Thursday, April 16, 2015

Unit 11 Blog!!!

AIR POLLUTANTS!!
SO2: A corrosive gas and a respiratory irritant that comes mostly from combustion of fuels such as coal and oil. SO2 can also be released during volcanic eruptions and in smaller quantities during forest fires.

NOx: (NO) an odor and colorless gas, or (NO2) a very smelly reddish-brown gas- the most common sources of the pollutants are motor vehicles and stationary fossil fuel combustion and forest fires and lightning. NOx is part of the forming tropospheric ozone and NOx is a component of photochemical smog.

CO: is a colorless and odorless gas that is formed during the  combustion of matter, and is a common emission in vehicle exhaust. Carbon monoxide can be a VERY dangerous indoor air pollutant when exhaust systems on natural gas heaters malfunction and where there may be poor ventilation. 

PM: is solid/liquid particles suspended in to the air. They come from the combustion of animal manure, wood and other biofuels, coal, oil, and gasoline, or from road dust and rock-crushing operations. Natural sources include volcanoes, forest fires, and dust storms. Particles of 2.5µm and smaller are a great health concern because they deposit deeply within the respiratory tract and tend to be composed of more toxic substances than particles in larger ranges.

Pb: a trace metal that occurs in rocks and soils. Way back when, when small concentrations were added to gasoline (this is why we have “unleaded” gasoline now), lead compounds were released into the air, traveled with the prevailing winds, and was deposited on the ground by rain/snow. These emissions can be toxic to the central nervous system especially in young children.

O3: the most abundant and most frequently measured photochemical oxidant in the troposphere. Tropospheric ozone is harmful to both plants and animals and causes respiratory inflammations such as asthma.

VOC: compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen bonds(hydrocarbons) like gasoline, lighter fluid, dry-cleaning fluid, oil-based paints, and perfumes. They give off a strong aroma and play an important role in the formation of photochemical oxidants, they have the potential to be harmful.

Hg: is a trace metal, found in coal and oil, that is toxic to the central nervous system of humans and other organisms.

CO2: is colorless, odorless gas that is formed during the complete combustion of most matter, including fossil fuels and biomass. 


Smog (sulfurous and photochemical): a combination of smoke and fog, and is partly responsible for the hazy view and reduced sunlight observed in many cities. Photochemical smog is dominated by oxidants such as ozone and is sometimes called "Los Angeles"-type smog, or brown smog. Sulfurous smog is dominated by sulfur dioxide and sulfate compounds and is sometimes called London-type smog, or gray smog.


Indoor Pollutants! (ewww!)

Asbestos- long, thin, fibrous silicate mineral with insulating properties, which can cause cancer when inhaled as well as other respiratory diseases.

Radon 222- is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally from the decay of uranium, and it exists in granitic and some other rocks and soils in may parts of the world

VOCs- an organic compound that evaporates at typical atmospheric temperatures, these compounds are found in building materials, furniture, and other home products such as glues and paints. One of the most toxic VOCs is formaldehyde, which can cause irritation or even cause cancer in laboratory animals.



Greenhouse Gases- cause a change in global climate
Water Vapor- absorbs more infrared radiation than any other compound, but does not persist as long as the others.

CO2- Carbon Dioxide, more abundant than the other greenhouse gases

CH4- Methane, 25x higher global warming potential than CO2

N2O- Nitrous Oxide, 300x higher global warming potential than CO2

CFCs- Chloroflourocarbons do not occur naturally in the environment and are the sole product of anthropogenic creation/use. 13,000x higher global warming potential than CO2

Connections:
Coral reefs provide a rich biodiversity, which is perfect for recreational and commercial fishing. Coral reefs are very beautiful therefore they attract a lot of tourism- Florida Keys ( a famous coral reef location) is estimated to generate more than $1.6 billion in revenues every year! As oceans absorb more carbon dioxide, oceans face rising acidic levels, or ocean acidification, which inhibits the coral's ability to form the base of the reef through calcification.  Some conservation efforts include expanding the ocean water/coral reef testing to include a monitoring ocean acidification and reducing water pollution and implementing local restrictions on tourism and other means of harming the reefs.

Ozone Discussion!
Without the stratospheric ozone humans would be susceptible to sun burns, higher levels of skin cancer, and eye damage! (Dun dun dunn!!) The Tropospheric ozone has been shown to contribute to a number of problems in the natural world, to exacerbate asthma and breathing difficulties in humans, and to even cause cancer. Through the process shown in the image, oxygen is being converted into ozone (O3) in the presence of ultraviolet radiation.
This ozone is broken down into O2 and free oxygen (O) when it absorbs both UV-C and UV-B ultraviolet light. Ozone is continuously broken down in the presence of sunlight, maintaining a steady state concentration of ozone. The free oxygen atoms and O2 may again react to produce ozone molecules and can form new molecules by creating compounds with CFCs such as chlorine. This process pulls the oxygen atom form the original ozone cycle, leaving less oxygens to produce the necessary layer of ozone needed.



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