Air Pollution

Atmospheric Pressure (3)

Definition: It is the force per unit area of a certain column of air that is exerted on its surroundings. Significance: Atmospheric pressure decreases as the altitude increases due to lower air particle density. Certain atmospheric pressures are more ideal for specific organisms to live in.

Buffer (2)

Definition: A compound that reacts with and neutralizes the acid contained in acid rain. Significance/Example: Areas that have soils rich in buffers can to withstand higher amounts of acid rain. An example of a buffer is Ca carbonate.

Photochemical Smog (2)

Definition: A mixture of pollutants formed under the influence of radiation, light, and heat from the sun Significance:Photochemical smog can cause permanent damage on the lungs and heart. Short-term exposure to photochemical smog still can have ill effects on the young and old. It also causes painful irritation of the respiratory system, reduced lung function and difficulty breathing. High levels of smog can trigger asthma attacks. The chemicals in photochemical smog can cause problems for plants too. For example, some plants (like tomatoes) are very responsive to ozone, so photochemical smog can kill these sensitive plants.

Smog

Definition: A mixture of smoke and fog that forms in places with high amounts of air pollution. It is a thick form of fog that is a gray color, dense, and inhibits both vision and breathing Significance: Smog can be responsible for any minor pains to deadly pulmonary diseases like lung cancer. Any smog is well known for causing irritation in the eyes and throat. It may also result in inflammation in the tissues of lungs. It can also cause other sicknesses -- like pneumonia.

Ozone Layer

Definition: A portion of the stratosphere that contains a highly concentrated amount of O3. Significance: The ozone layer blocks out as much as 95% of the radiation from the sun. The ozone layer is a necessity because without it much of life would not exist because the UV radiation would be too high.

Acid Rain

Definition: A specific type of wet acid deposition, where acidic particles such as sulfuric acid or nitric acid fall to the earth in rain, snow, fog, etc. Significance: Significant emissions of acid rain causing chemicals have lead to rain at extremely low pH levels. Acid rain can destroy plants and crops by weakening the leaves and roots of plants. It can also harm animals, especially aquatic animals, such as fish.

H2CO3 (2)

Definition: Carbonic acid, which is a compound that is naturally formed in unpolluted rain when CO2 reacts with water vapor. Significance: Carbonic acid is naturally occurring due to the reaction between carbon dioxide and water vapor. This is why unpolluted rainwater has a natural acidity. However, increased levels of CO2 can lead to increased acidity because more of this carbonic acid will be formed.

CFCs

Definition: Chloroflourocarbon are chemicals that were developed in the 1930s known as Freons. They are chemically non-reactive, odorless, non-flammable, non-toxic, non-corrosive, inexpensive, and were used as coolants, insulation fillers, electronic cleaners, etc. Significance: CFCs are chemicals that destroy ozone in the stratosphere, thus leading to ozone depletion. It is estimated that 75%-85% of ozone depletion is caused by the release of CFCs into the atmosphere. CFCs can last in the stratosphere for over 300 years, making them a strong ozone depletion agent.

Secondary Pollutant (3)

Definition: Formed when primary pollutants combine and react to form other harmful chemical compounds. Examples: H2SO4, NO2, O3, etc

Primary Pollutant (3)

Definition: Harmful chemicals emitted directly into the air -- can be from natural or human sources. Examples: CO, SOx, NOx, NO, volatile organic compounds, etc.

NOx gases

Definition: Nitrogen oxides. These gases are formed when nitrogen reacts with oxygen in the air at a high termperature Significance: NOx gases can be produced by natural and human actions (ex: cars release NOx gases and so does lightning). NOx emissions can cause global cooling through the formation of OH groups that destroy methane molecules, countering the effect of greenhouse gases; NOx can create petrochemical smog, cause acid deposition, and suppress plant growth. NOx can also react with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to form ozone.

Ozone (O3)

Definition: Ozone is a component of the ozone layer that is formed when radiation from the sun comes in contact with oxygen in the air. It is a colorless, highly reactive gas with a strong odor. Significance: Ozone blocks radiation and makes up the ozone layer. It is also important because it prevents the oxygen in the lower atmosphere from becoming ozone. However, ozone is a pollutant too. It can cause breathing problems, aggravate lung diseases, and reduce resistance of the immune system. Ozone is considered dangerous if in the troposphere. Pollution has decreased the amount of ozone in the stratosphere and increased the amount of ozone in the troposphere.

PANs (3)

Definition: Peroxyacyl Nitrates, which are part of the mixture of chemicals that form as secondary pollutants. Significance: PANs are photochemical oxidants, which can oxidize certain chemicals in the atmosphere. PANs can also oxidize certain chemicals in the lungs, which leads to health problems. PANs are also a part of photochemical smog.

PM

Definition: Promethium. Chemically, promethium is a lanthanide that forms salts when combined with other elements. Significance: Promethium does not have many uses. It can be used as a source of power. The radiation it gives off provides energy, similar to that from a battery. However, the radiation it produces has serious health effects on living organisms, so it needs to be handled wih great care.

SOx gases

Definition: Sulfur oxides. These gases are formed from mixtures of sulfur pollutants reacting with oxygen and water particles in the atmosphere Significance:Sulphur dioxide can harm crops and trees, textiles, building materials, animals, and humans. It turns leaves yellow, decreases the growth rate of crops, corrodes metal, and causes building materials and textiles to deteriorate. Sulphur dioxide can also irritate the throat and lungs and damage a the respiratory system.

H2SO4 (2)

Definition: Sulfuric Acid. This is formed when sulfur dioxide is converted into aerosols by reacting with water particles in the air. Significance: This acid falls in droplets as acid rain, which has numerous negative effects as described above.

Troposphere

Definition: The atmospheric layer that is closest to the earth's surface. It extends from 11 miles above the sea level to 5 miles above the earth. Significance: The troposphere contains 75% of atmosphere's mass, along with most of the atmosphere's water vapor. The troposphere also contains the air we breathe, and it contans the pollution of the earth. The troposphere is also the site of weather.

Stratosphere

Definition: The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere that extends from 11 to 30 miles above the surface of the Earth. Significance: Stratospheric ozone is important because it contains the ozone layer, which selectively absorbs much of the incoming solar electromagnetic radiation within the ultraviolet (UV) range.

Mesosphere (3)

Definition: The layer of the atmosphere that is above the stratosphere. Its temperature decreases as the altitude increases, and its temps are extremely cold. Significance: Temperatures in the mesosphere decrease with increasing altitudes because heating by ultraviolet absorption by ozone falls off and, importantly, traces of carbon dioxide have a significant cooling effect.

Acid Deposition

Definition: The mixture of acidic particles in wet or dry deposition. This includes rain, snow, fog, or acidic particulate matter itself Significance: Acid deposition can cause health problems like respiratory illnesses, can destroy man made structures, decrease visibility, leach heavy metals into soils and drinking water and build up in organisms at dangerous levels through bioaccumulation. It also can harm aquatic ecosystems through increased acidity and the release of aluminum ions. Lastly, acid deposition can affect plant growth.

Air Pollution

Definition: The presence of chemicals in the atmosphere at levels high enough to cause harm to other organisms. Air pollution can be cause through natural methods (such as volcanic ativity) or human actions (ex: burning fossil fuels) Significance: Air Pollution is significant because it can be dangerous to humans and wildlife. For example, air pollution can lead to acid rain, which can destroy leaves and roots of plants, kill fish, and harm the health of other organisms.

Ozone Depletion

Definition: The thinning of the concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. Significance: With ozone depletion, organisms on earth with be exposed to more radiation/UV rays, which could lead to increased cancers in humans, weaker immune systems, and even possibly causing blindness. Also with ozone depletion comes less crop yield and plant productivity for some plants. Ozone depletion could possibly kill phytoplankton, which have the extremely important job of converting CO2 - O2.

pH

Definition: This is a measure of acidity based on the concentration of OH- ions in a particular solution. Significance: The testing of pH is how we determine if rain is acid rain or not. Acid rain must be under a pH level of to be considered acid rain. Natural unpolluted rainwater has a pH of about 5.6. Increasingly high or low pH levels can be dangerous to organisms.

Industrial Smog

Definition: This is a mixture of smoke and fog in cities where large amounts of coal ( that consisted of sulfur dioxide, droplets of sulfuric acid, and other solid particulates) were burned for industrial and residential purposes . Significance: