Layers of the Atmosphere
This lowest layer of the atmosphere is where all weather occurs
Troposphere
Pollution that comes directly from a source like car exhaust or smokestacks
Primary Pollutants
type of smog is created when sunlight reacts with pollutants, making a brown haze
Photochemical Smog
Acid forms when nitrogen oxides react with water
nitric acid
dangerous radioactive gas can build up inside homes, especially basements
radon
This layer contains the ozone layer
Stratosphere
These pollutants form when primary pollutants chemically react in the atmosphere
Secondary Pollutant
old-fashioned smog comes from burning coal and looks gray.
Industrial smog
This type of rain happens when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides turn into acids in the atmosphere
Acid Deposition
Pollutants inside buildings like mold, smoke, or chemicals are called
Indoor air pollution
The layer of gas surrounding Earth is known as this
Atmosphere
These organic chemicals easily evaporate and contribute to smog formation
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
gas from coal-burning can later produce acid rain
Sulfur Dioxide
Acid deposition includes these two forms: one falls as rain, the other as particles
Wet and Dry Acid Deposition
system allows companies to buy and sell permission to pollute up to a certain limit
Emissions Trading (Cap and Trade)
This protects us by absorbing most of the sun’s harmful UV radiation
Ozone Layer
Solid or liquid particles suspended in air, dust, soot, or smoke are
SPM (Suspended Particulate Matter)
Secondary pollutants form from VOCs and nitrogen oxides in sunlight and irritate eyes
PANs (Peroxyacyl Nitrates)
Stronger acid forms from sulfur dioxide reacting in the atmosphere
Sulfuric Acid
U.S. federal law regulates air pollution and sets emissions standards
Clean Air Act
This global phenomenon occurs when chemicals like CFCs break down ozone in the stratosphere
Ozone Depletion
term describes contamination of the atmosphere that harms humans or the environment
Air Pollution
Atmospheric condition traps pollution near the ground, making smog worse
Temperature Inversion
Acid rain is mainly caused by emissions from these two human sources
Vehicles and Power Plants (burning fossil fuels)
Name one major success of the Clean Air Act relating to atmospheric gases
- Levels of key air pollutants in the United States dropped sharply between 1980 and 2015
- Added regulations: C02 Emissions, aggregate emissions, population, vehicle miles and gross domestic product levels dropped
- Reduction of lead, sulfur dioxide, and ozone-depleting emission
- Since the 1970s, outdoor air quality has improved in more-developed countries
- New passenger vehicles are 98-99% cleaner for most tailpipe pollutants compared to the 1960s