Chapter 8 & 9 Flashcards
(89 cards)
1
Q
What was the Great London Smog?
A
A deadly industrial smog that covered London and caused death and sickness
2
Q
What caused the Great London Smog?
A
Coal Combustion and Temp Inversion
3
Q
Where was the Great London Smog?
A
England
4
Q
Define Temperature Inversion
A
Cold air trapped near the ground by warm air above
5
Q
What was the date of the Great London Smog?
A
Dec 5, 1952
6
Q
Define Primary Pollutants
A
Emitted directly from a source into the atmosphere
7
Q
What are examples of Primary Pollutants?
A
--Carbon dioxide – Carbon monoxide – Sulfur dioxide – Nitrogen dioxide – Particulates
8
Q
Define Secondary Pollutants
A
formed when primary air pollutants react
with the components of the atmosphere
9
Q
What are examples of Secondary Pollutants?
A
– Ground level Ozone
– PANs (peroxyacyl nitrates)
– Acids
– Sulfur trioxide
10
Q
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Natural
A
Wildfires, volcanic activity, etc.
11
Q
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Area
A
Construction, livestock, etc.
12
Q
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Mobile
A
Transportation
13
Q
Air Pollution: Types of Sources
Stationary
A
Industry, powerplants, etc
14
Q
When was the CAA first established?
A
1963
15
Q
Why was the CAA originally created?
A
protecting air quality (air pollution control)
16
Q
CAA amendment 1990 features (4)
A
- Acid Deposition Control
- permit program
- phase out the use of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer
- control 189 hazardous air pollutants
17
Q
What is the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)?
A
determine the allowable levels of six pollutants in the ambient air (air around us) nationally (criteria pollutants)
18
Q
NAAQS: Primary Standard
A
to protect human health
19
Q
NAAQS: Secondary Standard
A
to protect the environment
20
Q
What are the 6 criteria pollutants?
A
- Particulate Matter
- Sulfur Dioxide
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Carbon Monoxide
- Ozone
- Lead
21
Q
Particulate Matter:
Examples/sources
A
Dust, dirt, ash soot, smoke, spores,
algal cells, asbestos, sulfuric acid droplets,
suspended droplets (aerosols)
22
Q
Particulate Matter:
Characteristics
A
- Reduces visibility
- Corrodes metals
- Can stay in air for a long time
23
Q
Particulate Matter:
Most Dangerous
A
• PM 10 & PM 2.5
• Can penetrate deep into the lungs, arteries &
bloodstream
24
Q
Sulfur Dioxide:
Characteristics
A
- colorless gas
* dissolves in water vapor to form sulfuric acid
25
Sulfur Dioxide:
| sources
* crude oil, coal, and metal ores
| * forest fires and from volcanoes
26
Nitrogen Oxides:
| Sources
formed by chemical reactions between atmospheric nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2)
27
Nitrogen Oxides:
| Characteristics
reddish-brown gas that gives
| photochemical smog its distinctive color
28
Nitrogen Oxides:
| What can it form?
* Ground-level ozone
| * combine with water to form nitric acid (HNO3), a major component of acid rain
29
Nitrogen Oxides:
| Sources
automobiles, power plants, industries
30
What are Volatile Organic Compounds(VOCs)?
Mainly hydrocarbons that can vaporize at room
| temperatures
31
VOC's Sources
--produced from incomplete combustion of fuels
– Industrial refineries: oil/gas refining
– Industries: chemical
32
VOC's Examples
```
--Benzene
– Formaldehyde
– Phenols
– Trichloroethylene
– Acetone
--Toluene
-- Vinyl chloride
```
33
Nitrogen Oxides:
| Impacts
* Causes adverse effects on respiratory system.
* Inhibits plant growth
* Corrode metals, fades textiles
34
What are the two Primary Sources of Acid Rain?
```
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
```
35
Acid Rain Effects
* Sulfate particles reduce visibility
| * Sulfuric acid droplets canpenetrate lungs
36
Carbon Monoxide:
| Characteristics
A colorless, odorless gas that is formed when
carbon in fuel (wood, oil, charcoal, coal or gas) is
NOT burned completely.
37
Carbon Monoxide:
| Sources
* component of vehicle exhaust
| * Land clearing fires, cooking fires, forest fires volcanoes.
38
Carbon Monoxide:
| Impacts
* Highly toxic gas.
| * CO inhibits respiration
39
Ozone:
| Also called?
Tropospheric ozone "where we live"
40
Ozone:
| Impacts
• damages eyes, lungs, and plant tissues, as
well as paint, rubber, and plastics
• Smog
41
Ozone:
| Characteristics
acrid biting odor
42
Ozone:
| What is it?
highly reactive oxidizing agent
43
Ozone:
| what type of pollutant is it?
Secondary
44
Ozone:
| Caused?
created by photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides & volatile organic compounds, initiated by solar energy
45
Ozone:
| Stratospheric
• Contains the protective ozone layer.
• “global sunscreen” where the
natural ozone layer is.
46
Lead:
| Impacts
impairs nerve and brain functions.
47
Lead:
| Sources
```
Industrial and mining processes:
– smelting of metal ores, mining
– burning of coal and municipal waste
– burning of leaded gasoline
– Lead-based paint in old homes
– Natural: volcanoes
```
48
Lead:
| Characteristics
Most abundantly produced metal-air
| pollutant
49
```
Composition of the Atmosphere:
CO2
N
O
Argon
Other
```
```
CO2: .04%
N: 78%
O: 21%
Argon: .93%
Other: .03%
```
50
What causes the Green House Effect?
Greenhouse gases (GHGs) trap some heat (longer-wave infra-red energy) in the lower part of the Earth's troposphere.
51
Name the 5 GHG's
* Carbon dioxide
* Methane
* Nitrous oxide (N2O)
* Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases)
* Water vapor
52
Carbon Dioxide:
| Sources
burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil),
solid waste, trees and wood products, and
also as a result of certain chemical reactions
(e.g., manufacture of cement).
53
Carbon Dioxide:
| Characteristics
• Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or
| "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants
54
Carbon Dioxide:
| Effects
Creates ground-level ozone
55
Methane:
| Sources
Emitted during production, storage and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil
– Landfills
– Biomass burning
– Livestock, manure management, agricultural practices, rice paddies
– Thawing permafrost
56
Define Permafrost
Rock or soil frozen at or below 0 degree C
| for two or more years
57
Methane:
| Effects
Health issues
58
Methane:
| Characteristics
colorless, flammable, nontoxic gas.
| It is considered an odorless gas despite the fact that most people say it smells like rotten eggs
59
Nitrous Oxide:
| Sources
agriculture
| burning fossil fuels
60
Nitrous Oxide:
| Characteristics
denser than air, is colorless, tasteless, and has a slightly sweet odor
61
Nitrous Oxide:
| Effects
Health issues
62
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
| Examples
* Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
* Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
* Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
* Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
* Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)
* Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3)
63
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
| Sources
• Chlorine based aerosols:
– coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators,
insulation foams and man-made aerosols (used prior
to 1978 in the U.S.)
--industrial processes
64
Halocarbons (Fluorinated gases):
| Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Cause ozone hole
65
What is a Keeling Curve?
Graph that plots the ongoing change in concentration of
| carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere since 1958.
66
What did the Keeling Curve prove?
increasing CO2 in the atmosphere
67
Define Mitigation
Moderation or postponement of global climate change through GHG reduction measures
68
Define Adaptation
Planned response to global climate change
69
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
Was an international framework that aimed to set internationally binding GHG emissions reduction targets.
70
What 3 countries did not participate in the Kyoto Protocol?
China, US, Canada
71
What is the Montreal Protocol?
Global agreement to protect the stratospheric ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of
ozone-depleting substances.
72
What are the two main ozone-depleting substances the Montreal protocol attacked?
CFCs & Halons
73
What was the goal of the Paris climate agreement?
strengthen the global response to
| the threat of climate change
74
How was the goal of the Paris climate agreement to be carried out?
--By keeping a global temperature rise this century
well below 2 degrees Celsius
– To pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
75
Was the Paris climate agreement voluntary or involuntary?
Voluntary
76
What is released from permafrost?
CO2 and Methane
77
What is the Global Distillation Effect?
| Grasshopper Effect
The process of transporting pollutants from warmer regions to higher, cooler latitudes, where they are deposited.
78
What is a Persistent Organic Pollutants(POP)?
Organic compounds resistant to degradation
79
POP Characteristics
--Transboundary travelers
• POPs bioaccumulate
-- Organic or carbon based chemicals, highly toxic
80
POP examples
```
•PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls)
• DDT
• Dioxins from combustion and waste
incineration, smoking
• Furans, Aldrin, Toxaphene
```
81
What type of countries have indoor air pollution?
Developed
82
What is Radon?
Colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that seeps through the ground from uranium in the earth’s crust
83
What are the effects of Radon?
Causes lung cancer
84
Some examples of indoor air pollution and their sources
– Nitrogen dioxide ( from gas stoves)
– Radon
– Asbestos (from pipe insulation, vinyl tiles)
85
What are Urban Heat Islands?
Local heat build up in an area of high population
86
What are Dust Domes?
A dome of heated air that surrounds an urban area and contains a lot of air pollution.
87
What are the effects of ocean acidification?
Ocean acidification reduces the amount of carbonate, a key building block in seawater
88
What are the effects of ozone depletion?
Excessive UV exposure could cause cancer, reduce agricultural production and disrupt ecosystems
89
What are the causes of ozone depletion?
Chlorine-based aerosols, such as CFC’s and HCFC’s, are the principal agents of ozone depletion.
