Air Quality Monitoring Lab

Pre-Lab Questions:
1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns from the
information in the pre-lab.
Pollutants
Causes
Concerns
Ozone
Motor vehicle exhaust and
industrial emissions,
gasoline vapors, and
chemical solvents are some
of the major sources of NOx
and VOC, that help to form
ozone.
Ozone can irritate lung
airways and cause
inflammation much like
sunburn. Ground-level
ozone interferes with the
ability of plants to produce
and store food.
Particulate Matter
Particles are directly
emitted into the air from
cars, trucks, buses,
factories, construction sites,
tilled fields, unpaved roads,
stone crushing, and burning
of wood.
Many health problems for
example aggravated asthma,
and increases in respiratory
symptoms. PM is also the
major cause of reduced
visibility. The matter can
get carried into lakes and
make them acidic.
Nitrogen Oxides
Nitrogen oxides form when
fuel is burned at high
temperatures, as in a
combustion process like,
motor vehicles, electric
utilities, and other
industrial, commercial, and
residential sources that burn
fuels.
Nitrogen oxides cause:
ground level ozone, acid
rain, particles, water quality
detrition, global warming,
toxic chemicals, and
visibility impartment.
Sulfur Dioxide
SO2 is released to the air
from electric utilities,
especially those that burn
coal.
It can cause respiratory
problems, visibility
impartment, acid rain, and
aesthetic damage.
Lead Monoxide
Lead Monoxide comes from
waste incinerators, utilities,
and lead-acid battery
manufacturers.
It can damage organs, affect
the brain and nerves,
damage the heart and lungs,
and affect the animals.
Carbon Monoxide
Woodstoves, gas stoves,
cigarette smoke, and
unvented gas and kerosene
space heaters are sources of
carbon monoxide indoors.
Carbon Monoxide can have
major cardiovascular effect,
it can damage the nervous
systems, and cause smog.
2. Why is ground level ozone highest in the summer and almost nonexistent in the
winter? How might this affect our results as we test the air during this part of the year?
Ground level ozone is produced in the heat and sunlight, so the results might not be the
same year round.
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or
since they have not forced changes). What concerns may the governments of these
countries need to deal with? Leaded gas can cause lead monoxide which comes along
with many health risk that these countries cant afford to treat.
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the
Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
The division of air quality says there is several plants in New Hanover county releasing a
significant amount of Sulfur dioxide. Sulfur dioxide is one of six criteria or major
pollutants specified in the federal Clean Air Act, it is unhealthy to breathe, can damage
vegetation and materials such as buildings.

Hypothesis: If filter paper is placed in the cafeteria and outside, the paper outside
will receive more ozone and particulate matter then the one cafeteria

Variables:
 Independent Variable: the filter paper placed around the school and
outside.
 Dependent Variable: the amount of ozone and particulate matter
absorbed
 Controlled Variables: the filter paper placed in a petrey dish.

Problem: What is the air quality of Wake Forest using Ozone and PM
measurements?

Materials:
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Cornstarch
Beakers
Spatulas
Cylinders
Filter paper
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Test tube rack
Microscope slides
Petroleum jelly
q-tips
Microscope
Potassium iodide

Procedure:
1. Place the strips in and add cornstarch. Then heat and stir the mixture until it
gels. Remove the solution from heat, add potassium iodide, stir, and allow
cooling. After the solution has cooled, lay a piece of filter paper on a petri and
brush the paste onto the filter paper. Turn the filter paper and brush the paste on
the other side. Hang up and allow the filter paper to dry. Cut the papers into 1
inch-wide strips. Store the strips in a plastic bag out of sunlight. 2. Then prepare
Particulate matter collectors by smearing a thin layer of petroleum jelly onto a
microscope slides use a q-tip to lightly smear it each slide. Place both the strip and
the paper somewhere inside and another outside.

Observations and Data:
 The paper inside the cafeteria had more PM and ozone then the strips
placed outside.
 The ozone strip from inside turned a dark purple, while the one placed
inside was still white.
 The paper outside had more particle matter then the paper placed inside.
 Ozone
Group
Control
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Location
Classroom in petri dish
Tree in courtyard
Library
Shop behind theatre
Tree in parking lot
Tree in parking lot
Mr. Bullock’s room
600 stairwell inside
On the ground by practice
fields
Cafeteria on TV
Outside near the buses
Boys locker room
Courtyard on bush
Tree corner of school
building
Behind a door inside
Result
0 ppb
0 ppb
20 ppb
160 ppb
50 ppb
160 ppb
140 ppb
140 ppb
0 ppb
140 ppb
0 ppb
80 ppb
0 ppb
140 ppb
60 ppb
Group
Control
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Particle Matter
Location
Classroom in petri dish
Library
Tree in courtyard
Shop behind theatre
Tree in parking lot
No samples survived 
Mr. Bullock’s room
Other did not survive
600 stairwell
Practice fields
Cafeteria
Outside near the buses
Boy’s locker room
Outside courtyard
Outside by tree corner of
building
Door by the stairs
Result
None
Light
Heavy
None
Light
Light
Light
Light
Light
None
None
None
Medium
Light
Data collected 9/7/12-9/10/12
Weather: Sunny on Friday, Sunday, and Monday, Rain on Saturday
Temperature on 9/10/12: 22°C
Relative Humidity on 9/10/12: 65%

Analysis and Conclusions:
 Questions Specific to Lab:
1. 1. The highest rating the EPA will allow for a community for ground level
ozone is 80 ppb. Any community with over 80 ppb for an average over three
years is in noncompliance with the Clean Air Act. Compare your number to
this standard. Did Wake Forest meet the standard on this day? Using what
you know about the formation of ozone, decide if you believe the
measurement you made was an accurate measurement of the air quality and
why.
No, it went way over. In fact it reached 160 in some areas. While the samples
were outside it rained but that shouldn’t have affected it too much. Most of the
places with the highest ozone where inside.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the
Clean Air Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the
reason for the location of the counties in Non-attainment.
Most places around the coast don’t meet the clear air act regulations because
people build plants closer to the ocean so they can use the water to cool down
their machines.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean
Air Act. Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
In the 1990s there probably wasn’t as much particle matter in the atmosphere or
if there was people weren’t as aware of it as they are now.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your
expectations? Why or why not?
Both PM samples came out pretty clean, I didn’t expect the paper that was
placed inside to have any but I was surprised not to see too much PM in the
sample outside. While the paper was outside it had rain so that probably washed
some particles off, causing us to have unclear data.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
It the air quality is really bad in some areas it could affect people with asthma
and lung problems so its definitely important to monitor air quality and warn
people incase there results are bad, so people don’t get sick.

General Conclusions:
1) Evaluate Your Hypothesis: no, the strips placed inside actually had
more ozone.
2) Possible Sources of Error: while the strips where outside it rained,
so that could have possibly changed the results.
3) Application: this lab shows how to measure the ozone and PM in
an area.