BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
We will start by watching this video (Donora Smog Museum video) in order to identify which of these
compounds was responsible for the deaths.
Reinforce this by reading this Wikipedia selection and determine what the major pollutants are.
ROLES AND RESOURCES:
Each of you will assume one of the following roles and, starting with the resources provided, address
each bullet point completely. Your goal is to understand rather than just to accumulate information so
please spend some time thinking. You and your partner will write three paragraphs, one from each of
the three perspectives.
Chemist -- This section is the description of what the pollutant is, where it comes from. Much
of this section can come from your Zinc Smelting packet.
- molecular structure of pollutant
- reactivity (with specific reaction)
- what step of the mining process produces it and how (chemical reaction)
- uses
- other sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_fluoride
http://www.npi.gov.au/substances/fluoride-compounds/index.html
Biologist – This purpose of this section is to describe what happens when the pollutant from
above enters living things.
- reactions in the body
- effects on the body / cells / molecules
- symptoms of poisoning
- treatments
- effects of pollutant on livestock and plants
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/hydrofluoricacid/basics/facts.asp
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/hydrogen.html
http://www.fluoridealert.org/Mednets-HF.htm
http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/hydrogenfluoride.htm
http://www.npi.gov.au/substances/fluoride-compounds/health.html
Environmental Scientist – This section should discuss why this is so bad for the environment
and if this is still going on today.
- the controversy over the Donora incident
- other sources of the pollutant
- pollutant data relative to Pennsylvania
http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/donora-fog.html
http://www.actionpa.org/fluoride/chemicals/emissions.html
http://www.greenfacts.org/en/fluoride/fluorides-2/02-environment.htm#1
http://www.scorecard.org/chemical-profiles/rankstates.tcl?edf_substance_id=7664%2d39%2d3&edf_chem_name=HYDROFLUORIC%20ACID&type
=mass&category=total_env&modifier=na&how_many=100
http://www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/gui_leadzinc_WB/$FILE/leadzinc_PPAH.pdf
http://www.npi.gov.au/substances/fluoride-compounds/environmental.html