Environmental Chemistry Flashcards by Emma Kismarton

What is the % of the oxygen in the air?

21%

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What is the % nitrogen in the air?

78%

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What is the % of argon in the air?

~1%

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What is the % of carbon dioxide in the air?

~0.04%

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What are the impacts of climate change?

sea level rises
weather changes/extreme weather
habitat destruction
wildfire/drought
disease spread due to habitat change

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What gases cause climate change?

CO2
CH4 (natural gas)
CFCs

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What are the impacts of acid rain?

kills fish in lakes
kills trees/crops
damages limestone buildings

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What gases cause acid rain?

CO2
SO2/SO3
NOx

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What are the impacts of ozone depletion?

U.V. radiation increases
skin cancer
eye damage

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What gases cause ozone depletion?

CFCs

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What are the impacts of smog?

Lung damage

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What gases cause smog?

SO2/SO3
NOx

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What contributes to an increase in CO2?

combustion of alkanes
respiration
extraction of iron
extraction of Al (electrodes burn, electricity)
any process using electricity
fermentation of ethanol

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What are the impacts of an increase in CO2?

climate change
acid rain

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What contributes to an increase in SO2/SO3?

contact process
combustion of oil => oil has small portions of S in it naturally (S is an impurity in oil).

-SO2 +H2O => H2SO3 (sulfurus acid)
SO3 + H2O => H2SO4 (sulfuric)

-CaO + SO2 => CaSO3(s)
CaO + SO3 => CaSO4(s)
(both are used to make plaster)

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What are the impacts of an increase in SO2/SO3?

acid rain
smog

What contributes to an increase in NOx?

car exhausts
-N2 + O2 => 2NO (the car gets causing N2 and O2 in the air to react)
lightning (same reaction as above)

a solution:
catalytic converter
CO + NO =Pt ctalyst=> CO2 + N2

What are the impcts of an increase in NOx?

acid rain
smog

What contributes to an increase in CFCs?

chlorofluorocarbons in:
* aerosols (hair spray, deodourant)
* refrigerators/fridge (coolant)

What are the impcts of an increase in CFCs?

ozone depletion
climate change

What are the domestic uses of water?

drinking
cooking
gardening
general sanitation

What are the agricultural uses of water?

drink for animals
watering crops

What are the industrial uses of water?

a solvent
a coolent
heated to make steam used to generate electricity

What is the name for a rock that stores water?

a aquifier

What are beneficial substances in water?

* **Dissolved oxygen:** essential for aquatic life * **Metal compounds:** some provide essential minerals which are necessary for life, such as calcium and magnesium

What are potentially harmful substances in water?

* **Metal compounds:** some are toxic like aluminium and lead * **Some plastics:** these may be harmful to aquatic life in many ways, e.g. getting trapped in plastic waste, dying of starvation as their stomach is filled with plastic * **Sewage:** contains harmful microbes which can cause disease * **Nitrate & phosphates from fertilisers** eutrophication

What is the water treatment process?

1. Screening 2. Ozone 3. Precipitation 4. Sand-filter 5. Activated carbon 6. Microfilters 7. Chlorine

What happens during screening in the water treatment process?

Removing of large objects/plastic etc.