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36 Cards in this Set

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What disasters happened in Meuse Valley, Belgium?

-Thermal inversion
-63 deaths
-No measurements conducted

What disasters happened in Donora, PA?

-Thermal inversion w/ wire factory, zinc, sulfuric acid plant, steel mill.


-20 deaths


-6,000 ppl suffered respiratory distress.

What disasters happened in London?

-worst air pollution episode ever


-thermal inversion, cold weather, coal burning


-4,000 deaths - sulfur dioxide, SPM

What disaster happened in Los Angeles?

Numerous photochemical smog episodes
VOCs+NOx+sunlight --> photochemical Smog

London smog vs. Photochemical smog

London - cool, damp


content - particulates, sulfur oxides


source - coal




Photochemical Smog - Sunny


content - NO3, ozone, hydrocarbons


source - gasoline, combustion

What disasters happened in Seveso, Italy?

-valve broke and released Dioxin


-38,000 people exposed

What disaster happened in Bhopal, India?

-pesticide plant leak killed 2,000


-Methyl isocyanate (MIC), phosgene


-MIC - irritant to the lungs

What happened in West VA?

Union Carbide plant leaked methyl isocyanate in Kanawha Valley.




Led to the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act.

Gases whose concentration is constant:

N2 - 78%


O2 - 21%


Ar, Ne, He, Kr, H2

Gases whose concentration varies:

Water vapor


CO2


Methane

Carbon Dioxide

-steady state before the industrial revolution


-increases by 1ppm per year


-influenced by industrial activity, transportation, and forest burning

Carbon Monoxide

CO -


Influenced by industrial activity and transportation

Oxides of nitrogen

NOx's




Generated from biological processes, lightning, industrial activity.

Water vapor

Greatest variability.


Influenced greatly by temperature and pressure.

Ozone

O3




Tropospheric ozone influenced by transportation, evolution of organics from plants and other industrial sources.

Sulfur gases

SOx




industrial activity is the major source of sulfur dioxide, including coal-fired electric power.

Which gases are produced from biogenic activity?

Ammonia and Methane

Troposphere

-Temperature decreases with height


-unstable weather


-75% of mass of atmosphere is found in troposphere


-BAD ozone

What is the tropopause?

top of the troposphere and bottom of stratosphere - temperature isothermal

Statosphere

-temp increases with height


-heating is a result of absorbing solar radiation by GOOD ozone in the ozone layer that traps UV radiation


-relatively stable - no weather




greenhouse gases deplete the ozone

What is a temperature/thermal inversion?

Occurs when a stable layer of warm air overlays cooler air, reversing the normal temperature decline with increasing height, preventing convection currents from dispersing pollutants.

Anthropogenic Air Pollution

Pollution sources (primary and secondary)


Smog


Gases and Particles




Primary - direct effect (emitted from a source)


Secondary - formed due to reactions (not emitted from a source)

Define Mobile sources:

on and off road


NON-point source


Primary

Define Stationary sources:

fixed location
point - a large source, often a stack
area - sources that are considered as a group


Define Indirect sources:

Facilities which themselves do not pollute but induce pollution activities. (athletic stadium or shopping center)

Define Smog:

Pollution condition characterized by a significant reduction in visibility.




Grey-smog (London type) vs. photochemical smog (LA type)

What are combustion pollutants?

gases or particles that come from burning fuels

What are the combustion pollutants that are of most concern?

Carbon Monoxide - odorless gas that kills


Nitrogen dioxide - gas that can damage the respiratory tract


Sulfur dioxide - gas that irritates the eyes, nose, and respiratory tract


Particulates - tiny particles that make up smoke and irritate the eyes, nose, and throat

Conventional pollutants

Carbon monoxide


sulfur oxide


nitrous oxide (acid rain)


particulate matter


photochemical oxidants (ozone)


metals (lead and mercury)

What is acid precipitation?

Deposition of acidic material from the atmosphere either as rain or dry deposition of acidic material on dust, smoke, or other small particles.

What causes acid rain in the western states? What is the make up?

western states - from motor vehicles.




65% sulfuric acid


30% nitric acid

What is the pH of acid rain?

pH = 4

What are examples of Particulate matter (PM)?

Atmospheric aerosols


-TSP


-PM 10


-PM 2.5


-Ultrafine




Respirable particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers are among most dangerous.

Respiratory outcomes of air pollution

-Airway inflammation (bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD)


-Asthma


-Lung Cancer

What are baghouses?

removes particles by trapping them in a porous mesh that allows air to pass.

What are scrubbers?

removes particles by spraying a scrubber