1. Environmental Science Class Notes 03/02/17
Air Pollution
Environmental Science Class Notes
03/02/17

2. What Causes Air Pollution?
Air pollution - contamination of the atmosphere by wastes from sources such as industrial burning and automobile exhausts.
can be in the form of solids, liquids, or gases.
Most air pollution is the result of human activities
some pollutants are natural
dust
pollen
Spores
sulfur dioxide from volcanic eruptions.

3. Primary and Secondary Pollutants
primary pollutant - put directly into the atmosphere by human or natural activity.
soot from smoke.
secondary pollutant - forms in the atmosphere by chemical reactions with primary air pollutants, natural components in the air, or both.
ground-level ozone- forms when the emission from cars react with the UV rays of the sun and then mix with the oxygen in the atmosphere.

4. Sources of Primary Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Carbon Monoxide & Volatile Organic Compounds
Fine particles
Vehicles
Coal-burning power plants
Coarse particles
Cement plants
Mining operations
Incinerators
Roads
Household produces
Power plants
vehicles
Sulfur Dioxides
Nitrogen Oxides
Power Plants
Refineries
Metal Smelters
Vehicles
Coal-burning power plants

5. Motor Vehicle Emissions
1/3 of air pollution comes from vehicles
90% of driving is done by passenger cars
Gasoline used to have lead in it- that’s why your gas is called “unleaded”
Catalytic convertors: installed to convert exhaust gases into less harmful products (like water)

6. Industrial Air Pollution: Power
Burning fossil fuels releases sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide
Electricity production creates 1/3 of nitrogen oxide and 2/3 of sulfur dioxide in atmosphere

7. Industrial Air Pollution: VOCs
Dry cleaning
oil refineries
chemical manufacturing plants
furniture refinishers
automobile repair shops

8. Regulating Air Pollution From Industry
The Clean Air Act requires many industries to use scrubbers or other pollution-control devices.
remove some of the worst pollutants
moves gases through a spray of water that dissolves many pollutants

9. Smog urban air pollution composed of a mixture of smoke and fog
results from chemical reactions that involve sunlight, air, automobile exhaust, and ozone.

10. Temperature Inversions
atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near Earth’s surface.
pollutants are trapped below with the cooler air.
Cities in valleys frequently experience temperature inversions.

11. Temperature Inversions