Axia College Material

Appendix D

Air Pollution Chart

After reviewing Ch. 8 and 9 of your text, complete the following table, then respond to the
questions that follow:

Issue Sources Health/Environmental Effects

Carbon Industries and Motor Vehicles. Reduces your bloods ability to move oxygen throughout
dioxide your body. Lower levels can cause fatigue and headaches.
(CO2) High levels cause death and mental impairment.
Chlorofluor Propellants in spray cans and in refrigeration units This can affect the ozone layer. Can cause skin cancer in
ocarbons also known as Freon. humans and genetic damage in organisms.
(CFCs)
Ground- Emissions from industrial facilities and electric Damages vegetation and ecosystems. It leads to reduced
level ozone utilities, motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, and agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, reduced
(O3) chemical solvents are some of the major sources growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased
susceptibility to diseases, pests and other stresses such as
harsh weather. In humans it can cause chest pain,
coughing, throat irritation, and congestion. It can worsen
bronchitis, emphysema, and asthma. "Bad" ozone also can
reduce lung function and inflame the linings of the lungs.
Repeated exposure may permanently scar lung tissue.
Sulfuric The primary sources of sulfuric acid emissions are Toxic to aquatic life. Sulfuric acid is very corrosive and
acid the industries that manufacture it or use it in would badly burn any plants, birds or land animals
(H2SO4) production. Like metal smelters, fertilizer producers, exposed to it. Can severely burn the skin and eyes in
oil refiners, the chemical industry, battery humans. Repeated exposures may cause permanent
manufacturers, and manufacturers of electronic damage to the lungs and teeth.
components. Sulfuric acid occurs naturally in
volcanic gasses.
Note: Some pollutants may not have direct health effects.

Global Warming.
• What air pollutants combine and contribute to this issue?
• Briefly describe the health and environmental problems caused by the selected
atmospheric issue.
• Provide one key solution to help either reduce the effects or recover from the effects of
the selected issue.

The temperature increase over the years has been due to the increase in the atmosphere of greenhouse gas
concentrations like water vapor, carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and ozone. Greenhouse gases are those
gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. The largest contributing source of greenhouse gas is the
burning of fossil fuels leading to the emission of carbon dioxide. When sunlight reaches Earth's surface
some is absorbed and warms the earth and most of the rest is radiated back to the atmosphere at a longer
wavelength than the sun light. Some of these longer wavelengths are absorbed by greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere before they are lost to space. The absorption of this long wave radiant energy warms the
atmosphere. These greenhouse gases act like a mirror and reflect back to the Earth some of the heat energy
which would otherwise be lost to space. The reflecting back of heat energy by the atmosphere is called the
"greenhouse effect". This heats the earth and changes the environment. Where it was cold is getting warmer
and where there were glaciers there is now rising water levels. One solution is battery powered vehicles.
This would eliminate the biggest source carbon dioxide.

SCI 275