Chapter 17: Atmospheric Science and Air Pollution I. Central Case: The 1952 Killer Smog of London

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1 Chapter 17: Atmospheric Science and Air Pollution I. Central Case: The 1952 Killer Smog of London A. Thick smog first settled over the city on December 5, 1952, when many residents stoked: B. A wind finally relieved Londoners of the smog on Tuesday, December 9, but by that time thousands of people had died from. C. Many similar events have taken place in: D. We have improved, however, as declines in represent some of the biggest successes of policy. E. Much remains to be done because there are hundreds of people who die prematurely each year due to II. Atmospheric Science A. The atmosphere is: B. The atmosphere consists of several layers. 1. The bottommost layer is the, where temperature decreases with 2. The stratosphere extends from above sea level, with its temperature gradually with altitude. 3. A portion of the stratosphere between 17 and 30 km above sea level contains most of the atmosphere s ozone and is called the ozone layer; this layer greatly reduces: 4. Mesosphere: 5. From the outer mesosphere, the thermosphere extends upward to an altitude of km, where solar rays produce temperatures over degrees Celsius. C. Atmospheric properties include temperature, pressure, and humidity. 1. Atmospheric pressure measures: 2. Relative humidity is: 3. The temperature of air varies with and, and these temperature differences affect air circulation. D. Solar energy heats the atmosphere, helps create seasons, and causes air to circulate. 1. Energy from the sun plays a major role in our atmosphere by: 2. The spatial relationship between Earth and the sun determines: 3. Because Earth is tilted on its axis by about degrees, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres each the sun for one- half of the. 4. Land and surface waters absorb: 5. The difference in air temperatures at different altitudes sets into motion convective circulation, as: E. The atmosphere drives weather and climate. 1. Weather consists of:

2 2. Climate describes: F. Weather is produced by interacting air masses. 1. The boundary between two air masses that differ in temperature and density is called a front. a. A mass of warmer, moister air replacing a mass of colder, drier air is a b. A mass of, drier air displacing a, moister air mass is a cold front. 2. Opposing may also differ in atmospheric pressure. a. Air moving away from a center of high pressure as it descends is a high- pressure system. b. Air moving a low atmosphere pressure at the center of a rising system is a low- pressure system. 3. One type of weather event has implications for environmental health. a. temperature inversion, or thermal inversion: b. inversion layer: G. Global climate patterns result from large- scale circulation systems. 1. Hadley cells: 2. Two pairs of similar but less intense convective cells, Ferrel cells and polar cells, lift air and create precipitation around degrees latitude north and south and cause air to descend at around degrees latitude and in the polar regions. 3. These three pairs of cells account for: 4. Coriolis effect: III.Outdoor Air Pollution A. Air pollutants are: B. Much outdoor air pollution comes from sources. 1. Winds: 2. Volcanic eruptions: 3. The burning of vegetation: C. Human activities create various types of outdoor air pollution. 1. Outdoor air pollution from human activity can originate from or sources. 2. Once in the air, a pollutant may do harm directly or may induce chemical reactions that a. Primary pollutants, such as soot and carbon monoxide, are pollutants emitted: b. Secondary pollutants are: D. Legislation called the Clean Air Acts has addressed pollution in the United States. 1. Congress has passed a number of laws dealing with pollution.

3 a. The Clean Air Act of 1970 set: b. The Clean Air Act of 1990 sought to: E. The EPA sets standards for criteria pollutants. 1. The EPA gives special attention to: 2. For six criteria pollutants, the EPA has established maximum allowable concentrations. a. Carbon monoxide is: b. Sulfur dioxide is: c. Nitrogen dioxide is: d. Tropospheric ozone results from: e. Particulate matter is: f. Lead is: F. Agencies monitor pollutants that affect air quality. 1. are a large group of potentially harmful organic chemicals used in industrial processes such as dry cleaning and manufacturing. 2. Human activity accounts for about of U.S. VOC emissions, but many tons of VOCs are released from natural sources ( ) each year. G. Air pollution has decreased markedly since Explain: H. Toxic substances are also major pollutants. 1. Other chemicals known to cause serious health or environmental problems are classified as I. Burning fossil fuels produces industrial smog. Explain: J. is produced by a complex series of atmospheric reactions. Explain: K. Synthetic chemicals deplete stratospheric ozone. 1. Ozone molecules are considered a pollutant at altitudes, but at altitudes of they are highly effective at absorbing incoming radiation from the sun, thus protecting life on Earth s surface. 2. Starting in the 1960s, atmospheric scientists began wondering why:

4 3. In 1974, Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina broke the news that depleted stratospheric ozone by splitting ozone molecules and creating molecules from them. 4. In 1985, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey announced that stratospheric ozone levels over Antarctica had declined in the previous decade, leaving behind a thinned ozone concentration that was soon dubbed the. L. The Montreal Protocol addressed ozone depletion. 1. The world community came together in 1987 to design the Montreal Protocol, which has been signed by nations. 2. The production and use of ozone- depleting compounds has fallen % since the late 1980s. 3. Environmental scientists have attributed the success of the Montreal Protocol to two factors. a. b. M. Acidic deposition represents another transboundary pollution problem. 1. Acidic deposition refers to: 2. Acidic deposition is one type of which is the wet or dry deposition on land of a wide variety of pollutants. 3. Because the pollutants leading to acid rain may travel long distances, their effects: N. Acid deposition has not been reduced as much as scientists had hoped. IV. Indoor Air Pollution A. Indoor air generally contains concentrations of pollutants than do outdoor spaces. B. The average U.S. citizen spends at least % of his or her time indoors. C. Some attempts to be environmentally prudent during the energy crisis of resulted in: D. Indoor air pollution in the developing world is: E. Recognizing indoor air pollution as a problem is still fairly novel. 1. The 1970 U.S. Clean Air Act did not: 2. Today we know far less about indoor air pollution than we do about: F. Tobacco smoke and radon are the most deadly indoor pollutants in the developed world. 1. Secondhand smoke: 2. After cigarette smoke, radon gas is:

5 G. Many volatile organic compounds pollute indoor air. 1. Products that emit VOCs surround us; VOCs are emitted by: 2. The implications for human health of chronic exposure to VOCs are: H. Living organisms can pollute indoor spaces. 1. can all cause health problems. 2. These organisms may be the most widespread source of indoor air pollution in the world. 3. Microbes that induce are thought to be one frequent cause of building- related illness. I. We can reduce indoor air pollution. 1. The use of materials and are the keys to alleviating indoor air pollution in almost any situation. 2. Remedies for fuelwood pollution in the developing world include: V. Conclusion A. B. C. Key Terms 1. atmosphere 2. permanent gases 3. variable gases 4. troposphere 5. tropopause 6. stratosphere 7. ozone layere 8. mesosphere 9. thermosphere 10. atmospheric pressure 11. relative humidity 12. convective circulation 13. weather

6 14. climate 15. front 16. warm front 17. cold front 18. high pressure system 19. low pressure system 20. temperature inversion/ thermal inversion 21. inversion layer 22. Hadley cells 23. Ferrel cells 24. Polar cells 25. Coriolis Effect 26. Doldrums 27. Tradewinds 28. Westerlies 29. air pollutants 30. air pollution 31. outdoor air pollution/ ambient air pollution 32. primary pollutants 33. secondary pollutants 34. Clean Air Act of Clean Air Act of criteria pollutants 37. national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) 38. volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 39. toxic air pollutants 40. smog 41. industrial smog 42. photochemical smog/ brown- air smog 43. peroxyacyl nitrates 44. chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) 45. ozone hole 46. Montreal Protocol 47. acidic deposition 48. atmospheric deposition 49. sick building syndrome