Air Pollution and Control Quiz

Lightning

Pollutants formed in the atmosphere through chemical reactions

Particles less than 2.5 μ in diameter; come from combustion of fossil fuels

<p>Burning coal, high-sulfur oil, and diesel fuel</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Approximately 40%</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Volcanoes</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The four main classifications are: ambient air pollution, indoor air pollution, occupational air pollution, and personal exposure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>For a situation to be considered air pollution, substances must be present in the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to produce a measurable effect on human health and welfare, living organisms, materials, or the ecosystem.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Cigarette/cigar smoking and sniffing of glue are given as examples of personal exposure to air pollution.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Flue gas desulfurization was installed to reduce the excessive amounts of sulfur dioxide emissions from the power plant.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ambient air pollution refers to outdoor air pollution, while indoor air pollution refers to air pollution inside buildings where people live and sleep.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Occupational air pollution involves exposure to a large range of pollutants such as particles, mists, acid vapors, and organic and inorganic gases in the workplace.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The inversion extends to a higher and higher elevation, reaching a few hundred meters before morning.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The temperature of the air just above the ground becomes colder than the air above it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They often begin at about the time traffic builds up in the early evening, which traps auto exhaust at ground level and causes elevated concentrations of pollution for commuters.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Subsidence inversions may last for months on end, and are more common in summer than winter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>As the air in the center falls, it experiences greater pressure and is compressed and heated.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Air near the ground moves outward from the center, while air aloft moves toward the center from the edges, creating the massive vertical circulation system.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Ozone can irritate the respiratory tract, impair lung function, cause coughing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Exercise increases these effects.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>As ozone levels rise, hospital admissions and emergency room visits for respiratory illnesses such as asthma also increase. Hospital admissions rise roughly 7 to 10 percent for a 0.05 ppm increase in ozone levels.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>N2 + O2 -----&gt; 2NO (Nitrogen Oxide) 2NO + O2 ----&gt; 2NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide)</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are a critical component in smog forming reactions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Carbon monoxide (CO) attaches to hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), which reduces hemoglobin's affinity for oxygen and disrupts the release of oxygen.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>20% of global carbon monoxide (CO) emissions come from mobile sources.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A wet scrubber can trap fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, while electrostatic precipitators are primarily effective at removing particulate matter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An electrostatic precipitator applies a high direct current potential between plates and wires, ionizing particles in the gas stream. The ionized particles are then attracted to the oppositely charged plates where they accumulate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Wet scrubbers require a large amount of water to operate.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Electrostatic precipitators are commonly used where large volumes of gas need treatment, and where wet scrubbers are not appropriate, such as incinerators and coal-fired power plants.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Activated carbon is the most common adsorbent used in adsorptive air pollution control systems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>An adsorptive system consists of a bed of adsorbing material like activated carbon contained in a pressure vessel. As contaminated air passes through, pollutants transfer from the air stream to the adsorbent material.</p> Signup and view all the answers