Environmental Science notes outline
January 20, 2011
Air Pollution
Define air pollution –
1. Due to air and wind, where does air pollution often go?
2. What is the eventual fate of air pollution produced in the Rust Belt? (Chicago through Pittsburgh)
3. Define primary pollutant –
4. Define secondary pollutant –
5. Explain how each of these secondary pollutants are formed:
a. Smog –
b. Acid Rain –
c. Ozone –
6. Define temperature inversion –
a. How does a temperature inversion affect air pollution?
7. Explain what caused the Donora Fluoride Fog.
a. What were the casualties from this accident?
8. Explain what caused the London Smog of 1952.
Written by James Dauray
http://www.docstoc.com/profile/jamesdauray
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Environmental Science notes outline
January 20, 2011
a. What were the casualties from this accident?
b. What change was made in response to this?
9. When was the U.S. Clean Air Act Passed?
10. What are the six criteria pollutants that were defined by this law?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
11. What effect has this law had on the levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides ?
12. Complete the following summary table of the major air pollutants:
Physical Properties
Environmental Effects
Common Source
Sulfur Dioxide
Nitrogen Oxides
Carbon Monoxide
Particulate Matter
Ozone
Lead
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Environmental Science notes outline
January 20, 2011
13. When was the Clean Air Act amended?
14. What additional provisions were added to the Clean Air Act?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
15. What are volatile organic compounds?
16. What are the most common sources of VOCs?
17. What is acid precipitation?
a. What part of the pH scale is considered acidic?
18. What is the pH of normal, unpolluted rainwater?
a. Why is it slightly acidic?
19. How low can the pH of polluted rainwater become?
20. What is the pH of soil where we live?
21. What region of the country has the biggest acid rain problem?
22. How does acidic water affect fish?
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Environmental Science notes outline
January 20, 2011
23. How does acid rain affect trees?
24. How does acid rain affect monuments and buildings?
Indoor Air Pollution
25. Indoor air pollution has a ( greater / smaller ) effect on human health than outdoor air pollution.
a. Why is this the case?
26. What is the most common indoor air pollutant?
27. Why is indoor air pollution a big problem for developing countries?
Ozone
28. What is ozone and what does it do?
29. When did ozone in the atmosphere start decreasing?
a. Why is this a problem?
b.
30. What happens during the spring and summer in Antarctica that causes the ozone layer there to be
depleted so quickly?
31. What is the main pollutant behind ozone depletion?
a. What are these chemicals used for?
32. What did countries agree to as part of the Montreal Protocol?
a. Was this effective?
Effects of Air Pollution
33. What two factors most influence the effects of air pollution on human health?
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Environmental Science notes outline
January 20, 2011
34. What are three ways that air pollution can be absorbed by humans?
35. What effects does air pollution have on visibility?
Reducing Pollution
36. What is the most effective strategy for reducing air pollution?
37. Explain how particulate removal works.
38. Explain how electrostatic precipitators work.
39. What heating fuel is the most polluting?
a. What are alternatives to switch to?
40. How can limestone reduce air pollution?
41. As a result of these technologies and the Clean Air Act, what three pollutants have decreased from 19701998?
42. Which two air pollutants increased?
43. Give a reason why each one increased:
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