any contaminant released into the air which can cause problems for humans or other organisms Cubatao, Brazil

What causes most air pollution? HUMAN ACTIVITIES What are some Natural Sources of air pollution ? volcano, salt, pollen, spores, radon gas, asbestos,… Video – Environment and Pollution – 3 min

 Particulates  Carbon Monoxide - CO  Nitrogen Oxides - NO x  Sulfur Dioxides - SO 2  Volatile Organic Compounds - VOC’s  “Ground Level” Ozone  Asbestos  Radon Gas

 combustion (burning) – gasoline and fossil fuels  incineration - garbage and medical wastes  ozone – O 3 (in the lower atmosphere) – action of UV radiation breaks down O 2 into 2 atoms of oxygen O 2 + O = O 3  chemicals – insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilizers  radioactive fallout – nuclear power plants and defense facilities

 smoke, ash, soot, dust, lead,….  from construction and agriculture and the combustion of wood and fossil fuels

 colorless, odorless, tasteless gas  due to the burning of fossil fuels  from vehicles + industries

 due to the burning of fossil fuels  from vehicles and industries  contributes to acid rain

 due to the burning of fossil fuels  from vehicles, industries and volcanic eruptions  contribute to acid rain

 lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu),…  from industires, medical waste incinerators, coal burning power plants, CFL (compact flourescent) light bulbs, E cigarettes VIDEO – CFL’s – 2 min VIDEO – E cigarettes – 4 min to-use-new-research-shows-metals-found-in-vapor-of-electronic-cigarettes

 organic chemicals that vaporize readily  produce toxic fumes  examples – gasoline, benzene, toluene, xylene, methane, propane, butane  found in fossil fuels, polymers, plastics, lubricants, dyes, detergents, pesticides

chemical reaction of… UV radiation + O 2 + O = O 3 in troposphere “BAD” “ground level” O 3 pollutant in stratosphere “GOOD” serves to block UV radiation

 population growth  modern industries and vehicles  burning of fossil fuels 1/3 of our pollution comes from…vehicles Beijing’s Air Pollution – slides bad/tab/slideshow/#slide/eos 10 Most Polluted Cities – video – 2 min

gave the EPA authority to …  regulate vehicle emissions  eliminate lead in gasoline – UNLEADED GASOLINE  add catalytic converters – cleans exhaust gases  scrubbers – dissolve and remove pollutants  electrostatic precipitators – remove particulates from smokestacks

 air pollution that hangs over urban areas and reduces visibility  “smoke” and “fog”

 air above is warmer than the air below  pollution is trapped near the earth’s surface