1-2 Weather Flashcards
Air pollution can cause
Dizziness and headaches, eye, nose and throat irritation, lung diseases, and a chest pains, allergies, and coughing
Harmful substances in the air, water, and soil are known as
Pollutants
Most air pollution is the result of
the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, gasoline, and diesel fuel
Almost half of the air pollution from human activities come from cars and other motor vehicles. A little more than one fourth comes from factories and a power plants that burn coal and oil. Burning fossil fuels produces a number of air pollutants, including particles and gases that can form smog and acid rain
Extra notes
When ocean waves splash salt against rocks, some of the water sprays into the air and evaporates. Tiny salt particles stay in the air. The wind blows particles of molds and plant pollen. Forest fires, soil erosion, and dust storms add particles to the atmosphere. Erupting volcanoes spew out clouds of dust and ashes along with poisonous gases. Even fairly clean air usually contains particles of dust and pollen. The wind carries pollen not only two other plants but also two people. One type of allergy, popularly called “hay fever” is caused by pollen from plants such as ragweed. Symptoms of hay fever include sneezing, a runny nose, red and itchy eyes, and headaches. Weather reports often include a “pollen count” which is the average number of pollen grains in a cubic meter of air.
Natural sources of pollutants
When people burn fuel such as wood and coal, particles made mostly of carbon enter the air. These particles of soot are what gives smoke it’s dark color. Farming and construction also release large amounts of soil particles into the air.
Human sources of pollutants
The action of sunlight on chemicals
Photochemical smog
What does the ozone in photochemical smog irritate
It irritates breathing passages, harms plants, and damages rubber, pain, and some plastics.
The nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other air pollutants then react with each other in the presence of sunlight to form
A mix of ozone and other chemicals called photochemical smog
Acid rain forms when nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides combine with water in the air to form
Nitric acid and sulfuric acid
Rain that contains more acid than normal
Acid rain
The United States government and state government’s have passed the number of laws and regulations to reduce air pollution. For example, pollution control devices are required equipment on cars. Factories and power plants must install the filters in smokestacks to remove pollutants from smoke before it is released into the atmosphere. These filters are called scrubbers. Air-quality in this country has generally improved over the past 30 years. The amounts of most major air pollutants decreased. Newer cars cause less pollution and older models. Recently built power plants are less polluting then power plants that have been in operation for many years. However, there are now more cars on the road and more power plants burning fossil fuels than in the past. Unfortunately, the air and many American cities still polluted. Many people think that stricter regulations are needed to control air pollution. Others argue that reducing air pollution is very expensive and that the benefits of stricter regulations may not be worth the costs
Improvement of air quality
