pollutants Flashcards
- SOx
- NOx
- Pb
- CO
- VOCs
- particulate matter
6 primary pollutants
odorless, colorless gas
– primary pollutant
Typically a byproduct of burning fossil fuels
Binds to hemoglobin in blood irreversibly and makes it difficult for the blood to transport oxygen
Mostly from vehicles burning fossil fuels
carbon monoxide
generally released as a particulate – primary pollutant
Incorporated into food chain → biomagnification
Can cause human nervous system disorders and disabilities
Primarily enters the atmosphere. as a result of burning lead gasoline, now industrial smelting
lead
only referring to human-made ozone as dangerous/bad – secondary pollutant
Stratospheric ozone – absorbs UV rays
Tropospheric ozone – respiratory irritant (bad ozone basically)
Formed as a result of heat, sunlight, nitrogen oxides, and VOCs
Major component of smog
ozone
primary pollutant
Formed w oxygen and nitrogen in high temps.
Sources: combustion engines, utilities + indus. Combustion
Component of smog and acid rain (secondary pollutants)
nitrogen dioxide
colorless gas w a pungent odor – primary pollutant
Typically released in the combustion of coal + burning of fossil fuels
Can also be an indoor air pollutant (gas heaters + tobacco smoke)
Reacts w water vapor to form acid precipitation (acid rain)
sulfur dioxide
not a gas, very tiny solids – primary pollutant
Dust, wildfires, etc.
particulate matter
- vehicle exhaust and industrial processes
- also emitted from oil and gas fields and diesel exhaust. Additional sources of release are paints, glues, and other products that are used and stored at home and at work. VOCs when combined with nitrogen oxides react to form ground-level ozone, or smog, which contributes to climate change
vocs
(or brown smog):
Usually formed on hot, sunny days in urban areas (needs sunlight)
Combine nitrogen compounds, VOCs, and ozone
Intensity of the sunlight promotes it too
photochemical smog
combo of sulfur + nitrogen oxides + water
pH of about 5.6 (acidic but not super dangerous to skin contact) – can be as low as 2.3
Effects:
Leaching of some minerals from soil (alters soil chemistry)
Buildup of sulfur + nitrogen in soil
Increasing aluminum content in soil and lakes (toxic to fish)
Leaching calcium ions from conifers
Lowering pH of bodies of water (affects wildlife + could kill sensitive/specialist species)
Eroding/damaging buildings and rocks
Esp. a problem for large urban areas downwind from coal burning power plants
acid precipitation
worldwide end of CFC production
Very effective – example that legislation can help
Mostly replaced w HCFCs
Montreal protocol
removes VOCs and some carbon monoxide from the emissions of cars, some w nitrogen oxides
catalytic converter (in cars)
Developing countries it’s worst bc use biomass (dung, wood, and crop waste) fuels
VOCs most abundant indoor air pollutants
Found in carpets, plastic, oil, furniture, pesticides, cleaning products, etc.
CO in indoor pollution
From gas leaks or poor gas combustion devices
2 most deadly and common indoor air pollutants
Tobacco smoke
Secondhand smoke, tons of chemicals in smoke/carcinogens
Radon
2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking
Gas emitted by uranium as it decays (uranium found in basements bc housing foundation – seeps in through the rocks and soil to enter buildings)
when a majority of a building’s occupants experience certain symptoms, often varying w the amount of time spent in the building
Difficult to diagnose/identify unless it’s a lot of people in that building
Combination of a lot of pollution/factors (asbestos, lead, VOCs, etc.)
Symptoms: nausea, headaches, dizziness, irritation of eyes, nose , throat + skin, etc.
sick building syndrome
causes air to be trapped in the troposphere (and also trap all the air pollutants) – normally hotter city air would travel up into the cooler atmosphere
Happen when a warm air mass blocks the path of the warm air trying to escape, so it goes back down
temperature inversion
Excess nutrients (nitrogen, phosphate, etc.) – causes eutrophication
Organic waste
Toxic waste (pesticides, petroleum/oil, heavy metals [bioaccumulation], etc.)
Sediments
Hot or cold water/thermal pollution
Coliform bacteria (indicate the presence of fecal matter in water)
Invasive species
Disease-causing bacteria (like ones that cause cholera esp. in developing countries)
major water pollutants
relies on the heat from the Earth’s interior, which can be accessed through various methods, including but not limited to areas with volcanic activity. For example, ground-source heat pumps can utilize the stable temperatures just below the Earth’s surface to heat and cool buildings, demonstrating that geothermal energy has applications beyond volcanic regions.
Use the Earth’s internal heat
Can pipe hot water directly into buildings for use as well
Pump water down into Earth to boil it → steam spins turbine → electricity!!
Good:
Bad: limited bc groundwater is used at a faster rate than it is replaced, expensive to install (initial cost), limited to areas on Earth , can potentially release toxic gases/greenhouse gases (like methane and carbon dioxide)
Also ocean tides can be used for electricity (basically just hydroelectric)
geothermal heat
- don’t have to be big to generate electricity
Good: best/cleanest/safest fuel source, only emit steam/water vapor
Bad: difficult to store hydrogen gas w/out leaks, high cost, hydrogen gas is NOT readily available on earth
Use electrolysis (hydrogen atoms stripped from water, leaving oxygen only left)
Co-generation – waste heat from electricity generation is used for another purpose like heating homes/in industrial plants (increases efficiency + use of that fuel)
Energy conservation – the practice of reducing our use of fossil fuels and reducing the impact we have on the environment as we produce and use energy
Alternative fuel cars (hydrogen cells/batteries) – produce far less carbon dioxide, but a lack of charging stations
Filtering cooking oils to use for diesel-fueled vehicles
Could discover new ways to use fossil fuels, but ultimately ineffective b/c they will run out too + still produce pollutants
Mass transit (public transportation)
hydrogen cell
Wind turbines
Blades spinning by wind spins turbine → electricity!!
Wind farms
Good: no harmful emissions
Bad: initial cost makes it more costly than fossil fuels, loud/unattractive, need other energy sources when there is no wind, dependant on location, wildlife/birds harmed if they fly through the blades
wind energy
Passive – passively collect solar energy through the way things are built to warm or cool buildings
Active – use of devices (solar panels) to collect, transport, and store solar energy, and heat water for use
Photovoltaic cells (PV cells) – produce electricity which is then stored in batteries
Sunlight hits cells, electrons energized and flow freely (creating an electrical current)
Energy either used immediately (like in houses w solar panels) or stored in batteries for later
Good: produces no air pollutants, PV cells require little maintenance and are silent, financial assistance to homeowners in some places to install solar panels
Bad: production of PV cells requires fossil fuels, not every location on earth receives enough sunlight to make it worth it (region-limited), high initial cost
solar energy
not a fossil fuel but not renewable
Energy generated by nuclear fission (nucleus struck by a neutron splits into 2 smaller nuclei + releases energy)
Use uranium
Products of nuclear fission are radioactive (measured in half-lives, or the rate of decay)
Nuclear power plants do not release air pollutants, but do release thermal pollution and hazardous waste (still “cleaner” tho)
Possibility of switching to nuclear fusion (opposite of fission) to reduce these problems
Fuel rods: the uranium
Nuclear fission → heat boils water → steam spins turbine → electricity!! → steam/water is cooled after
Nuclear accidents: Three Mile Island (US), Chernobyl (Ukraine), Fukushima (Japan)
Other issues: radioactive material causing cancer, explosions, meltdowns, etc.
nuclear energy
(mostly methane) – mostly from wetlands + cow farts
Often used to heat homes + for cooking but also burned for electricity
Only produces water and carbon dioxide when burned
Use fracking to extract natural gas (drill a deep well, pump fracking fluid in to break the rock and release the natural gas [or oil sometimes], needs a lot of water and that water will be chemically contaminated after)
Downsides: difficult to contain/transport properly, dangerous leaks/explosion risk, methane is a potent greenhouse
natural gas
Anthracite (purest)
Bituminous (middle)
Lignite (least pure)
Underground mining: blow up shafts to reach underground coal deposits
Can cause the ground above to sink in
Strip mining: destroy Earth’s surface until they can reach the coal
Required to “reclaim” the area (replant + replace soil once coal is gone)
Can leave hazardous amts of sulfur that can contaminate water, and destroy habitats
Burn coal for heat → heat boils water → steam turns turbine → electricity!!
Releases greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, sulfur, mercury esp.), can be removed w scrubbers
Also releases fly ash (fine bits of coal, basically particulate matter) + creates boiler residue (buildup of minerals/materials in the boiler)
Acid mine drainage: highly acidic water from abandoned coal mines that contaminates nearby
Mercury can harm young children + pregnant women esp. + can bioaccumulate in fish
Coal gasification is the correct answer because it refers to the process of converting coal into gas. In coal gasification, coal is partially oxidized with air, oxygen, and/or steam to produce a gas mixture consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other gases. This process allows for the removal of pollutants and impurities before the gas is combusted, thereby reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates when compared to direct coal combustion. This makes coal gasification a cleaner way to utilize coal for energy.
coal power process
Primary extraction: pump oil to surface (pressure from formation pushes it up)
Pressure extraction: exert pressure to push oil out of ground
Tar sands
Worst type of extraction: costly to the environment (contamination/pollution) and costs a lot of $$
crude oil extraction
