UNIT 7 Maintaining Air Quality

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UNIT 7Maintaining Air Quality
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Air Quality Important Terms

• Air is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, mixture
  of gases. Mixture of 78 percent nitrogen, 21
  percent oxygen, and 1 percent mixture of argon,
  carbon dioxide, neon, helium, and other gases.
• Ozone a compound that exists in limited
  quantities about 15 miles above the Earths
  surface.
• Particulates a form of pollution consisting of
  small particles that are suspended in air.
• Pesticides chemicals used to control pests.
• Toxic a pesticide or other material that is
  poisonous or harmful to an organism other than
  the targeted organism.
• Greenhouse effect a build up of heat at the
  earths surface.

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Air Quality

• Without a reasonable balance of air, water, and
  soil, most organisms would perish. Slight changes
  in the composition of air or water may favor some
  organisms, whereas causing others to diminish in
  numbers or in health.
• The mixture of gases we call air is absolutely
  essential for life. The air we breathe should be
  healthful and life supporting. Air must contain
  21 percent oxygen for human survival. If a human
  stops breathing, the brain will die in
  approximately 4-6 minutes.
• The circumference around the world is 24,000
  miles. The abuse of the atmosphere in one area
  frequently damages the environment in distant
  parts of the world. This is due to air movement
  that follows somewhat constant patterns and air
  pollution will move according to these patterns.

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Objective 1

• The learner will identify major sources of air
  pollution.

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There are major worldwide threats to air quality.
These threats include

• Threat
• Sulfur a pale yellowish element occurring widely
  in nature. Combines with oxygen to form harmful
  gases, such as sulfur dioxide.
• Cause
• Present in coal and crude oil. Exhaust from
  homes, factories, or motor vehicles.
• Result
• Can form acid rain which can kill trees and
  plants and be corrosive to metals.

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• Threat
• Hydrocarbons byproducts of combustion or
  burning.
• Cause
• Factories and motor vehicles.
• Result
• Air pollution (smog) around high traffic and
  industrial areas.
• Threat
• Nitrous Oxides compounds containing nitrogen and
  oxygen.
• Cause
• Automobiles, make up to 5 of the pollutants in
  automobile exhaust. Most difficult and costly
  pollutant to remove from automobile exhaust.
  (controlled by catalytic converters).
• Result
• Damages the atmosphere.

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• Threat
• Carbon Monoxide Product of vehicle exhaust.
  Harmful in contained areas- garages.
• Cause
• One of the automobile gases that can not be
  removed with our present technology.
• Result
• Colorless, odorless, and poisonous gas that kills
  people.
• Threat
• Radon Colorless, radioactive gas.
• Cause
• Formed by disintegration of radium. Harmful when
  accumulated in building with cracks in the
  basement wall and floors.
• Result
• Can cause lung cancer.

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• Threat
• Chlorofluorocarbons a group of compounds
  consisting of chlorine, fluorine, and hydrogen.
• Cause
• Found in some aerosol propellants and
  refrigeration gases.
• Result
• When released they float upward and can survive
  up to 100 years. The chlorine atoms destroy
  ozone.
• Threat
• Methane odorless and colorless gas
• Cause
• Comes from naturally decaying plant material,
  animal waste
• Result
• Toxic to humans in confined areas

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• Threat
• Pesticide Spray Material toxic material atomized
  in a spray that is carried in the air.
• Cause
• Commercial, agricultural, and residential
  spraying of pest.
• Result
• Toxic material in pesticide spray kill pest and
  can be harmful to humans and air quality.
• Threat
• Asbestos a heat and friction resistant material
• Cause
• Used in break and clutch pads, shingles, ceiling
  panels, and pipe insulation.
• Result
• Asbestos fibers cause damage to the lung, and
  cause disease and death.

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Objective 2

• The learner will describe the greenhouse effect
  and the affects of global warming

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Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming

• Greenhouse Effect
• The relationship between the Sun and the Earth
  is one that makes it possible for life to exist.
  If the balance changes, our environment could
  change. The greenhouse effect is the buildup of
  heat at the earths surface caused by energy from
  sunlight becoming trapped in the atmosphere.
• Global Warming
• As air pollution increases, the ozone layer
  decreases and global warming increases. Skin
  damaging and life threatening ultraviolet rays
  from the sun now reach the Earths surface with
  greater intensity than in the past. Big
  scientific debate and a source for many movies.

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Objective 3

• The learner will explain procedures for
  maintaining and improving air quality.

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Precautions Against Global Warming

• A gasoline lawnmower causes 50 times more
  pollution than a modern truck engine. A lawnmower
  running for 1 hour creates as much pollution as a
  car traveling 250 miles.
• A chain saw running 2 hours emits as much
  pollution as a new car driving from coast to
  coast across the U.S.

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Precautions Against Global Warming

• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Green plants can use some carbon dioxide from
  the air energy friendly alternatives to
  combustion is a must to curb this pollutant
  electric cars, wind turbines, and solar energy
  and some alternatives. CO2 is expected to
  account for 50 of the increase in global warming
  by 2020.

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• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Other propellants without CFCs are being used
  for pressurized spray containers and CFCs from
  refrigeration are now being recaptured before
  being discarded. Still, CFCs are expected to
  account for 25 of the increase in global warming
  by 2020.

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• Methane (CH)
• Methane rises from pits and piles of accumulated
  waste. Engineered systems are now being used to
  capture the methane gas and it can be used for
  fuel to drive engines to produce electricity and
  heat water for steam. Methane is expected to
  account for 15 of the increase in global warming
  by 2020.
• Nitrous Oxide (N2O)
• Troublesome pollutant from gasoline engines.
  Controlled by catalytic converters but they can
  only do so much vs. the number of vehicles in the
  world. Alternatives electric and solar cars.
  Hydrogen fuels for cars. N2O is expected to
  account for 10 of the increase in global warming
  by 2020.

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Maintaining and Improving Air Quality

• Steps that we all can take that could affect air
  quality
• Stop using CFCs.
• Provide adequate ventilation in tightly
  constructed and heavily insulated buildings.
• Have buildings checked for radon gas.
• Use exhaust fans to remove cooking oils,
  solvents, and sprays from interior areas.
• Clean and service furnaces and air conditioners.
• Maintain and improve all shop ventilation systems
  to control saw dust, paint and welding fumes.
• Keep gasoline and diesel engines properly tuned.
• Reduce outdoor burning.
• Reduce pesticide sprays. GMOs.
• Follow labels when mixing and spraying all
  pesticides.