CHAPTER 12 AIR SECTION 1 What causes air

CHAPTER 12: AIR SECTION 1: What causes air pollution?

Objectives: • Identify and describe primary and secondary air pollutants • Identify major sources of air pollution • Describe the way in which smog is formed • Explain the way in which a thermal inversion traps air pollution

What is air pollution? • Air pollution: – Contamination of the atmosphere by wastes from sources such as industrial burning and auto exhaust • Can be in form of solid, liquid, or gas • Comes mostly from human activities but CAN come from natural sources – Ex: Volcanoes-particles and sulfur dioxide – Other: dust, pollen, spores

2 Types of Pollutants • Primary pollutant: – Put directly into the air by human activity • Secondary pollutant: – Primary pollutant comes into contact with other primary pollutants or naturally occurring substances (water vapor)---this causes a chemical reaction – Ex: ground-level ozone- emissions from cars react with oxygen and UV rays

5 Primary Pollutants • Carbon Monoxide – interferes with blood’s ability to carry oxygen • Nitrogen oxides – Respirator infections, cancer, brown haze, acid rain • Sulfur dioxide – Acid rain, harm plant life, respiratory infections

• Volatile Organic Compounds – Creates smog, cancer, possibly plants • Particulate Matter – Can cause clouds that reduce visibility, cancer, respiratory problems, corrode metals and erode building and sculptures

Sources of air pollution • Motor Vehicle Emissions • Industrial Air pollution

SMOG • When air pollution hangs over urban areas and reduces visibility-this is called SMOG • Formation: – 1. Vehicle exhaust reacts with air and sunlight to form ozone – 2. Ozone reacts with exhaust to form smog

Temperature Inversions • Air circulation usually keeps air pollution from reaching dangerous levels • In day, sun heats earth and air near the surface • Warm air rises and carries pollutants away from ground and into atmosphere • Sometimes-pollution is trapped near surface due to temperature inversion- air above is warmer than air below

Temperature Inversion

Ch. 12. 2 Air, Noise, and Light Pollution

Objectives: • Describe short-term vs. long-term effects of air pollution on human health • Explain what causes indoor pollution • Describe health problems caused by noise pollution

Health Problems • Air pollution causes serious health problems • American Lung Association – Estimates that Americans pay tens of billions per year in health costs related to health from air pollution

Short-term vs Long-term Effects • Short-Term – Reversible – Headaches, nausea, eye nose and throat irritation, respiratory infections, coughing • Long-term – Emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease

Indoor Air pollution • Indoor pollution can be just as bad as outdoor pollution. . How? • Plastics and other chemicals are majors sources of indoor pollution – Found in carpets, building materials, paints, furniture – Causes “sick-building syndrome” – Good indoor air quality requires ventilation

Noise Pollution • Noise can be a pollutant, too!!!! • Affects human health and quality of life • EX: – Airplane noises – Construction equipment – City traffic – Factories – Home appliances – Lawnmowers

Noise Continued • Noise can cause health problems such as: – Loss of hearing – High blood pressure – Stress – Loss of sleep-leads to decreased productivity

Light Pollution • Light DOES NOT directly harm human health • It DOES affect the environment • Inefficient lighting: – Diminishes view of night sky – Energy waste when light is directed upward and lost to space as opposed to directed downward

VIDEO • This video takes place where in China? • What are contributing factors that are causing pollution in this city? • Because the city is located on a basin, this causes the pollution to_________. • What are some symptoms/illnesses that the people living in this city are experiencing?

Ch. 12. 3 Acid Precipitation

Objectives • Explain the causes of acid rain • Explain how acid rain affects plants, soils, and aquatic ecosystems • Describe how acid rain can affect humans

What causes acid precipitation? • First, we must know what acid rain is. – Acid precipitation- precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids. • Caused by burning of fossil fuels-especially power plants

The Process: • • Fossil Fuels are burned This releases oxides of sulfur and nitrogen The oxides combine with water in atmosphere This forms sulfuric acid and nitric acid – Falls as precipitation or acid rain • Falls to the ground and flows into lakes, rivers, and streams

Affects on Environment • Acid rain cause a drop in p. H in soil and water – This increase in concentration of acid is called acidification • Soil: – Change in p. H can cause nutrients to be washed away while other things, such as aluminum, to stay and be absorbed by roots of plants

Aquatic Ecosystems • Changes in p. H of a lake can kill plants, fish, and other aquatic animals. • But it’s not just a p. H change… • Acid rain causes aluminum to leach out of the soil and this can accumulate in fish gills- fish are slowly suffocated

• Acid rain is worse in the spring – Due to acidic snow • Snow melts and rushes into bodies of water – Causes Acid shock- the sudden influx of acidic water

Reversing the affects on ecosystems • Some states in US and some countries spray powdered limestone (Ca. CO 3) on lakes to restore the natural p. H • Lime is alkaline (basic) • However, enough lime cannot be spread to offset all acidic damage

Acid Rain & Humans • When aluminum and mercury are released (due to soil acidity increasing)- these toxic metals can get into our crops, water, and fish… • Humans eat these- and therefore, can get into our bodies • May be linked to respiratory infections

Acid Rain & historic monuments • Acid rain can also affect important monuments and sculptures

Video • What are some reasons the ocean is important? • What is causing ocean acidification? • The atmosphere touches the ocean over ____% of Earth’s surface • What happens when CO 2 mixes with ocean water? • Why are thinning shells of sea life a concern? • How can we stop acidification?

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