Chapter 13: Air Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in the mid-1980s.

FALSE

The formation of inversions is unrelated to the terrain of the earth's surface.

FALSE

The largest single source of materials causing acid rain is residential heating furnaces.

FALSE

There are no natural sources of air pollution.

FALSE

When air pollution episodes occur they generally result from a dramatic increase in the output of pollutants.

FALSE

Until the Industrial Revolution, humans had no significant impact on air pollution.

False

How does the solar radiation on a clear sunny day act to reduce air pollution?

Heating of the ground and lower atmosphere by the Sun increases the temperature lapse rate which makes the air unstable and increases the mixing depth.

In his 1880 speech, what idea did Robert Ingersoll promote?

Industrial smoke was a sign of prosperity and was thus highly desirable.

How does the solar radiation present on a clear day contribute to air pollution? Assume sources of pollutants are present.

It forms secondary pollutants by photochemical reactions. Ozone and PAN would be examples of this

________ are usually the most obvious form of air pollution because they reduce visibility and leave deposits of dirt on the surfaces with which they come in contact.

Particulates

Meteorological conditions are important in air pollution episodes since they

determine the amount of dilution

The greatest reduction in solar radiation receipt in polluted cities will occur:

during the winter in high-latitude cities.

More than 4000 premature deaths occur in the U.S. every year due to:

elevated ozone concentrations

A reduction in visibility due to the absorption and scattering of light by air pollution is called:

haze.

The capacity of the atmosphere to disperse and dilute pollutant materials is

highly variable and based on the weather

Ozone:

is a result of photochemical reactions at the surface.

Particulate matter is categorized according to:

its size.

Exposure to this primary pollutant is associated with damage to the nervous systems of young children.

lead

Part of the reason that precipitation is more acidic in the northeastern United States is:

local pollution is compounded by pollution drifting in from upwind population centers.

During what part of the day should ozone levels in an urban environment be highest?

mid-afternoon

Air pollution is likely to be most severe:

near the center of an anticyclone.

This gas has a distinctive reddish-brown color: ________.

nitrogen dioxide

Although ________ forms naturally in the stratosphere, when produced near the surface it is considered a pollutant with many negative effects

ozone

Of the primary air pollutants monitored by the EPA, which one is found above recommended levels in more U.S. counties than any other?

ozone

Which one of the following is NOT a primary pollutant?

ozone

Which one of the following is a major component of photochemical smog?

ozone

This is the general term used for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

particulate matter

These six pollutants are known as the criteria pollutants and are covered by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

particulates, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, lead, and ozone

Which of the following is a natural source of pollutants NOT accentuated by humans?

pollens

The term dry deposition refers to:

pollutants that fall to the ground as part of dust or smoke.

This category of air pollutants is emitted directly from identifiable sources and pollutes the air immediately upon being emitted.

primary pollutant

The primary purpose of a smokestack is to:

reduce the concentration of pollutants at ground level.

Which of these is LEAST important in determining the level of air pollution from a particular source?

relative humidity at ground level

Smog is an example of a ________ pollutant.

secondary

Inversions aloft are associated with ________ air that characterizes centers of ________ air pressure.

sinking; high

The factor involved with air pollution that is most subject to control by man is:

sources.

Smoke released from a stack into a very stable air mass would tend to:

spread out horizontally but not mix up or down.

The dispersion of pollutant material into the atmosphere depends on the wind and the ________ of the air layer.

stability

The spreading or dilution of pollutants into the atmosphere is best when winds are:

strong and turbulent

Many reactions that produce secondary pollutants are triggered by ________ and are called photochemical reactions.

strong sunlight

Important sources of ________ include power plants, smelters, petroleum refineries, and pulp and paper mills.

sulfur dioxide

This is a colorless, corrosive gas that originates from burning coal and oil: ________

sulfur dioxide

Which one of the following is a secondary pollutant?

sulfuric acid

What triggers a photochemical reaction?

sunlight

In the 1970s, the federal Clean Air Act made major strides in reducing air pollution and created this.

the Environmental Protection Agency

A "London-type" smog is characterized by:

the combination of smoke and fog on very humid days.

The vertical height reached by convective currents in the atmosphere is called:

the mixing depth

Air pollution has only become an important urban problem in the last 75 years.

False

How much more acidic is a substance with a pH of 5 than a substance with a pH of 6?

10 times

The most tragic air pollution episode occurred in London in 1952. More than ________ people died as a result of the five-day ordeal.

4000

Rain is naturally somewhat acidic.

TRUE

The standardized indicator used to report daily air quality to the public is called the:

Air Quality Index.

________ determines the extent to which vertical motions will mix the pollution with cleaner air above surface layers

Atmospheric stability

________ pollutant levels cause gradual deterioration of a variety of physiological functions over a span of years.

Chronic

A substance with a pH of 4 is more acidic than a substance with a pH of 3.

FALSE

Acid aerosol particles and acid rain have no known direct effect upon human health.

FALSE

Acid rain can be classified as a type of wet deposition.

FALSE

Air pollution events are usually associated with low pressure systems.

FALSE

Air pollution problems are most acute when winds are strong and gusty.

FALSE

Air pollution problems seldom occur when winds are weak or calm.

FALSE

Between 1990 and 2009, emissions of the five major primary pollutants rose significantly.

FALSE

Clear nighttime skies lead to reduced concentrations of pollutants.

FALSE

During the Great Smog of 1952, visibillity at HEathrow Airport remained above .5 mile despite the high levels of air pollution

FALSE

Inversions form most readily on sunny days.

FALSE

Sulfur dioxide does not produce any secondary pollutants.

FALSE

Air is never perfectly clean.

TRUE

Air pollution declined significantly during the 1930s.

TRUE

As many as 12,000 people may have died as a direct or delayed result of the Great Smog of 1952..

TRUE

Building tall smokestacks may contribute to some air pollution problems.

TRUE

Building tall smokestacks may improve local air quality.

TRUE

Clear sunny days are part of the cause of the air pollution known as smog.

TRUE

Forest fires triggered by lightning are one of many natural sources of air pollution.

TRUE

Inversions aloft are often developed in association with sinking air that characterizes slow-moving centers of high pressure.

TRUE

Photochemical reactions can lead to the formation of secondary pollutants.

TRUE

Pollutants emitted directly from identifiable sources are termed primary pollutants

TRUE

Small mixing depths are associated with stable air.

TRUE

The largest single air pollutant (in terms of the quantity emitted each year) is carbon monoxide.

TRUE

The ozone in smog is unrelated to the ozone in the stratosphere.

TRUE

The single largest source of air pollutants is highway vehicles

TRUE

The term "smog" originally referred to a mixture of smoke and fog

TRUE

Volatile organic compounds, a primary pollutant, are also called hydrocarbons.

TRUE

Assume you live in an urban setting and an inversion is present. Which of these best describes the visibility in your area if the inversion remains for 2 or 3 days?

Visibility gets steadily worse

________ encompass a wide array of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances that are composed exclusively of hydrogen and carbon.

Volatile organic compounds

Inversions represent a hazardous meteorological condition with respect to air pollution because they always bring:

a near total lack of mixing.

All of the following contributed to the severity of London's Great Smog of 1952 EXCEPT:

a passing cyclonic storm

Temperature inversions are associated with:

a restricted mixing depth.

Why do you think the winter season contributes to greater air pollution in northern U.S. cities?

a) Cold surface temperatures and long nights favor inversions. b) Cold temperatures result in increased emissions from buildings and vehicles.

List two ways in which the wind acts to reduce air pollution.

a) transport of the pollutants out of the region b) wind increases turbulent mixing, which lowers the concentration

A number of lakes in North America no longer have fish in them. One reason for this is:

acid rain has made the water more acidic, causing it dissolve toxic aluminum from the soil.

Dilution or mixing of air pollutants into the surrounding air is best when:

air is unstable.

Until regulation of air pollution began in the 1950s, the greatest influence on emissions of air pollutants was/were:

both economic conditions and population growth.

Airborne lead....

can cause damage to many organs.

Volatile organic compounds:

can occur naturally.

The most prominent sources of this colorless, odorless, poisonous gas are motor vehicles: ________.

carbon monoxide

This is the most abundant primary pollutant

carbon monoxide

The single greatest air pollutant by weight is:

carbon monoxide.

This source of primary pollutants is the greatest contributor to air pollution.

transportation

Which one of the source categories listed below is responsible for the most pollution?

transportation

These are also known as hydrocarbons: ________.

volatile organics