Chemistry
Name ___________________________________
Air Pollution Student Notes
Atmosphere as a Resource
o Composition
• Nitrogen _____________
• Oxygen _______________
• Argon ________________
• Carbon Dioxide _____________
o Ecosystem Services
• Blocks _______ radiation
• Moderates the _______________
• Redistributes water in the ________________________ (water cycle)
Types and Sources of Air Pollution
o Air Pollution
• ______________________added to the atmosphere by natural events or human
activities in high enough concentrations to be harmful.
o Two categories
• ____________________Air Pollutant
• Harmful substance that is emitted directly into the atmosphere.
• ____________________Air Pollutant
• Harmful substance formed in the atmosphere when a primary air pollutant
reacts with substances normally found in the atmosphere or with other air
pollutants.
Major Classes of Air Pollutants
o Particulate Material
o _________________Oxides
o Sulfur Oxides
o Carbon Oxides
o _____________________
o Ozone
Particulate Material
o Thousands of different solid or liquid particles suspended in air
• Includes: soil particles, soot, lead, asbestos, sea salt, and sulfuric acid droplets
o Dangerous for 2 reasons
• May contain materials with toxic or ________________________effects.
• Extremely small particles can become lodged in __________________
Nitrogen and Sulfur Oxides
o Nitrogen Oxides
• Gases produced by the chemical interactions between atmospheric nitrogen and
oxygen at __________________________________.
• Problems
• Greenhouse gases
• Cause difficulty breathing
o Sulfur Oxides
• Gases produced by the chemical interactions between ______________and
oxygen.
• Causes ____________________________________
Carbon Oxides and Hydrocarbons
o Carbon Oxides
• Gases carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
• ______________________ gases.
o Hydrocarbons
• Diverse group of organic compounds that contain only ________________and
_________________________(ex: CH4- methane).
• Some are related to photochemical smog and greenhouse gases.
Ozone
o Tropospheric Ozone
• Man-made pollutant in the lower atmosphere.
• Secondary air pollutant.
• Component of photochemical smog.
o Stratospheric Ozone
• Essential component that screens ____________________________in the
upper atmosphere.
• Man-made pollutants (ex:_________________) can destroy it!
Sources of Outdoor Air Pollution
o Two main sources
• ________________________________
• Industry
o Intentional forest fires is also high
Urban Air Pollution
o Photochemical ______________(ex: Los Angeles)
• ____________________________haze formed by chemical reactions involving
sunlight, nitrogen oxide, and hydrocarbons.
Effects of Air Pollution
o Low Level Exposure
• ____________________________
• Causes __________________________ or respiratory tract
o Can develop into _______________ respiratory ________________
o Health Effects
• Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate material
o Irritates respiratory tract and impairs ability of ___________ to
_____________________________
• Nitrogen Dioxides
o Causes _______________________
• Carbon Monoxide
o Binds with iron in ________________________
o Causes _______________, __________________, drowsiness, death
• Ozone
o Causes burning of ______________, ____________________ and chest
discomfort
o Children and Air Pollution
• Greater health threat to children than adults
o Air pollution can restrict __________________________
o Children ____________ more often than adults
• Children who live in high ozone areas are more likely to develop _____________
Controlling Air Pollution in U.S.
o Smokestacks with Electrostatic precipitator
o
Smokestacks with Scrubbers
o
Phase 1 Vapor Recovery System for gasoline
o
The Clean Air Act
o
Other Ways to Improve Air Quality
Ozone Depletion in Stratosphere
o Ozone Protects earth from ___________________________
• UV radiation: Part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths just shorter
than _____________________light.
Ozone Depletion in Stratosphere
o Ozone thinning/hole
• First identified in 1985 over ________________________
o Caused by
• Human-produced bromine and chlorine containing chemicals
• Ex: ________________________
o
o
o
o
Hole over Antarctica requires two conditions:
• ______________________________just returning to polar region.
• ______________________________- a mass of cold air that circulates around
the southern polar region.
o Isolates it from the warmer air in the rest of the planet.
Polar stratospheric clouds form
• Enables Cl and Br to destroy __________________
Effects of Ozone Depletion
• Higher levels of UV radiation hitting Earth
o ________________________
o ________________________
o _________________________
• May disrupt ___________________
• May damage _____________ and _____________
Recovery of Ozone Layer
Acid Deposition
o ____________________dioxide and ____________________dioxide emissions react
with water vapor in the atmosphere and form acids that return to the surface as either
dry or wet deposition.
o pH scale
Effects of Acid Deposition
o ____________________ aquatic animal population
o Thin-shelled eggs prevent bird reproduction
• Because ______________ is unavailable in _________________
o Forest decline
Air Pollution Around the World
o Air quality is _____________________ rapidly in _____________________ countries
o Shenyang, China
o
Developing countries have older cars
o
5 worst cities in world