7.1
Cards (8)
- Criteria pollutants:
- SO2: coal combustion (electricity), respiratory irritant, smog, acid precipitation
- NO/NO2: all fossil fuel combustion (especially gas), ozone, photochemical smog, acid rain
- CO: incomplete combustion of O3; lethal to humans
- Particulate matter: fossil fuel/biomass combustion, respiratory irritant, smog contributor
- Tropospheric Ozone: photochemical oxidation of O3, respiratory irritant, smog contributor, plant damage
- Lead: metal plants, waste incineration, neurotoxicant
- air pollution: anything in the atmosphere that is harmful to humans or the environment
- Primary pollutants: pollutants emitted directly into the atmosphere
- natural: pollen, volcanic ash, VOCs given off by plants
- anthropogenic: products of combustion of fossil fuels
- Secondary Pollutants: formed once they are in the atmosphere
- usually by combining with water vapor or other atmospheric gases
- ozone, acid rain
- CO2 is NOT one of 6 criteria pollutants in Clean Air Act because it does not directly lower air quality from a human health standpoint
- Nontoxic to organisms
- not damaging to lungs/eyes
- does not lead to smog/decreased visibility
- CO2 is a secondary pollutant; it leads to global warming
- Impacts of SO2:
- respiratory irritant (inflammation of bronchioles, lungs), worsens asthma and bronchitis
- sulfur aerosols (suspended sulfate particles): block incoming sun, reduces visibility and photosynthesis
- forms sulfurous (grey) smog
- combines with water and O2 in the atmosphere to form sulfuric acid --> acid rain
- Nitrogen Oxides:
- Released by combustion of anything, especially FF and biofuels
- NO forms when N2 combines with O2 (especially during combustion)
- NO can become NO2 by reacting with O3 or O2, sunlight converts back into NO
- Environmental/Health impacts of NOx:
- Respiratory irritants
- Leads to tropospheric ozone formation, leads to photochemical smog
- combines with water and O2 in atmosphere to for nitric acid --> acid rain