2. All of the following are primary air pollutants except a. carbon monoxide. c. sulfur oxides. b. nitric acid. d. VOCs. ANS: B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 1

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1 Chapter 12 Air MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. What pollutant forms when automobile emissions react with oxygen gas and ultraviolet rays? a. ozone c. radon b. carbon dioxide d. sulfur dioxide A DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 2. All of the following are primary air pollutants except a. carbon monoxide. c. sulfur oxides. b. nitric acid. d. VOCs. B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 3. Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by a. automobile exhaust. c. electric power plants. b. industrial boilers. d. catalytic converters. C DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 4. Which of the following is often used to remove poisonous gases from industrial emissions before they are released into the atmosphere? a. catalytic converters c. electrostatic precipitators b. scrubbers d. crushed limestone B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 5. Which type of building would most likely have poor indoor air quality? a. one in a cool climate with a good ventilation system b. one in an urban area where windows are often open c. one that is tightly sealed and air-conditioned d. one that has not been repainted or recarpeted in several years C DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: 2 6. Schools in the United States have spent over $40 billion to remove a. non-water-based paint. c. volatile organic compounds. b. carbon dioxide. d. asbestos. D DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: 2 7. Which of the following ph measurements of rainwater would indicate acid precipitation? a. ph 6.0 c. ph 7.3 b. ph 4.1 d. ph 9.6 B DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: 1 1

2 8. Which of the following contributes most to acid precipitation? a. burning of fossil fuels c. radon and ozone b. ethanol d. All of the above A DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: 1 9. As a lake becomes more acidic, fish are harmed not only by the acidity but also by substances that leach out of the soil into the water. Which of these toxic substances is leached when conditions are acidic? a. copper c. calcium b. iron d. aluminum D DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: Most of the pollution that causes acid precipitation to fall in southeastern Canada is released from a. Mexico. b. central Canada. c. the midwestern and eastern United States. d. the southern United States. C DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: Most air pollution is produced by a. thermal inversions. c. ozone layer depletion. b. fuel burning. d. volcanic eruptions. B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: A true statement about sulfur dioxides is that they are a. primarily a byproduct of fuel burning in automobiles. b. involved in the formation of acid precipitation. c. released when solvents are used in manufacturing. d. participants in the chemical reactions that produce ozone. B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: Activities such as construction and agriculture are primary sources of a. hydrocarbons. c. nitrogen oxides. b. volatile organic compounds. d. particulate matter. D DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: A true statement about carbon monoxide is that it a. can lower the level of oxygen carried in the blood. b. is a less harmful pollutant than carbon dioxide. c. may cause headaches but not death. d. has no effect on fetal development. A DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 2

3 15. The automobile s contribution to air pollution includes a. water vapor released during combustion. b. fumes that escape when the gas tank is filled. c. nitrogen oxides emitted in exhaust. d. Both (b) and (c) D DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: Which of the following is a secondary pollutant? a. hydrocarbon emissions in car exhaust b. sulfur dioxide created when electrical power is generated c. VOCs released by a dry cleaner d. smog formed in the presence of sunlight D DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: Which of the following would cause the smallest increase in smog in an urban area? a. dependence on coal for heating c. frequent thermal inversions b. combustion of ethanol in cars d. location in a valley or basin B DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: One way radon and asbestos are similar is that they a. are both gaseous pollutants. c. cut and scar the lungs. b. increase the risk of cancer. d. are primarily outdoor air pollutants. B DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: Which air pollutants can aggravate bronchial asthma in humans and cause fish to suffocate? a. natural substances such as mold and fungi b. acids formed from nitrogen compounds c. particulates produced by forest fires d. VOCs released during industrial processes B DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: Which of the following pollutants is most likely to reach unhealthy levels inside an office building? a. VOCs found in the building s foam insulation b. particulates such as dust c. sulfur dioxide emitted in the exhaust of nearby traffic d. carbon dioxide released by human respiration A DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: Temperature inversions work to trap pollution when a. cool air above keeps warmer air at the surface from moving upward. b. cool air above keeps warmer air at the surface from absorbing solar radiation. c. warm air above keeps cooler air at the surface from absorbing solar radiation. d. warm air above keeps cooler air at the surface from moving upward. D DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: 4 3

4 22. Which of the following activities is the largest producer of primary air pollutants in the United States? a. electricity production c. transportation b. healthcare d. agriculture A DIF: 1 REF: 1 OBJ: Light pollution can be decreased by a. directing lighting downward. b. lighting billboards from below. c. using incandescent light bulbs. d. increasing the number of lights per block on a city street. A DIF: 1 REF: 2 OBJ: Acid precipitation can be traced back to a. the burning of fossil fuels. b. the use of electrostatic precipitators. c. thermal inversions. d. the release of particulate matter into the atmosphere. A DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: When the acidity of soil increases, a. the ph reaches levels as high as 7.0 to 9.0. b. some nutrients are dissolved and washed away. c. the number of bacteria increases as well. d. Both (a) and (b) B DIF: 1 REF: 3 OBJ: 2 COMPLETION 1. Secondary pollutants form when a(n) pollutant comes into contact with other pollutants, or with naturally occurring substances such as water vapor, and a chemical reaction takes place. primary, primary DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 2. Particulates can form that reduce visibility and cause a variety of respiratory problems. clouds DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 4

5 3. The Clean Air Act, passed in 1970 and strengthened in 1990, gives the the authority to regulate vehicle emissions in the United States. Environmental Protection Agency EPA DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 4. In an electrostatic precipitator, gas containing is blown through a chamber containing an electric current. dust particles DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 5. The of air in the atmosphere usually keeps air pollution from reaching dangerous levels. circulation DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 4 6. Smog results from chemical reactions that involve, automobile exhaust, and ozone. sunlight DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 3 7. Long-term effects on health that have been linked to air pollution include, lung cancer, and heart disease. emphysema DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: 1 8. Sick-building syndrome is most common in climates where buildings are to keep out the heat. warm, tightly sealed DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: 2 5

6 9. Those people who are most at risk from ground-level ozone include, adults who exercise or work outdoors, older people, and people who suffer from respiratory. children, disease DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: Radon is one of the elements produced by the decay of, a radioactive element that occurs naturally in Earth s crust. uranium DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: Permanent deafness results from continuous or long-term exposure to sounds over decibels. 120 DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: Energy is when light is directed upward into the night sky and lost into. wasted, space DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: When fossil fuels are burned, they release oxides of and. sulfur, nitrogen DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: The lower the ph number is, the more a substance is; the higher the ph number is, the more a substance is. acidic, basic DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Normal precipitation is slightly because atmospheric carbon dioxide dissolves in the precipitation and forms. acidic, carbonic acid DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: 2 6

7 16. Sulfur dioxide in water vapor the openings on the surfaces of plants. clogs DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Aquatic animals are adapted to live in an environment within a particular range. ph DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Decreases in numbers of fish caused by the acidification of lakes and streams can influence the livelihood of fisherman and people involved in fishing. commercial, sport DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Because acid precipitation falls, the problem of solving acid precipitation has been difficult, especially at the international level. downwind DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Almost half of the acid precipitation that falls in southeastern Canada results from pollution produced in. the United States DIF: 2 REF: 3 OBJ: Catalytic converters, which are required in, remove pollutants from exhaust gases before the gases exit through the. automobiles, tailpipe DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: A scrubber is a machine that moves through a spray of that removes many pollutants. gases, water DIF: 2 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 7

8 23. Ventilation, or mixing outdoor with indoor, is necessary for good air. air, air, quality DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: Some indoor air pollutants include from dry-cleaning fluid, paradichlorobenzene from air fresheners, and methylene chloride from paint strippers. tetrachloroethylene DIF: 2 REF: 2 OBJ: 2 SHORT ANSWER 1. What steps have been taken by the Environmental Protection Agency, the state of California, and the automobile industry to reduce the amount of air pollution from vehicles? The EPA has required the reduction of lead in gasoline, which has lowered lead pollution by 50 percent. Installing catalytic converters has reduced the amount of pollutants from tailpipe exhaust. By the year 2016, the California Zero-Emission Vehicle Program requires 16 percent of vehicles sold in California to give off no emissions. Auto manufacturers are building prototype cars that produce fewer emissions (such as hybrids) or no emissions. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 2. Describe three respiratory or other health problems that are caused or aggravated by air pollution. Students may describe three of the following: Chronic bronchitis an inflammation of the bronchial tubes, leading to persistent coughing and difficulty in breathing. Asthma bronchial passages constrict and fill with mucus. Emphysema air sacs lose their elasticity, causing difficulty in exhaling. Lung cancer malignant disease that is linked to air pollution, although smoking cigarettes is the more common cause. Asbestosis asbestos fibers cut and scar the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. DIF: 3 REF: 2 OBJ: 1 3. If each whole number on the ph scale indicates a tenfold change in acidity, with lower numbers being more acidic, how much more acidic is water with a ph of 2 than water with a ph of 5? 1,000 times more acidic DIF: 3 REF: 3 OBJ: 1 8

9 4. Using your knowledge of how an industrial scrubber works, explain how frequent rainfall could help to reduce the amount of smog in a city. Scrubbers work by spraying gases with water, thereby removing many pollutants. Similarly, rain helps to dissolve and thus remove the noxious gases in smog. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 3 5. Explain why areas that are densely populated and highly industrialized can experience acid precipitation with particularly low ph values. The lower the ph value, the more acidic the precipitation. Sulfur dioxide and nitric oxide are released into the air when fossil fuels are burned in electrical industrial plants (sulfur dioxide) and in the engines of automobiles (nitrogen oxide). These compounds produce sulfuric acid and nitric acid, respectively, when combined with rainwater. Thus, areas that are densely populated (more cars) and heavily industrialized will release more sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide into the air, lowering the ph of the acid precipitation. DIF: 3 REF: 3 OBJ: 1 6. You have a friend who lives in a large northeastern city. His doctor told him that his frequent eye irritation is partly caused by acids that form on the moist surface of the eye. Use your knowledge of the types of air pollutants to explain your friend s problem. Just as oxides of sulfur (from power and industrial plants) and nitrogen (from automobile exhaust) combine with water in the atmosphere, these oxides combine with moisture on the eye s surface to produce sulfuric and nitric acids, which are the source of the friend s problem. (Depending on weather conditions, suspended droplets of sulfuric and nitric acids could contribute to the problem.) DIF: 3 REF: 3 OBJ: 3 7. Household ammonia is a commonly used solution that has a basic ph of 12. If a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) has a ph of 14, how much more basic is the NaOH solution than the ammonia? 100 times more basic. ph NaOH ph ammonia = = 2. The sodium hydroxide solution is 10 2, or = 100 times more basic than household ammonia. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 1 9

10 8. We know that radon is a radioactive element. An isotope of radon has a half-life of about four days. This means that at the end of each four-day period, one-half of the radon changes into another substance through radioactive decay. For example, if you started with 20 grams of radon, after four days, 10 grams would remain; after eight days, 5 grams would remain; and so on. How much will be left of 32 grams of radon after 20 days? 1 gram. 20 days is equivalent to five half-life periods. Thus, the progression would be: four days = 16 grams; eight days = 8 grams; 12 days = 4 grams; 16 days = 2 grams; 20 days = 1 gram. One gram would remain after 20 days. DIF: 3 REF: 2 OBJ: 2 9. Name and describe three effects of air pollution on human health. Accept any reasonable answer. Sample answer: One effect of air pollution on health is chronic bronchitis, a persistent inflammation of the bronchial linings. A second effect is asthma, a condition in which the bronchial passages constrict and become blocked with mucus. A third effect is emphysema, the loss of elasticity in the lung s air sacs. DIF: 3 REF: 2 OBJ: How is mass transit in cities a possible solution to urban air pollution? Though many cities are compact, people still need to travel fairly long distances to get to work and school, to run errands, and so on. Mass transit, including the use of buses and subways, reduces the amount of fuel burned per passenger. This reduces the amount of pollutants that are released into the air. Therefore, the more people who use mass transit versus private vehicles, the less pollutants enter the air and the cleaner our urban air will be. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: Describe two atmospheric conditions that make air pollution worse. One condition that makes air pollution worse is a thermal inversion, which occurs when warm air in the atmosphere traps cooler, polluted air beneath it. A second condition that worsens air pollution is the trapping of polluted air in valleys. The polluted air does not blow away because it is trapped between hills or mountains. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 4 10

11 12. How can acid precipitation endanger a country s cultural heritage? Acid precipitation can dissolve the calcium carbonate in building materials such as limestone and marble. Because of this, acid precipitation can eat away at ancient statues and buildings. DIF: 3 REF: 3 OBJ: List three ways you could make the air in your home healthier. Accept all reasonable answers. Sample answer: Open windows in house to allow for proper ventilation, clean house without using chemicals, clean air ducts. DIF: 3 REF: 2 OBJ: Where does the majority of the air pollution in the United States come from? emissions from motor vehicles DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 PROBLEM decibels is ten times stronger than 20 decibels; 20 decibels is ten times stronger than 10 decibels; 10 decibels is ten times stronger than 0 decibels. Therefore, a sound measuring 90 decibels is how much stronger than a sound of 40 decibels? 100,000 times stronger. 90 decibels is 10 times stronger than 80 decibels; 90 decibels is 100 times stronger than 70 decibels; 90 decibels is 1000 times stronger than 60 decibels, and so on. DIF: 3 REF: 2 OBJ: 3 11

12 ESSAY 1. At your school, a student who is not taking an environmental science class asks what an individual can do to reduce air pollution. What would you suggest? Explain why these actions would reduce air pollution. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Two ways that an individual can help reduce air pollution are by conserving electricity and carpooling (or driving less). Electric power plants produce two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide and over one-third of the nitrogen oxide that pollute the air. Coal-burning power plants may also release smoke and soot, contributing to particulate air pollution. Driving less reduces the amount of pollutants released in auto exhaust and the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 2 2. Consider the following statements: A city is located in a valley where it is almost completely surrounded by mountains; the climate is sunny with only light breezes. In addition, there are several million cars and moderate industrial development. This city illustrates conditions that are highly favorable for smog formation, made worse by certain geographical and atmospheric conditions. Tell how each of the factors mentioned in the statements above contribute to smog formation or intensification. Specify the types of primary and secondary pollutants involved. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Car exhaust contains nitrogen oxide, which reacts with atmospheric oxygen to produce nitrogen dioxide, a secondary pollutant. In addition, car exhaust contains hydrocarbons, which are also released by industrial plants. Energy from the sun (ultraviolet radiation) causes a series of chemical reactions, beginning with these initial pollutants and creating other components of smog, including ozone, which is a secondary pollutant. Any factor that acts to reduce the flow and circulation of air allows smog levels to intensify. Such is the case with the encircling mountains and ambient light breezes. The situation is further complicated by thermal inversions, which occur more frequently in cities located in valleys. The warm inversion layer acts as an atmospheric lid, or ceiling, that prevents the pollutants in smog from escaping in upward-moving air currents. DIF: 3 REF: 1 OBJ: 3 12

13 3. Use the following terms to complete the concept map below: nitrogen oxide, nitric oxide, oxygen atom, atmosphere, respiratory diseases, ozone, ph, aluminum, salt exchange, suffocation See below. 13

14 DIF: 3 REF: OBJ: