APES Unit 7 Guide: Atmospheric Pollution

Ambient

The air surrounding us, usually means the outside air

Emission

A pollutant released into the atmosphere

Particulate matter

Source: burning fossil fuels and diesel exhaust

Effect: reduces visibility & respiratory irritation

Reduction: filtering, electrostatic precipitators, alternative energy). Particulate matter (PM), also called particulates or particles, is solid or liquid particles suspended in air.

Solid particulate matter

Specifically indicates only the solid particles within that mixture

Lead

Pb

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Source: auto exhaust

Effects: acidification of lakes, respiratory irritation, leads to smog & ozone

Equation for acid formation: NO + O2 = NO2 + H2O = HNO3

Reduction: catalytic converter

Sulfur oxides (SOx)

(Source: coal burning) (Effects: acid deposition, respiratory irritation, damages plants) (Equation for acid formation: SO2 + O2 = SO3 + H2O = H2SO4) (Reduction: scrubbers, burn low sulfur fuel)

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

A colorless, odorless gas that occurs as a by-product of fuel combustion that may result in death in poorly ventilated areas.

VOCs (volatile organic compounds)

carbon-containing chemicals used in and emitted by vehicle engines and a wide variety of solvents and industrial processes; creates smog, carcinogen

Hydrocarbons

Compounds composed of only carbon and hydrogen. Found primarily in fossil fuels like crude oil, natural gas, and coal.

Tropospheric Ozone

ground level ozone; is considered bad because it is closer to the earth making it more likely for someone to breathe it in. It is also more dangerous because it is made up of particulate matter.

Toxic Air Pollutants

substances known to cause cancer, reproductive defects, or neurological, developmental, immune system, or respiratory problems.

Clean Air Act (CAA)

1970; set emission standards for cars and limits release of air pollutants

Acid deposition

Sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides, emitted by burning fossil fuels, enter the atmosphere-where they combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid-and return to Earth's surface

Buffer

A solution that minimizes changes in pH when extraneous acids or bases are added to the solution.

Primary air pollutant

Harmful substance emitted directly into the atmosphere

Secondary air pollutant

A primary pollutant that has undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds

Mobile sources

moving sources of pollution

EX: Cars, planes

Stationary sources

Non-moving sources of pollution

EX: power plants, commercial facilities

non-point source pollution

Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is any source of pollution that does not meet the point source definition under the Clean Water Act . Nonpoint sources are runoff from rain or snow melt carrying natural and anthropogenic pollutants to waters, such as lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters and groundwater.

Industrial smog

smog resulting from emissions from industry and other sources of gases produced by the burning of fossil fuels.

Photochemical smog

An atmospheric condition formed through a combination of weather conditions and pollution, especially from motor vehicle emissions.

Temperature inversion

atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near the earth's surface; Cool, warm, cool

Electrostatic precipitator

A device used for removing particulates from smokestack emissions. The charged particles are attracted to an oppositely charged metal plate, where they are precipitated out of the air.

Wet scrubbers

remove particulates by passing the stack gases through water

Catalytic converters

Used in a car to convert toxins such as CO, NO, NO2 and hydrocarbons to harmless gases, like nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

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

Emission standards

Regulations for restricting the amounts of air pollutants that can be released from specific point sources.

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS)

Situation in which building occupants experience acute health effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building but no specific illness or cause can be identified. Poor indoor air quality caused by factors like inadequate ventilation, chemical pollutants from building materials, mold growth, and other airborne contaminants

Radon (Rn)

naturally occurring colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, found in some types of soil and rock, can seep into homes and buildings, formed from the decay of uranium (U), causes lung cancer

Asbestos

A mineral once used in insulation and other materials that can cause respiratory diseases.

Mold

The impression of an organism in a rock

Noise pollution

any noise that causes stress or has the potential to damage human or animal health.

Decibel

a unit that compares the intensities of different sounds

Subsidy

A government payment that supports a business or market

Tax credit

an amount subtracted directly from taxes owed

Anthropogenic

caused by humans

Mitigate

to make less severe