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Air Quality

Air Quality. (OCR 21 st Century). W Richards The Weald School. Section C1.1 – Our air. The Earth’s Atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, water vapour. Oxygen. Nitrogen. Noble gases. Present day atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% noble gases and about 0.03% CO 2. Air.

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Air Quality

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  1. Air Quality (OCR 21st Century) W Richards The Weald School

  2. Section C1.1 – Our air

  3. The Earth’s Atmosphere Carbon dioxide, water vapour Oxygen Nitrogen Noble gases Present day atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% noble gases and about 0.03% CO2

  4. Air Air is a mixture of different gases consisting of small molecules with large spaces between them:

  5. Evolution of the Earth’s Atmosphere 13/10/2014 Carbon Methane Ammonia Oxygen Nitrogen Others dioxide 4 Billion years 3 Billion years 2 Billion years 1 Billion years Present day Present day atmosphere contains 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% noble gases and about 0.03% CO2

  6. Evolution of the Earth’s Atmosphere 13/10/2014 Volcanic activity releases CO2, methane, ammonia and water vapour into the atmosphere. The water vapour condenses to form oceans. 4 Billion years 3 Billion years 2 Billion years 1 Billion years Present day Green plants evolve which take in CO2 and give out oxygen. Carbon from CO2 becomes locked up in sedimentary rocks as carbonates and fossil fuels. Methane and ammonia react with the oxygen and nitrogen is released. Some of the oxygen is converted into ozone. The ozone layer blocks out harmful ultra-violet rays which allows for the development of new life.

  7. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere 13/10/2014 The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is affected by 3 things: 1) Geological activity moves carbonate rocks deep into the Earth and they release ______ _______ into the atmosphere during volcanic activity. 2) When fossil fuels are burned the carbon contained in them reacts with _____ to form CO2. 3) Increased CO2 in the atmosphere causes a reaction between it and _______. These reactions do not remove ALL of the new CO2 so the greenhouse effect is still getting _______! Words – oxygen, seawater, carbon dioxide, worse

  8. Pollution What happens to pollution? Carbon dioxide causes global warming but some of it can be removed by plants (photosynthesis) or reactions with seawater. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide cause acid rain which damages trees and buildings. Particulates (like in smog) can make buildings dirty and worsen breathing difficulties.

  9. Pollution Humans pollute the Earth in a number of ways: A greenhouse gas that causes global warming Causes acid rain and makes asthma/breathing problems worse Causes acid rain Makes buildings dirty and makes asthma worse Displaces oxygen in red blood cells that can result in death

  10. Section C1.2 – Pollution

  11. Fuels Wood Oil Gas Coal These fuels are called “fossil fuels” and are described as being “non-renewable”. The main element in these fuels is Carbon. Fuels are substances that can be used to release useful amounts of energy when they burn, e.g.

  12. Burning Hydrocarbons H H H O O O O O O O O H H + Oxygen Carbon dioxide + Water C C H H H Oil, petrol and diesel are all examples of HYDROCARBONS. A hydrocarbon is a compound made up of carbon and hydrogen. Burning hydrocarbons will produce water, carbon dioxide and energy: Methane In this reaction the hydrocarbon is “oxidised” (“oxidised” means that oxygen has been added and it’s the opposite of reduced).

  13. More information on oxygen Fuels need oxygen to burn. The more oxygen they have, the quicker they will burn. This is the principle behind oxy-acetylene torches:

  14. Other products of burning fuels O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O + Oxygen Sulphur Sulphur dioxide N N S N N N S N N N Nitrogen + Oxygen Nitrogen monoxide Nitrogen monoxide Nitrogen dioxide + Oxygen Sulphur dioxide: Nitrogen monoxide: Nitrogen monoxide can be further oxidised to make nitrogen dioxide (Nitrogen monoxide and dioxide are jointly referred to as NOx):

  15. Conservation of mass in reactions 13/10/2014 H H H O O O O O O O O H H C C O H O H H 1 x magnesium, 1 x oxygen, 2 x hydrogen and 2 x chlorine atoms Also 1 x magnesium, 1 x oxygen, 2 x hydrogen and 2 x chlorine atoms H Cl Mg H H Mg Cl Cl Cl H In any reaction the total mass of products is the same as the total mass of the reactants Example 1 – Magnesium oxide and hydrochloric acid Example 2 – Burning methane

  16. Incomplete Combustion O O O O Little oxygen: C C H H H “Soot” H H H H H Methane + Oxygen Carbon + Water As well as producing carbon monoxide, incomplete combustion can also produce soot:

  17. Burning Fossil Fuels 13/10/2014 H H H O O O O O O O O H H C C H H H sulfur + oxygen sulfur dioxide Burning fossil fuels like oil and coal causes pollution. Oil contains carbon: Carbon dioxide is a “greenhouse gas” – it helps cause global warming Coal contains carbon, sulfur and other particles: Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain. Other particles can cause “global dimming” – sunlight is absorbed by the particles in the atmosphere.

  18. Summary of pollutants O O O O O O O O O H H Water Carbon monoxide Carbon C N N C C S Carbon dioxide Sulfur dioxide Nitrogen monoxide Nitrogen dioxide Each of the following chemicals is a product of burning fossil fuels. For each one summarise how it is made and what harm it causes:

  19. C1.3 Improving Air Quality

  20. Removing Pollution There are many ways pollution can be reduced: • Use less electricity/central heating • Remove toxic chemicals before or after they are burnt • Use alternative energy sources, e.g. wind power

  21. Removing Sulfur 13/10/2014 13/10/2014 Sulfur dioxide is clearly bad for the environment so it’s a good idea to remove as much sulfur as possible: Vehicles can remove sulfur from fuels before they are burned. Power stations can remove sulfur dioxide from waste gases after combustion.

  22. Wet Scrubbing Step 1 – the dirty gas is fed in through the top. Step 3 – the mixture is fed into a cyclone area where the slurry is collected at the bottom of the device. Step 2 – the “scrubbing liquid” (seawater or alkaline spray) is fed in through the side. “Wet scrubbing” is a term used to describe the removal of sulfur dioxide and other particles using seawater or an alkaline spray:

  23. Reducing Pollution from vehicles Carbon monoxide + oxygen carbon dioxide Nitrogen monoxide + carbon monoxide nitrogen + carbon monoxide A number of suggestions: 1) Buy a new, smaller, more efficient car 2) Use legal limits (e.g. An MOT) to enforce lower emissions 3) Use low sulfur fuels or convert your car to run on biodiesel 4) Make sure your car has a catalytic converter: 5) Use the train or a bus!

  24. Alternative Fuels Car makers are currently researching two alternatives for petrol and diesel-powered cars. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? • Electric cars • Advantages: • Disadvantages: • Biofuel cars • Advantages: • Disadvantages:

  25. Making choices about pollution Choices concerning fighting pollution can be made on many levels: • International • e.g. The Kyoto protocol in 1997 • National • e.g. Car tax system, subsidies for greener technology • Local • e.g. Recycling schemes, transport, congestion charges • Personal • e.g. Recycling, individual travel, reducing energy usage in the home etc

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