Atmospheric pollution - smoke and smoke smog Flashcards

1
Q

Define smoke

A
  • concentration of atmospheric particulates produced by incomplete combustion of carbon
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2
Q

Sources of smoke

A
  • combustion of coal, diesel, wood etc
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3
Q

What other toxic chemicals (or elements) can also be found in smoke

A
  • aluminum
  • lead
  • acids
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4
Q

Effects of smoke on humans

A
  • respiratory illnesses - asthma
  • chemicals can be carcinogenic - lung cancer
  • visibility
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5
Q

Effects of smoke on other living organisms

A
  • reduced photosynthesis - blocks sunlight
  • animal respiratory illnesses
  • leaf cuticle damage
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6
Q

Effects of smoke on non-living objects

A
  • damage to buildings - acids
  • requires sand blasting - expensive
  • adsorption
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7
Q

Effects of smoke on the climate and atmosphere

A
  • reduced temperatures - high albedo
  • remain suspended in the atmosphere for a long time (persistent)
  • ozone depletion in the stratosphere
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8
Q

Define smog

A
  • when smoke and fog are present together
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9
Q

What conditions increase the likelihood of smog formation

A
  • requires fog
  • cold air reaches its duel point - moisture content is too high to be held as vapor
  • temperature inversions
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10
Q

What is a temperature inversion

A
  • layer of warm air above layer of cold air in the troposphere - smoke trapped at low levels
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11
Q

Conditions that make a temperature inversion more likely to form

A
  • cold temperatures
  • clear night skies
  • valleys
  • low wind velocities
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12
Q

What happens to pollutant gases during a temperature inversion

A
  • trapped closer to ground level - more dense than the air above
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13
Q

Why is smoke in fog more dangerous than smoke alone

A
  • pollutants trapped closer to the surface
    > harmful chemicals are more likely to be inhaled
  • may react synergistically (water and chemicals)
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14
Q

What are the 9 smokey control measures

A
  • clean air act (1956)
  • change in domestic behaviour
  • improvements to vehicles
  • electrostatic precipitator
  • cyclone separator
  • scrubber
  • coal treatment
  • bag filters
  • improved combustion efficiency
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15
Q

What is the clean air act (1956)

A
  • series of laws
  • banned emissions of black smoke
  • introduced smokeless fuels
  • mostly in large urban areas
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16
Q

What is change in domestic behaviours

A
  • change the way we eat and cook
  • less reliance on coal and diesel at home
  • mostly homes rely on gas and electricity
17
Q

What is improvements to vehicles

A
  • diesel particulate filters (diesel vehicles)
  • remove up to 80% of particulates upon combustion
  • move away from diesel cars
  • move to electric cars
18
Q

What is an electrostatic precipitator

A
  • effluent gases from combustion of coal etc are passed through an electrostatic precipitator
  • metal plates inside are charged
  • plates attract particulates - waste gases continue and are released to the atmosphere
19
Q

What is a cyclone separator

A
  • like a vacuum
  • air sucked into it
  • rotates - things with high mass or density are forced to stick to the outside wall of the CS - they stick and collect at the bottom
  • air released at the top
20
Q

What is a scrubber

A
  • water sprays
  • remove particulates
21
Q

What is coal treatment

A
  • treated by heating coal
  • remove tarr like substance
  • tarr contains the particulates
  • makes the coal smokeless
22
Q

What is a bag filter

A
  • passing waste gases through a membrane/filter
  • small enough to collect particles in the bag and air passes through
  • produces clean air
23
Q

What is improved combustion efficiency

A
  • incomplete combustion of fuel
  • turbo charges - ^ O2 to engine, leads to full combustion of fuel
  • driver educations/behaviour
    > fast acceleration
24
Q

What is photochemical smog

A
  • air pollution that happens when sunlight reacts with certain pollutants like car exhausts
25
Q

What pollutants are involved with the formation of photochemical smog

A

NOX’s
O3
Hydrocarbons

26
Q

What effects to NOX’s have

A
  • respiratory problems
  • acid rain
27
Q

What effects to tropospheric O3 have

A
  • respiratory issues
  • decreased lung function
28
Q

What effects to Hydrocarbons have

A
  • climate change
  • breathing difficulties