APES Air pollution and Acid rain

17. What area(s) in the US are most greatly affected by acid rain? How does soil type affect this pattern?

northeastern United States granite soil instead of limestone

8. What are ppt, ppm and ppb? Which is the greatest concentration? The least? Give an example of a pollutant that is measured at the ppb level.

parts per trillion Parts per million parts per billion greatest: ppm least: ppt Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

Acid shock

sudden increase in acidity, often in spring can cause fish kills as melting snows hit a lake at once

15. What are the chemical reactions involved in the formation of acid rain?

sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.

3. Describe the environmental justice issue in Houston's ship channel and the Manchester/Galena Park neighborhoods.

the cancer risk for residents of Manchester and the neighboring community of Harrisburg is 22 percent higher than for the overall Houston urban area Manchester's residents are not gaining enough political traction to garner real change too poor to move

2. What is environmental justice? Who coined this term and what book did he write to present the issue?

the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Robert Bullard: Dumping in Dixie

nitric acid

NO2 + H2O = 2HNO3

22. What are the NAAQs ? What pollutants do they measure?

National Ambient Air Quality Standards: for pollutants considered harmful to public health and the environment Carbon Monoxide (CO) Lead (Pb) Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Ozone (O3) Particle Pollution (PM) Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

10. What are the chemical formulas involved in ozone formation? How are VOC's involved?

(Volatile Organic Compounds) react in the presence of sunlight N2 + O2 = 2NO 2NO + O2 = 2NO2 NO2 + UV RADIATION = NO + O O2 + O = 03

4. Describe the air pollution issues created by Hurricane Harvey - what were the causes of the releases?

After Hurricane Harvey, factories nearby released unprecedented amounts of air emissions industrial plants around Houston released 4.6 million pounds of airborne emissions. ExxonMobil says that two of its plants were damaged, releasing about 1300 pounds of sulfur dioxide, which can harm lungs and cause breathing difficulties.

9. What are the effects of ground level ozone?

Breathing ozone can trigger a variety of health problems, particularly for children, the elderly, and people of all ages who have lung diseases such as asthma. Ground level ozone can also have harmful effects on sensitive vegetation and ecosystems. Eye irritant

normal rain

CO2 + H2O H2CO3 (carbonic acid)

28. Why were CFC's created, how do they react with stratospheric ozone, and how long do CFC's last? What are some other chemicals that deplete stratospheric ozone?

Chlorofluorocarbons were used as propellants for aerosol cans, as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators (for example, Freon), as foam-blowing agents for insulation and packaging, and as solvents. CFCs and other chlorine-containing compounds released at ground level slowly drift up to the stratosphere, where UV radiation breaks them down, releasing chlorine. The cold air causes polar stratospheric clouds to form; these clouds contain ice crystals to which chlorine and bromine adhere, making them available to destroy ozone. The sunlight catalyzes the chemical reaction in which chlorine or bromine breaks ozone molecules apart, converting them into oxygen molecules. The chemical reaction that destroys ozone does not alter the chlorine or bromine, and one chlorine or bromine atom can break down many thousands of ozone molecules. The chlorine and bromine remain in the stratosphere for many years. When the circumpolar vortex breaks up, the ozone-depleted air spreads northward, diluting ozone levels in the stratosphere over South America, New Zealand, and Australia. Halons, methyl bromide, methyl chloroform, and carbon tetrachloride

19. Describe the effects of acid deposition on organisms and buildings.

Effects on terrestrial systems - Direct damage to leaves(waxy cuticle) and roots (root hairs) Weak trees are susceptible to insects and disease Effects on Aquatic ecosystems Loss of biodiversity Range of tolerance Jelly-like fish eggs broken down Acidity denatures (breaks down) enzymes Aluminum ions (Al3+) are released from lake bed into water, coating fish gills and suffocating fish Below pH4.5, lakes devoid of fish Cultural effects of acid rain-Acid breaks down these basic materials (marble, limestone) corrodes metals and building materials

21. Define emissions trading policy and tell which pollutants are being regulated by this policy.

Emissions trading is a market-based approach to controlling pollution. By creating tradable pollution permits it attempts to add the profit motive as an incentive for good performance, unlike traditional environmental regulation based solely on the threat of penalties cap and trade

7. Distinguish between primary pollutant and secondary pollutants; stationary source and mobile source.

Primary air pollutants: harmful chemicals that enter directly into the atmosphere. The major ones are carbon oxides, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and hydrocarbons Secondary air pollutants: harmful chemicals that form from other substances released into the atmosphere. Ozone and sulfur trioxide are secondary air pollutants because both are formed by chemical reactions that take place in the atmosphere. mobile sources: transportation (Automobiles and trucks) stationary sources: industries (Electric power plants and other industrial facilities)

sulfuric acid

SO3 + H2O = H2SO4

27. What is the role of stratospheric ozone? How does it help life on earth?

Stratospheric ozone (sometimes referred to as "good ozone") plays a beneficial role by absorbing most of the biologically damaging ultraviolet sunlight (called UV-B), allowing only a small amount to reach the Earth's surface. The absorption of ultraviolet radiation by ozone creates a source of heat, which actually forms the stratosphere itself (a region in which the temperature rises as one goes to higher altitudes)

18. Why can the sources of acid rain and the areas affected by acid rain be far apart?

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, released into the air from tall smokestacks, are carried long distances by winds.

5. Briefly describe the structure of the atmosphere, including the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and the location of the ozone "layer".

The atmosphere is a gaseous envelope surrounding Earth. Excluding water vapor, four gases comprise most of the atmosphere: nitrogen (N2, 78.08%), oxygen (O2, 20.95%), argon (Ar, 0.93%), and carbon dioxide (CO2, 0.04%). Other gases and particles, including those we call pollutants, occur in much smaller concentrations. troposphere:the layer of the atmosphere that is nearest to the Earth's surface. It is where most weather changes occur. It is the thinnest layer yet contains half of the Earth's atmosphere. stratosphere:the layer of the atmosphere just above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. There is a temperature inversion due to the ozone layer which absorbs most of the sun's UV radiation. mesosphere: Shooting stars known as meteors burn up in this layer.

14. Explain how pH is calculated.

The pH scale is logarithmic, so a solution with a pH of 6 is 10 times more acidic than a solution with a pH of 7 pH = -log[H+]

13. Define acid deposition. What is the pH of normal rain? What is the pH of acid rain?

acid deposition - Sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide emissions react with water vapor in the atmosphere to form acids that return to the surface as either dry or wet deposition. Acid rain is pH 5.6 or below

20. List several strategies for dealing with acid deposition.

basic concept of acid deposition control is straightforward: Reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides curbs acid deposition. if sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are not released into the atmosphere, they cannot come down as acid deposition. Installation of scrubbers in the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants and use of clean-coal technologies to burn coal without excessive emissions effectively diminish acid deposition In turn, a decrease in acid deposition prevents surface waters and soil from becoming more acidic than they already are. primary reason for the slow recovery is probably that the past 30 or more years of acid rain have profoundly altered soil chemistry in many areas. Nitrogen oxide emissions are harder to control than sulfur dioxide emissions because motor vehicles produce a substantial portion of nitrogen oxides. Engine improvements may reduce nitrogen oxide emissions, but as the population continues to grow, the engineering gains may be offset by an increase in the number of motor vehicles. Dramatic cuts in nitrogen oxide emissions will require a reduction in high-temperature energy generation, especially in gasoline and diesel engines.

16. What are the sources of the precursors for acid rain?

man made creations such as motor vehicles are a major source of nitrogen oxides. Coal-burning power plants, large smelters, and industrial boilers are the main sources of sulfur dioxide(SO2) emissions and produce substantial amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx) natural sources, such as volcanoes and decaying vegetation

6. What is the normal chemical composition of our atmosphere? (What gases are present in what percent?)

nitrogen (N2, 78.%), oxygen (O2, 21%), and other (1%)