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Air

Air. Chapter 12. What Causes Air Pollution. 1273- King Edward I banned burning lignite (a form of dirty coal) because of air pollution. Air pollution- the contamination of the atmosphere by waste from sources such as industrial pollution and car exhaust.

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Air

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  1. Air Chapter 12

  2. What Causes Air Pollution • 1273- King Edward I banned burning lignite (a form of dirty coal) because of air pollution. • Air pollution- the contamination of the atmosphere by waste from sources such as industrial pollution and car exhaust. • Can be in the form of solid, liquids, or gases • Some pollution is natural- dust, pollen, spores, and sulfur dioxide.

  3. What Causes Air Pollution • Primary pollutants- pollutants put directly into the atmosphere by human or natural activity. (ex. Smoke) • Secondary pollutants- a pollutant that forms from a chemical reaction with primary pollutants, natural components in the atmosphere, or both

  4. What Causes Air Pollution

  5. What Causes Air Pollution • Sources of primary pollutants- • Vehicles and Coal burning power plants • Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulates • Power plants- • Sulfur oxide (Sox) • Vehicles and gas stations- • Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) • Course particulates • Cement plants, mining, incinerators, wood-burning fireplaces, fields, and roads

  6. What Causes Air Pollution

  7. What Causes Air Pollution • Controlling vehicle emissions • 2.6 million miles driven in 1996 (90% by passenger vehicles) • Clean Air Act (1970 & 1990)- gave the EPA the authority to control vehicle emissions. • Declined lead in fuel= decrease in lead emissions • Catalytic converter- decreased the emissions coming out of the tail pipe of the car

  8. What Causes Air Pollution

  9. What Causes Air Pollution • Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) • Electric cars • Hydrogen fuel cells

  10. What Causes Air Pollution • Industrial pollution • Power plants produce 2/3rd of the SOx and 1/3rd of the NOx • Scrubbers are used to remove pollutant gases from industrial emissions

  11. What Causes Air Pollution

  12. What Causes Air Pollution • Smog results from a chemical reaction between sunlight, air, automobile exhaust, and ozone.

  13. What Causes Air Pollution • Temperature Inversion- Air normally cools with altitude, but when a temperature inversion occurs warm air rides on top of cooler air.

  14. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Short term effects of air pollution • Headache • Nausea • Irritation to eyes, nose, throat • Tightness in chest • Coughing • Upper respiratory infections

  15. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Long-term health effects of air pollution • Emphysema • Lung cancer • Heart disease

  16. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Indoor air quality is frequently much worse than outdoor air quality because air movement is decreased indoors. • Sick-building syndrome= buildings with very poor air quality • Methods of improving indoor air quality • Ventilation • Mixing indoor air with outdoor air • Removing the pollutants

  17. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution

  18. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Indoor Air Pollution • Radon Gas- colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas. • Asbestos- a chemical compound that is used for insulation and as a fire retardant. It can be classified as a carcinogen (cancer causing agent)

  19. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Light Pollution • No human health hazards • Negative affect on the environment • Wasted energy with lights projecting up in to the atmosphere

  20. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution • Noise Pollution • Can affect human health and the quality of light • As sound over 120dB can cause permanent hearing loss.

  21. Acid Precipitation • Acid precipitation is any rain sleet or snow with high levels of acid dissolved into it. • pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. (1-6.9 is acid-7 is neutral-7.1-12 is base)

  22. Acid Precipitation

  23. Acid Precipitation • Acidification- the lowering of the pH of the soil • Kills plants • Washes away nutrients • Acid is aquatic ecosystems • Acid Shock- rapid change in the pH of water • Kills large #’s of fish and amphibians • Limestone is spread on some lakes to counteract the effects of decrease in pH.

  24. Acid Precipitation • Acid precipitations affects on humans • Can cause health problems • Increase in respiratory problems • Destroy buildings made of concrete and limestone • To control acid precipitation international cooperation is needed. • Canada- U.S. Air Quality Agreement 1991

  25. Acid Precipitation

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