44: Photochemical Smog

Question 1

What is photochemical smog?

Answer 1

a current problem, it is a mixture of primary and secondary pollutants

Question 2

How is photochemical smog formed?

Answer 2

forms when primary pollutants interact under the effect of sunlight and result in the production of a mixture of 100 chemicals dominated by ozone

Question 3

What are the primary pollutants involved?

Answer 3

nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds

Question 4

What are the sources of the primary pollutants?

Answer 4

1. nitrogen oxides mainly from vehicles
2. volatile organic compounds from vehicles, gas stations, dry cleaners, print shops, vegetation

Question 5

What are volatile organic compounds?

Answer 5

evaporate at ambient temperature and made of carbon bound to hydrogen atoms

Question 6

What color is photochemical smog?

Answer 6

orange

Question 7

What is the photochemical smog equation?

Answer 7

NOx (cars) + volatile organic compounds –sunlight–> photochemical smog (ozone + 100 other pollutants)

Question 8

Is stratospheric ozone good?

Answer 8

YES

Question 9

Is tropospheric ozone good?

Answer 9

NO, it can be very irritating for the respiratory system (worse for those with respiratory conditions)

Question 10

During which season is photochemical smog going to be worse?

Answer 10

worse in the summer

Question 11

At what time of the day is photochemical smog going to be worse?

Answer 11

worse right after noon (11am-3pm) (after rush hour, more sunlight)

Question 12

What is photochemical smog in MN like?

Answer 12

seems to be at a decline but it depends on a lot of things