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Air Pollution

Air Pollution. Environmental Science Spring 2014. Quick Draw!. Draw a cartoon picture of air pollution in Atlanta! (leave space in the sky to write) Use a whole sheet of paper Turn it “Landscape”. What Causes Air Pollution?.

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Air Pollution

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  1. Air Pollution Environmental Science Spring 2014

  2. Quick Draw! • Draw a cartoon picture of air pollution in Atlanta! (leave space in the sky to write) • Use a whole sheet of paper • Turn it “Landscape”

  3. What Causes Air Pollution? • Air Pollution is the contamination of the atmosphere by solid, liquid, or gasses • Most air pollution is the result of human activities • Industrial burning • Automobile Exhaust • Some pollutants are natural • Dust • Pollen and spores • Volcanic eruptions (sulfur dioxide)

  4. Primary and Secondary Pollutants • Primary Pollutants – a pollutant put directly into the atmosphere by humans or nature • Ex. CO from car exhaust • Secondary Pollutants – a pollutant that is formed by a chemical reaction between a primary pollutant and another compound in the atmosphere (either natural or man-made) • Ex. Ground level ozone

  5. Primary Pollutants CO CO2 Secondary Pollutants SO2 NO NO2 SO3 Most hydrocarbons HNO3 H2SO4 Most suspended particles H2O2 O3 PANs 2 – NO3 and salts SO4 Most – Natural Sources Stationary Mobile Primary vs. Secondary Pollutants

  6. Types of Pollutants • Carbon monoxide (CO) • mainly comes from car exhaust • Nitrogen oxides (NOX) • auto exhaust, power plants and some industrial processes • Sulfur dioxide (SO2) • burning fossil fuels • Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) • burning fuel (gasoline vapors) • Particulate Matter • tiny particles (can be solids or liquids) – construction, agriculture, fires, vehicles, industry

  7. Automobile Emissions • One third (1/3) of air pollution comes from cars • Americans drove 2.6 trillion miles in 1998 • Only 10% of that was done by busses or trucks

  8. Clean Air Act of 1970 • Gives the EPA authority to regulate automobile emissions • The EPA required: • Elimination of leaded gasoline • Lead pollution has decreased 90% as a result • Catalytic converters had to be installed into cars • Cause a chemical reaction that changes the pollutants to less harmful substances • EPA estimates cars burn fuel 35% more efficiently and pollute 95% less now than 30 yrs ago

  9. Zero-Emission Vehicle • California began the Zero-Emission Vehicle program to encourage the development of less-polluting vehicles • Electric cars are the only true ZEV cars • 2 types of partial ZEV’s • Gasoline/Electric Hybrids (Toyota Prius) • Methanol Fuel Cells (all still prototypes)

  10. Industrial Pollution • Most power plants generate electricity by burning fossil fuels • Power plants emit at least 2/3 of all sulfur dioxide and more than 1/3 of all nitrogen oxides that pollute the air. • Dry cleaning, oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, furniture refinishers, and automobile repair shops all contribute to the VOCs in the air.

  11. Industrial Air Pollution • Clean Air Act also requires that industries remove pollution from their emissions • Scrubbers – remove gasses by spraying water into the exhaust to dissolve many soluble pollutants • Electrostatic Precipitators – gasses containing dust particles are blown through an electrically charged chamber – the dust sticks to each other and the side of the chamber • 20 tons of ash generated by coal burning power plants each year

  12. Smog • Air pollution that hangs over cities and reduces visibility • Smog is the result of chemical reactions involving sunlight, air, car exhaust, and ozone

  13. Temperature Inversions • Usually temperature decreases with altitude • A temperature inversion is when warm air is higher and the cold air is trapped beneath • Sometimes pollution is trapped beneath the warm air

  14. When Weather Changed History • Make a list of 10 Facts. • How could the mills and the local government acted differently so as to protect human lives? • What was the response of the Federal Government? (after many years)

  15. Take out your Air pollution drawing • Review your primary and secondary pollutants • Add the following picture • Listen for further instructions

  16. Layers of the Atmosphere

  17. Solar radiation Photochemical Smog Ultraviolet radiation NO Nitric oxide O Atomic oxygen O2 Molecular oxygen NO2 Nitrogen dioxide H2O Water Hydrocarbons PANs Peroxyacyl nitrates Aldehydes (e.g., formaldehyde) O3 Ozone HNO3 Nitric acid P h o t o c h e m i c a l S m o g

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