Gaseous Pollutants and Their Effects

Study Notes

Gaseous Pollutants

Air pollution is the presence of contaminants in the outdoor atmosphere, impacting human, plant, and animal life, and property.
Indoor air pollution is often more severe than outdoor pollution, due to emissions from various sources.
Sulphur oxides, from coal and oil combustion and smelters, reduce lung function, increase respiratory symptoms, and cause acid rain.
Oxides of nitrogen, from fuel and gas combustion, lead to asthma, loss of immunity, eye irritation, and acid rain.
Carbon Monoxide, from incomplete petrol and gas combustion, is fatal at high doses, impacting the nervous system, and causes headache, dizziness, and stomach upset.
Hydrogen sulfide, a product of organic matter decomposition, is highly toxic to aquatic life, birds, and animals, causing headache, dizziness, and upset stomach.
Hydrogen fluoride, from phosphate fertilizer manufacturing, severely damages human respiratory systems, as well as causes pulmonary edema.
Chlorine and hydrogen chloride, from industrial chemical processes, cause respiratory irritation.
Ozone, from photochemical reactions, causes decreased pulmonary function and eye irritation.
Hydrocarbons, from vehicular emissions, cause eye irritation, coughing, drowsiness, and are linked to cancer.
Lead, from petrol combustion, harms the mental abilities and causes water pollution.
Suspended particulate matter (e.g., combustion products) causes water pollution.

Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

Greenhouse gases naturally trap heat in the atmosphere, maintaining a habitable temperature on Earth.
Gases like water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, halogenated fluorocarbons, ozone, perfluorinated carbons, and hydrofluorocarbons are considered greenhouse gases.
Increased human activity has amplified greenhouse gas concentrations, leading to increased global temperatures.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the largest human-produced greenhouse gas, released through activities like burning fossil fuels.
Nitrogen oxides are a significant contributor to the greenhouse effect, formed through combustion processes.
Methane is a significant greenhouse gas, released by organic matter breakdown and natural gas production.
Halocarbons, such as chlorofluorocarbons, have been significantly reduced in emission due to international agreements, aiding in ozone layer recovery.
Greenhouse gas emissions from various sources like fossil fuels, agriculture (cattle), landfills and industrial processes significantly contribute to the warming effect.

Control of Air Pollution

Prevention of air pollution involves modifying raw materials, process conditions, and equipment maintenance.
Control technologies like settling chambers, cyclone separators, fabric filters, electrostatic precipitators, and wet scrubbers are used to manage and reduce emissions.
Measures like applying zoning regulations, using low-sulfur coal, and implementing preventive maintenance techniques are essential for air pollution control.

Review Questions

Examples of major air pollutants were shown in the text.
Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide are gases that contribute to global warming. Other gases, like argon, have negligible contributions.
Specific combinations of sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides cause acid rain.
Methane properties include colorless, odorless, flammable, and a large contributor to the greenhouse effect.
Examples of gases that occur naturally or are produced from organic sources include carbon dioxide and methane.
Critical information sought from a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for a chemical would include potential hazards, chemical composition, use, safe handling, disposal, and emergency response procedure to help ensure safe handling and exposure prevention.
The greenhouse effect, illustrated by a diagram, depicts how atmospheric gases trap heat, leading to an increase in average global temperatures.
Acid depositions are caused by air pollutants like sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere.
Examples of advantages for using solar energy include renewable energy, environmental friendliness, and potentially lower electrical bills over time.
Disadvantages of solar energy might include high initial costs, dependence on sunshine, storage capacity issues for later use without sunshine.
Information on how to produce gases like Carbon Dioxide, Methane, and Chlorofluorocarbons was provided (e.g., combustion, decomposition of organic materials and industrial processes).
Table completion showing pollutant types and associated pollution effects was partially provided and can be further answered by using the information from the original text.
Emission control technologies, factors affecting efficiency, and control methods like combustion and gas scrubbers are discussed.