McClain
Pollution Flashcards
McClain
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Clean Air Act
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A U.S. law that authorizes the EPA to set limits on the amount of specific air
pollutants that are permitted everywhere in the United States
Focuses on six air pollutants (lead, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide,
carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and ozone)
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Dust Dome
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A dome of heated air that surrounds an urban area and contains a lot of air
pollution
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Primary Pollutants
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Is injected into the atmosphere directly.
Examples are carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxide, VOCs, and particulate matter.
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SecondaryPollutants
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Formed in the atmosphere during chemical and
photochemical reactions with primary pollutants.
Examples are ozone, sulfuric acid, and nitrogen dioxide.
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Electrostatic Preceptor
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An air pollution control device that gives ash a positive electrical charge so that it adheres to
negatively charged plates
Used in smelting and other combustible processes to remove dust, sulfuric acid & lead
oxide. Some home purifiers/filters use this process, but produces ozone (bad for lungs)
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Green House Gases
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The gases that absorb infrared radiation, which include carbon
dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and
tropospheric ozone, all of which are accumulating in the atmosphere as a
result of human activities
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Hydrocarbons
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A diverse group of organic compounds that contain
only hydrogen and carbon
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Industrial Smog
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The traditional, London-type smoke pollution,
which consists principally of sulfur oxides and particulate matter
Smog is the brown-colored haze which hangs in the air over industrial areas. It is often visible over cities, particularly in summer
when the particles in smog catch the light.
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Nitrogen
oxides
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Gases produced by the chemical interactions between nitrogen and
oxygen when a source of energy, such as combustion of fuels, produces high
temperatures
Often referred to as Nox
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Particulate Matter
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Solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in the
atmosphere
Often referred to as PM
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Persistent Organic
Pollutants
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A group of persistent, toxic, chemicals that bioaccumulate in organisms and can
travel long distances through air and water to contaminate sites far removed
from their source; some disrupt the endocrine system, cause cancer, or adversely affect the developmental
processes of organisms
Also referred to as POPs
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Photochemical Smog
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A brownish orange haze formed by complex chemical reactions involving
sunlight, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons
some of the pollutants in photochemical smog include peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs), ground
level ozone, and aldehydes
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Reading Prong
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Stretches from near Reading Pennsylvania, through northern New Jersey and southern
New York.
Soil contains elevated concentrations of uranium, the decay of which produces
gaseous radon which seeps into houses and long term exposure results in lung cancer.
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Radon
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A radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as an indirect decay
product of uranium. Some level of radon will be found in all homes. Radon mostly enters a home
directly from the soil through the lowest level in the home that is in contact with the ground. Typical
entry points of radon into homes are cracks in solid foundations, construction joints, cracks in walls,
gaps in suspended floors, gaps around service pipes, cavities inside walls, and the water supply.
Is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US.
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Sick Building
Syndrome
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Eye irritations, nausea, headaches, respiratory infections, depression,
and fatigue caused by the presence of air pollution inside
office buildings
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Stockholm Convention on
Persistent Organic
Pollutants
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An international (UN) treaty effective in 2004 whose goal is to phase out the use of at least 12
persistent toxic chemicals (POPs), including PCBs, dioxins and furans (chemical contaminants), and DDT
and eight other pesticides
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Thermal
Inversion
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A layer of cold air temporarily trapped near the ground by a
warmer, upper layer (acts like a cape & locks in smog). If this phenomenon persists, air pollutants may build up to harmful or even dangerous levels.
Common in Los Angeles
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Urban Heat
Islands
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Local heat buildup in an area of high population density with lots of dark
surfaces (roads & buildings) that lowers albedo & buildings block wind
circulation. Green space & green roofs helps reduce heat buildup.
Often hotter downtown than in surrounding suburbs.
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Cultural Eutrophicati
on
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Also known as Artificial Eutrophication.
Over-nourishment of an aquatic ecosystem by nutrients such as nitrates
and phosphates. In this event, the pace of eutrophication
is rapidly accelerated due to human activities such as agriculture and
discharge from sewage treatment plants
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Biological Oxygen Demand
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Also known as BOD.
The amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms (BACTERIA) to
decompose the organic material (dead things and poop) in a given volume of
water.
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Oxygen Sag
Curve
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The curve obtained when the concentration of dissolved oxygen in a river into which sewage or some other pollutant has been discharged is plotted against the distance downstream
from the sewage outlet. The presence of sewage reduces the oxygen content of the
water and increases the biochemical oxygen demand. This is due to the action of bacteria
that decompose the organic matter in the sewage and in the process use up the
available oxygen.
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Ocean Acidificati
on
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Decrease in pH in the oceans caused by the intake of CO2
from the atmosphere. Creates carbonic acid (H2CO3).
Dissolves calcium carbonate which is what coral reefs &
shells are made of.
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Bioremediation
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A method employed to clean up a hazardous waste site that uses microorganisms to break
down the toxic pollutants.
Genetic engineering is helping create organisms that can
bioremediate.
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Manure Lagoon
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Is storage for the waste products from the animals on
the farm. As it undergoes aerobic respiration, the
byproduct can be used to produce fertilizer and even
electricity.
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Clean Water
Act
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A U.S. law that has two basic goals:
Created in 1972 & amended in 1977, 1981, & 1987
1. To eliminate the discharge of pollutants in U.S. waterways
2. To attain water quality levels that make these waterways safe to fish and swim in.
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Eutrophic Lake
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A lake enriched with nutrients such as nitrates and
phosphates and consequently overgrown with plants or algae
(blooms); LOW dissolved oxygen (DO); fish kills result
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Fecal Coliform
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Coliform bacteria generally originate in the intestines of
warm-blooded animals. A test can indicate of fecal contamination
with E.coli
Contamination usually comes from human sewage, livestock, and pet
waste (dog & bird poop are common)
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Sludge
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Soft semi-solid precipitate produced
from sewage treatment plants and other
processes.
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Hypoxia
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LOW dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations that occur in many
bodies of water when nutrients stimulate the growth of algae that
subsequently die and are decomposed by oxygen-using
bacteria (decomposition).Creates “dead zones”
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Non-Point Source
Pollution
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Pollutants that enter bodies of water over large areas rather than being concentrated at a
single point of entry.
Example: Cars on roads leak oil as they drive around all day/everyday…rain
washes oil into water systems
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Oligotrophic Lake
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A lake that has minimal (few) nutrients but high dissolved
oxygen. Usually clear & often used as drinking water. Has
slow growth rate & low population density.
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Point Source
Pollution
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Water pollution that can be traced to a specific spot (such as a factory or sewage treatment plant) because it is discharged into the environment through
pipes, sewers, or ditches
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Primary Sludge
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A slimy mixture of bacteria-laden solids that settles out
from sewage wastewater during primary treatment
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Primary Treatme
nt
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Also known as “mechanical treatment” or screening.
Treating wastewater by removing gross suspended and floating large particles by mechanical processes.
Large particles can include toilet paper and other trash.
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Secondary
Treatment
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Treating wastewater biologically, by using microorganisms to
decompose the suspended organic material (poop, food waste & soaps); occurs after primary
treatment
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Secondary
Treatment
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Biological solids are neutralized, then disposed of or reused; the treated
water is disinfected either chemically (ozone or chlorine) or physically
(lagoons or microfiltration).
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Leachate
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A liquid that has drained through solid waste and
contains undesirable material as a result.
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Red Tide
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A red, orange, or brown coloration of water caused by a bloom, or population explosion, of algae called dinoflagulates.
They produce natural toxins, deplete dissolved oxygen, and have caused fish, birds, & mammal deaths. Produce a gas that irritates eyes and lungs. Red tide can end up in filter feeders like oysters and make people sick if they eat them.
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Thermal
Pollution
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Water pollution that occurs when heated water produced during many industrial processes is released into waterways.
The water is used to COOL coal & nuclear power plants (and other industries like steel) and the heated water is released
into nearby waterways. The hot water is LOW in oxygen, and the large
temperature difference kills fish.
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Bottom Ash
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The residual ash left and stays at the bottom of an incinerator during coal
combustion.
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Fly Ash
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The portion of the ash that escapes out the chimney (flue)
of an incinerator during coal combustion.
That ash can be trapped using electrostatic precipitators to
prevent air pollution.
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Municipal Solid Waste
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Solid waste generated in homes, office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, prisons, libraries, and other commercial and
institutional facilities.
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Non-Municipal
Solid Waste
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Solid waste generated by industry,
agriculture, and mining
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Photodegradable
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Breaking down upon exposure to sunlight.
Plastics are photodegradable (not a full degrade…small
pieces are left & can be eaten by animals)
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Polychlorinated
biphenyls
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Also called PCBsChlorine-containing organic compounds that enjoyed a wide variety of industrial
uses like coolant fluids until their dangerous properties, slow to degrade
and therefore persist in the environmentCauses CANCER
Banned by the United States Congress in 1979 and by the
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
in 2001
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Dioxins
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Produced by anthropogenic and natural (volcanoes) processes. Produced during
smelting, chlorine bleaching of paper, production of herbicides & pesticides.
Largest source is from solid waste & hospital waste incinerators. Accumulates in the food
web, 90% of human exposure comes from food (meat, dairy, & fish).
Can cause skin lesions, alter liver function, impair immune & reproductive systems, and
cancer.
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Sanitary
Landfill
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The most common method of disposal of solid waste by compacting it and burying it under a shallow layer
of soil.
Produces large amounts of methane once buried as bacteria break down the materials.
Landfills account for 1/3 of all methane emissions in the US. Methane is vented using pipes. Researching technology to capture &
use the methane.
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Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act (CERCLA)
(Superfund Act)
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A U.S. law which established a program to tackle the huge challenge of cleaning up abandoned and illegal toxic waste sites across the United States. Money comes
from a tax on chemical & petroleum companies.
Created after discovery of a toxic waste dump was under Love Canal,New York. People had
unknowingly built houses & a school on the dump and many became very sick & died. Then people
were stuck in houses they could not sell.
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LD50
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Lethal Dose that kills 50% of population of test
organisms
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ED50
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Effective Dose that causes side effect in
50% of the population of test organisms
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Teratogen
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Agents that result in fetal/birth defect.
Examples: Thalidomide (sedative was used during pregnancy) Measles causes deafness
Alcohol causes Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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Acid Depositi
on
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Also known as Acid Rain
Primary pollutants, sulfates & nitrogen combine with water in atmosphere to form sulfuric acid (H2SO4) & nitric acid vapor
(HNO3)
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Aerosols
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Solid particles & droplets suspended in the
atmosphere.
Can help COOL earth (like clouds do)
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Asbestos
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A naturally occurring fibrous mineral that is flame/fire
resistant previously used as insulation for pipes &
housing. Carcinogen causes mesothelioma.
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Carbon monoxi
de
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A colorless, odorless gas that results when fossil fuels are
not fully combusted. Causes headaches, dizziness, loss of
consciences, & death. Malfunctioning heating systems in houses have caused many deaths…a silent killer because you don’t realize you are being
exposed usually until it is too late.
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Carbonic
Acid
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Formed when water reacts with carbon dioxide…lowers
pH of water (acidic).
The oceans have absorbed almost half of CO2 emitted by humans. Has lowered the world ocean pH by 0.1 and is called ocean acidification.
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Chlorofluorocarbons
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Also known as CFCs.
Primary human-made compounds involved in the depletion of the ozone. Chlorines in CFCs break O3 bonds. 1 CFC and destroy 100,000
ozone molecules. They are commonly used as refrigerants in air conditioners, refrigerators,
and aerosol propellants. Banned by Montreal Protocol (UN treaty).
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Hydro chlorofluorocarb
ons
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Also known as HCFCs
Manmade compounds have potential to react with stratospheric ozone. Because they have a shorter atmospheric lifespan
than CFCs, they tend to break down in the troposphere before delivering
reactive chlorine to the stratosphere (to break O3 bonds). A CFC alternative.
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Hydrofluorocarbons
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Also known as HFCs
Manmade compounds that contain NO chlorine and do NOT directly affect
stratospheric ozone. Viewed as acceptable long-term alternative to CFCs and HCFCs. But HFCs DO contribute to
global warming.
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Ground-level
Ozone
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A secondary pollutant found in the troposphere (where we live), considered a pollutant. Formed by sunlight reacting with NOx and VOCs.
Is a major component of photochemical smog, and causes
respiratory and plant damage.
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Ice Core
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A sample of ice that is typically drilled and removed from an ice sheet,
usually the polar caps of Antarctica or Greenland. Layers of the ice core are
analyzed for trapped gas and deposits, which give an accurate
representation of historical climate & can be used to develop a climate
record.
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Peroxyacetyl nitrate
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Also known as PAN
Produced by reaction of some volatile organic hydrocarbons (VOCs) with oxygen and nitrogen dioxide (NOx),
partially responsible for some negative effects of smog. Can
decrease lung capacity and may cause emphysema.
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SOx
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The gases containing sulfur and oxygen (includes many combinations)
that play a role in industrial smog. Present in crude oil & coal and SOx is released when they are burned. They include sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur
trioxide (SO4).
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Volatile Organic
Compounds
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Also known as VOCs
Unstable substances that can be released as gases from a wide variety of products,
including carpeting, paints, aerosol sprays, cleaning products, building supplies,
pesticides, printers, glues, wood preservatives, moth balls, and air fresheners. Examples:
formaldehyde, acetone, and benzene. Causes eye, nose, throat irritation, headache, liver &
kidney damage, nausea, and cancer.
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Volatile Organic
Compounds
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Also known as VOCs
Unstable substances that can be released as gases from a wide variety of products,
including carpeting, paints, aerosol sprays, cleaning products, building supplies,
pesticides, printers, glues, wood preservatives, moth balls, and air fresheners. Causes eye,
nose, throat irritation, headache, liver & kidney damage, nausea, and cancer.
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Minamata
Disease
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27 tons of mercury-containing compounds from industrial processes were dumped into Minamata Bay, Japan between 1932-1968.
The mercury collected (bioaccumulated) in fish & shellfish
caught in the bay.
Symptoms include blurred vision, hearing loss, blindness, loss of muscular coordination, reproductive disorders, death. Over 2,500
victims were mainly children born with it.
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Exxon Valdez
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In 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez spilled up to 30 million gallons of oil into Prince William
Sound, Alaska. About 250,000 sea birds, 3,000 sea otters, 300 seals, 300 bald eagles, 22 whales died along with billions of salmon
and herring eggs. After this spill, the US requires all tankers to have a double hull to
prevent the same kinds of accidents.
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Hole in Ozone
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Has caused: Increased skin cancer rates, sunburn rates, cataracts, crop
damage, reduction in crop production, increase mutation rates &
chromosomal damage, & climate change.
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Reducing Ozone
Depletion
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Tariffs on products produced in countries that allow the use of CFCs.
Use of HCFCs instead of CFCs.
Use of helium, ammonia, propane, or butane as a coolant alternatives
Tax credits for turning in old refrigerators and air conditions
Support legislation that reduces ozone-destroying products.
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Impacts of Global Warming
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Shutdown of thermocline circulation (ocean conveyor belt)
Increased wild fires & pest infection
Methane released from melting permafrost
Decreased agriculture productivity
Destabilization of governments
Rise in sea levels
Ocean acidification: Increased CO2
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Thermohaline
Circulation
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Another name for theOcean Conveyor Belt
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Montreal
Protocol
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1989: An agreement among nations requiring
the phase-out of chemicals that damage the ozone
layer (CFCs)
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Kyoto Protocol
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International treaty on industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (especially CO2). Problem is
that developing countries do NOT have target amounts for reduction, but are to
work to reduce emissions. The US disagrees with not forcing developing countries not having targets and have
refused to ratify (sign/agree) the protocol.
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International Panel on Climate Change
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Also called the IPCC
An international scientific intergovernmental body under the UN. It produces reports that
supports the UNFCCC’s goal. Leading climatologists & other scientists write summary reports for policymakers.
Its focus is on:1. Human-induced climate change2. The impacts of human-induced climate change3. Options for adaptation & mitigation
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United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate
Change
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Also called the UNFCCC
The IPCC produces reports that supports the UNFCCC’s (formally known as Earth Summit)
goal. The UNFCCC is a treaty among UN countries. The main goal of UNFCCC is to
stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations (CO2 in particular) in the atmosphere. It
later negotiated for the Kyoto Protocol (which the US refuses to agree to)
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