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Environmental Science > Chapter 19: Atmospheric Pollution > Flashcards

Chapter 19: Atmospheric Pollution Flashcards

1
Q

Donora, PA

A

In the first 5 days, 20 people died

In 1 month, 50 more people died, 6,000 got sick, and 800 animals died

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2
Q

When does inversion occur?

A

When temperature gradient is flipped

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3
Q

Inversion

A

Warm air sits on top of cool air

- there is no flow

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4
Q

Air pollutants

A

substances in the atmoshpere (gases and aerosols) that have harmful effects

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5
Q

What did the Industrial Revolution change?

A

the mixture of atmospheric gases and particles

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6
Q

Industrial smog

A

An irritating, grayish mix of soot, sulfur compounds, and water vapor

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7
Q

Where does industrial smog occur?

A

In industrialized, cool areas that use coal

- China, India, Korea, eastern European countries

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8
Q

Photochemical smog

A

A brownish, irritating haze in warm, sunny areas

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9
Q

What causes photochemical smog?

A

When pollutants from vehicle exhaust are acted upon by sunlight

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10
Q

Examples of photochemical smog

A

Nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds

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11
Q

Where does photochemical smog occur?

A

In cities with huge freeway systems

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12
Q

What do long-term temperature inversions allw pollutants to do?

A

build up to dangerous levels

- can cause air pollution

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13
Q

Air pollution disasters

A

Air pollution reaches lethal levels

- under severe temperature inversions

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14
Q

Atmospheric brown cloud (ABC)

A

1 - 3 km blanket of pollution over south/central Asia

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15
Q

What are ABC’s similar too?

A

North Temperate Zone’s aerosol pollution

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16
Q

What are ABC’s made of?

A

black carbon and soot

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17
Q

How long to ABC’s last?

A

year round

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18
Q

Where do ABC’s come from?

A

burning biomass and fossil fuels (coal, diesel)

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19
Q

Impacts of atmospheric brown clouds

A

dimming over large cities
less rainfall
heating of air
decreased reflection of snow and ice

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20
Q

Primary pollutants

A

direct products of combustion and evaporation

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21
Q

Examples of primary pollutants

A

VOCs, CO, Nitrogen Oxides, Sulfur Dioxide, lead, air toxics

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22
Q

Secondary pollutants

A

reactions of primary pollutants in the air

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23
Q

Examples of secondary pollutants

A

ozone, peroxyacetyl, nitrates, sulfuric and nitric acids

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24
Q

Evaporation

A

creates gaseous and particulate products

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25
Strong winds
pick up dust and other particles
26
What does the complete combustion of fossil fuels produce? (combustion is not always complete)
CO2 and water vaper
27
Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and refuse
Create gaseous and particulate products
28
VOC's (volital organic compounds)
can be carcinogenic
29
CO
invisible, odorless gas, poisonous, blocks oxygen delivery to tissues
30
Nitrogen oxides
lung irritants, major source of acid rain
31
Sulfur dioxide
breathing problems, major source of acid rain
32
Lead
toxic, causes brain damage in children (from combustion of leaded fuels and manufacture of batteries)
33
Radon
radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes (2nd leading cause of lung cancer)
34
Ozone
O3, toxic and damaging to lungs
35
Peroxyacetyl Nitrates
PAN's, damaging to plants, forests, and mucous membranes of eyes and lungs
36
What was added to gasoline to reduce engine knock
Lead
37
U.S. air concentrations have dropped by...
99% because we went to unleaded gasoline
38
How is radon produced?
By spontaneous decay of fissionable material in rocks and soils
39
What are sulfuric acids and nitric acids caused by?
Burning fuels
40
Acid precipitation
any precipitation (rain, fog, mist, snow) more acidic than usual
41
Acid deposition
acid precipitation plus dry-particle fallout
42
Natural sources of sulfur dioxide
volcanoes, sea spray, microbial processes
43
Natural sources of nitrogen oxides
lightning, biomass burning, microbial processes
44
U.S. source of sulfur dioxide
fuel (coal) combustion
45
Source of nitrogen oxides
transportation
46
Acute exposure to air pollutants
can be life threatening
47
Chronic exposure
long-term exposure that causes gradual deterioration and premature mortality and affects the respiratory and circulatory systems
48
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
lung disease that m akes it hard to breath | - 4th leading cause of death (affects 18 million in the U.S.)
49
What is COPD from?
smoking and burning woord or dung for fuel for indoor stoves
50
Studies of thousands of adults show stron evidence of harm caused by...
fine particulates and sulfur pollution | - (asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular problems)
51
What does lead poisoning cause?
Mental retardation, learning disabilities in children, and high blood pressure in adults
52
The major source of lead
leaded gasoline
53
What dramatically reduced lead in the environment?
The EPA mandated elimination of leaded gasoline
54
Diesel
a likely human carcinogen
55
Benzene
clearly correlated with cancer
56
Where is benzene found?
in motor fuels, solvents, explosives, smoke, medicines
57
What is benzene linked to?
leukemia, blood disorders, damaged immunity
58
Ozone damages
crops, orchards, and forests. | Trees weakened by ozone were susceptible to pine beetles
59
Where does ozone enter plants?
Through the stomata
60
Symptoms of ozone damages
black flecks, yellow leaves
61
Damage to trees and wild plants...
May exceed crop damage
62
Sulfur dioxide and sulfur or nitrogen oxides corrode...
metal
63
Effects of acid deposition
significant fish declines in lakes in Sweden, Ontario, and Adirondacks
64
Imact of acid deposition on aquatic ecosystems
an environment's pH affects enzymes, hormones, and other proteins
65
A low pH overwhelms regulatory mechanisms,
killing or weakening the organism
66
A pH below 5...
kills organisms or impairs their reproduction
67
What can acid precipitation leach?
heavy metals from solids as the water percolates through it, which are absorbed by organisms and are highly toxic
68
Buffer
a substance that absorbs hydrongen ions
69
Limestone (CACO3)
obtained from soil
70
A natural buffer protecting many lakes
limestone
71
The Clean Air Act
reduced SO2 and NOx emissions
72
Imacts of acid deposition on forests
trees lose needles and become more susceptible to frost | tree growth is reduced
73
Ambient standards
levels protecting human health and the environment
74
Criteria pollutants
the most widespread and objectionable
75
Examples of criteria pollutants
Particulates, SO2, CO, NOx, ozone, lead
76
National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
set primary standards for criteria pollutants
77
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA)
targeted specific pollutants more directly
78
What particulates are the most dangerous to the lungs
particulates smaller than 2.5 micrometers (microns)
79
Where are particulates still emitted from?
steel mills, power plants, cement plants, smelters, construction sites, diesel engins, wood-burning stoves, fires
80
Where is disposal of refuse now through?
landfilling
81
What releases almost half of all air pollution
cars, trucks, and buses
82
reductions in pollutant emissions are due to
1. smaller cars 2. catalytic converters 3. the EPA requiring cleaner burning fuels
83
Where is gasoline routed through?
converters where chemical reactions occur, where harmful pollutants are chaged to less harmful pollutants
84
Harmful
hydrocarbons, CO, NO's
85
Less Harmful
CO2, H2O, N
86
To control ozone
address the VOC's and NOx that form it
87
Another way to reduce emissions
hybrid electric vehicles
88
The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)
sets new lower caps on SO2 and NOx in 28 states
89
The Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR)
caps and reduces mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants
90
Title IV of the CAAA
mandates reduced SO2 and NOx
91
How are industires meeting Title IV requirements
1. switching to low-sulfur coal 2. adding scrubbers 3. trading emission allowances while saving money
92
Air quality has improved, along with health benefits
reduced acid deposition, some freshwater recovery, imroved forest conditions
93
Stratospheric ozone
protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation
94
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
destroy the ozone layer
95
What are CFC's used in?
refregerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps
96
How were ozone levels in 1985?
50% lower than usual
97
The Artic
has 25% depletion but no ozone hole
98
Worldwide ozone losses from 2002 to 2007
3% - 6%
99
Ozone losses of the 1980s will have caused 12 million people in the U.S. to develop...
skin cancer
100
Who was the leader in CFC production and use?
U.S.
101
HCFCs
short-term substitutes that will gradually be phased out (contain no chlorine)

Environmental Science (14 decks)

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