Air Pollution Vocabulary and Concepts

air pollution

a buildup in the air of a substance that has harmful, unhealthy, or poisonous effects

brown smog

a combination of molecules of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ground-level, or tropospheric, ozone found in fog; another term for photochemical smog

catalytic converter

an air pollution control device in a vehicle's exhaust system that uses a catalyst, or a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction

Clean Air Act

a regulation that gives the EPA the right to regulate emissions from motor vehicles in the United States

Clean School Bus Program

an effort that implemented policies to keep public school bus drivers from running the engine when the vehicle is not in motion

electrostatic precipitator

a device that removes pollutant particles from a gas stream by using electrical energy to charge the particles with a negative or positive charge

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

an independent executive agency of the United States federal government that is responsible for environmental protection

escaping pollutant

any pollutant that is about to move out of areas of human inhabitance

frontal inversion

a type of temperature inversion that occurs when cold air disrupts warm air and lifts it higher into the atmosphere

gray smog

a type of smog formed when sulfur dioxide emissions mix with fog

ground-level ozone

ozone that occurs at ground level but does not occur there naturally; another term for tropospheric ozone

inversion layer

a warm layer of air trapped between the cooler air near the surface and the coldest air at high altitudes

particulates

small airborne particles of solid or liquid matter; a complex mixture that includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets; another term for particulate matter

photochemical oxidant

a type of secondary air pollutant formed by the action of sunlight on nitrogen oxides

photochemical smog

a combination of molecules of nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ground-level, or tropospheric, ozone found in fog; another term for brown smog

primary air pollutant (PAP)

a pollutant that is emitted directly into the air by human activity

radiation inversion

a type of temperature inversion that occurs at night near the surface of Earth

scrubber

a device that sprays gases with a substance—most commonly, water—that acts as a pollutant-absorbing solution

secondary air pollutant (SAP)

a pollutant that forms when primary pollutants react with each other or with naturally occurring materials or energies, such as ultraviolet rays, water vapor, and oxygen

smog

the mixture of air pollutants and fog at Earth's surface

steel smelter

a factory that takes iron and coal pieces and uses them to make steel that can be shaped into different items

stratospheric ozone

ozone that occurs in the upper atmosphere; naturally occurring 'good' ozone

subsidence inversion

a type of temperature inversion that occurs when a widespread air mass descends vertically and is compressed by atmospheric pressure

temperature inversion

the opposite of normal atmospheric air conditions; a state in which air temperature increases as altitude increases

thermal inversion

the opposite of normal atmospheric air conditions; a state in which air temperature increases as altitude increases; another term for temperature inversion

trapped pollutant

a pollutant that has no way of escaping higher into the atmosphere

tropospheric ozone

ozone that occurs at ground level but does not occur there naturally; another term for ground-level ozone

turbulence inversion

a type of temperature inversion that occurs when motionless air lies on top of stormy or turbulent air

vertical advection

the vertical transport of air

volatile organic compound (VOC)

any of various organic liquid or gaseous chemicals that form toxic fumes

zero-emission vehicle (ZEV)

a vehicle that has no need for an emission control system because it releases no emissions from gasoline

Air Quality Index (AQI)

a measurement system used by governments to communicate to the public a daily measurement of air quality in a particular area at a particular time

asbestos

a construction material that, before the 1970s, was frequently used as insulation in the ceilings, walls, and floors of homes

asphyxiation

suffocation: a condition that occurs when the body does not take in enough oxygen

asthma

a health condition that causes the swelling and narrowing of the airways to the lungs

bronchitis

a respiratory infection that causes the swelling and inflammation of the bronchial tubes

emphysema

a lung disease in which the air sacs of the lungs become damaged

formaldehyde

a colorless gas with a distinguishing odor; a volatile organic compound (VOC) that is highly flammable

heart disease

a condition that affects the function of the heart

indoor air quality (IAQ)

the air quality within and around buildings and structures

long-term health effect

a long-lasting and severe effect of air pollution exposure

lung cancer

a form of cancer that originates in the cells of the lungs and whose causes include both smoking and air pollution

pneumonia

a respiratory infection that is typically caused by a bacterium or virus but can be caused by exposure to air pollution

radon

a colorless, odorless, radioactive chemical that forms in the crust of Earth

respiratory infection

an infection that has the potential to interfere with an individual's ability to breathe

short-term health effect

an effect of exposure to air pollution that is reversible if the exposure is minimal

sick building syndrome

an illness caused by a home or another building with extremely poor air quality

acid deposition

the accumulation of acidic pollutants on the ground or in the atmosphere

acid precipitation

rain, sleet, or snow that has a pH of 6 or less

acid shock

the sudden change in the pH of water to an acidic level

acidification

the act of a body of water becoming more acidic

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

the national public health agency of the United States

Decibel (dB)

a unit of measurement used to record the intensity of a sound

dry deposition

a type of acid deposition that occurs when solid acidic particles build up in the atmosphere, do not mix with atmospheric water vapor, and settle out of the atmosphere onto the surface of Earth

dry scrubber

an air pollution control device that uses a dry absorber chamber to filter air pollutants from industrial emissions

echolocation

the act of identifying surroundings by emitting sounds toward objects

emissions budget

the cumulative amount of greenhouse gases that is allowed to be emitted over a certain period

excessive illumination

the result of improper use of or failure to properly care for sources of artificial light

fishkill

the mass death among the fish population of a given area caused by pollution or other contaminants

glare

a type of light pollution that is produced when the reflection of artificial light disturbs vision

industrial emissions reduction plan

an industry's plan that contains policies and strategies to reduce emissions and increase removals or the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere to meet the emissions budget

Kyoto protocol

an international agreement that phases out the production and consumption of nearly 100 human-made chemicals that damage the ozone layer

light clutter

the dense arrangement of several artificial light sources in one area

light pollution

the presence of unwanted or excessive artificial light

light trespass

a source of undesired artificial light shining on an individual's home or property

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

a United States federal agency responsible for completing research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and health conditions

nocturnal animals

animals that are active during the night and sleep during the day

noise pollution

harmful and unwanted levels of noise

Occupational Safety and Health Act

established the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to focus on the study and safety of workers in the United States

Paris Agreement

a commitment among countries with long-term goals to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic activity to limit the global temperature increase

skyglow

an overflow of artificial light from commercial, industrial, and residential sources scattered throughout the sky in all directions

trade allowance

an authorization to emit one ton of emissions per allowance

vapor recovery nozzle

a ring-shaped device, composed of plastic or rubber, placed around the nozzle of a gas pump found at a gas station where people fill their vehicles with gasoline

wet deposition

a type of acid deposition that occurs when acids build up in the atmosphere, dissolve in atmospheric water vapor, and fall back to Earth

wet scrubber

an air pollution control device that uses a wet substance to remove acidic gases that contribute to air pollution and the formation of environmental hazards such as acid precipitation