Air Pollution
WHAT IS AIR?
• Air is the ocean we breathe
• Supplies us with oxygen which is essential for our
bodies to live
• Air is 99.9%:
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Nitrogen
Oxygen
Water vapor
Inert gases
• Human activities can release substances into the air,
some of which can cause problems for humans,
plants, and animals.
WHAT IS AIR POLLUTION
• Air pollution comes from many different sources:
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Factories
Power Plants
Cars
Windblown Dust
Wildfires
• Air pollution threatens the health of:
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Humans
Trees
Lakes
Crops
Animals
Ozone Layer
• Air pollution also causes:
– Haze, reducing visibility
How Pollution Is Formed
Primary vs. Secondary
• Primary Pollutants: emitted directly from a source
• Secondary Pollutants: formed in the atmosphere
as a result of interactions between 2 or more
chemicals in the air
Sources of Pollutants
#1- Stationary Sources
• Larger sources of pollution that are always in the
same place
– Oil/Chemical Refineries
– Power Plants
– Factories
Sources of Pollutants
#2- Area Sources
• Smaller sources of pollution that are always in
the same place
– Dry Cleaners
– Auto Body Shops
– Volcanoes
– Forest Fires
Sources of Pollutants
#3- Mobile Sources
• Travel from one place to another
– Cars
– Buses
– Trucks
Physical Phases of Pollutants
• Gaseous- chemicals in their low-density,
elastic, aeriform state
• Particulate: small solid fragments light enough
to be suspended in the air
Regulatory Categories
Criteria Air Pollutants vs. Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Criteria: US Government Top 6 Common Pollutants:
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Carbon Monoxide
Lead
Nitrogen
Ozone
Particulate Matter
Sulfur Dioxide
Causes:
- Premature Mortality
- Asthma Attacks
- Acid Rain
Regulatory Categories
Criteria Air Pollutants vs. Hazardous Air Pollutants
• Hazardous: chemical which can cause adverse
effects to human health or the environment,
almost 200 of these chemicals have been
identified
Causes:
- Cancer
- Birth Defects
Risk and Health Effects of Air
Pollutants
• 130 million people live in countries with
unhealthily air
Possible Health Effects
• Carcinogenic- can cause cancer, these compounds are
found in indoor and polluted outdoor urban air
• Respiratory- impacts lungs and breathing
• Neurological- impacts the nerve and brain
development
• Immunological- affects the body's immune system
• Reproductive: affects ability to have babies
• Developmental: affects the proper physical/mental
development
• Circulatory: affects the circulation of blood/heart
function
Ecological Effects
• Acid Rain- caused when fossil fuel emissions of sulfur
and nitrogen oxides combines with water in the
atmosphere
• Precipitation with a pH less than 5.6
• Acid Rain Causes:
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Decay of building materials
Paints
Statues
Sculptures
Death to plants
Death to aquatic life
Ecological Effects
• Global Warming- the increase in the average
temperature of the earth’s atmosphere
• Ozone Depletion: the ozone layer in the
stratosphere protects the earth from harmful
ultraviolet radiation from the sun, air pollution
causes the layers of the ozone to deplete
• Smog- smoke, fog, mixture of air pollutants
which form a haze in the air
Ways To Detect Air Pollution
• Smell: some chemicals can be identified by
their smell
– Chlorine
– Hydrogen Sulfide (smells like rotten eggs)
• Sight: smog, haze, smoke
• Taste: pollutants like sulfur can actually be
detected with the tongue (tastes metallic)