APES - Unit 7

Air Pollution

Air Pollution

intro of chemicals, particulate matter, or microorganisms into the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm plants, animals, or materials such as buildings; or to alter ecosystems

Sulfur Dioxide

Combustion of coal, oil, and gasoline; respiratory problems, plant damage, acid rain

Nitrogen Oxides

Atmospheric combustion (ff, wood, biomass); respiratory irritant, precursor to ozone, leads to photochemical smog, creates nitric acid, over-fertilizes land and water

Carbon Monoxide

Incomplete combustion, malfunctioning exhaust systems; oxygen capacity of blood, headaches, death

Particulate Matter

Combustion of coal, oil, diesel, biofuels; agriculture, road construction; respiratory, cardiovascular problems, death, haze/smog, heart problems, cancer

Lead

Gasoline additive, gasoline, oil, coal, old paint; impairs central nervous system, affects learning and concentration

Ozone

Secondary pollutant formed by the combo of sunlight, water, oxygen, VOCs, and NOx; respiratory problems, damages plants, damages rubber/plastic

Photochemical oxidants

air pollutants formed as result of sunlight acting on chemical compounds (nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide)

Smog

pollution that is a mix of oxidants and particulate matter; can scatter light

Volatile Organic Compounds

Evaporation of fuels, paints, incomplete combustion of fuels; can smell them, help to form ozone, some aren’t harmful

Mercury

Impairs CNS, bioaccumulation in food web; impairs central nervous system, bioaccumulates in the food chain

Carbon Dioxide

Combustion of fossil fuels and clearing of land; affects climate and alters ecosystems by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations

Primary pollutant

Polluting compounds that come directly out of a smokestack, exhaust pipe or natural emission source (CO, CO2, SO2, NOx)

Secondary pollutant

Primary pollutants that have undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds (SO3, H2SO4, HNO3, O3, H2O2)

Photochemical Smog

Los Angeles smog, brown smog, dominated by oxidants like ozone, problem in many US cities

Sulfurous Smog

London smog, grey smog, industrial smog, dominated by sulfur dioxide, sulfate compounds, and particulate matter

Evaporation

Process of converting from liquid to vapor

Sublimation

Process of converting solid to gas/vapor

Formaldehyde

Naturally occurring compound that is used as a preservative and as an adhesive in plywood/carpeting; can enter atmosphere through combustion

Thermal Inversion

Atmospheric condition where a relatively warm later of air at mid-altitude covers a layer of cold, dense air below

Inversion Layer

The layer of warm air that traps emissions in a thermal inversion

PM10

Particles smaller than 10 microns, not filtered by nose & throat → can be deposited deep in respiratory tract

PM2.5

Particles smaller than 2.5 microns, can travel further into respiratory tract & create greater problems, usually more toxic than larger particles

Indoor Air Pollutants

Compounds that adversely affect the quality of air in buildings & structures

Sick building syndrome

Build up of toxic pollutants in weatherized spaces, such as newer buildings in the developed world

Vapor recovery nozzle

Device that prevents VOCs from escaping into the atmosphere while a person is fueling their vehicle

Catalytic converters

Device that uses chemicals to convert pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide to nitrogen gas and carbon dioxide; used in combustion engines of vehicles

Scrubbers

Device that uses a combination of lime and/or water to separate and remove particles from industrial exhaust streams; particles/gases gather in the scrubber and relatively cleaner gas exits the device; used in industrial plants

Electrostatic precipitators

Device that removes particulate matter by using an electrical charge to make particles coalesce so they can be removed from the exhaust stream

pH

scale of the relative strength of acids/bases in a substance; logarithmic scale (increase/decrease by a factor of 10)

Acid

Substance that contributes H+ ions to solution; numbers <7 on the pH scale

Base

Substance that contributes OH- ions to solution; numbers >7 on the pH scale

Acid Rain

Precipitation high in sulfuric acid and nitric acid; largely result of human activity (can come from volcanoes)

Noise Pollution

Unwanted sound that interferes with normal activities that is loud enough to cause health issues including hearing loss

Decibel A Scale

Logarithmic scale that measures loudness and frequency together