Toxins
a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke.
What is combustion?
a meteorological phenomenon that develops when cool air is trapped at the ground under a layer of warm air
What is a temperature inversion?
What is photochemical smog?
This law sets air pollution limits in the US.
What is the Clean Air Act?
Childhood exposure to this heavy metal neurotoxin causes damage to the central nervous system and can lead to developmental issues.
What is lead?
Released from combustion, soil mobilization, and volcanoes, and cause respiratory problems and allergies.
What is Particulate Matter (PM)?
a colorless, highly toxic, and flammable gas at room temperature. It is used in the production of fertilizer, paper, plywood, and some resins. It is also used as a food preservative and in household products, such as antiseptics, medicines, and cosmetics.
What is formaldehyde?
an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water. can get into homes and buildings through small cracks or holes and build up in the air. Over time, breathing in high levels can cause lung cancer.
What is radon?
a large group of chemicals that are found in many products we use to build and maintain our homes. Once these chemicals are in our homes, they are released or “off-gas” into the indoor air we breathe.
What are VOCs?
The source of radon-222 (the parent element).
What is uranium?
Layer of the atmosphere in which Ozone (O3) is harmful.
What is the troposphere?
Chemicals used in cooling and refrigerators have a lifetime of 15 years in the atmosphere.
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's)?
an important heat-trapping gas, or greenhouse gas, that comes from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels (such as coal, oil, and natural gas), from wildfires, and from natural processes like volcanic eruptions.
What is carbon dioxide?
This system in cars reduces NOx, CO and can be damgaged by leaded gasoline.
What is a catalytic converter?
This carcinogen is found in old housing ventilation.
What is Asbestos?
relating to or caused by the chemical action of light.
What is photochemical?
Caused by humans
What is anthropogenic?
Acid rain damages many structures, particularly if they are made with this particular stone...
an air pollution control device which uses a liquid to remove contaminants from a gas stream. The removal process is achieved by bringing the gas stream into contact with the liquid, which facilitates mass transfer of the contaminants into the liquid.
What is a wet scrubber?
This neurotoxin is released in coal and oil production, and gold mining. Most exposure is from eating fish, amalgam-based dental fillings, or exposure at a workplace. In fish, those higher up in the food chain generally have higher levels of the toxin, a process known as biomagnification.
What is mercury?
This pollutant comes from incomplete combustion, volcanoes, and fires, it is also an asphyxiant.
What is Carbon Monoxide (CO)?
A primary pollutant that has undergone a transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen, or other compounds.
What is a secondary pollutant?
Disrupted migration patterns and hunting abilities, are an effect of these two pollutants:
What is sound and light pollution?
Coal power plants use this to ionize particles and remove pollutants: