Chemicals
What is the primary gas in the Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen
Name two primary pollutants responsible for acid rain.
Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen oxides.
Describe how thermal inversions contribute to air pollution.
A layer of cooler air gets trapped beneath a layer of warmer air, preventing pollutants from dispersing and causing them to accumulate near the surface.
What human activity contributes the most to photochemical smog?
The burning of fossil fuels, especially in vehicles.
This is the measure of a surface’s reflectivity, playing a role in regulating global temperature.
Albedo
What is the significance of Dobson Units (DU) in measuring ozone concentration?
Dobson Units measure the thickness of the ozone layer in the atmosphere, with values below 220 DU indicating significant ozone depletion.
This is the pH threshold for rain to be considered acid rain.
PH 5.6
How does acid deposition affect soil composition over time, and what are the long-term agricultural impacts?
Acid deposition leaches essential nutrients like calcium and magnesium from the soil, reducing fertility and requiring more chemical fertilizers for crops.
What is the main goal of the Montreal Protocol?
To reduce the use of ozone-depleting substances.
Name a benefit of UV radiation.
What are vitamin D synthesis, improved bone health, sterilization/killing certain bacteria.
Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?
Stratosphere
Explain how chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) break down ozone molecules in the stratosphere.
When CFCs are broken down by UV light, they release chlorine atoms. These chlorine atoms then react with ozone (O₃), breaking it apart and turning it into oxygen (O₂). This process reduces the amount of ozone in the atmosphere, which is harmful because the ozone layer protects us from UV radiation
What is the long-term impact of acid rain on buildings?
It causes erosion, particularly in structures made of limestone and marble.
Why is the Montreal Protocol considered one of the most successful international environmental agreements?
It achieved near-universal participation from countries worldwide, drastically reduced the production and consumption of ozone-depleting substances, and has led to the recovery of the ozone layer.
This atmospheric phenomenon, often occurring in valleys or basins, traps cold air near the ground and prevents pollutants from dispersing, worsening smog.
Thermal Inversion
What is photochemical smog, and how is it formed?
A type of air pollution created when sunlight reacts with pollutants like nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
This is the main pollutant in photochemical smog.
What is Ozone
Photochemical smog can damage this pigment in plants, impacting photosynthesis and reducing crop productivity.
What is chlorophyll?
Give two examples of pollution management strategies that alter human behavior to reduce emissions.
What are reducing consumption of fossil fuels, using public transportation, using bicycles, advocating for renewable energy, promoting energy conservation, or acting as informed consumers when purchasing energy-efficient technologies?
What is the difference between a positive and a negative feedback loop in environmental systems?
A positive feedback loop amplifies changes, making a system more unstable, while a negative feedback loop stabilizes a system by counteracting changes.
Name two ozone-depleting substances (ODS)
What are chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), halons, methyl bromide, or nitrogen oxides?
Describe the chemical reactions involved in the formation of tropospheric ozone.
Nitrogen monoxide (NO), released from burning fossil fuels, reacts with oxygen (O2) to form nitrogen dioxide (NO2). NO2 can then absorb sunlight and break apart, releasing oxygen atoms that combine with atmospheric oxygen to form ozone (O3).
Name two economic consequences of air pollution.
What are loss of agricultural production, additional costs for hospital admissions, loss of workforce, job losses, or reduced harvests?
Despite international agreements, an illegal market for ozone-depleting substances persists in some low-income countries. Explain two reasons for this.
CFCs are cheaper than alternatives, updating equipment is expensive, CFCs have a longer lifespan, poor control and monitoring, or lack of sanctions.
What role do indicator species play in ecosystem monitoring, and why are they important in assessing environmental health?
Indicator species are organisms whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects the health of an ecosystem