor air pollutant.

Remediation

Containment or treatment of an area that has been contaminated.

Respiratory

Related to breathing and the lungs.

Secondary Pollutants

Pollutants that form from chemical reactions that occur when emitted pollutants come in contact with water vapor or sunlight.

Sulfuric acid

Formed when sulfur dioxide emissions react with water vapor in the air, creating acid precipitation.

Thermal inversion

A condition that occurs when warm air traps cooler air (and pollution) at the surface of the earth.

Tropospheric ozone

A secondary pollutant formed near the surface of the Earth by the interaction of sunlight, NOx, and VOCs, which is a major component of smog that can injure living tissues and cause respiratory problems.

VOCs

Volatile Organic Compounds which are used in paints and stains and are released into the air where they react with NOx and sunlight to form ozone.

Wet Scrubbers

Fine mists of water vapor used to trap air particulates in smokestacks from burning fossil fuels.

COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

A group of lung diseases that block airflow and make it difficult to breathe.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

Situation in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building but no specific illness or cause can be identified.

Bag house filter

a fabric filter that allows gases to pass through but not particles (effective for removal of PM 10 and PM 2.5)

Vapor recovery nozzle

an air pollution control device on a gasoline pump that prevents fumes from escaping into the atmosphere when fueling a motor vehicle

Dry Scrubber

A column filled with chemical agents that trap and neutralize SO2, VOCs, and NOx in emissions from coal power plants. Calcium oxide is a common chemical agent that traps and neutralizes these pollutants.

Fluidized bed combustion

a clean-coal technology in which crushed coal is mixed with limestone to neutralize the acidic sulfur compounds produced during combustion

Pollution credits

Credits that can be earned and then sold by companies that emit pollutants below established standards.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere