ch8: Air pollution

Question 1

Atmospheric composition:

Answer 1

• Nitrogen 78.08%
• Oxygen 20.95%
• Argon 0.93%
• Carbon dioxide 0.04%

Question 2

Atmospheric Ecosystem services

Answer 2

• Blocks UV radiation
• Moderates the climate
• Redistributes water in the hydrologic cycle

Question 3

Define Air pollution:

Answer 3

Chemicals added to the atmosphere by natural events or human activities in high enough concentrations to be harmful

Question 4

Categories of air pollution:

Answer 4

• Primary Air Pollutant
  
  • Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the atmosphere
• Secondary Air Pollutant
  
  • Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air pollutants

Question 5

Type of air pollutants:

Answer 5

• Particulate mater
  
  • Dust (solid)
  • Lead (solid)
  • Sulfuric acid (solid)
• Nitrogen oxide(reddish-brown gas)
• Sulfur oxides (colorless gas with strong odor)
• Carbon oxides (colorless odorless gas)
  
  • Carbon monoxide
  • Carbon dioxide
• Hydrocarbons
  
  • Methane (colorless, odorless gas)
  • Benzene (liquid with sweet smell)
• Ozone (pale blue gas with acrid odor)
• Air toxics
  
  • Chlorine (yellow-green gas)

Question 6

Major classes of air pollutants:

Answer 6

• Particulate Material
• Nitrogen Oxides
• Sulfur Oxides
• Carbon Oxides
• Hydrocarbons
• Ozone

Question 7

Thousands of different solid or liquid particles suspended in air this includes:

Answer 7

• soil particles,
• soot,
• lead,
• asbestos,
• sea salt, and
• sulfuric acid droplets

Question 8

Particulate materials are dangerous for the following reason:

Answer 8

• May contain materials with toxic or carcinogenic effects
• Extremely small particles can become lodged in lungs

Question 9

Nitrogen Oxides (definition and problems)

Answer 9

• Gases produced by the chemical interactions between atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen at high temperature
• Problems
  
  • Greenhouse gases
  • Cause difficulty breathing

Question 10

Sulfur oxides (definition and problems)

Answer 10

• Gases produced by the chemical interactions between sulfur and oxygen
• Causes acid precipitation

Question 11

Carbon Oxides:

Answer 11

• Gases carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Greenhouse gases

Question 12

Hydrocarbons:

Answer 12

• Diverse group of organic compounds that contain only hydrogen and carbon (ex: CH4- methane)
• Some are related to photochemical smog and greenhouse gases

Question 13

Tropospheric Ozone:

Answer 13

• Man- made pollutant in the lower atmosphere
• Secondary air pollutant
• Component of photochemical smog

Question 14

Stratospheric Ozone:

Answer 14

• Essential component that screens out UV radiation in the upper atmosphere
• Man- made pollutants (ex: CFCs) can destroy it

Question 15

Sources of Outdoor Air Pollution:

Answer 15

• Transportation
• Industry
• (intentional forest fires is also high)

Question 16

Urban air pollution:

Answer 16

• Photochemical Smog (ex: Los Angeles below)
  
  • Brownish-orange haze formed by chemical reactions involving sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons
• Another example: Beijing and Mexico city

Question 17

Effect of air pollution:

Answer 17

• Low level exposure
  
  • Irritates eyes
  • Causes inflammation of respiratory tract
• Can develop into chronic respiratory diseases

Question 18

Health effects of air pollution:

Answer 18

• Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate material
  
  • Irritate respiratory tract and impair ability of lungs to exchange gases
• Nitrogen Dioxides
  
  • Causes airway restriction
• Carbon monoxide
  
  • Binds with iron in blood hemoglobin
  • Causes headache, fatigue, drowsiness, death
• Ozone
  
  • Causes burning eyes, coughing, and chest discomfort

Question 19

Children and Air Pollution:

Answer 19

• Greater health threat to children than adults
  
  • Air pollution can restrict lung development
  • Children breath more often than adults
• Children who live in high ozone areas are more likely to develop asthma

Question 20

Controlling air pollution:

Answer 20

• Smokestacks with electrostatic precipitator
• Smokestacks with scrubbers
• Particulate material can also be controlled by proper excavating techniques
• Phase I vapor recovery system for gasoline

Question 21

The clean air act:

Answer 21

• Authorizes EPA to set limits on amount of specific air pollutants permitted
• Focuses on 6 pollutants:
  
  • lead,
  • particulate matter,
  • sulfur dioxide,
  • carbon monoxide,
  • nitrogen oxides, and
  • ozone
• Act has led to decreases!

Question 22

Other Ways to Improve Air Quality

Answer 22

• Reduce sulfur content in gasoline from its current average of 330 ppm to 30 ppm
  
  • Sulfur clogs catalytic converters
• Require federal emission standards for all passenger vehicles
  
  • Including SUVs, trucks and minivans
• Require emission testing for all vehicles
  
  • Including diesel

Question 23

Acid deposition:

Answer 23

• Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions react with water vapor in the atmosphere and form acids that return to the surface as either dry or wet deposition
• pH scale

Question 24

Effects of Acid Deposition:

Answer 24

• Declining Aquatic Animal Populations
• Thin-shelled eggs prevent bird reproduction
  
  • Because calcium is unavailable in acidic soil
• Forest decline
  
  • Ex: Black forest in Germany (50% is destroyed)

Question 25

Air Pollution Around the World:

Answer 25

• Air quality is deteriorating rapidly in developing countries
• Shenyang, China
  
  • Residents only see sunlight a few weeks each year
• Developing countries have older cars
  
  • Still use leaded gasoline
• 5 worst cities in world
  
  • Beijing, China;
  • Mexico City, Mexico;
  • Shanghai, China;
  • Tehran, Iran; and
  • Calcutta, India

Question 26

Indoor Air Pollution:

Answer 26

• Pollutants can be 5-100X greater than outdoors
• Most common:
  
  • Radon,
  • cigarette smoke,
  • carbon monoxide,
  • nitrogen dioxide,
  • formaldehyde pesticides,
  • lead,
  • cleaning solvents,
  • ozone, and
  • asbestos