Air Pollution Part 1 Flashcards

1
Q

What is ambient air?

A

The air around us

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2
Q

Which pollutants does fire release?

A

Pm and CO

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3
Q

Which pollutant do volcanoes release?

A

SO2, S, pm

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4
Q

What pollutant do forests release?

A

VOCs

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5
Q

Which pollutant does rotting material release?

A

CH4

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6
Q

What are 4 examples of primary pollutants?

A

Hg, NOx, SO2, pm

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7
Q

What are 3 examples of secondary pollutants?

A

Acid rain, HNO3, H2SO4

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8
Q

What reacts with primary pollutants to create secondary pollutants?

A

Air, UV light, water

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9
Q

What did the clean air act in 1955 accomplish?

A

National ambient air quality standards (NAAQS)

Set up cap and trade program for SO2 emission

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10
Q

What are 7 criteria pollutants?

A
Sulfur oxides (SO2)
Nitrogen oxides (NO2)
Carbon oxides (CO, CO2)
Metals (Pb, Hg)
Particulate matter 
VOCs
Photochemical oxides
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11
Q

What does VOC stand for?

A

Volatile organic compounds

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12
Q

Is nitrogen oxide a primary or secondary pollutant?

A

Primary

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13
Q

What is the chemical formula for nitric acid rain?

A

NO + O + H2O = HNO3

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14
Q

What are 3 natural sources of nitrogen oxide?

A

Fire smoke, swamps, N-cycle

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15
Q

What are 3 anthropogenic sources of nitrogen oxide?

A

Coal, petroleum, nitrate

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16
Q

Sulfur compounds cause ___% of acid rain

A

75

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17
Q

What is the chemical formula for sulfuric acid rain?

A

SO2 + H2O + O + H2SO4

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18
Q

What are 2 natural sources of sulfur?

A

Volcanoes, sea spray

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19
Q

What are 3 anthropogenic sources of sulfur?

A

Coal, petroleum distillation, smelting

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20
Q

What is the order of the nitrogen cycle?

A
N2O in air
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrification
Assimilation 
Ammonification
Denitrification
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21
Q

What happens in nitrogen fixation? (Abiotic)

A

Gas is turned to a liquid or solid by lightning or cosmic radiation, N is combined with O to make HNO3

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22
Q

What happens in nitrogen fixation? (biotic)

A

Gas is turned to a liquid or solid by bacteria rhizobium in root nodules of plants

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23
Q

What are 2 examples of legumes?

A

Soybeans and alfalfa

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24
Q

What happens in nitrification?

A

Bacteria change nitrogen so plants can use it

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25
Q

What is the nitrogen cycle “prom queen”?

A

NO3

26
Q

What happens in assimilation?

A

NO3 is used by plants and becomes NH4

27
Q

What is NH3?

A

Ammonia

28
Q

What is NH4?

A

Ammonium

29
Q

What happens in ammonification?

A

Waste and dead things are decomposed into NH3

30
Q

What happens in denitrification?

A

Anaerobic bacteria change NH3 and NH4 into N2O and release them into the air

31
Q

What percent of CO2 is released and absorbed by plants?

A

97%

32
Q

Where is carbon stored and how is it released?

A

In living matter, upon decomposition

33
Q

What is the chemical formula for carbonic acid?

A

CO2 + H2O = H2CO3

34
Q

What does CO cause?

A

Asphyxiation

35
Q

What causes CO to form?

A

Incomplete combustion

36
Q

What are 3 metals that are pollutants?

A

Pb, Hg, As

37
Q

What is a natural source of pollutant metals?

A

Metals being leaches out of rock

38
Q

What are 2 anthropogenic sources of pollutant metals?

A

Fossil fuel combustion, smelting

39
Q

Lead is what what fraction of metallic air pollution?

A

2/3

40
Q

What are 6 sources of lead?

A

Gas, paint, pipes, lead shot, jewelry, make up

41
Q

What does mercury bioaccumulate as?

A

Methylmercury

42
Q

What are 2 anthropogenic sources of mercury?

A

Coal and gold mining

43
Q

What 2 things does arsenic poisoning cause?

A

Neurological disturbance and multi system failure

44
Q

What are 2 anthropogenic sources of arsenic?

A

Pesticides and wood preservatives

45
Q

What is particulate matter?

A

Liquids or solids suspended in gas

46
Q

What are 3 natural sources of PMs?

A

Volcanoes, fires, pollen

47
Q

What are 3 anthropogenic sources of PMs?

A

Coal/diesel burning, farm tilling, asbestos

48
Q

What is asbestos and what does it cause?

A

It was a fire retardant, it causes mesothelioma lung cancer

49
Q

What are VOCs?

A

Organics that evaporate at room temp

50
Q

What does VOC stand for?

A

Volatile organic compounds

51
Q

What are 5 VOCs?

A
Methane (CH4)
Benzene (C6H6)
Hydrocarbons 
Halocarbons
Oxygenates
52
Q

What are hydrocarbons?

A

Compounds that only have hydrogen and carbon

53
Q

What are oxygenates?

A

Fuel that is oxidized turns CO into CO2

54
Q

What 2 organs can VOCs cause damage to?

A

Liver and kidneys

55
Q

What are 3 natural sources of VOCs?

A

Rice paddies, wetlands, forests

56
Q

What are 4 anthropogenic sources of VOCs?

A

Landfill gas (CH4)
Industries
Car exhaust
Cleaning chemicals

57
Q

How are photochemical oxidants formed?

A

when UV light combined chemicals with oxygen

58
Q

What is the most common photochemical oxidant?

A

Ozone

59
Q

What is the chemical formula for ozone?

A

UV light + NOx + VOCs + CO = O3

60
Q

What type of problems does ozone cause?

A

Respiratory

61
Q

What are 3 ideal elements to make smog?

A

Sunny
Dry
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