Air Pollutants Flashcards
How many premature deaths are caused annually by air pollution?
15,400
What are the three ways the air pollutants cause death and how many deaths due they each cause?
10,000-chromic PM2.5
1300 acute NO2 exposure
2800 acute O3 exposure
What are the four types of major air pollutants?
gaseous, particulates, droplets/mist and smog
What are some examples of gaseous air pollutants?
Volatile Organic Compounds-Hydrocarbons, halogenated compounds
Inorganic-NOx species, CO, O3. SO2
What are particulates?
Particles that are 0.01-100um in diameter, and that are absorbed into other gases and liquid
What are droplets/mist?
small liquid droplets that are 1-2um in diameter that will remain suspended in air, other gases or liquids will dissolve in droplets
What is smog?
combination of smoke and fog-gases and particulates
What are the 4 types of important physical processes contributing to air pollution?
volatilization, advection, deposition and cold precipitation
Describe how volatilization impacts air pollution
The pollutants are produced from water, soil and other surfaces and may adhere to other things, or dissolve into particulates and droplets
Describe how advection impacts air pollution
vapors, particulates or droplets are quickly carried away by air currents, can be transported very far away (i.e. arctic)
What are the two types of deposition and how do they impact air pollution?
Dry-particulate settling on land/water due to gravity, often charged leading to aggregation, even found in damp climates
Wet-dissolved pollutants carried to earth via liquid droplets, like rain or dew, e.x. acid rain
How does cold precipitation impact air pollution?
Vapour form of volatile pollutant precipitates as liquid/solid and falls to earth because of colder temperatures, occurs in higher altitudes and higher latitudes
What are primary air pollutants?
harmful chemicals that enter directly into the atmosphere
What are secondary air pollutants?
harmful chemicals that result from chemical interactions of primary pollutants or primary pollutants interacting with other compounds normally found in the atmosphere
What are the examples of primary air pollutants talked about in class?
Sulfur dioxides, Nitrogen oxides, CO, particulate matters, Volatile organic carbons (VOCs)
Where does SO2 come from and what is its toxicity for both plants and animals?
Source: combustin of fossil fuels, smelting of mineral ores
Creates smog which affects photosynthesis, transpiration and respiration, and then causes pulmonary edemas and broncho-constriction
Where does NOx come from and what is its toxicity for both plants and humans?
Source: combustion of fossil fuels
Toxicity: inhibition of photosynthesis and lipid biosynthesis, irritation of lungs, lowered hemoglobin and depressed immune functions
What are the main sources of CO and what is its toxicity?
Combustion of carbonaceus materials-mostly from transportation and increasing risk from number of forest fires
can remain in atmosphere for one month and causes hypoxia, immune and cardiovascular impairment, and critical tissue damage leading to death, can also lead to reduced birth weight in neonates
What are the sources and toxicity of VOCs?
Source: carbon containing gases and vapours, such as gasoline fumes and solvents
Toxicity: carcinogenicity (especially PAHs) and neurotoxicity
What are the compounds excluded from the VOC classification?
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and chlorofluorocarbons
What are the three classifications of particulate matter?
Coarse particulates-PM10
Fine particulates- PM2.5
Ultrafine particulates-PM0.1
What is the composition of coarse particulates?
pollen, sea salt, particles from man-made products (tires, concrete), metal oxides of silicon, iron, aluminum and calcium, precipitate quicker
What are the composition of fine and ultrafine particulates?
carbonaceous materials, sulfates, ammonium and nitrates, trace metal compounds (Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu and Al), small molecules that are charged but can also bind lipophilic compounds
What are the main sources of Pm10 and PM2.5 in the prairie provinces?
Dust and agriculture by products
