air pollution
DESCRIPTION
Air Pollution. what is air pollution?. Particulate matter Very small particles of fuel that has been burned. Ex, diesel smoke Noxious gases Chemicals that can cause harm directly, or react with other chemicals to do damage. Smog demo?. smog. What is it? - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Air Pollution
what is air pollution?
• Particulate matter– Very small particles of fuel that has been burned.
Ex, diesel smoke
• Noxious gases– Chemicals that can cause harm directly, or react
with other chemicals to do damage.
Smog demo?
smog
• What is it?– a hazy mixture of pollutants in the air, primarily
made up of ground-level ozone.• What causes it?– When sunlight causes volatile organic compounds
(VOCs) to react with nitrous oxide. This produces ozone.
Temp. Inversion
Temperature inversion
• occurs when air close to the earth is cooler than the air above it. (hot on top, cold on bottom)
• Under these conditions, pollution cannot rise and be dispersed. It is trapped on the surface, where humans breathe it.
Examples:
Acid rain
Acid rain
• When a pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with droplets of water in the air, the water (or snow) can become acidified .
Effects of acid rain
• Acid rain erodes stones and statues, harms plant life, and can acidify lakes and streams.
Atmosphere Composition
Atmosphere composition
• Troposphere – 0-15km . This is the air we live in and breathe; weather occurs here.
• It’s name comes from Greek ‘trope’ meaning ‘to turn over.’
Atmosphere composition
• Stratosphere – 15-50km • Ozone layer is here;
absorbs radiation. • No weather, so airplanes
fly in the stratosphere.
Atmosphere composition
• Mesosphere – 50-85km
• Air thins out; gets very cold. Coldest place on earth at -150 F
• Meteors burn up here (“shooting stars”)
Atmosphere composition
• Thermosphere – 85-500 (can vary 350 to 800km)
• Almost no air here; expands and contracts as the sun heats it
• low gravity; space shuttle and ISS orbit here.
• auroras
Atmosphere composition
• N - 78%• O – 20%• Ar – 1%• CO2 - .05% a little bit can have a big effect!• Other - .05% including Neon, Helium, Methane,
Krypton
• How much does the atmosphere weigh?– Approx. 5.5 quadrillion tons!
Class Atmosphere(see slide notes)
Greenhouse Effect
Greenhouse effect
• What is it?– When gases (notably CO2) act like a blanket to
hold heat close to the earth. • Why do we care?– Changes of even a few degrees can have big
effects. Ex, raising sea levels,
2 meters
Greenhouse debate
• Watch two debates• Write down arguments in favor of each side.
Ozone
Ozone depletion
• What is ozone?
• chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) come from aerosol cans, cooling systems and refrigerator equipment.
• CFCs react with ozone molecules, creating "holes” and allowing radiation to reach the earth.
Health effects
Health effectsof atmospheric pollution
• short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
• Long-term includes chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys.