IB Chemistry III: Air Pollution

The book: pp. 131, 133, 134, 139-141

Guide outline:
1. Definitions and lists
2. Causes and effects
3. Methods of removal

I. Definitions and lists

Primary Pollutants: Damaging substances directly
released into air, that are not normally present or are
present in unnatural proportions
1. CO
2. NOx
3. SO2 and SO3
4. Particulates: eg. Soot, ash, burned fossil fuels
5. VOC’s: Volatile organic compounds

Secondary Pollutants: Damaging substances formed by

reaction of primary pollutants with catalysts or other present
substances.
1. Hydroxyl radicals (OH∙)
2. Nitric acid (HNO3)
3. Radicals in general
4. PAN (peroxyacylnitrate…)

Greenhouse Effect: The warming of the earth due to

radiation-retentive atmospheric gases (radiation is either
trapped and accumulated in the air or reflected by earth’s
surface and absorbed upon return to the stratosphere).
Gases allow short-wave radiation through, later to absorb it.
Greenhouse Gases:
1. O3
2. CO2
3. CH4
4. H2O
5. NOx
Radioactive Waste: Radioactive material of varying
intensity.
High-level: Directly radioactive material, eg. spent fuel
rods
Low-level: Material exposed to radiation, eg.
experimental packaging

Smog: Poisonous mixture of smoke, fog, air, and other

chemicals.
Reducing smog = Result of combustion of coal and oil,
producing sulfur dioxide and soot/ash. Pea soup color.

Photochemical smog = Consists of primary pollutants

(NOx and VOCs) then converted into secondary
pollutants by sunlight. Yellow-brown color. (* see
equations section for formation)

Other definitions may be found in the following

sections.

II. Causes and Effects

Primary Pollutants: Sources and effects
Pollutant Man-made Natural Effect
CO Incomplete Incomplete Prevents
combustion of oxidation of hemoglobin
fossil fuels methane from carrying
oxygen
NOx Internal Electrical Respiratory
combustion storms; irritant; can
engines biological cause acid
processes rain
SO2 and SO3 Combustion Oxidation of Respiratory
of coal and H2S from irritant; can
smelting of volcanoes; also cause
ores decay of org’c acid rain
matter
Particulates Burning of Soot, ash, Respiratory
fossil fuels, dust, irritant; can
 esp. coal and asbestos, cause lung
diesel sand, smoke, disease
pollen, (emphysema,
bacterial/fung cancer)
al spores *They can
also reverse
global
warming by
scattering
short-waved
light
VOCs Unburned/par Plants (like Carcinogenic
tly burned rice—so real (esp.
gasoline; plants); benzene); can
solvents terpenes form PANs

Ozone and CFCs

Type Effect
Ozone (O3 gas) Greenhouse gas; retains
radiation to warm earth and
reflects it to cool it
CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) Destroys ozone; reverses
greenhouse effect

III. Methods of Removal

Primary Pollutants: Methods of Removal/Reduction

Method Description Pollutant(s) it

reduces
Electrostatic Particulates are Particulates
Precipitation charged and
attracted to
electrodes, then
removed
Fluidized Bed Coal burned on Sulfur dioxide
Combustion bed of limestone,
which removes
 sulfur
Coal cleaning Coal crushed and Sulfur dioxide
sulfur removed
Coal scrubbing Alkaline slurry: coal Sulfur dioxide
gas exposed to
limestone, which
removes sulfur into
sludge
Thermal exhaust CO reacted with CO
Reactor excess oxygen to
produce CO2
Lean-burn engines Ratio of NOx to CO NOx or CO
altered; one
reduced but other
increased
Catalytic converter NOx catalyzed NOx and CO
(using palladium,
platinum, or
rhodium) with CO
to produce CO2 and
nitrogen

Nuclear Waste: Removal Processes

Type Process
High-Level Vitrification (waste is dried
and then melted, solidified in
steel, cooled, and buried in
geologically stable
conditions)
Low-Level Discharge into sea; cooled in
‘ponds’ and passed through
ion exchange to remove
strontium and cesium; kept in
concrete vaults
 When in doubt
The universal answer for reduction of
pollutants:
CUT BACK!!!

IV. Formulas

Creation of primary pollutants

Pollutant Man-Made Natural
CO C8H18 + 17/2 O2  8CO + CH4 + 3/2 O2  CO +
9H2O 2H2O
NOx N2 + O2  2NO Etc.
SO2 H2S + O2  H2 + SO2 S + O2  SO2

Alkaline Scrubbing:
CaCO3 + SO2  Ca SO3 + CO2
CaO + SO2  Ca SO3
2CaSO3 + O2 + 4H2O  2CaSO4.2H2O

Catalytic Conversion:
2CO + 2NO –platinum/rhodium/palladium –> 2CO2 + N2

Creation of Ozone w/UV catalyst

O2  2O∙
O∙ + O2  O3

Depletion of Ozone
Cause Formula(s)
Natural (UV) O3  O2 + O∙
O3 + O∙  2O2
CFCs CCl2F2  CClF2 + Cl∙
Cl∙ + O3  ClO∙ + O2
ClO∙ + O∙  Cl∙ + O2
Nitrogen oxides 2O3 –NO2—> 3O2
Formation of Secondary Pollutants
(pay especial attention to top and bottom rxns)
Nitrogen oxide radicalization NO2  NO + O∙
Hydroxyl radicalization O∙ + H2O  2OH∙
Nitric Acid formation OH∙ + NO2 HNO3
Radical Propagation OH∙ + RH  R∙ + H2O
Peroxide Radical formation R∙ + O2  ROO∙
PAN formation Peroxide radical + nitrogen
dioxide

Waste disposal is left to you, because it is relatively

straightforward and well-organized in the book.

Thank you and good luck!