Air Pollution

True or False: London's "killer smog" led to the the UK's Clean Air Act of 1956

True

Some natural sources of air pollution include...

- volcanoes (ash and sulfur dioxide)

- dust storms

-bacterial metabolism which produces 2/3 of the methane in the air

Primary pollutants

released directly from the source

Secondary Pollutants

converted to a hazardous form after entering the air with solar radiation often providing the energy for the reactions

What are the 6 criteria pollutants?

- sulfur dioxide

- nitrogen oxides

- carbon monoxide

- lead

- ozone

- particulates

What are the two dominant sources of air pollutants

1. Transportation

2. Power plants

Sulfur Dioxide

- A colorless, corrosive gas that reacts with H2O to cause acid rain with most of it being from fossil-fuel combustion (coal and oil) and smelting of sulfide ores

Nitrogen Oxides

form when nitrogen is heated above 650 degrees C in the presence of oxygen, or when nitrogen compounds are oxidized by bacteria

Impact of nitrogen oxides

- forms the reddish brown gas in smog

- contributor to acid rain

- most from fuel combustion in transportation and electricity

Carbon Monoxide

- a colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced by incomplete fuel combustion which is largely produced by cars/trucks

Impact of carbon monoxide

out competes oxygen for hemoglobin (low concentration, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, confusion, nausea, death)

Catalytic Converter

ensures complete oxidation of carbon to carbon dioxide

True or False: banning lead from gas was one of the least successful pollution controls in history

FALSE! it was one of the most successful pollution controls in history. In fact, since the ban, children's IQ has risen 3 points in the US.

Ozone

In the stratosphere, the ozone layer shields the biosphere by absorbing incoming UV radiation and in the troposphere, it is a secondary pollutant.

Who was the last country to phase out leaded gasoline in 2021?

Algeria

How was the ozone layer created?

Created by the chemical reactions between nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight

What are characteristics of the ozone layer?

1. Has an acrid, biting odor

2. Damages vegetation and buildings

3. Harms sensitive tissues (esp. lungs and eyes)

What does particulate matter do?

it reduces visibility and leaves dirty deposits and the most dominant human-source is vehicle exhaust

True or False: California contains the top 4 cities in the US for worst air pollution.

True

Temperature inversion

atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface

ex: Los Angeles has poor air quality due to this geographical trait

True or False: Cities with the worst air pollution are in Asia with Bangladesh being the #1

True

Ozone hole over Antarctica

the result of the introduction of CFCs into the atmosphere where cold temperatures, allow for chemical reactions that convert Cl into more reactive forms to become trapped in ice which are then released in September-October