Photochemical smog and air pollution in the L

Photochemical smog and air pollution in the L. A. Basin NOx, O 3, CO, hydrocarbon and particulate Causes: • Transportation – automobile, trucks, aircraft • Recreation – BBQ lighter fuel, lawn mowers, air blowers • Industry – refineries, power plants …. . climate and geographical factors

Air Pollution: relevance and other interrelated topics • Environment –impact on tourism, damage to pine forests in Sierra, loss of agriculture in region, damage to trees and vegetation in the basin, fauna • Health – health effects of smog (eye and throat irritation, respiratory, asthma, lung size in child development) • Regional politics, growth and economy (loss in productivity) – interrelationship with transportation problem in So. Cal. • History – London first city, Smoke/fog = smog, caused by coal fired factories and residential heating • Geographic factors leading to smog formation – other geographic areas that have same problem (Osaka, Kobe, Mexcio City, San Jose, Denver • Formation of an inversion layer • Crucial test of scientists’ ability to control/remediate problem caused by man

Teaching Objectives for module on Air Quality • Composition of air – mixture rather than compound, variability of composition; determined by photosynthesis, animal respiration, combustion, industrial emission, transportation • Stoichiometry – nitrogen/oxygen reactions, reactions of O 3 with hydrocarbons • Molecular structure (e. g. , different nitrogen oxides, oxidation states), electronic structure (e. g. , free radicals, Lewis diagrams), molecular reactivity and thermochemistry • Main group chemistry of carbon and nitrogen and oxygen/ozone chemistry

• Kinetics (gas phase reactions, orientation NO + O 3) • Homogeneous catalysis – NO mediated formation of ozone Heterogeneous catalysis – catalytic converter • Equilibrium – Le Chatelier principle (reactions at different temps) • Photochemistry (NO 2 l < 393 nm), solar radiation at troposphere • Light Absorption – Beer-Lambert law, spectroscopy • Data collection and handling – sources of statistical data • Conversion of units – ppb, tailpipe g/mile emission, partial pressure • Sources of Energy – alternative fuels, battery and fuel cell technology for EV