AIR

1. AIR Chapter 6

2. What causes Air pollution? • Air pollution is...when harmful substances end up in air at levels that are unhealthy to living organisms • Most air pollution comes from where? • -Human activities • -Some are natural like – volcanoes, dust, pollen & spores

3. Pollutants • What are primary pollutants? • -Pollutants that are put directly into air by human activity • What are secondary pollutants? • -Pollutants formed when primary pollutants come into contact with other primary pollutants or natural substances and a new pollutant is formed

4. Secondary Pollutants • What is ozone? • -Created when the emissions from cars and trucks react with UV rays • -Good ozone is high in the atmosphere and protects us from UV rays • -Bad ozone is a secondary pollutants formed at lower levels of the atmosphere • What is smog? • -Smog is air pollution that hangs over urban areas • -Smoke + fog = smog • -formed when sunlight react with nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons • Types of smog • Photo chemical • Industrial

5. Types of Pollutants (THE BIG 5) • 2. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) • -A compound made of nitrogen and oxygen • 3. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) • -Compounds made of sulfur and oxygen • 4. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) • -Organic chemicals that evaporate quickly • 5. Particulate Matter (PM) • -Tiny particles of liquid or solid in the air • 1. Carbon Monoxide (CO) • -Colorless, odorless poisonous gas

6. Controlling pollution from our cars • 1. What does The Clean Air act regulate? • -Passed in 1970 and improved in 1990 • -Gives EPA the right to regulate emissions from automobiles • 2. What is a catalytic converter? • -A devise added to tailpipes of cars • -It causes a chemical reaction that turns harmful emissions into non-harmful emissions • -Don’t work well under cold temperatures • 3. How does it work? • -Rare metals and oxygen break down and change bad emissions • 4. What are car manufacturers doing to reduce air pollution? • -Smaller cars Smaller engines Lighter cars Better MPG Hybrids • 5. What can farmers do to reduce air pollution? • -Grow corn for ethanol production

7. Controlling pollution from industries • Why does burning fossil fuels contribute to air pollution? • -A chemical reaction releases energy but the by products are air pollutants like sulfur oxide and nitric oxides • What are scrubbers? • -A devise added to smokestacks of industries to clean emissions • -They spray water at emissions • -EPA requires these be used by industries • What are electrostatic precipitators? • -Devised used to remove PM’s from smokestacks • -They work by attracting the particles with static electricity.

8. Thermal Inversions • 1. What usually keeps air pollution from becoming dangerous? • -Air circulation in the atmosphere • -Sun heats the Earth’s surface and warms air • -Warm air raises carrying air pollutants up an away from the Earth’s surface

9. Thermal Inversions • 2. What is a thermal inversion? • -A situation when pollution is trapped near the Earth • -This occurs because of a warm layer of air • -The warm layer of air traps the cool layer and pollutants below

10. 6.2 Effects on Human Health

11. How does Air pollution effect humans? • Bronchitis • -Inflammation of the bronchial linings • -Constant coughing • -Caused by PM, nitric and sulfur oxides • Asthma • -Air pollution does not cause asthma but makes it worse or can irritate it • -It is a condition in which bronchial passages constrict and get clogged with mucus

12. How does Air pollution effect humans? • Emphysema • -A condition in which air sacs are not longer elastic • -People with emphysema can’t get enough oxygen • Lung cancer • -Any kind of cancer is defined as abnormal growth of cells • -Lung cancer is abnormal growth of lung cells • -Caused by auto exhaust and PM and cigarette smoke

13. Indoor Pollution • 1. What may cause indoor pollution? • Plastics and many materials in carpets, building materials, paints, furniture and cigarette smoke • 2. What is sick-building syndrome? • -Buildings with poor ventilation and air quality • 3. Radon gas causes indoor pollution because...it sticks to dust particles • – it is odorless, invisible, tasteless and radioactive • It comes from...the decay of uranium found in rocks and soil • -It sticks to dust and people breathe in the dust & radon can cause cell DNA to break down and cause cancer

14. Indoor Pollution • 4. Asbestos causes indoor pollution because...it can cause lung scars • It comes from...fibers that contain silica – it used to be used in the making of flooring, cement, brake lines, tile, shingles and insulation

15. 6.3 Acid Precipitation

16. Acid Precipitation • A. What is acid rain? • -Highly acidic precipitation • -PH of less than 5.6 • B. How does acid rain form? • -When nitric oxides and sulfur oxides are released and react with materials in the atmosphere • -When the reaction is complete 2 strong acids are produced – nitric acid and sulfuric acid

17. Acid rain and ecosystems • 1. How does acid rain affect fish? Why? • -Acid rain can change the pH of water and kill fish • -It may cause aluminum to leave the soil and flow into water • -Aluminum can cause a fishes gills to produce too much mucus and it can suffocate and die • 2. Why are the effects of acid rain worse in the spring? • -Snow melts and runs into rivers • What is acid shock? • -When a lot of acidic accumulates quickly

18. Acid rain and ecosystems • 3. How can the effects of acid rain be reversed? • -Spray lime (a base) to restore pH • 4. Why is there an international conflict over controlling acid rain? • -Pollutants the cause acid rain may be released in 1 area and cause the acids to fall in another