U7: Atmospheric Pollution

Intro to Air Pollution

● Fossil fuels releases gases

● Primary pollutants

○ Emitted directly from a source

○ Coal burning, wildfires, agriculture, volcanoes

○ Nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, ammonia

● Secondary pollutants

○ Changes due to gases, water vapor, and sunlight

○ Smog and acid rain

○ Ozone, sulfuric acid, ammonium

● Clean Air Act: Reduced air pollutants and acid rain, and protects the ozone layer.

● Photochemical Smog: Formed from the reactions of nitrogen oxides, VOCs with tropospheric zone

○ Smog: grey smog from coal emissions

○ Cause of bronchitis and asthma 

Thermal Inversion

Air Pollutants

● Indoor Air Pollutants

○ Radon-222: radioactive material found in earth's crust; can cause cancer

● Reduction of Air Pollutants

○ Regulations: Kyoto Protocol - reduce greenhouse gases released

○ Conservation: traveling less, energy efficient appliances

Acid Rain

● Acid deposition: when vehicles and sulfur dioxides are released into the atmosphere

● Acid precipitation: NOx and SO2 undergo chemical reactions water to form HNO3 and H2SO4

● Acid rain affects plants by reducing the photosynthesis process and pH of the soil.