Air pollution is defined as the introduction of harmful materials into the atmosphere, impacting health and the environment, with significant sources including industrial activities, transport emissions, and electricity generation. It affects vulnerable populations, contributing to respiratory issues, reduced quality of life, and economic costs related to health care and environmental damage. Different pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide, have specific health risks and environmental consequences, like acid rain and smog formation.

1. VCE Environmental Science: Unit 4
Area of Study 1: Pollution

2.  Air pollution is the “introduction of
chemicals, particulate matter or
biological materials that cause harm
or discomfort to humans or other
living organisms, or cause damage
to the natural or built environment,
into the atmosphere.”
 There is great concern over
deteriorating air quality as it can
contribute to many health problems
in our community, especially for the
very young, the elderly and those
who already have respiratory
problems.

3. 1. List in the chat window all the possible
sources of air pollution in your local area.

4. A. Industrial sources
B. Electricity generation
C. Transport emissions
D. All of the above

5.  Cancers and premature death
can also be attributed to poor air
quality.
 Air pollution not only has a real
health cost, it also has an
economic and environmental
cost.
 Economic effects include the
increased use of the health
system and reduced activity of
affected people, while
environmental effects include
damage to plants, animals and
man-made structures, such as
buildings and monuments.

7. Weather conditions can affect the amount
of pollution in the air:
 Wind
 Temperature
 Airpressure
 Cloud cover
 Fog, dew and frost
 Precipitation (rain, snow, hail)

8.  1. I think air pollution is getting worse
 2. Photochemical smog occurs where
there is lots of sunlight and high temps.
 3. The main component of smog is ozone
 4. Jogging on high smog days harms your
health
 5. Wood-heaters add fine particles to the
air
 6. Air quality could be improved if more
people used public transport.

9.  Larger particles in the air are readily washed out in
light rain. Fine and ultra fine particles require moderate
to heavy rain to be washed to the ground.
 It should be noted that pollutant gases are generally
not affected by light rain. However, nitrogen dioxide
dissolves in water and is washed to the ground.
Rainfall measurements will also be helpful in
interpreting other air pollution measurements.
 For example, if there was exposed soil, windy days
would cause much of this to be blown into the
atmosphere and raise particulate (PM) readings.
However, if there had been rain in the previous 48
hours, the soil may well stay put and hence, particulate
readings would be lower.

11.  Name as many as you can think of in the
chat window.

12.  Carbon monoxide and CO2
 Nitrogen oxides (esp. NO2)
 CFC’s
 Volatile Organic Compounds
 Ammonia
 Odours
 Particulate matter
 Pollen, dust-mites and other allergens
 Radioactive compounds
 Oxides of Sulphur (esp. SO2)

13.  It has been estimated that
there were more dioxins
released into the
atmosphere from the
fireworks in Sydney for the
commencement of the
year 2000 than was
released for the entire
year from industrial
sources. If this is so, why
is there such a focus on
industry, rather than other
sources for controlling
dioxins?

14.  CO is a colourless,
odourless, non-
irritating but very
poisonous gas.
 It is a product by
incomplete combustion
of fuel such as natural
gas, coal or wood.
 Vehicular exhaust is a
major source of carbon
monoxide.

15.  CO2 is a colourless,
odourless, non-toxic
greenhouse gas
associated with ocean
acidification, emitted
from sources such as
combustion of fossil
fuels, cement
production and
respiration.

16.  NOx, especially nitrogen
dioxide, are emitted from high
temperature combustion. They
can be seen as the brown haze
dome above or plume downwind
of cities.
 Nitrogen dioxide is a reddish-
brown toxic gas with a
characteristic sharp, biting
odour. NO2 is one of the most
prominent air pollutants, causing
respiratory illnesses and
reducing ventilation (air getting
to the lungs), especially in young
children, the elderly and those
with respiratory illnesses.

17.  NO2 is also a precursor to summer
smog, which is fast becoming a
major problem in our cities. The
NO2 in the atmosphere reacts with
oxygen (O2) in the air when it is
sunny and the temperatures are
high to form ozone (O3) — the
major component of summer
smog.
 Summer smog causes eye, nose
and throat irritation, damages the
respiratory tract and increases our
sensitivity to allergens.
 These oxides of nitrogen are
removed from the air by rain, by
plants and by contact with
surfaces.

18.  Chloroflourocarbons
(CFCs) are harmful to
the ozone layer
 They are emitted from
old aerosol cans and
refrigeration units.
 Banned from use
since 1989.

19.  VOCs include methane and
other hydrocarbons, such as
benzene, toluene and
xylene.
 VOCs are significant
greenhouse gases via their
role in creating ozone and in
prolonging the life of
methane in the atmosphere.
 VOC’s are suspected
carcinogens and may lead to
leukemia through prolonged
exposure.

20.  Ammonia is emitted from
agricultural processes and is
normally encountered as a gas with
a characteristic pungent odour.
 Ammonia contributes significantly to
the nutritional needs of terrestrial
organisms by serving as a precursor
to foodstuffs and fertilizers.
 Ammonia, either directly or
indirectly, is also a building block for
the synthesis of many
pharmaceuticals. Although in wide
use, ammonia is both caustic and
hazardous

21.  Odours are also
classified as air
pollutants and can
originate from:
 Garbage and landfills
 Sewage and treatment
plants
 Industrial processes
(milk and cheese
processing for example)
 Dairies, sheep-yards,
saleyards, zoos and
abattoirs

22.  Particulates, alternatively referred
to as particulate matter (PM) or fine
particles, are tiny particles of solid
or liquid suspended in a gas.
 In contrast, aerosol refers to
particles and the gas together.
Sources of particulate matter
can be man made or natural.
 Some particulates occur naturally,
originating from volcanoes, dust
storms, forest and grassland fires,
living vegetation, and sea spray.
 “Dirty Little Secrets” from ABC
Catalyst is about the effects of PM
on human health.
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stori
es/s1630007.htm

23.  Indoor particulate matter can include dust,
smoke, pollen, animal dander, tobacco
smoke, particles generated from combustion
appliances such as cooking stoves, and
particles associated with tiny organisms such
as dust mites, moulds, bacteria, and viruses.
 Outdoors, the anthropogenic sources of
particulate matter can be vehicle exhausts,
industrial processes, wood heaters, fuel-
reduction burning and power generation.

24. http://www.mde.state.md.us/programs/ResearchCenter/ReportsandPublicat
ions/Pages/ResearchCenter/publications/general/emde/vol1no12/particlepo
llution_photo.aspx

25.  Human activities, such as the
burning of fossil fuels in
vehicles, power plants and
various industrial processes also
generate significant amounts of
aerosols.
 Averaged over the globe,
anthropogenic aerosols—those
made by human activities—
currently account for about 10
percent of the total amount of
aerosols in our atmosphere.
 Increased levels of fine particles
in the air are linked to health
hazards such as heart disease,
altered lung function and lung
cancer.

26.  The increased rates of allergy and asthma in city
environments and in those living close to highways has drawn
attention to the role of outdoor pollution.
 Common air pollutants, such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, and
nitrogen dioxide probably act more as irritants than as
promoters of sensitization.
 These pollutants have been shown to be hazardous to adults
and children with asthma. Recent studies suggest that
prematurely born children are more sensitive to the respiratory
effects of outdoor pollution.
 There may also be an association with diesel exhaust particles
and the worldwide increase in respiratory allergies. Diesel
exhaust has been shown to enhance the ability to make the
allergy antibody, IgE, in response to exposure to allergens.

27. Indoor air pollution is among the
top five environmental health
risks.* Gaseous pollutants can be
released from furnishings and from
adhesives, paints, varnishes,
cleaning products and pesticides,
all of which contribute to poor
indoor air quality. Pollen, dust-mite
faeces, skin flakes, pet dander,
tobacco smoke and other
allergens can be reduced by
regular cleaning and adequate
ventilation. *http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airclean.html

28. Pollen is in the air seasonally,
with the amount varying from
one area to another,
depending on the types of wind
pollinating plants in the region
and the weather conditions.
For some people the amount of
pollen in the air has a direct
effect upon their health.
Airborne pollen on its own, or in
combination with fine particles
in the air, can influence the
incidence and severity of
asthma and hayfever in the
community.

29.  During and after rain (often
thunderstorms) some grains of
pollen burst, releasing the
allergen containing starch
granules. In Melbourne after
rain, air samples have been
shown to contain up to 50 times
more starch granules than air
sampled on a sunny day during
the grass pollen season. The
starch granules are small
enough to be breathed in and
can enter the bronchi (tubes to
the lungs), where they may
trigger allergic asthma.

31.  Produced by nuclear
explosions and
damaged nuclear
power plants, war
explosives and natural
processes such as the
radioactive decay of
radon.

32.  Oxides of Sulphur, especially
sulphur dioxide, a chemical
compound with the formula SO2
are common pollutants of the air.
SO2 is produced by volcanoes and
in various industrial processes.
 Since coal and petroleum often
contain sulphur compounds, their
combustion generates sulphfur
dioxide. Further oxidation of SO2,
usually in the presence of a
catalyst such as NO2, forms
H2SO4, and thus acid rain.

33.  Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a
colourless gas that is similar in
smell to a matchstick being
struck.
 As its name suggests it is a
compound consisting of sulphur
and oxygen, and has both
natural and anthropogenic or
man-made sources.
 It has significant health and
environmental effects, including
the formation of acid rain and
smog and influences global
warming.

34.  Sulphur dioxide consists of one atom
of sulphur bonded to two atoms of
oxygen. It is a strong, acrid smelling,
non-flammable gas.
 It reacts in the atmosphere to form
sulphur trioxide, and dissolves readily
in water vapour, forming sulphuric acid.
It can also attach to dust and soot
particles in the atmosphere to form
particulates.
 From these reactions, a wide range of
effects are possible, including the
formation of pollutants that influence
both human health and environmental
processes.

35.  Sulphur dioxide is formed through a
number of pathways, including the burning
of sulphur in the presence of oxygen and
the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide,
commonly emitted from wetlands.
 Natural sources include volcanoes, forest-
fires, oceans and decaying plant matter.
These outweigh anthropogenic sources,
with volcanic activity producing about 20%
of the global total.
 In Australia, the two main anthropogenic
sources are power stations and metal
manufacturing, while smaller sources
include home-heating, chemical production
and transportation emissions.

36.  Sulphur dioxide is a
naturally occurring
compound with a
number of 'sinks' or
areas that can absorb
excess amounts thus
reducing its abundance
in the environment,
such as the oceans,
wetlands and lakes.

37.  This phenomenon results
when sulphur dioxide
dissolves in moisture in the air,
forming sulphur acids, which
eventually fall to the surface of
the earth as acid rain.
 Acid rain directly attacks the
protective coating of plants,
acidifies lakes and soils which
may result in the formation of
substances that are toxic to
plants and animals.

38.  This has been a major problem in
northern USA, Canada and
Scandinavia, where forests have
been severely damaged, but
fortunately regulations are improving
emission standards, and reducing the
incidence of acid rain.
 Coal mined in Australia is typically
low in sulphur; therefore emissions
are usually not a problem.
 We also have large sinks (oceans) in
the southern hemisphere which
assists to reduce the effects.

40.  In addition to damaging
living organisms, acid rain
can have a severe effect
on buildings made of
marble or limestone.
Commonly used in statues
and older buildings, these
materials slowly dissolve
under acidic conditions
leading to structural failure.
This has been a significant
problem in Europe with
many old buildings made
of marble and limestone.

41.  The presence of high levels of sulphur
dioxide has a negative effect on human
health and society.
 Inhaled sulphur dioxide quickly
dissolves with moisture on the lining of
the lungs and nose, burning the mucous
membranes. This is clear to anyone who
accidentally inhales the smoke from a
match being struck.
 Chronic - or long-term - exposure to high
levels of SO2 leads to breathing
problems and respiratory illnesses such
as asthma, bronchitis as well as heart
disease.
 Children tend to more vulnerable due to
less developed lungs.

49.  http://www.npi.gov.au/students/sulfur-
dioxide.html
 http://www.npi.gov.au/substances/sulfur-
dioxide/index.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide
 http://science.howstuffworks.com/natur
e/climate-weather/atmospheric/acid-
rain.htm