Air Pollutants

Question 1

regions of the atmosphere

Answer 1

stratosphere
1. 11-50 km above sea level
2. drier and less dense, with little vertical mixing
3. gets warmer with altitude
4. ozone layer blocks UV radiation

troposphere
1. bottommost layer is thin, but dense
2. contains 75% of atmosphere
3. responsible for earth’s weather
4. air gets colder with altitude

Question 2

natural sources of air pollution

Answer 2

natural fire in california, mt saint helens eruption in 1980, dust storm blowing dust from africa to the americans

Question 3

anthropogenic sources of air pollution

Answer 3

coal burning power plants, motor vehicles

Question 4

acidic deposition (aka acidic rain)

Answer 4

deposition by precipitation (rain, sleet, snow, hail), fog, gases, or of dry acidic particles and surface runoff

Question 5

what are some examples of environmental impacts of acid deposition?

Answer 5

elevated aluminum levels in surface waters, reduced species diversity and abundance of aquatic life, increased dissolved inorganic aluminum in soil, hindering plant uptake of water and nutrients, etc

Question 6

cap and trade system

Answer 6

harnesses the efficiency of market capitalism to achieve the goals of reducing emissions. in such a system, government first sets an overall cap on emissions. as polluting facilities respond, some will have better success reducing emissions than others. over time, the cap can be progressively lowered to achieve further emission cuts.

Question 7

what are particles composed of?

Answer 7

composition directly relates to source
1. sulfates, SO42-
2. nitrates, NO3-
3. ammonium, NH4+
4. sea salt
5. water
6. metals
7. elemental carbon (EC)
8. organic carbon (OC)

Question 8

particle size determines deposition

Answer 8

region 1: upper respiratory
a. nasopharynx, thorax (> 20 micrometers)

region 2: middle respiratory
a. larynx, trachea, bronchi (<10 micrometers)

region 3: lower respiratory
a. bronchioles, alveoli (< 1 micrometer)

Question 9

historical perspective US

Answer 9

Donora, PA
October 26-30, 1948
20 deaths due to asphyxiation, half of the population (7k) hospitalized or ill

SO2 ~ 0.50-2.10 ppm
Current NAAQS: 0.075 ppm

Question 10

historical perspective UK

Answer 10

Great smog of 1952, london, UK, december 1952
~4k deaths
SO2 ~ 0.70 ppm
PM ~ 1.5 mg/m3
Current NAAQS: 150 micrograms/m3, PM10 (24 hr avg)

Question 11

how do we determine the mass or number of particles a person is exposed to?

Answer 11

exposure = ((mass or #)/volume) x (volume/time) x time

Question 12

health effects due to air pollution exposure

Answer 12

1. dry eye syndrome
2. respiratory
   a. decreased lung function
   b. inflammation of airway
   c. aggravated asthmatic symptoms
3. cardiovascular
   a. causes inflamation
   b. changes heart rhythm
4. cancer
5. premature deaths