•Any visible or invisible particle or gas
that has ended up in the air that is not
part of the original, normal composition.
Air pollution (Particles and gases)
endanger the health and well being of
organsims .
Natural: forest fires (smoke), pollen,
dust storm, sea salt, volcanic gases and
ash,
Unnatural: man-made; coal, wood and
other fuels used in cars, homes, and
factories for energy (carbon
monoxide, smoke , chemicals, NOX,
SOX, VOCS
Primary Pollutants


Pollutants that are put directly into
the air by human or natural activity
Dust, sea salt, volcanic gases, ash,
smoke, carbon monoxide, paint
fumes, car exhaust, particulate
matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
oxides, volatile organic compounds
Secondary Pollutants


Pollutants that form when primary
pollutants react with other primary
pollutants or with naturally occuring
substances
Ozone, smog, sulfuric acid
(precipiation),
AQI: Air Quality Index
•Indicates whether pollutant levels in air may cause
health concerns.
•Ranges from 0 (least concern) to 500 (greatest
concern)
Air Quality
Air Quality Index
Good
0-50
No health impacts are expected when
air quality is in this range.
Moderate
51-100
Unusually sensitive people should
consider limiting prolonged outdoor
exertion.
Unhealthy for
Sensitive Groups
101-150
Active children and adults, and people
with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion.
Unhealthy
Protect Your Health
151-200
Active children and adults, and people
with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion, everyone else, especially
children should limit prolonged outdoor
excertion.
Very Unhealthy (Alert)
201-300
Active children and adults, and people
with respiratory disease, such as
asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion everyone else, especially
children, should limit outdoor exertion.
Carbon Monoxide
•colorless, odorless
•produced when carbon does not burn in
fossil fuels
•present in car exhaust, faulty furnaces in
homes
•deprives body of O2 causing headaches,
fatigue, and impaired vision
Sulfur Dioxide
•produced when coal and fuel oil
are burned
•present in power plant exhaust
•narrows the airway, causing
wheezing and shortness of breath,
especially in those with asthma
Nitrogen Dioxide
•reddish, brown gas
•produced when nitric oxide
combines with oxygen in the
atmosphere
•present in car exhaust and
power plants
•affects lungs and causes
wheezing; increases chance of
respiratory infection
Particulate Matter
•particles of different sizes and
structures that are released into the
atmosphere
•present in many sources including
fossil fuels, dust, smoke, fog, etc.
•can build up in respiratory system
•aggravates heart and lung disease;
increases risk of respiratory infection
Ground Level Ozone
•at upper level, ozone shields Earth from sun’s
harmful UV rays
•at ground level, ozone is harmful pollutants
•formed from car, power and chemical plant
exhaust
•irritate respiratory system and asthma;
reduces lung function by inflaming and
damaging lining of lungs
•Combination of gases with water vapor and
dust
•Combination of words smoke and fog
•Forms when heat and sunlight react
gases (photochemical smog)
•Occurs often with heavy traffic, high
temperatures, and calm winds
•1st smog related deaths were in London in
1873; death toll 500 people; can you
imagine how much worse the atmosphere is
now?!
•Limits visibility
•Decreases UV radiation
•Yellow/black color over cities
•Causes respiratory problems and bronchial
related deaths




Yes! Air pollution can occur indoors
Americans spend about 85% of their
time indoors
Plastics, carpets, furniture, paints,
building materials, asbestos, fungi,
bacteria, radon, smoke, benzene and
other compounds can be sources of
pollution
Sick building syndrome is where a
building has very poor air quality
Laws and regulations


EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency) regulates laws and
emissions
Clean Air Act
Clean Air Act





Passed in 1970 and strengthened in
1990
Regulates automobile emissions
Eliminated lead in gasoline
Mandated catalytic converters and
cleaner exhaust systems for cars
Requires industry to use scrubbers or
other pollution control devices
(especially in power plants and
factories)
•Ride your bike
•Tell your friends and family about pollution
•Make sure your parents get pollution checks on
their cars
•Ride the school bus
•Learn more; stay up to date
•Join a group to stop pollution
•Encourage your parents to carpool to
work
•Switch off lights, fan, heat, etc. when you
leave the room
•Insel, Paul M. and Roth, Walton T. Core Concepts in
Health: 9th edition. McGraw Hill: Boston, 2002.
•http://edugreen.teri.in/explore/air.htm
•http://www.oneworld.net/penguin/pollution/pollution_home
.html
•http://www.rcc.org/oem/aqindex.html
•http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/monops/lessoms/mathlesson.h
tml