air pollution
Post on 14-Feb-2016
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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.
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