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Environmental Science > Chapter 19: Atmospheric Pollution > Flashcards

Chapter 19: Atmospheric Pollution Flashcards

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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
Q

Strong winds

A

pick up dust and other particles

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26
Q

What does the complete combustion of fossil fuels produce? (combustion is not always complete)

A

CO2 and water vaper

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27
Q

Incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and refuse

A

Create gaseous and particulate products

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28
Q

VOC’s (volital organic compounds)

A

can be carcinogenic

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29
Q

CO

A

invisible, odorless gas, poisonous, blocks oxygen delivery to tissues

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30
Q

Nitrogen oxides

A

lung irritants, major source of acid rain

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31
Q

Sulfur dioxide

A

breathing problems, major source of acid rain

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32
Q

Lead

A

toxic, causes brain damage in children (from combustion of leaded fuels and manufacture of batteries)

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33
Q

Radon

A

radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes (2nd leading cause of lung cancer)

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34
Q

Ozone

A

O3, toxic and damaging to lungs

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35
Q

Peroxyacetyl Nitrates

A

PAN’s, damaging to plants, forests, and mucous membranes of eyes and lungs

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36
Q

What was added to gasoline to reduce engine knock

A

Lead

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37
Q

U.S. air concentrations have dropped by…

A

99% because we went to unleaded gasoline

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38
Q

How is radon produced?

A

By spontaneous decay of fissionable material in rocks and soils

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39
Q

What are sulfuric acids and nitric acids caused by?

A

Burning fuels

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40
Q

Acid precipitation

A

any precipitation (rain, fog, mist, snow) more acidic than usual

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41
Q

Acid deposition

A

acid precipitation plus dry-particle fallout

42
Q

Natural sources of sulfur dioxide

A

volcanoes, sea spray, microbial processes

43
Q

Natural sources of nitrogen oxides

A

lightning, biomass burning, microbial processes

44
Q

U.S. source of sulfur dioxide

A

fuel (coal) combustion

45
Q

Source of nitrogen oxides

A

transportation

46
Q

Acute exposure to air pollutants

A

can be life threatening

47
Q

Chronic exposure

A

long-term exposure that causes gradual deterioration and premature mortality and affects the respiratory and circulatory systems

48
Q

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

A

lung disease that m akes it hard to breath

- 4th leading cause of death (affects 18 million in the U.S.)

49
Q

What is COPD from?

A

smoking and burning woord or dung for fuel for indoor stoves

50
Q

Studies of thousands of adults show stron evidence of harm caused by…

A

fine particulates and sulfur pollution

- (asthma, chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular problems)

51
Q

What does lead poisoning cause?

A

Mental retardation, learning disabilities in children, and high blood pressure in adults

52
Q

The major source of lead

A

leaded gasoline

53
Q

What dramatically reduced lead in the environment?

A

The EPA mandated elimination of leaded gasoline

54
Q

Diesel

A

a likely human carcinogen

55
Q

Benzene

A

clearly correlated with cancer

56
Q

Where is benzene found?

A

in motor fuels, solvents, explosives, smoke, medicines

57
Q

What is benzene linked to?

A

leukemia, blood disorders, damaged immunity

58
Q

Ozone damages

A

crops, orchards, and forests.

Trees weakened by ozone were susceptible to pine beetles

59
Q

Where does ozone enter plants?

A

Through the stomata

60
Q

Symptoms of ozone damages

A

black flecks, yellow leaves

61
Q

Damage to trees and wild plants…

A

May exceed crop damage

62
Q

Sulfur dioxide and sulfur or nitrogen oxides corrode…

A

metal

63
Q

Effects of acid deposition

A

significant fish declines in lakes in Sweden, Ontario, and Adirondacks

64
Q

Imact of acid deposition on aquatic ecosystems

A

an environment’s pH affects enzymes, hormones, and other proteins

65
Q

A low pH overwhelms regulatory mechanisms,

A

killing or weakening the organism

66
Q

A pH below 5…

A

kills organisms or impairs their reproduction

67
Q

What can acid precipitation leach?

A

heavy metals from solids as the water percolates through it, which are absorbed by organisms and are highly toxic

68
Q

Buffer

A

a substance that absorbs hydrongen ions

69
Q

Limestone (CACO3)

A

obtained from soil

70
Q

A natural buffer protecting many lakes

A

limestone

71
Q

The Clean Air Act

A

reduced SO2 and NOx emissions

72
Q

Imacts of acid deposition on forests

A

trees lose needles and become more susceptible to frost

tree growth is reduced

73
Q

Ambient standards

A

levels protecting human health and the environment

74
Q

Criteria pollutants

A

the most widespread and objectionable

75
Q

Examples of criteria pollutants

A

Particulates, SO2, CO, NOx, ozone, lead

76
Q

National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)

A

set primary standards for criteria pollutants

77
Q

The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA)

A

targeted specific pollutants more directly

78
Q

What particulates are the most dangerous to the lungs

A

particulates smaller than 2.5 micrometers (microns)

79
Q

Where are particulates still emitted from?

A

steel mills, power plants, cement plants, smelters, construction sites, diesel engins, wood-burning stoves, fires

80
Q

Where is disposal of refuse now through?

A

landfilling

81
Q

What releases almost half of all air pollution

A

cars, trucks, and buses

82
Q

reductions in pollutant emissions are due to

A
  1. smaller cars
  2. catalytic converters
  3. the EPA requiring cleaner burning fuels
83
Q

Where is gasoline routed through?

A

converters where chemical reactions occur, where harmful pollutants are chaged to less harmful pollutants

84
Q

Harmful

A

hydrocarbons, CO, NO’s

85
Q

Less Harmful

A

CO2, H2O, N

86
Q

To control ozone

A

address the VOC’s and NOx that form it

87
Q

Another way to reduce emissions

A

hybrid electric vehicles

88
Q

The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR)

A

sets new lower caps on SO2 and NOx in 28 states

89
Q

The Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR)

A

caps and reduces mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants

90
Q

Title IV of the CAAA

A

mandates reduced SO2 and NOx

91
Q

How are industires meeting Title IV requirements

A
  1. switching to low-sulfur coal
  2. adding scrubbers
  3. trading emission allowances while saving money
92
Q

Air quality has improved, along with health benefits

A

reduced acid deposition, some freshwater recovery, imroved forest conditions

93
Q

Stratospheric ozone

A

protects Earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation

94
Q

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

A

destroy the ozone layer

95
Q

What are CFC’s used in?

A

refregerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps

96
Q

How were ozone levels in 1985?

A

50% lower than usual

97
Q

The Artic

A

has 25% depletion but no ozone hole

98
Q

Worldwide ozone losses from 2002 to 2007

A

3% - 6%

99
Q

Ozone losses of the 1980s will have caused 12 million people in the U.S. to develop…

A

skin cancer

100
Q

Who was the leader in CFC production and use?

A

U.S.

101
Q

HCFCs

A

short-term substitutes that will gradually be phased out (contain no chlorine)

Environmental Science (14 decks)

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