1. SECTION 1: What causes air pollution?
CHAPTER 12: AIR
SECTION 1: What causes air pollution?

2. Objectives: Identify and describe primary and secondary air pollutants
Identify major sources of air pollution
Describe the way in which smog is formed
Explain the way in which a thermal inversion traps air pollution

3. What is air pollution? Air pollution:
Contamination of the atmosphere by wastes from sources such as industrial burning and auto exhaust
Can be in form of solid, liquid, or gas
Comes mostly from human activities but CAN come from natural sources
Ex: Volcanoes-particles and sulfur dioxide
Other: dust, pollen, spores

4. 2 Types of Pollutants Primary pollutant: Secondary pollutant:
Put directly into the air by human activity
Secondary pollutant:
Primary pollutant comes into contact with other primary pollutants or naturally occurring substances (water vapor)---this causes a chemical reaction
Ex: ground-level ozone- emissions from cars react with oxygen and UV rays

5. 5 Primary Pollutants Carbon Monoxide Nitrogen oxides Sulfur dioxide
interferes with blood’s ability to carry oxygen
Nitrogen oxides
Respirator infections, cancer, brown haze, acid rain
Sulfur dioxide
Acid rain, harm plant life, respiratory infections

6. Volatile Organic Compounds
Creates smog, cancer, possibly plants
Particulate Matter
Can cause clouds that reduce visibility, cancer, respiratory problems, corrode metals and erode building and sculptures

7. Sources of air pollution
Motor Vehicle Emissions
Industrial Air pollution

8. SMOG
When air pollution hangs over urban areas and reduces visibility-this is called SMOG
Formation:
1. Vehicle exhaust reacts with air and sunlight to form ozone
2. Ozone reacts with exhaust to form smog

9. Temperature Inversions
Air circulation usually keeps air pollution from reaching dangerous levels
In day, sun heats earth and air near the surface
Warm air rises and carries pollutants away from ground and into atmosphere
Sometimes-pollution is trapped near surface due to temperature inversion- air above is warmer than air below

10. Temperature Inversion

11. Air, Noise, and Light Pollution
Ch. 12.2
Air, Noise, and Light Pollution

12. Objectives:
Describe short-term vs. long-term effects of air pollution on human health
Explain what causes indoor pollution
Describe health problems caused by noise pollution

13. Health Problems Air pollution causes serious health problems
American Lung Association
Estimates that Americans pay tens of billions per year in health costs related to health from air pollution

14. Short-term vs Long-term Effects
Reversible
Headaches, nausea, eye nose and throat irritation, respiratory infections, coughing
Long-term
Emphysema, lung cancer, heart disease

15. Indoor Air pollution
Indoor pollution can be just as bad as outdoor pollution.. How?
Plastics and other chemicals are majors sources of indoor pollution
Found in carpets, building materials, paints, furniture
Causes “sick-building syndrome”
Good indoor air quality requires ventilation

16. Noise Pollution Noise can be a pollutant, too!!!!
Affects human health and quality of life
EX:
Airplane noises
Construction equipment
City traffic
Factories
Home appliances
Lawnmowers

17. Noise Continued Noise can cause health problems such as:
Loss of hearing
High blood pressure
Stress
Loss of sleep-leads to decreased productivity

18. Light Pollution Light DOES NOT directly harm human health
It DOES affect the environment
Inefficient lighting:
Diminishes view of night sky
Energy waste when light is directed upward and lost to space as opposed to directed downward

19. VIDEO This video takes place where in China?
What are contributing factors that are causing pollution in this city?
Because the city is located on a basin, this causes the pollution to_________________.
What are some symptoms/illnesses that the people living in this city are experiencing?

20. Ch
Acid Precipitation

21. Objectives Explain the causes of acid rain
Explain how acid rain affects plants, soils, and aquatic ecosystems
Describe how acid rain can affect humans

22. What causes acid precipitation?
First, we must know what acid rain is.
Acid precipitation- precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow that contains a high concentration of acids.
Caused by burning of fossil fuels-especially power plants

23. The Process: Fossil Fuels are burned
This releases oxides of sulfur and nitrogen
The oxides combine with water in atmosphere
This forms sulfuric acid and nitric acid
Falls as precipitation or acid rain
Falls to the ground and flows into lakes, rivers, and streams

25. Affects on Environment
Acid rain can cause a drop in pH in soil and water
This increase in concentration of acid is called acidification
Soil:
Change in pH can cause nutrients to be washed away while other things, such as aluminum, to stay and be absorbed by roots of plants

27. Aquatic Ecosystems
Changes in pH of a lake can kill plants, fish, and other aquatic animals.
But it’s not just a pH change…
Acid rain causes aluminum to leach out of the soil and this can accumulate in fish gills- fish are slowly suffocated

28. Acid rain is worse in the spring
Due to acidic snow
Snow melts and rushes into bodies of water
Causes Acid shock- the sudden influx of acidic water

29. Reversing the affects on ecosystems
Some states in US and some countries spray powdered limestone (CaCO3) on lakes to restore the natural pH
Lime is alkaline (basic)
However, enough lime cannot be spread to offset all acidic damage

30. Acid Rain & Humans
When aluminum and mercury are released (due to soil acidity increasing)- these toxic metals can get into our crops, water, and fish…
Humans eat these- and therefore, can get into our bodies
May be linked to respiratory infections

31. Acid Rain & historic monuments
Acid rain can also affect important monuments and sculptures

32. Video What are some reasons the ocean is important?
What is causing ocean acidification?
The atmosphere touches the ocean over ____% of Earth’s surface
What happens when CO2 mixes with ocean water?
Why are thinning shells of sea life a concern?
How can we stop acidification?

33. Better Video