chapter 16

sulfur dioxide

A colorless, extremely irritating gas or liquid, SO2, used in many industrial processes, especially in the manufacture of sulfuric acid, and as a preservative, disinfectant, and bleach. It is also a hazardous pollutant resulting from burning fossil fuels and refining sulfide-containing ores.

carbon monoxide

A colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline.

ambient air

A colorless, odorless, tasteless, gaseous mixture, mainly nitrogen (approximately 78 percent) and oxygen (approximately 21 percent) with lesser amounts of argon, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, neon, helium, and other gases.

nitric oxide

A colorless, poisonous gas, NO, produced by the partial oxidation of atmospheric nitrogen, by cellular metabolism, and as an intermediate during the manufacture of nitric acid from ammonia. In the body, nitric oxide is involved in oxygen transport to the tissues, the transmission of nerve impulses, and other physiological activities.

nitrous oxide

A colorless, sweet-tasting gas, N2O, used as a mild anesthetic in dentistry and surgery.

nitrogen dioxide

A deadly poisonous reddish brown gas, NO2, denser than air, often found in smog and automobile exhaust fumes and synthesized for use as a nitrating agent, a catalyst, and an oxidizing agent.

aerosols

A gaseous suspension of fine solid or liquid particles

criteria pollutants

A list of air pollutants identified in the 1970 Clean Air Act Amendments deemed to be critical in controlling air pollution and for which National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were established. Criteria pollutants include sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, carbon monoxide (CO), and lead (Pb).

primary pollutants

A pollutant that enters the air directly from a source.

acid precipitation

Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure.

secondary pollutants

An air pollutant produced by the reaction of a primary pollutant with some other component in the air.

particulate matter

Material suspended in the air in the form of minute solid particles or liquid droplets, especially when considered as an atmospheric pollutant.

sick building syndrome

An illness affecting workers in office buildings, characterized by skin irritations, headache, and respiratory problems, and thought to be caused by indoor pollutants, microorganisms, or inadequate ventilation. Also called building sickness.

ozone

An unstable, poisonous allotrope of oxygen, O3, that is formed naturally in the ozone layer from atmospheric oxygen by electric discharge or exposure to ultraviolet radiation, also produced in the lower atmosphere by the photochemical reaction of certain pollutants. It is a highly reactive oxidizing agent used to deodorize air, purify water, and treat industrial wastes.

hazardous air pollutants

Chemicals that are known or suspected to cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as reproductive effects or birth defects, or adverse environmental effects. Listed hazardous air pollutants include benzene, found in gasoline; perchlorethlyene, emitted from some dry cleaning facilities; and methylene chloride, used as a solvent and paint stripper in industry; as well as dioxin, asbestos, toluene, and metals such as cadmium, mercury, chromium, and lead compounds. Also known as air toxics. Abbreviated HAP.

chlorofluorocarbons

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, as solvents, and as refrigerants.

chronic obstructive ling disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, sputum production and wheezing.Jul 21, 2015

nitrogen oxides

NO x Chemical compounds of nitrogen and oxygen; produced primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels, they contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.

volatile organic compounds

Organic chemicals that produce vapors readily at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, including gasoline and solvents such as toluene, xylene, and tetrachloroethylene. They form photochemical oxidants (including ground-level ozone) that affect health, damage materials, and cause crop and forest losses. Many are also hazardous air pollutants. Abbreviated VOC.

photochemical smog

Photochemical smog is the chemical reaction of sunlight, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere, which leaves airborne particles and ground-level ozone. This noxious mixture of air pollutants may include the following: Aldehydes.

synergistic effects

Synergism comes from the Greek word "synergos" meaning working together. It refers to the interaction between two or more "things" when the combined effect is greater than if you added the "things" on their own (a type of "when is one plus one is greater than two" effect).

clean air act

The Clean Air Act is a United States federal law designed to control air pollution on a national level. It is one of the United States' first and most influential modern environmental laws, and one of the most comprehensive air quality laws in the

montreal protocol

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer) is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion.

naaqs

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are standards established by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under authority of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.) that apply for outdoor air throughout the country.

temperature inversions

The act of inverting

tropospheric ozone

The majority of tropospheric ozone formation occurs when nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as xylene, react in the atmosphere in the presence of sunlight. NOx and VOCs are called ozone precursors.

stratospheric ozone

The ozone layer or ozone shield refers to a region of Earth's stratosphere that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

wet scrubber

Wet Scrubbers. Wet scrubbers are effective air pollution control devices for removing particles and/or gases from industrial exhaust streams

electrostatic precipitator

a device for removing small particles of dust, smoke, etc., from air by means of electrically charged screens and plates.

anthropgenic

chiefly of environmental pollution and pollutants) originating in human activity. "anthropogenic emissions of sulfur dioxide"

bronchitis

inflammation of the mucous membrane in the bronchial tubes. It typically causes bronchospasm and coughing.

toxic release inventory

the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is a publicly available database containing information on toxic chemical releases and other