1 / 32

Air Pollution

Air Pollution. What is it?. Any visible or invisible particle or gas found in the air that is not part of the original, normal composition. Natural: forest fires, pollen, dust storm Unnatural : man-made; coal, wood and other fuels used in cars, homes, and factories for energy.

tnavarro
Download Presentation

Air Pollution

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Air Pollution

  2. What is it?

  3. Any visible or invisible particle or gas found in the air that is not part of the original, normal composition.

  4. Natural:forest fires, pollen, dust storm Unnatural: man-made; coal, wood and other fuels used in cars, homes, and factories for energy

  5. How is it measured?

  6. AQI: Air Quality Index • Indicates whether pollutant levels in air may cause health concerns. • Ranges from 0 (least concern) to 500 (greatest concern)

  7. The measured pollutants.....

  8. 5 Major Pollutants: 1..) Carbon Monoxide 2.) Sulfur Dioxide 3.) Nitrogen Dioxide 4.) Particulate Matter 5.) Ground Level Ozone

  9. Carbon Monoxide • colorless, odorless • produced when carbon does not burn in fossil fuels • present in car exhaust • deprives body of O2 causing headaches, fatigue, and impaired vision

  10. Sulfur Dioxide • produced when coal and fuel oil are burned • present in power plant exhaust • narrows the airway, causing wheezing and shortness of breath, especially in those with asthma

  11. Nitrogen Dioxide • reddish, brown gas • produced when nitric oxide combines with oxygen in the atmosphere • present in car exhaust and power plants • affects lungs and causes wheezing; increases chance of respiratory infection

  12. Particulate Matter • particles of different sizes and structures that are released into the atmosphere • present in many sources including fossil fuels, dust, smoke, fog, etc. • can build up in respiratory system • aggravates heart and lung disease; increases risk of respiratory infection

  13. Ground Level Ozone • at upper level, ozone shields Earth from sun’s harmful UV rays • at ground level, ozone is harmful pollutants • formed from car, power and chemical plant exhaust • irritate respiratory system and asthma; reduces lung function by inflaming and damaging lining of lungs

  14. These 5 together form.....

  15. Point Source Pollution The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) definespoint source pollution as “any single identifiable source of pollution from which pollutants are discharged, such as a pipe, ditch, ship or factory smokestack” (Hill, 1997). 

  16. SMOG

  17. Non Point Source Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving over and through the ground.

  18. Combination of gases with water vapor and dust • Combination of words smoke and fog • Forms when heat and sunlight react gases (photochemical smog) • Occurs often with heavy traffic, high temperatures, and calm winds

  19. Its effects.....

  20. 1st smog related deaths were in London in 1873; death toll 500 people; can you imagine how much worse the atmosphere is now?! • Limits visibility • Decreases UV radiation • Yellow/black color over cities • Causes respiratory problems and bronchial related deaths

  21. The other problems.....

  22. The Greenhouse Effect

  23. Global Warming

  24. Thinning of Upper OZone Layer

  25. Acid Rain

  26. Indoor Air Pollution

  27. So, What can YOU do?

  28. Ride your bike • Tell your friends and family about pollution • Make sure your parents get pollution checks on their cars • Ride the school bus

  29. Learn more; stay up to date • Join a group to stop pollution • Encourage your parents to carpool to work • Switch off lights, fan, heat, etc. when you leave the room

  30. We only have one world..... Do you want it like this?

  31. Credits • Insel, Paul M. and Roth, Walton T. Core Concepts in Health: 9th edition. McGraw Hill: Boston, 2002. • http://edugreen.teri.in/explore/air.htm • http://www.oneworld.net/penguin/pollution/pollution_home.html • http://www.rcc.org/oem/aqindex.html • http://www.tnrcc.state.tx.us/air/monops/lessoms/mathlesson.html

More Related