Module 6_ Question Set -ParisM

docx

School

Miami University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

121

Subject

Geography

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by BarristerComputer4209

1. A) Define Stationary and Mobile sources of air pollution. Whereas a mobile source travels, a stationary source of air pollution is a factory, power plant, or city that releases pollutants into the atmosphere. Automobiles, railroads, airplanes, and ships are a few examples of mobile sources of air pollution. B) Explain two ways they differ by giving an example of each. Although stationary sources are easier to control for pollution, they are larger and may emit more pollution than mobile sources.Although there are many, many more mobile sources, they do not emit as much pollution per unit as stationary sources do.Moreover, mobile sources have the ability to spread into isolated locations where pollution may not have previously been discovered. As a result, pollution is dispersed by aircraft throughout Earth and the high atmosphere. As a result, tier pollution control becomes more challenging. 2. A) Explain the process ( not a definition ) of the "Greenhouse Effect" relative to atmospheric warming . The Greenhouse effect is the process through which the Sun's infrared radiation warms a surface (like the Earth) through the passage of a medium (like glass or atmosphere). The warm surface reradiates heat, which is then absorbed by the medium (glass in a greenhouse or "greenhouse gasses" in the atmosphere) and re radiated as infrared (heat). As a result, the Earth heats because heat is

effectively trapped in the atmosphere. B) Describe two global consequences of atmospheric warming ( climate change ). Glaciers and polar ice caps melting as a result, freshwater sources that depend on glacial meltwater disappear, sea levels rise and inundate coastlines and islands, uprooting a significant portion of the terrestrial life. Shifting climate zones, which permits the spread of illnesses, parasites, and organisms where they were previously absent. 3. Explain two methods of air pollution control based on the principle of separating the pollutant from the air. Eliminating the pollutant from the air before releasing it into the environment is a key strategy for controlling air pollution. Filtering, cyclonic separation, electrostatic precipitation, water spraying or bubbling, and activated charcoal (adsorption) are a few methods for achieving this. 4. A) Outline the process of photochemical smog formation. First up in the process are the main pollutants known as Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are hydrocarbons produced when fossil fuels like gasoline and diesel burn. Your car's catalytic converter is made to get rid of these VOCs. These combine with oxygen, water vapor, sunshine, and nitrogen oxides (from different sources) to generate PAN (peroxyacetyl nitrate) and ozone, two secondary pollutants. The health issues are brought on by these secondary

contaminants. B) Describe two health problems that might be caused by smog. Sulfuric acids and particulate matter (soot and fly ash) in industrial and photochemical smog cause respiratory irritation. They also lead to asthma, heart and lung conditions, weakened immune systems, and malignancies. 5. Describe the differences between primary versus secondary pollutants. Primary pollutants are the substances or particles that come from a source's first emissions. These are dangerous because they reach the atmosphere straight from that source. Secondary pollutants are created in the atmosphere when the primary pollutants mix or interact with other molecules to form a new, distinct pollutant. 6. A) Outline the process behind the formation and deposition of acid precipitation. Oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are produced during the combustion of coal (and oil), and they are discharged into the environment. These react with atmospheric water vapor to produce nitric and sulfuric acids. This chemical reaction typically happens when the air mass travels over long distances. The precipitation (rain, snow, sleet) dissolves the acids, which are then left behind on the surfaces. Clouds and fog can also contain acids. As a

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

result, places that frequently experience fog or are covered in clouds (such as mountain peaks) are continuously exposed to these acids. Trees are harmed, weakened, or killed by this. B) Explain why acid precipitation and photochemical smog represent examples of the intersection between air and water pollution. Acid rain and photochemical smog are two instances of how air and water pollution interact because they both use pollutants that are created on Earth and combine as airborne reactants before returning to the planet and its rivers to produce pollution in both categories. 7. A) Explain the process that leads to the depletion of stratospheric ozone. UV light is absorbed by ozone in the stratosphere, shielding life on Earth from its effects. When aerosol propellants, solvents, air conditioning, and refrigeration were disposed of, they released chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) into the atmosphere. As the CFCs enter the stratosphere, they can destroy up to 100,000 ozone molecules with each one. As a result, the ozone layer is weakened and more UV light can reach the surface of the Earth. B) Explain the biological consequences of the loss of stratospheric ozone ( by giving at least two explicit examples ). The wavelength of ultraviolet radiation is tiny enough to penetrate DNA molecules and change their structural makeup. This causes damage to DNA and raises the risk of cancer, primarily skin cancer. Increased UV exposure will result in more sunburns, skin damage, and eye damage. Increased UV exposure also suppresses immune function, making a person more susceptible to illness. Since

phytoplankton is the foundation of the food web in ocean ecosystems, plants that perform photosynthesis are particularly vulnerable to UV radiation.