Transcript Destination: Topic to be studied: Air Pollution

Enviro to go
Topic to be studied: Air Pollution
Objectives:
You should be able to:
• To describe the composition of the atmosphere.
• Explain the causes and effects of the greenhouse
effect.
• Explain the causes and effects of acid rain.
• Describe the cause and effect of the hole in the
ozone layer.
Vocabulary
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Greenhouse effect
Ultraviolet radiation
Carbon dioxide
Ozone
pH
Chlorofluorocarbons
Acid rain
Our air consists of:
• 78% Nitrogen
• 21% oxygen
• Trace amounts of argon, carbon dioxide,
and water vapor
How does our air get polluted?
The biggest contributor of sulfur dioxide is electricity production.
The biggest contributor of carbon monoxide is transportation.
What are the effects
of air pollution?
Rain, snow or fog that is polluted by acid in
the atmosphere and damages the
environment
.
Acid rain has a pH of 5.0 or lower.
What Molecules Causes Acid
Precipitation?
Sulfur dioxide
generally a by-product of industrial
processes and burning fossil fuels.
Nitrogen oxide
Comes from the combustion of fuels in
motor vehicles, residential and commercial
furnaces, industrial and electrical utility
boilers and engines
What are the effect of acid rain?
Corrosion of building materials
Stunting fish growth
Increases soil acidity
• The Earth is wrapped
in a blanket of air
called the
atmosphere.
• The ozone layer is in
the stratosphere.
• The ozone layer
protects the earth
from ultraviolet
radiation.
• As the amount of ozone increases in the
stratosphere, the ability of UV light to enter
the earth decreases.
• As the amount of ozone decreases in the
stratosphere the ability of UV light to enter
the earth increases.
What causes the ozone hole?
• One group of gasses that damages the
ozone layer are called CFC’s
(chlorofluorocarbons)
• They are found in:
– Spray cans
– Refrigerants
– Fire extinguishers
– Plastic foam containers
– Air conditioners
1- Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and
warms the Earth.
2- Energy from the Sun is absorbed and then
radiates back into the atmosphere as heat.
Some escapes into space.
3- Some energy is absorbed by greenhouse
gasses and radiates back toward the Earth’s
surface.
Major Greenhouse gasses
Click here to see what Popular Science named at the top 10 greenhouse gases.
70
60
50
40
water vapor
carbon dioxide
methane
30
20
10
0
1st Qtr
Is the Level of Carbon Dioxide
Increasing?
• From 1958 to 2000 carbon dioxide levels
increased from 314 parts per million to 368
parts per million.
• This was a 17% increase in just 42 years!
• This increase may have been from burning
fossil fuels.
Global Warming
• Some scientists think that increases in
greenhouse gasses will result in overall
warmer temperatures. Others think that
the increase in temperature is a natural
fluctuation.
• Earth’s temperature has increased more
than .6 degrees Celsius
• Snow and ice cover has decreased
• Sea levels have risen.
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/environment/global-warming-environment/antarctica-ice.html