APES Chapter 18
How many people in the United States die each year from air pollution-related reasons?
150,000 to 350,000
Acidic rain, snow, fog, and cloud vapor typically has a pH of
5.6
According to a 2012 EPA report, between 1980 and 2010, the combined emissions of six major air pollutants decreased by how much?
63%
Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) molecules can stay in the stratosphere for ____.
65-385 years
Approximately how much of the air we breathe is composed of nitrogen and oxygen?
99%
What do all volatile organic compounds have in common?
All are gasses in the atmosphere.
Ozone depletion is caused by ____.
CFCs in the stratosphere
Sixteen of the world's twenty most polluted cities are found in ____.
China
Which statement about acid deposition is false?
Low pH increases plant nutrients in forest soils.
Which statement about indoor air pollution in the United States is false?
Outdoor air pollution has a higher cancer risk than indoor air pollution.
Which statement about ozone thinning is true?
Ozone levels fluctuate seasonally, with the lowest levels occurring in September and October.
Which of the following statements is true?
Temperature inversions make pollution problems worse.
In the United States, the highest levels of air pollution from fine particles are found in ____.
West Virginia
Dry deposition occurs when ____.
acidic particulates reach the ground
Which action would be an ineffective preventive measure for acid deposition?
adding lime to neutralize the acids
The grasshopper effect is a result of ____.
air pollutants being transferred from warmer areas to polar areas by evaporation and wind
The UV filtering effect of the ozone layer is beneficial because it ____.
allows humans and other forms of life to exist on land
It would be ineffective to prevent lead poisoning by ____.
banning the use of lead pencils in schools
The period from 1980 and 2010 witnessed an increase in which pollutant?
carbon dioxide (CO2)
Burning coal will produce pollutants such as ____.
carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and soot
Outdoor air pollution is reduced when ____.
chemical reactions form acid precipitation which falls out of the atmosphere
The stratosphere ____.
contains the ozone layer
According to environmental scientists, U.S. air pollution control laws would be weakened if ____.
controls on petroleum refineries were relaxed
Before the 1980s, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were primarily used as ____.
coolants in air conditioners and propellants in aerosol cans
About 90% of radon related lung cancers in the United States occur among ____.
current or former smokers
The chemical that causes most people in developed countries the most difficulty is ____.
formaldehyde
Radon-222 is a colorless, odorless gas that forms ____.
from underground rock and mineral deposits of uranium, shale, and granite
Air pollution in the urban areas of many less-developed countries is ____.
getting worse
Human inputs of outdoor air pollutants occur mostly ____.
in urban areas
The biggest air pollution threat to poor people is ____.
indoor air pollution
The Asian Brown Cloud is a(n) ____.
large thick cloud of dust, smoke, and toxic metals in the troposphere
Sick Building Syndrome is not correlated with ____.
lung cancer
Major air pollutants include ____.
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and dioxide, sulfur compounds, VOCs, and suspended particulate matter
Respiratory illnesses in developing countries are most likely to be caused by ____.
particulate matter
People are exposed to lead via ____.
peeling paint and dust in older homes
What term refers to harmful chemicals emitted directly into the air from natural processes and human activities?
primary pollutants
Radioactive ____ is a product of uranium decay.
radon
Acid deposition is best classified as a(n) ____.
regional problem
Photochemical smog is formed when primary pollutants interact with ____.
sunlight
The atmosphere is divided into spherical layers based upon the ____.
temperature changes from variations in absorption of solar energy
Outdoor air pollution is increased when ____.
temperature inversions form over cities surrounded by mountains
The Asian Brown Cloud is approximately the size of ____.
the Continental U.S.
If the earth were an apple, the lower layer of the atmosphere would be the thickness of ____.
the skin
The WHO and the World Bank call indoor air pollution ____.
the world's most serious air pollution problem
According to the EPA, what are the four most dangerous indoor air pollutants?
tobacco smoke, formaldehyde, radon-222, and ultrafine particles
Most of earth's climate occurs in the ____.
troposphere
The atmospheric layer containing 75% of the mass of earth's air is the ____.
troposphere
What is the correct sequence of layers of the atmosphere from innermost to outermost?
troposphere-stratosphere-mesosphere-thermosphere
Exposure to indoor formaldehyde pollution is least likely to cause ____.
ulcers
Photochemical smog is characteristic of urban areas with many vehicles and a climate that is ____.
warm, dry, and sunny