1. Air Pollution
…continued

2. Topics… Indoor Air Pollution Noise Pollution Light Pollution Acid Rain
Radon
Sick Building Syndrome
Asbestos
Noise Pollution
Light Pollution
Acid Rain

3. Radon Colorless, tasteless odorless gas
Radioactive gas given off by rocks as the uranium in the rocks decays
Sticks to dust particles and gets breathed in, entering the lungs
Can damage genetic material
Second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
EPA's citizens guide to radon

5. Sick-Building Syndrome
Tightly sealed buildings
Fungi grows in air-conditioning ducts, ceiling tiles, carpet, furniture, etc.
Especially a problem in temperature extremes where buildings are sealed to trap cool/warm air
Fixed through ventilation

6. Asbestos
Minerals that form in long, thin fibers and valued for strength and heat resistance
Used in insulation as a flame retardant
Banned in early 1970s
When inhaled, it can cut/scar lungs causing asbestosis
Difficulty breathing gets worse and leads to heart failure
EPA asbestos

7. Noise Pollution Unwanted sound Measured in decibels (dB)
EPA noise pollution

8. Light Pollution No direct hazard to human health
Negative environmental impacts
Insects, nocturnal animals
Birds migrating/singing unnaturally
Sea turtle babies going the wrong way
Easily fixed through shielding, time controls, and low-pressure sodium sources (energy efficient source)
Transparency picture

9. Acid Rain
Acid precipitation is precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere.
When fossil fuels are burned, they release oxides of sulfur and nitrogen.

10. What Causes Acid Rain?
When these oxides combine with water in the atmosphere they form sulfuric acid and nitric acid, which falls as acid precipitation.

11. Flows over and through the ground into surface water
Acid precipitation can kill living things and can result in the decline or loss of some local animal and plant populations

12. pH A pH is a value that is used to express how acidic something is
A pH of 7 is neutral
< 7 is acidic
> 7 is basic
Pure water has a pH of 7.0, while normal precipitation has a pH of about 5.6 (due to CO2 being dissolved and forming carbonic acid

14. Precipitation is considered to be acid precipitation when it has a pH of < 5.0
Precip. Acidity varies with geography
Eastern U.S. and Canada =
Most is around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario

16. Acid Rain’s Effect on Plants
Soil/surface water pH drop
Nutrients in soil change and influence root growth (root damage)
Sulfur dioxide in water clogs openings on pants’ surfaces
Surface Water pH drop
Kills aquatic plants/animals

17. Acid Rain’s Effect on Fish
Aluminum leaches out of the soil and into lakes causing fish to suffocate

18. Acid Shock
Sudden runoff (snow melt/heavy rain) of highly acidic water into surface water
Fish kill
Affects reproduction of frogs/fish/aquatic life

19. Problem…solved?
Powdered limestone (calcium carbonate = basic) sprayed on lakes to help restore natural pH
Enough lime cannot be spread to offset the acid damage

20. Acid Rain’s Effect on Humans
Toxic metals poison crops, water, and fish, eaten by humans
Increased respiratory problems in community’s children
Acid rain can dissolve calcium carbonate in building materials like concrete and marble, affecting important historical monuments

21. International Conflict
Pollutants can be created/released in one place and fall onto the land far away
Ex: almost half of the acid precipitation that falls in southeastern Canada results from pollution produced in Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, West Virginia, and Tennessee

23. International Cooperation
Canada-U.S. Air Quality Agreement: 1991
Both countries agreed to reduce acidic emissions that flowed across the boundary
More may be necessary to control the acid rain problem