my half of unit 10

1. Air Pollution

Definition: Contamination of the atmosphere from human activities and natural sources.

Human-caused sources: Industrial burning, automobile exhausts.

Natural sources: Dust, pollen, volcanic eruptions.

2. Types of Pollutants

Primary Pollutants: Directly released into the atmosphere (e.g., soot from smoke, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide).

Secondary Pollutants: Form in the atmosphere through chemical reactions (e.g., ground-level ozone).

3. Sources of Air Pollution

Household Products, Power Plants, and Cars: Primary pollutants from these sources include CO, NOx, sulfur dioxide (SO2), and VOCs.

Particulate Matter: Small particles in the air from burning fuels, cement plants, mining, and wood burning.

4. Motor Vehicle Emissions

Contribution to Air Pollution: About ⅓ of air pollution from vehicles, with 90% from passenger vehicles.

Clean Air Act (1970): Regulates vehicle emissions and banned lead in gasoline, reducing lead pollution.

Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Program: California’s initiative to reduce car emissions and increase ZEVs.

5. Industrial Air Pollution

Sources: Power plants, refineries, smelting plants, dry cleaning, oil refineries.

Pollutants: VOCs, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides.

6. Air Pollution Control Devices

Scrubbers: Remove harmful pollutants from industrial emissions.

Electrostatic Precipitators: Remove dust from smokestacks in cement factories and coal plants.

7. Smog and Temperature Inversions

Smog: Air pollution that forms from a mix of smoke, fog, and sunlight, primarily from vehicles and industries.

Temperature Inversion: A weather condition where warm air traps pollutants near the surface, common in cities like Los Angeles.

8. Effects of Pollution

Health Effects: Short-term effects like headaches, long-term effects like lung damage and cancer.

Sick Building Syndrome: Caused by poor ventilation in tightly sealed buildings.

Radon Gas: Naturally occurring radioactive gas that can lead to lung cancer.

Noise Pollution: Causes hearing loss, stress, and sleep disruption.