1. Air
Chapter 12

2. What Causes Air Pollution
1273- King Edward I banned burning lignite (a form of dirty coal) because of air pollution.
Air pollution- the contamination of the atmosphere by waste from sources such as industrial pollution and car exhaust.
Can be in the form of solid, liquids, or gases
Some pollution is natural- dust, pollen, spores, and sulfur dioxide.

3. What Causes Air Pollution
Primary pollutants- pollutants put directly into the atmosphere by human or natural activity. (ex. Smoke)
Secondary pollutants- a pollutant that forms from a chemical reaction with primary pollutants, natural components in the atmosphere, or both

4. What Causes Air Pollution

5. What Causes Air Pollution
Sources of primary pollutants-
Vehicles and Coal burning power plants
Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide (NOx), particulates
Power plants-
Sulfur oxide (Sox)
Vehicles and gas stations-
Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s)
Course particulates
Cement plants, mining, incinerators, wood-burning fireplaces, fields, and roads

6. What Causes Air Pollution

7. What Causes Air Pollution
Controlling vehicle emissions
2.6 million miles driven in 1996 (90% by passenger vehicles)
Clean Air Act (1970 & 1990)- gave the EPA the authority to control vehicle emissions.
Declined lead in fuel= decrease in lead emissions
Catalytic converter- decreased the emissions coming out of the tail pipe of the car

8. What Causes Air Pollution

9. What Causes Air Pollution
Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV)
Electric cars
Hydrogen fuel cells

10. What Causes Air Pollution
Industrial pollution
Power plants produce 2/3rd of the SOx and 1/3rd of the NOx
Scrubbers are used to remove pollutant gases from industrial emissions

11. What Causes Air Pollution

12. What Causes Air Pollution
Smog results from a chemical reaction between sunlight, air, automobile exhaust, and ozone.

13. What Causes Air Pollution
Temperature Inversion- Air normally cools with altitude, but when a temperature inversion occurs warm air rides on top of cooler air.

14. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Short term effects of air pollution
Headache
Nausea
Irritation to eyes, nose, throat
Tightness in chest
Coughing
Upper respiratory infections

15. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Long-term health effects of air pollution
Emphysema
Lung cancer
Heart disease

16. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Indoor air quality is frequently much worse than outdoor air quality because air movement is decreased indoors.
Sick-building syndrome= buildings with very poor air quality
Methods of improving indoor air quality
Ventilation
Mixing indoor air with outdoor air
Removing the pollutants

17. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution

18. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Indoor Air Pollution
Radon Gas- colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas.
Asbestos- a chemical compound that is used for insulation and as a fire retardant. It can be classified as a carcinogen (cancer causing agent)

19. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Light Pollution
No human health hazards
Negative affect on the environment
Wasted energy with lights projecting up in to the atmosphere

20. Air, Light, and Noise Pollution
Can affect human health and the quality of light
As sound over 120dB can cause permanent hearing loss.

21. Acid Precipitation
Acid precipitation is any rain sleet or snow with high levels of acid dissolved into it.
pH is a measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. (1-6.9 is acid-7 is neutral is base)

22. Acid Precipitation

23. Acid Precipitation Acidification- the lowering of the pH of the soil
Kills plants
Washes away nutrients
Acid is aquatic ecosystems
Acid Shock- rapid change in the pH of water
Kills large #’s of fish and amphibians
Limestone is spread on some lakes to counteract the effects of decrease in pH.

24. Acid Precipitation Acid precipitations affects on humans
Can cause health problems
Increase in respiratory problems
Destroy buildings made of concrete and limestone
To control acid precipitation international cooperation is needed.
Canada- U.S. Air Quality Agreement 1991

25. Acid Precipitation