Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
36 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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 |