76 Questions
What is the primary contributor to respirable particles indoors in developed countries?
Tobacco smoke
Which size category of particulate matter consists mostly of carbon-containing material?
PM 10
What is the range of usual concentrations of particulate matter in bars and waiting rooms?
500 μg/m3
What is the size range (in micrometers) of particulates included in PM2.5?
Below 2.5 μm
Which of the following does the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a standard for in ambient air?
$PM_{10}$ levels
What type of populations are especially at an elevated risk of mortality and morbidity due to particulate matter in the air?
Asthmatics and the elderly
What is the primary source of lead in ambient air?
Leaded petrol combustion
What are the potential health impacts of lead exposure in children?
Learning disabilities
What term is used to describe the rate at which dry air cools as it rises in the atmosphere?
Dry adiabatic lapse rate
What process causes air to cool as it rises in the atmosphere?
Expansion
What determines the degree of stability of the atmosphere?
Rate of change of temperature with altitude
What is the function of moist adiabatic lapse rate?
Dependent on moisture content
How does wind contribute to the dispersion of air pollutants?
Enhances diffusion of pollutants
What determines how much dilution occurs in air pollutant concentration?
Wind speed and direction
How does compressed air warm up during its delivery process?
By doing work on surroundings
What measuring system is used by meteorologists to report wind speeds?
Beaufort scale
What is the term used to describe an atmosphere where the air from different altitudes mixes thoroughly?
Stable
What happens when the environmental lapse rate is less than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
A rising air parcel becomes cooler and denser than its surroundings
What type of atmosphere has neutral stability?
Neutral
What is one of the most common types of inversion layers mentioned in the text?
Elevated subsidence inversion
When does a super adiabatic condition prevail?
When the air temperature drops more than 1°C/100m
What happens in an atmosphere under stable conditions?
There is very little vertical mixing and pollutants disperse slowly
What is the term used to describe air that has physical forces that make it want to remain at a given altitude?
Stable air
What encourages pollutant dispersal and increases air quality?
Unstable air
What happens to the temperature of a parcel of air as it moves upward in the atmosphere?
It expands and cools
What indicates that the atmosphere is neutrally stable?
Environmental lapse rate equals dry adiabatic lapse rate
In what type of atmosphere does a raised parcel of air become warmer and less dense than the surrounding environment?
Unstable atmosphere
What process is assumed to be adiabatic in studying the movement of air parcels?
No heat transfer across the boundary
What is used to compare the stability of the atmosphere based on the temperature change with altitude?
Adiabatic lapse rate vs. environmental lapse rate
What does an unstable atmosphere enhance?
Buoyancy
What indicates an atmosphere that tends to return displaced air masses neither to their original position nor continue their displacement?
Neutral stability
What causes an atmosphere to be categorized as super adiabatic?
Environmental lapse rate > Dry adiabatic lapse rate
What is a characteristic of PM2.5 particulates mentioned in the passage?
Containing a significant amount of water and acid forming chemicals
Why is PM2.5 described as being rather uniformly distributed throughout urban regions?
Because it penetrates easily into buildings
What health issue is ozone particularly linked with according to the passage?
Asthma episodes
Why are hydrocarbons included among the criteria air pollutants, according to the passage?
Because they are generally biochemical inert and pose little hazards
What does the passage suggest about the effect of air pollution on deaths and hospital admissions?
There is no clear level below which the public is protected
Why are hydrocarbons like benzo(a) Pyrene considered hazardous?
Being potent carcinogens with biological activity
What is the primary source of larger particulates included in PM10?
Soil blown by wind
Which population is mentioned as being particularly at risk due to particulate matter in the air?
Elderly
What is the characteristic size range of particulates included in PM2.5?
0-2.5 μm
Which of the following is NOT listed as a source of particulate matter in the air (aerosols)?
Industrial factories
What does the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set a standard for in ambient air?
$265 \mu g/m^3$
What is the primary contributor to respirable particles indoors in developed countries?
Tobacco smoke
What is the term used to describe an atmosphere where a raised parcel of air becomes warmer and less dense than the surrounding environment?
Unstable
What is the term used to describe an atmospheric condition where a rising air parcel becomes cooler and denser than its surroundings and tends to fall back to its original position?
Stable
What encourages the dispersion and dilution of pollutants in the atmosphere?
Super adiabatic conditions
In what type of atmosphere does a raised parcel of air become warmer and less dense than the surrounding environment?
Super adiabatic
In which type of atmosphere does a raised parcel of air experience no buoyant force and is said to be neutrally stable?
Neutrally stable
What type of lapse rate is said to occur when the air temperature drops less than 1°C per 100m?
Sub adiabatic lapse rate
What indicates that the atmosphere is neutrally stable?
The environmental lapse rate is equal to the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
What influences the dispersion of pollutants by restricting vertical mixing in the atmosphere?
Elevated subsidence inversion
What term is used to describe an atmosphere where a raised parcel of air experiences physical forces that make it want to remain at a given altitude?
Stable
What type of stability in the atmosphere allows for very little vertical mixing and leads to pollutants building up rapidly in the environment?
Stable
Which condition prevails when the environmental lapse rate is greater than the dry adiabatic lapse rate?
Super adiabatic
Which type of inversion layer is often associated with the subtropical anticyclone and results from warmed descending air achieving higher temperatures than the air below?
Elevated subsidence inversion
What term is used to describe an atmosphere that tends to return displaced air masses neither to their original position nor continue their displacement?
Neutral stability
What is the primary reason for efforts worldwide to remove lead from gasoline?
To decrease air pollution from gasoline combustion
What is the term used for the process that causes air pollutants to be transported and diluted in the atmosphere?
Atmospheric dispersion
Which atmospheric condition leads to the expansion and cooling of a rising parcel of air?
Adiabatic condition
What determines the rate at which dry air cools as it rises in the atmosphere?
Adiabatic lapse rate
What does an increase in wind strength and direction contribute to in terms of air quality?
Increases air quality by scattering pollutants
What is the primary role of meteorology in understanding air quality?
To study the dispersion and dilution of air pollutants
What is the impact of compressed air warming up during its delivery process?
It increases the risk of condensation
How are wind speeds typically reported by meteorologists?
'Beaufort Scale'
'Adiabatic' means there is no heat exchange between what?
'The rising parcel of air and surrounding air'
What determines the temperature at which fresh air needs to be delivered to a cabin?
The altitude of the aircraft
What is a characteristic of PM2.5 particulates mentioned in the passage?
PM2.5 particulates have a uniform distribution throughout urban regions.
What is the primary reason hydrocarbons like benzo(a) Pyrene are considered hazardous?
They are potent carcinogens.
What health risks are associated with PM2.5, sulfate, and possibly ozone according to recent research?
Higher rates of deaths from and complaints about lung disease and heart disease
Why are hydrocarbons included among the criteria air pollutants?
Because they play a major role in photochemical smog formation
What is not known about the cause of health effects related to air pollution according to the text?
The predominant factor causing the effects
How do particulates in the fraction PM2.5 differ from other air contaminants described in the passage?
They penetrate easily into buildings and are relatively evenly dispersed throughout urban regions.
What factor complicates studies on the health effects of air pollution in developing countries?
Presence of multiple contributing factors like cigarette smoking, indoor pollution, and viral infections
What is likely true about the impact of air pollution at much greater levels encountered in developing countries?
The impact could be significantly greater due to multiple factors contributing to poor air quality.
What does the passage suggest about the effect of particulate air pollution on deaths and hospital admissions?
Even at low levels, some excess deaths occur linked to particulate air pollution.
Learn about particulate matter in the air (aerosols) and its association with health risks such as mortality and morbidity. Understand sources of these particles like fireplaces, stoves, and exhaust emissions, along with the EPA standard for ambient air quality.
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