Lec 8

Question 1

Primary pollutant

Answer 1

Pollutants emitted into the environment in a form that can be directly harmful

Question 2

Secondary pollutant

Answer 2

Harmful substances formed when primary pollutants react with constituents of the environment

eg. Ozone

Question 3

Point sources

Answer 3

Emanates from a discrete location (one point)

Question 4

Non-point sources

Answer 4

Emanates from diffuse points, many sources

(eg. transportation)

Question 5

Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA)

Answer 5

Implemented in 2000 to reduce pollution, protect the environment, and protect human health

Question 6

What does CEPA cover for air pollutants

Answer 6

Criteria air contaminants

Persistent organic pollutants

Heavy metals

Toxic air pollutants (all other)

Question 7

Criteria Air Contaminants (sulfur dioxide)

Answer 7

Smelly, colorless gas

Produced primarily from fossil fuel combustion

Question 8

Criteria Air Contaminants

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

Answer 8

Smelly red-brown gas. Contributed to smog and acid rain

Created by combustion engines primarily

Question 9

Criteria Air Contaminants- Particulate matter (PM)

Answer 9

Tiny solid or liquid particles

Created by combustion or dust

Question 10

Criteria Air Contaminants

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

Answer 10

Carbon compounds that are volatile, wide range

Household chemicals, engine combustion, solvents, industrial processes

Can easily evaporate

Question 11

Criteria Air Contaminants

Carbon monoxide (CO)

Answer 11

Colorless, odorless gas

Combustion of fuel.

Binds to our red blood cells and prevents us from breathing in oxygen

Question 12

Criteria air contaminants

Ammonia (NH3)

Answer 12

Colorless gas that smells bad

Created from livestock waste, fertilizer production

Can combine with sulfates and nitrates to create PMs

Question 13

Criteria Air Contaminants

Tropospheric Ozone (O3)

Answer 13

Colorless gas, smells slightly sweet

Typical photochemical gas

Secondary pollutant, created from the interaction between sunlight, heat, nitrogen oxide, and carbon compounds

Question 14

Montreal Protocol

Answer 14

Model used to help place regulations in order to protect the ozone layer

Question 15

Human exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Answer 15

Human exposure to POPs is primarily from food, except for chlordane

Question 16

Chlordane

Answer 16

Used for crops

Was later discovered to have negative effects on the environment and banned in 1988 but because it is a POP, its effect is still persistent

Question 17

Heavy metals of concern

Answer 17

Mercury

Lead

Question 18

Problems of heavy metals

Answer 18

Associated with particulate matter, easily transported in the atmosphere

Toxic, even in low concentrations

Can bioaccumulate

Question 19

Toxic air pollutants

Answer 19

Asbestos

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Methyl Bromide

Question 20

Smog

Answer 20

Mixture of air pollutants that form primarily over urban areas

Question 21

Industrial smog

Answer 21

Produced from the incomplete combustion of coal or oil

Question 22

Photochemical smog

Answer 22

Produced from light-driven reactions between pollutants and atmospheric components

Question 23

Industrial smog contains

Answer 23

CO2
CO
SO2

SO3 (sulfur trioxide)
H2SO4(sulfuric acid)
(NH3)2SO4 (Ammonium sulphate)

Question 24

Photochemical Acid

Answer 24

NO
NO2
VOCs

HNO3
O3
Peroxyacyl Nitrates (PANs)

Question 25

Air Quality Health Index

Answer 25

Metric of air quality developed by the government of Canada. Calculated based on relative risks of common air pollutants

Question 26

Thermal Inversion

Answer 26

Slow moving high pressure air being compressed and sinking on top of cold air at the tropospheric level Colder air is heavier so because warm air is on top of it, the cold air will be stuck unless it is moved This means that the pollutants will be stuck lower to the ground

Question 27

Air pollution movement

Answer 27

Warm air rises and as it rises, it will take volatile substances that have been evaporated.

Question 28

Common air pollutants

Answer 28

Ozone at ground level (tropospheric ozone) Particulate matter Nitrogen dioxide