air pollutants Flashcards
layers of the atmosphere
Troposphere Stratosphere Mesosphere Thermosphere Exosphere
atmosphere
gaeous layer that envelopes the earth
functions of the atmosphere
protects from rays
allows in visible light and infared raditation
weather and climate occur
sink for some gases- oxygen adn carbon dioxide
Troposphere
weather aqnd cliamte….life exists here adn 90% of molecules
Stratosphere
ozone layer
airplanes fly
Thermosphere
abosirbs UV rays and reflexts radio waves back to earth
Mesosphere and Exosphere
nothing really
clean air act
allowed the EPA to set limits on the amount of air pollutants in the US - state level
regulates NOSCLP
nonattainment area
urban areas that contain higher levels of pollutants than are recommended by the EPA on the basis of health standards
where is there extreme smog?
LA
ways to imporve air quality
carpool, public transportation, drive and fly less, high tire pressure, recycle, catalytic converters, coices in terms of consuming products
NOx
inhibits plant growth, acid rian, global warming, deplete ozone, photochemical smog
CO2
global warming
hydrocarbons
photochemical smog, global warming
CO
global warming
particulate matter
reduce visibility, block sun, corrosive, causes erosion
pH scale
measures the acidity or basicity of a solution 1-14 7 neutral 0 acidic 14 basic
pH of 5
1 x 10 -5 = .00001
acid deposition
type of air pollution that conatins nitrogen adn sulfuric acids that fall to the ground from the atmosphere as precipation or as dry acidic particles
sources of N
cars
sources of s
industries - burning coal
pH of mormal rain
5-6 - because of dissolved CO2 in the air
what way to winds blow
west to east
biger issue in the east
EFFECTS OF ACID RAIN
lake acidfication -decrease pH of water corode fragile egg shells forest deline - fragile seeds ruind bark soil acidfication
lake erie
not acidied because of limestone basin
n based acid deposition
2NO2 + H2O - HNO3 + HNO2
s based acid deposition
SO2 + O2 - SO3+SO3+ H2O - SO4
where is ozone a pollutant
in troposphere
what depletes the ozone
CFCs
montreal protocol
international ban on CFCs to help ozone
thermal inversion
a situation in which a layer of warm air (an inversion layer) lies over a layer of cool air.
If an inversion occurs over a city, it results in air pollution, because some pollutants, such as smoke or soot, which are usually removed by normal weather processes, are held at the surface by the cool layer
CFC equations
CL + O3 - CIO + O2
CIO + O - CL + O2
= O3 + O = 2O2
photochemical smog
2 primary pollutants (NOx and hydrocarons from cars)
-forms 2 secondary pollutant (O3 and PANs)
needs UV energy - no wind = thermal inversions
photochemical smog equation ozone
1). ozone production
NO + O2 - NO2
NO2 + O2 + sun - NO + O2 + O
O+ O2 - O3
photochemical smog equation PANs
hydrocarbon + NO2 + O2 + sun - PANS
industrial smog
unburned carbon from coal = soot
particulat ematter - black
industrial smog equations
SO2 (coal) + H2O (air) - H2SO4
H2SO4 + NH3 (air) - NHSO4 (solid ammonia sulfate
