apes unit 7

An air pollution expert set up a monitoring program to determine the amount of particulate matter leaving a farmer's field after crops were harvested and the soil was bare. She set up high-volume air samplers 10 meters from each edge of the square field and collected samples weekly for two months. When she looked at her data, she was surprised by how much the levels varied, both from site to site on a given date and over time at each site. Which of the following parameters would have been best to measure to help explain the variation in her results?

Wind direction and speed

Indoor Air Pollutants - Developing Countries

Wood, animal manure or coal used for cooking and heating in developing countries.

Smog

a word derived by combining the words smoke and fog. Partly responsible for the hazy view and reduced sunlight observed in many cities.

effects of noise pollution

can increase blood pressure, stress, and impair hearing. more prominent in urban areas. can make it hard for predators to find prey and for prey to elude predators. reduces animal reproductions. declines overall animal health. disrupts communication for animals. alters animal migration

what is done to combat noise pollution

certain countries outlawed noise and set limits for noise and also pushed quiet days

anthropogenic sources of air pollution

co - on road vehicles nox- on road vehicles sulfur dioxide - electricity generation pm - road dust

mercury

coal, oi, gold mining impairs central nervous system and bioaccumulates in the food chain

co2

combustion of fossil fuels and cleaning of land affects climate and alters ecosystems by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations

primary pollutant

comes directly from smokestack, exhuast pipe, or natural emmision source

3 considerations to take when deciding what type of wood to burn

do not burn wet or green *unseasoned wood) when burning fires, burn hot as for most appliances, a smoldering fire is not safe/efficient check your local air quality forecast before you burn

VOCs

evapoartion of fuels, solvets, paints and improper combustion of fuels like gasoline. a proper precursor to ozone formation

wet/dry scrubber

helps remove so2 in coal burning power plants. mist scrubs the air and the dirty water moves to a removal system. clean air exits and water is reused

acid rain and agriculture

living things dont grow well in acidic conditions

secondary air pollutant (london smog and photochemical smog)

london smog - new york smog, gray smog, cool and damp, particulates and sox, sourced from coal photochemical smog - la smog, denver smog, or brown smog, sunny, nox and ozone and hydrocarbons, sourced gasoline and combustion

where does acid rain have the largest affect

midwest/ohio valley because of coal mines (power plants) burning it produces sox and nox

road space rationing

no drive days/driving restrictions

which best decribes why noise exposure will be a major health problem?

noise exposure is on the increase in both industrialized nations and in developing regions

A researcher wants to determine if ponds and lakes downward of a coal burning power plants are affected by the plant emissions. Which of the following would be the best parameter from the water in the ponds and lakes to measure in order to determine the effect of the plants emissions on the aquatic ecosystems?

pH

paris driving

paris had a lot of air pollution and government regulated restrictive policies

rain ph 6

ph 6 bc carbon dioxide dissolves into it forming weak carbonic acid

catalytic converter

reduces the toxicity of emissions therefore reducing pollutants through a reduction reaction and oxidation (adding and removing oxygen)

three conversation methods to mitgate or minimize air pollution

reduction of automobile emissions (eliminating lead in gasoline and encouraging cleaner technologies in transportation) reduction of acid rain (determining levels of how much pollution is permissable by industries and promoting technologies for reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) phased out pollutants depleting earth's stratospheric ozone (regulations for managing tropospheric, or ground level ozone)

sulfuric acid and nitric acid in rain water

sulfuric acid forms from the burning of coal and oil (power stations0 while nitric acids arise from the exhuast pipes of motor vehicles

where is radon poisoning found most in the us

the north because there is more interactions with basements (they don't go outside)

Haze

traditionally an atmospheric phenomenon in which dust, smoke, and other dry particulates obscure the clarity of the sky (reduce visibility).

sources of noise pollution

transportation, machinery associated with industry, construction activites

secondary pollutant

undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, o2, etc.

baghouse filter

used to reduce pm. Dirty air enters, combustion exhaust stream moes through and dust particles are trapped in a series of filter bags, cleaner and filtered air moves out of unit, shaker mechanism activated periodically to dislodge trapped particles which can then be collected from below unit.

electrostatic precipitator

used to reduce pm. particles pass by negatively chaged plates giving them a negative charge where they are attracted to positively charged collection plates

alternative fuels

using natural gas, propane, ethanol, electricity, and biofuels reduces pollutants in emissions

vapor recovery nozzle functions

vapors escape while you put fuel in your car's gas tank. the system captures them and sends them to the underground storage tank. useful in reducing fumes

natural sources of air pollution

volcanoes, lighning, forest fires, and plants

Thermal Inversion

when a relatively warm layer of air at mid-altitude covers a layer of cold, dense air below. The warm inversion layer traps emissions that then accumulate beneath it.

Sick Building Syndrome

A condition affecting office workers, typically marked by headaches and respiratory problems, attributed to unhealthy or stressful factors in the working environment such as poor ventilation.

In addition to a nearby mountain range, which of the following environmental conditions would be required for the process in the diagram to occur?

A cool sea breeze and a high pressure system

difference beetween ph 6 and ph3

1000x difference

why is radon poisoning dangerous

2nd leading cause of lung cancer

Which of the following is most responsible for the change in the emissions of volatile organic compounds from 1970 to 2020 as shown in the graph?

An increase in admission standards that began in 1970 that regulated corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards

Which of the following claims is best supported by the evidence provided by the article?

Frog populations may decrease in size as a result of males changing the pitch of their calls

human hearing can be damaged

above 85 dBAs

changes of sources of acid deposition

increased bc more energy production

Indoor Air Pollutants - Developed Countries

Asbestos - tiny fiber that was used as an insulator or fire retardant Carbon Monoxide - any kind of unproperly vented stove, water heater, etc. (connects to hemoglobin in blood better than O2) Radon - naturally occurring gas from the decay of uranium VOCs in home products - pesticides, paints, cleaning field pollutants

Which of the following is most likely responsible for the indoor air pollutant shown in the graph?

Cracks in the basement foundation

Which of the following points on the graph best illustrates the location where pollutants are most likely to accumulate as a result of a thermal inversion?

D

Which of the following best describes the efficiency of dry scrubbers at removing particles that are less than 2 micrometers in diameter?

Dry scrubbers are less than 10% efficient at removing particles less than 1pm in size.

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

EPA specific concentration limits for each air pollutant

Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following claims is best supported by the data shown in the table?

Isoprene's contribution to ozone levels in Berlin was greatest in July of both years.

The graph shows the average distance traveled by individuals in a population in an urban area in the southwestern United States. Based on the data, which of the following months most likely experiences the highest levels of photochemical smog?

July

Which of the following best describes the process shown in the diagram above?

Less-dense, warm air creates a temperature inversion between more-dense layers, trapping pollutants near the ground.

Effects of Acid Deposition

Lowering the pH of lake water Decreasing species diversity of aquatic organisms Mobilizing metals that are found in soils and releasing these into surface waters Damaging statues, monuments, and buildings

Which of the following best describes how a scientist could accurately study the effects of soil buffering on plant growth in a region that is affected by acid deposition downwind of a coal burning power plant?

Measure the changes in plant height over a year in two different groups of trees the same distance from the power plant, one group is in topsoil and one group is in topsoil with lime stone added

Which of the following devices is correctly paired to the air pollutant it would be used to measure?

Measuring device: gas sensor pollutant measured: CO2

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following insulation options is ineffective at insulating a home and greatly contributes to indoor air pollution?

Mineral fiber batt

Which of the following methods would best identify changes from acid deposition in an area over time?

Monitoring the long-term chemical and biological parameters of ecosystem

naaqs

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Based on the authors claim in the article, which of the following statements best describes the effect of noise pollution on wildlife?

Noise pollution has a negative affect on wildlife activities such as meeting, establishing territories, and predator-prey interactions

Scientists have discovered that Volatile Organic Compounds emitted from trees can contribute to photochemical smog formation. Data in the table above were collected in 2006 and 2014 in Berlin, Germany. Isoprene is a VOC released by some tree species. Impact factor refers to the percentage of ozone attributed to the isoprene. Which of the following best describes the relationship between variables in the data table?

Ozone maximum is correlated to average and maximum temperature.

Ways to Prevent Air Pollution

Preventative (Regulatory) Regulation, Conservation, Alternative Fuels Mechanical Vapor recovery nozzle Catalytic converters on cars Removing sulfur dioxide from coal by fluidized bed combustion Wet/dry scrubbers on smokestacks Baghouse filters Electrostatic precipitators

What is one potential impact of increased noise pollution in national parks that is supported by the article?

Prey populations are likely to increase in national parks because predators have a decreased ability to hear prey sounds

Which of the following is the most likely reason for the trend shown in the graph of fluctuating indoor radon levels over the course of a year?

Radon levels tend to increase in the colder months because of the difference in temperature inside and outside the home, which creates a vacuum pulling radon into the home at a higher rate.

Criteria Pollutants from Clean Air Act of 1970

Sulfur Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Carbon Monoxide Particulate Matter Ozone Lead enforect by city/county government and needs citizens to works properly

Scientists are testing the effect of different scrubber technologies on the removal of pollutants from coal power plants. The scrubbers use a slurry of limestone and water. Which of the following best describes the impact of modifying the slurry by increasing the amount of limestone?

The amount of sulfur dioxide released will decrease.

Which of the following best describes how their choice of control group could affect the results of the experiment?

The coal burning power plant would not appear to have to have a large impact because the pH levels of the two lakes would be similar

Scientists have been collecting atmospheric data for many years to monitor changes over time. Which of the following best describes why an island location, such as the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, is an ideal location to measure global concentrations?

The location is far from any continent, providing atmospheric air samples that are less likely to be affected by industry and transportation.

Air pollution from a power plant is being monitored for levels of nitrogen dioxide and ground-level ozone. The levels are measured daily at the same time. Which of the following best predicts the impact of a dark and cloudy day on the readings for the levels of air pollutants measured?

There will be an increase in the level of nitrogen dioxide and a decrease in the level of ground-level ozone.

wet and dry deposition

Wet Deposition Wet deposition is what we most commonly think of as acid rain. The sulfuric and nitric acids formed in the atmosphere fall to the ground mixed with rain, snow, fog, or hail. Dry Deposition Acidic particles and gases can also deposit from the atmosphere in the absence of moisture as dry deposition. The acidic particles and gases may deposit to surfaces (water bodies, vegetation, buildings) quickly or may react during atmospheric transport to form larger particles that can be harmful to human health. When the accumulated acids are washed off a surface by the next rain, this acidic water flows over and through the ground, and can harm plants and wildlife, such as insects and fish. The amount of acidity in the atmosphere that deposits to earth through dry deposition depends on the amount of rainfall an area receives. For example, in desert areas the ratio of dry to wet deposition is higher than an area that receives several inches of rain each year.

Based on the data in the graph, which of the following methods would be most effective at removing the greatest amount of particulate matter from coal-burning power plant emissions?

Wet scrubbers using a flow rate of 450 L/min are best suited to remove large particles.