air pollution

Composition of atmosphere

1. Nitrogen → 78%

2. Oxygen → 21%

3. Argon → 1%

4. CO2 → 0.04%

Structure of layers

1. Exosphere

2. Thermosphere

3. Mesosphere

4. Stratosphere

5. Troposphere

Ozone= earth’s sunscreen; ozone here is good

Stratosphere

Tropopause

Boundary

Where weather and the greenhouse effect occur (CO2, H2O, N2O, CH4, CFC)

Troposphere

Ozone in troposphere is bad, and is called

Ground level ozone or tropospheric ozone

Presence of chemicals in the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm organisms, damage materials or change the climate

Air pollution

Made by humans

anthropogenic

Burning coal produces sulfur dioxide

1st pollutant

Goes on to react with oxygen in the air to make sulfur trioxide

2nd pollutant

Sources of carbon monoxide

Incomplete combustion of ff esp in vehicles

Sources of carbon dioxide

1. Burning ff and wood

2. Deforestation/clearing land (from decay and released from soil)

Sources of sulfur dioxide

1. Burning coal

2. Oil references

3. Smelting

Sources of nitrogen oxides

1. Motor vehicles

2. Electricities

Volatile organic compounds

VOCs

Sources of VOCs

1. Dry cleaning

2. Gasoline

3. Paint thinner

4. Acetone

5. Paint

Suspended particulate matter (SPM)

Tiny particles of

1. Dust

2. Soil

3. Salts

4. Soot (smoke)

5. Metal dust

6. Pesticides

Sources of SPM

1. Roads

2. Farms

3. Construction sites

4. Industry

5. Fine

Sources of ozone

A secondary pollutant from fire

Sources of lead

1. Old, chipping paint dust

2. Smelting metals

3. Burning coal

4. Leaded gasoline

Sources of mercury

1. Burning coal

2. Burning garbage

3. Smelting

Effects of carbon monoxide

Dizziness, drowsiness, headache death (asphyxiant)

Effects of carbon dioxide

Climate change

Effects of sulfur dioxide

1. Respiratory irritation

2. Acid rain

Effects of nitrogen oxides

1. Respiratory irritation

2. Photochemical smog

3. Acid rain

Effects on VOCs

1. Dizziness

2. Drowsiness

3. Unconsciousness

4. Respiratory irritation

5. Photochemical smog

Effects on SPM

Respiratory irritation, aggravates asthma, lung damage

Effect on ozone

1. Eye and respiratory irratory

2. Triggers/aggravates asthma, heart and lung problems

Effects on lead

1. Low cognition (mental retardation)

2. Blindness

3. Smart stature

4. Hearing loss

Effects on mercury

1. Tremors

2. Mood swings

3. Irritability

4. Headache

5. Kidney damage

Photochemical smog aka

Brown air smog

The heat in car engines and industrial boilers forces nitrogen and oxygen to react, forming ______

NO, nitric oxide

The NO reacts with oxygen in the air to make _____

NO2

Rusty brown gas that is irritant

NO2

NO and NO2 are collectively called ____

NOX

NOX reacts with VOCs, sunlight and heat to make photochemical smog, whose component is ____

Ozone (O3)

Formula of photochemical smog

NOX + VOC + UV + heat → ozone and other pollutants

Worst on

Hoy sunny days in large cities

The role of trees

Some trees emit VOCs, such as sweet gum

When coal is burned, tiny particles of carbon called ____ go into the air

Soot

Coal is contaminated with sulfur, so when it burns, the sulfur burns to produce ____

Sulfur dioxide (SO2)

Sulfur dioxide reacts with oxygen to make ____

SO3

SO3 reacts with water to make

Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)

Those 3 components are primary constituents of industrial smog

Soot, SO2 and sulfuric acid

Is industrial smog is still a problem in the us?

No due to Air Quality Index ( AQI)

Levels of AQI

Green → yellow → orange → red → purple → marron

Smog is reduced by

Rain, cool temps and wind

Factors that increase smog

1. Valleys/topography - Los Angeles, ca - traps air

2. High temps - ingredient of photochemical smog

3. Thermal inversion - pollutants accumulated

Normally, air is _____ at the surface and cools as it rises

Warmed

In inversion, ____ is trapped at ground level

Cool

Inversion is caused by a _____ sun angle which is unable to warm the air and “break up” the Inversion

Low

Inversion can be enhanced by_____ and _____ pressure in upper troposphere, acting like a “lid” that ______ pollutants

Mountains; high; traps

NOX and SOC react with _____ to form ____ and ______ acids

Water; nitric; sulfuric

Harmful effects of acid deposition

1. Respiratory irritant

2. Reduced visibility

3. Damage to statues, mountains, etc

4. Kills fish (acid shock; also from Al ions released from soil into water)

5. Leaches nutrients from soil → sick/dead plants

6. Releases heavy metals into soil → can get into water

Reducing acid deposition prevention

1. Burn less ff, esp coal

2. Remove SO2 and NOX from smokes tax and car exhaust

Reducing acid pollution (cleanup)

Add lime (CaO) to lakes - reverses acidity but is $ and temporary

Pollutants are _____ inside buildings and in cars

Higher

The sick building syndrome is one in which at least _____ of people experience symptoms such as dizziness, itchy/watery eyes, breathing trouble, coughing that abate when they leave

20%

The 4 worst indoor air pollutants in developed countries

1. Cigarette smoke ñ

2. Formaldehyde

3. Radon

4. Particulate matter

Sources of folmaldehyde

Plywood, pollstrees (chemical coding), steel resistant, nail hardness

Effects of formaldehyde

Itchy, watery eyes, cough, nausea, headache, dizziness, throat/nose cancer

Source of radon

Bedrock

Effects of radon

Lung cancer

Example of particulate matter

Dust, smoke/soot (furnaces/stove/cigs), mold, pollen, VOCs

Effects of particulate

Mucous membrane, irritation, cancer, hearth attack, Alzheimer’s disease (combustion particles)

The worst indoor air pollutants in developing countries is

Wood smoke

EPA establishes for ___ outdoor air pollutants

6

The 6 pollutants are

1. CO

2. SPM

3. SO2

4. O3

5. NOx

6. Pb

EPA limits on ____ HAP

188

Toxic release inventories, which _____ are required to provide

Industries

As a result

Air pollution is much lower in the US now than before the CAS

Converts hydrocarbons, CO, and NOX into less harmful molecules

Catalytic converter

Improving air pollution

1. Catalytic converter

2. Ban 2 cycles engines b/c they burn oil: more polluting

3. Increase CAFE standards b/c less fuel burned: less pollution

4. Regulate shipping emissions

5. Regulate jet emissions

Wet scrubbers, dry scrubbers, electrostatic precipitators are

Methods of removing pollutants

Reducing indoor air pollution

1. Ban smoking

2. Low/no VOC paint

3. Quality air filter

4. Test for/remove Rn and formaldehyde

Natural rain water has a ph of

5.6

Which of these is not a criteria pollutant for which NAAQS are established by the EPA?

PCB

In the U.S., the air we breathe today is generally ____ than the air breathed by people in 1970 in part because of ____.

Cleanier; Clearier Air Act

To reduce exposure to indoor air pollution, a person can do all of these except

ensure that they are below the EPA standard for formaldehyde concentration, which is 10ppm