Air is a mixture of gases that surrounds Earth and makes up the atmosphere. It is critical for plants and animals to have clean air. Air pollution occurs when harmful materials become present in the air as a result of both human activities like burning fossil fuels and natural events like volcanic eruptions. Pollutants can damage human health through respiratory diseases and harm plants, animals, and other organisms. Standards are in place to regulate air quality and limit pollution.

4.  Air is the invisible, tasteless, and
I.
odorless mixture of gases that
surrounds us.
 The mass of air that surrounds the
earth forms the atmosphere. The
availability of quality air is critical to
both plants and animals.

5.  Without an
adequate amount
of clean air, both
would die.
 Air pollution is
the presence of
materials in the air
that damage air
quality.

6.  Much of the air pollution is a result of human
activity , however, some results from natural
events, such as volcanic action or the decay
of organic materials.
 An air pollutant is any material that causes
air pollution.
 Air can be divided into two basic categories.

7. › A. Ambient air –
Ambient air is the air or
atmosphere outside.
› This is the air that is most
important in air quality.
› The quality of ambient air
is affected by the
materials released into it
from various sources.

8. › B. Inside air – This category, as
the name suggests, includes the air
found inside buildings.
› The quality of air found inside of
buildings is of great importance as
well since most people spend a
larger portion of their day breathing
inside air than ambient air.

9.  II.The air contains a
relatively consistent mix of
gases in all places.
 Some variation of this mix
may be found based on the
local environment.
 The greatest concentration
of gases is near the surface
of the earth.

10.  As elevation increases, the air
decreases in density or becomes ―
thinner.‖
 About 95% of the total air mass is
within 12 miles of the earth.
 Some of the major gases found in
air are:

11. › A. Nitrogen (N)—78%
› B. Oxygen (O)—21%
› C. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) —.03%

12. › D. Argon—less than 1 %
› E. Other gases including
hydrogen, helium, and
neon—less than 1 %

13.  Much of the air pollution is a result of
human activity , however, some results
from natural events, such as volcanic
action or the decay of organic
materials.
 An air pollutant is any material that
causes air pollution.

14.  I. Once the air becomes polluted, it is
often very difficult to remove the
sometimes dangerous materials from
the air.
 There are two major types of air
pollutants. They are gases and
particulate matter.

15.  A. Gases- Gas pollutants are difficult to
identify because, like gases normally
found in air, pollutants that are gases are
colorless and odorless.
 Also, gases remain in the atmosphere for
years. Unlike other types of pollutants,
gases do not settle out of the air.
 There are several classifications of gas
pollutants. Some of the major ones are:

16.  1. Carbon Forms- The most common
carbon gases in the air are
hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide
(CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
 These pollutants are released
through the process of combustion or
burning of materials that contain
carbon and the petroleum industry.

17.  a. Hydrocarbons are classified as
volatile organic compounds (VOC).
 A volatile organic compound is any
compound containing carbon that
participates in photochemical reactions
in the atmosphere.

18.  Photochemical reactions are reactions
that are initiated by the sun.
 A common form of this reaction is
photochemical smog.
 Smog is a mixture of carbon dioxide and
sulfur dioxide.

19.  b. The use of engines that use
gasoline or other fuels take oxygen
from the air and release carbon
gases into it.
 One poisonous gas produced in this
process is carbon monoxide. This gas
damages the ability of the human
blood to carry oxygen. It is critically
important that when operating an
engine it is done in a well-ventilated
area.

20.  2. Sulfur oxides-Sulfur that is found in the
air is most often found in its oxide form.
 Common sulfur oxides that are found in
the air include sulfur dioxide(SO2) and
sulfur trioxide(SO3).
 When the amount of sulfur reaches a
certain level it can be detected by the
presents of a “rotten egg –type” odor.
 Higher levels of sulfur can cause lung
damage.

21.  a. Sulfur dioxide is produced when fuels
containing sulfur are burned in the
presence of oxygen.
 Common fuels that contain sulfur are
coal and oil.

22.  b. Sulfur trioxide is able to combine with
water vapor to form sulfuric acid
(H2SO4).
 This is very strong acid that can quickly
react with materials when contract is
made.
 Rain containing sulfuric acid is known
as acid rain. Acid rain can cause
damage to plants and property.

23.  3. Nitrogen oxides- nitrogen oxides
are formed during combustions
when nitrogen in fuel combines with
oxygen.
 Common forms of nitrogen oxides
are nitrogen monoxide (NO) and
nitrogen dioxide ( NO2). The effects
of nitrogen oxides are similar to those
of of sulfur oxides.

24.  4. Photochemical oxidants are
formed by the interaction of nitric
acid, sunlight, and hydrocarbons.
 These materials are the primary
ingredients in smog.
 A major produce to the reaction is
ozone (O3).
 Ozone provides a protective shield
around the earth, but also can cause
problems for living organisms.

25.  B. Particulate Matter- particulate
includes small particles similar to dust
and droplets of liquid.
 Smoke from factories, burning trash, and
forest fires, as well as dust from roads and
mines, are sources of solid particles.

26.  II.
Air pollution can
have devastating
effects on the quality
of life for humans and
other organisms alike.

27.  A. Human health
problems- A variety of
human health problems
are related to air
pollution.
 Most are respiratory
diseases.
 Some of the more
common diseases that
can be related to air
pollution include:

28.  Lung Cancer
 Emphysema
 Bronchitis
 Blacklung
diseases

29.  These diseases, as well as others, can
occur when pollutants are inhaled.
 When in the lungs, the pollutants
interfere with with the exchange of
gases.
 The area inside of the lungs where
the gases are exchanged is large
and contains may tiny alveoli.

30.  Alveoli are air-containing cells found in
the lungs.
 It is the thin membranes between the
alveoli and blood vessels where gas
exchange occurs.
 Some pollutants increase the liquid in the
lungs and impair the exchange of gases.
 The human body does have a few
natural defense against air pollutants.
 The first point where air is cleansed
before reaching the lungs is the nostrils.

31.  Nostrils - They have small hairs
and moist membranes that
filter dust and some gases.
 Materials that get past the
small hairs may be absorbed
by the mucous membranes.
 They become trapped and
are then either blown or
swallowed.

32.  Other animals- pollution may injure
farm animals, pets, wildlife, and other
animals in ways similar to that of
humans.
 Additionally, animals that have feed
produced in areas near high air
pollution may be poisoned by what
they eat.
 Acid rain can also destroy wild fish
population in lakes and streams if in a
strong enough concentration.

33.  Plants and other organisms - Air
pollution may cause damage to
fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees,
lawn grasses, and other plants.
 Several pollutants can destroy leaf
tissue in plants.
 This results in the plant not being
able to manufacture the needed
chlorophyll.

34.  I. An air quality standard is the
maximum level of atmospheric pollution
allowed at one time in a geographical
area.
 These standards, which are called the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
(NAAQS), are set by the Environmental
Protection Agency.
 These are designed to set limits on the
amount of pollution allowed in the air
and to force those who pollute the air to
stop.

35.  A. The standards found within the
NAAQS are grouped into two sets.
 These are called primary and secondary
standards.
› 1. Primary standards deal with safe limits
of pollution from the standpoint of
human health.
› 2. Air pollution standards that deal with
limits on non-health effects, such as
damage to crops, property, and wildlife
are called secondary standards.

36.  II. Most forms of air pollution are not
visible to the human eye.
 Therefore, special equipment is needed
to detect the presence of pollutants in
the air.
 In addition to proper equipment,
technicians must receive special
training in order to operate the
equipment and evaluate the results
correctly.

37.  Samples of ambient air are
sometimes collected with an air
pollution sampling pump.
 This pump collects and measures
the quantity of air being sampled.
 The sample is passed into special
absorbing solution.

38. The solution is then
chemically analyzed to
detect any pollutant that is
present.
Different solutions are
needed to test for various
pollutants.

39.  B. Point source air pollution is a specific
place where air pollution originates.
 Point sources are identifiable and
discrete (separate and distinct).
 These sites produce emissions that are
usually required to be monitored to
measure the amount of pollutants
released.

40.  An emission is gas-borne
pollutant that is released into
the air.
 Monitoring point source air
pollution involves using
complex sampling techniques
to get information.
 The EPA sets specific methods
that must be followed to
monitor point air pollution.

41.  III. Air pollutants can be measured in
three different ways. They are:
› A. Volume per volume - Volume per volume
measurement is the number of parts of a
pollutant in the air.
› Often parts are expressed as parts per million
or ppm.

42.  B. Weight per volume-
Weight per volume
measurement is the weight
of pollutant in a cubic
meter.
 It is used to measure the
concentration of a
pollutant in the air and is
stated as micrograms per
cubic meter (ug/m3).

43.  C. Dimension measurement- Dimensions
are used to measure solid particles in the
air.
 These small particles are known as
particulate.
 These particles are measured in microns
or micrometers (um), or one-millionth of a
meter.
 Fine particulate of less than 2.5 um is
more dangerous to human health than
larger particulate.

44.  III.As discussed earlier in this lesson,
air pollution can cause severe
damage to living organisms.
 Although we can never completely
eliminate air pollution, there are
several things that people can do
to reduce the amount of pollution
found in the atmosphere.

45.  A. Controlling emissions - There are
several ways that people can work to
reduce the amount of emissions placed
in the air supply.
 Scrubbers can be used on factory stacks
to remove gases and particulate. People
could use fuels that produce less sulfur.
 Also by maintaining engines in good
working order, less fuel is burned and
fewer pollutants are place in the
environment.

46.  B. Reusing and Recycling - By
reusing an recycling products, the
pollutants that would have been
released in the manufacturing of
new products is avoided.
 Recycling a product requires more
activity than reusing a product.
 However, the recycling process
does not create as much pollution
as initial manufacturing.

47.  C. Practicing Safety - By following
basic safety guidelines with handling
products, fewer accidents will occur.
 This can reduce the amount of
pollutants that are released into the
air.
 Also, when working in areas of high
air pollution , people should wear
proper safety equipment to avoid
health related problems.