Air Pollution
By: Andrew Blake
Primary
Information
-Measured in ppm’s (parts per
million)
-Primary pollutants are emitted
directly into the air from natural
resources such as volcanoes,
mobile sources such as cars, or
stationary sources such as
industrial smokestacks.
-Examples include: Particulate
matter, nitric oxide, nitrogen
dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon
dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
-Secondary pollutants result
from the reaction of primary
pollutants in the atmosphere to
form a new pollutant.
-Examples include sulfur
trioxide, sulfuric acid, ozone,
and chemicals found in
photochemical smog such as
PANS and peroxyacyl nitrates.
Major Air Pollutants
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Nitrogen Dioxide- Forms when fuels
are burned at high temperatures.
Ozone- Major component of
photochemical smog. Formed by
sunlight reacting with NO2 and VOCs
in the air.
Peroxyacyl Nitrates- PANs are
secondary air pollutants formed from
the reaction of various hydrocarbons
combining with oxygen and nitrogen
dioxide and being catalyzed by
ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
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Sulfur Dioxide- Produced by burning
high-sulfur oil or coal, smelting of
metals, and paper manufacturing.
Suspended Particulate Matterparticles with a diameter of 1/7 the
width of a human hair or less and
include smoke, dust, diesel soot,
lead, and asbestos.
Volatile Organic Compounds- Include
organic compounds that have high
vapor pressure.
Smog
-Two Forms: Industrial and
Photochemical.
Industrial: tends to be sulfurbased and is also called greyair smog.
Photochemical: catalyzed by
UV radiation and tends to be
nitrogen-based. Also called
brown-air smog.
Heat Islands and
Temperature Inversions
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Urban heat islands occur in metropolitan areas that are
significantly warmer than their surroundings. Human
activities that increase the heat island effect include using
automobiles, air conditioners, and industry.
Temperatures inversions occur when air temperatures
increases with height above the ground, as opposed to
normal decrease in temperature with height.
Noise Pollution
-Noise pollution is unwanted
human-created sound that
disrupts the environment.
-Effects: Hearing loss,
cardiovascular problems,
gastric-intestinal problems, a
decrease in alertness and
ability to memorize,
nervousness, pupil dilation,
and a decrease in the visual
field.
Links
Video:
http://www.natgeoeducationvideo.com/film/1232/
atmospheric-pollution
More info:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environm
ent/pollution
http://www.greenstudentu.com/ency
clopedia/pollution
Let’s see how much
you learned.
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1)
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What are the two forms of smog?
A) Photogenetic and Photothermal
B) Thermal and Nuclear
C) Photochemical and Industrial
D) Chemical and Acidic
E) Industrial and Greenhouse
2) Which of these is not an effect of Noise
Pollution?
A) Heart Disease
B) Nervousness
C) Hearing Loss
D) Cardiovascular Problems
E) Decrease in ability to memorize
3) How is pollution measured?
A) PPDs
B) PDGs
C) GMRs
D) PPMs
E) PDWs
4) Which of these best describes Industrial Smog?
A) Nitrogen based
B) Also called brown air smog
C) Catalyzed by UV Radiation
D) Also called grey air smog and sulfur-based.
E) Mainly happens in rural areas.
5) All of the following emit air pollutants except?
A) Volcanoes
B) Grass growing in a field
C) Automobiles
D) Industrial smokestacks
E) Animal Waste