Chapter 8 & 9 Flashcards
What was the Great London Smog?
A deadly industrial smog that covered London and caused death and sickness
What caused the Great London Smog?
Coal Combustion and Temp Inversion
Where was the Great London Smog?
England
Define Temperature Inversion
Cold air trapped near the ground by warm air above
What was the date of the Great London Smog?
Dec 5, 1952
Define Primary Pollutants
Emitted directly from a source into the atmosphere
What are examples of Primary Pollutants?
--Carbon dioxide – Carbon monoxide – Sulfur dioxide – Nitrogen dioxide – Particulates
Define Secondary Pollutants
formed when primary air pollutants react
with the components of the atmosphere
What are examples of Secondary Pollutants?
– Ground level Ozone
– PANs (peroxyacyl nitrates)
– Acids
– Sulfur trioxide
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Natural
Wildfires, volcanic activity, etc.
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Area
Construction, livestock, etc.
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Mobile
Transportation
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Stationary
Industry, powerplants, etc
When was the CAA first established?
1963
Why was the CAA originally created?
protecting air quality (air pollution control)
CAA amendment 1990 features (4)
- Acid Deposition Control
- permit program
- phase out the use of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer
- control 189 hazardous air pollutants
What is the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?
determine the allowable levels of six pollutants in the ambient air (air around us) nationally (criteria pollutants)
NAAQS: Primary Standard
to protect human health
NAAQS: Secondary Standard
to protect the environment
What are the 6 criteria pollutants?
- Particulate Matter
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Carbon Monoxide
- Ozone
- Lead
Particulate Matter:
Examples/sources
Dust, dirt, ash soot, smoke, spores,
algal cells, asbestos, sulfuric acid droplets,
suspended droplets (aerosols)
Particulate Matter:
Characteristics
- Reduces visibility
- Corrodes metals
- Can stay in air for a long time
Particulate Matter:
Most Dangerous
• PM 10 & PM 2.5
• Can penetrate deep into the lungs, arteries &
bloodstream
Sulfur Dioxide:
Characteristics
- colorless gas
* dissolves in water vapor to form sulfuric acid
Sulfur Dioxide:
sources
- crude oil, coal, and metal ores
* forest fires and from volcanoes
Nitrogen Oxides:
Sources
formed by chemical reactions between atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2)
Nitrogen Oxides:
Characteristics
reddish-brown gas that gives
photochemical smog its distinctive color
Nitrogen Oxides:
What can it form?
- Ground-level ozone
* combine with water to form nitric acid (HNO3), a major component of acid rain
Nitrogen Oxides:
Sources
automobiles, power plants, industries
What are Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs)?
Mainly hydrocarbons that can vaporize at room
temperatures
VOC’s Sources
–produced from incomplete combustion of fuels
– Industrial refineries: oil/gas refining
– Industries: chemical
VOC’s Examples
--Benzene – Formaldehyde – Phenols – Trichloroethylene – Acetone --Toluene -- Vinyl chloride
Nitrogen Oxides:
Impacts
- Causes adverse effects on respiratory system.
- Inhibits plant growth
- Corrode metals, fades textiles
What are the two Primary Sources of Acid Rain?
Sulfur dioxide (SO2) Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Acid Rain Effects
- Sulfate particles reduce visibility
* Sulfuric acid droplets canpenetrate lungs
Carbon Monoxide:
Characteristics
A colorless, odorless gas that is formed when
carbon in fuel (wood, oil, charcoal, coal or gas) is
NOT burned completely.
Carbon Monoxide:
Sources
- component of vehicle exhaust
* Land clearing fires, cooking fires, forest fires volcanoes.
Carbon Monoxide:
Impacts
- Highly toxic gas.
* CO inhibits respiration
Ozone:
Also called?
Tropospheric ozone “where we live”
Ozone:
Impacts
• damages eyes, lungs, and plant tissues, as
well as paint, rubber, and plastics
• Smog
Ozone:
Characteristics
acrid biting odor
Ozone:
What is it?
highly reactive oxidizing agent
Ozone:
what type of pollutant is it?
Secondary
Ozone:
Caused?
created by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides & volatile organic compounds, initiated by solar energy
Ozone:
Stratospheric
• Contains the protective ozone layer.
• “global sunscreen” where the
natural ozone layer is.
Lead:
Impacts
impairs nerve and brain functions.
Lead:
Sources
Industrial and mining processes: – smelting of metal ores, mining – burning of coal and municipal waste – burning of leaded gasoline – Lead-based paint in old homes – Natural: volcanoes
Lead:
Characteristics
Most abundantly produced metal-air
pollutant
Composition of the Atmosphere: CO2 N O Argon Other
CO2: .04% N: 78% O: 21% Argon: .93% Other: .03%
What causes the Green House Effect?
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) trap some heat (longer-wave infra-red energy) in the lower part of the Earth’s troposphere.
Name the 5 GHG’s
- Carbon dioxide
- Methane
- Nitrous oxide (N2O)
- Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases)
- Water vapor
Carbon Dioxide:
Sources
burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil),
solid waste, trees and wood products, and
also as a result of certain chemical reactions
(e.g., manufacture of cement).
Carbon Dioxide:
Characteristics
• Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or
“sequestered”) when it is absorbed by plants
Carbon Dioxide:
Effects
Creates ground-level ozone
Methane:
Sources
Emitted during production, storage and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil
– Landfills
– Biomass burning
– Livestock, manure management, agricultural practices, rice paddies
– Thawing permafrost
Define Permafrost
Rock or soil frozen at or below 0 degree C
for two or more years
Methane:
Effects
Health issues
Methane:
Characteristics
colorless, flammable, nontoxic gas.
It is considered an odorless gas despite the fact that most people say it smells like rotten eggs
Nitrous Oxide:
Sources
agriculture
burning fossil fuels
Nitrous Oxide:
Characteristics
denser than air, is colorless, tasteless, and has a slightly sweet odor
Nitrous Oxide:
Effects
Health issues
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
Examples
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
- Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
- Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
Sources
• Chlorine based aerosols:
– coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators,
insulation foams and man-made aerosols (used prior
to 1978 in the U.S.)
–industrial processes
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Cause ozone hole
What is a Keeling Curve?
Graph that plots the ongoing change in concentration of
carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere since 1958.
What did the Keeling Curve prove?
increasing CO2 in the atmosphere
Define Mitigation
Moderation or postponement of global climate change through GHG reduction measures
Define Adaptation
Planned response to global climate change
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
Was an international framework that aimed to set internationally binding GHG emissions reduction targets.
What 3 countries did not participate in the Kyoto Protocol?
China, US, Canada
What is the Montreal Protocol?
Global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of
ozone-depleting substances.
What are the two main ozone-depleting substances the Montreal protocol attacked?
CFCs & Halons
What was the goal of the Paris climate agreement?
strengthen the global response to
the threat of climate change
How was the goal of the Paris climate agreement to be carried out?
–By keeping a global temperature rise this century
well below 2 degrees Celsius
– To pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Was the Paris climate agreement voluntary or involuntary?
Voluntary
What is released from permafrost?
CO2 and Methane
What is the Global Distillation Effect?
Grasshopper Effect
The process of transporting pollutants from warmer regions to higher, cooler latitudes, where they are deposited.
What is a Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP)?
Organic compounds resistant to degradation
POP Characteristics
–Transboundary travelers
• POPs bioaccumulate
– Organic or carbon based chemicals, highly toxic
POP examples
•PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) • DDT • Dioxins from combustion and waste incineration, smoking • Furans, Aldrin, Toxaphene
What type of countries have indoor air pollution?
Developed
What is Radon?
Colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that seeps through the ground from uranium in the earth’s crust
What are the effects of Radon?
Causes lung cancer
Some examples of indoor air pollution and their sources
– Nitrogen dioxide ( from gas stoves)
– Radon
– Asbestos (from pipe insulation, vinyl tiles)
What are Urban Heat Islands?
Local heat build up in an area of high population
What are Dust Domes?
A dome of heated air that surrounds an urban area and contains a lot of air pollution.
What are the effects of ocean acidification?
Ocean acidification reduces the amount of carbonate, a key building block in seawater
What are the effects of ozone depletion?
Excessive UV exposure could cause cancer, reduce agricultural production and disrupt ecosystems
What are the causes of ozone depletion?
Chlorine-based aerosols, such as CFC’s and HCFC’s, are the principal agents of ozone depletion.
