Pollution - Smoke/PM10 Flashcards
What are the 5 air pollutants?
- Smoke
- Acid precipitation
- NOx
- Hydrocarbons
- CO
What is smoke?
A concentration of atmospheric particulates produced by incomplete combustion
What are the sources of smoke?
Incomplete combustion of carbon-based materials (e.g. coal, diesel, wood)
What effect does smoke have on humans?
- Respiratory issues
- Carcinogenic chemicals
What effect does smoke have on living organisms?
- Reduced photosynthesis
- Animal respiratory issues
What effect does smoke have on the climate?
- Reduced temperatures due to high albedo
- Persistent in the atmosphere
What is smog?
When smoke and fog are present together
How do smogs form?
- Airborne water droplets are held as vapour as cold air reaches dew point
- Temperature inversion
What happens to pollutant gases under normal conditions?
- Rises in the troposphere
- Less dense when released
What is a temperature inversion?
- Temperature increases with altitude in the troposphere
- Layer of warm air is present above a layer of cold air (traps smoke at low levels)
Which conditions increase the likelihood of a temperature inversion?
- Cold temperatures
- Clear night sky
- Valleys (less wind)
- Low wind velocity
- Mist-fog during the daytime
What happens to pollutant gases during a temperature inversion?
Trapped close to ground level as they are more dense than the air above
How does temperature impact air density?
Cold air is denser than warm air
