Activity 3.3.1 Air Pollution Core Activity

Air Pollution Basics When coal, oil and other fossil fuels are burned it releases Sulfur Pollutants like sulfur dioxide and it can combine with water droplets to form sulfuric acid which then leads to acid rain that destroys our environment. Acid rain damages forests, buildings, monuments and poison lakes. Freeman also adds that acid rain affects human health, irritating lungs and making the conditions of asthma worse. (freeman p.268) Nitrogen Pollutants, mostly known as nitrogen oxides are produced by power plants, industrial facilities and car engines when they are burning fuel. These gases contribute to acid rain and formulate ground level ozones that are harmful to breathe. Over time, they can also lead to respiratory problems and harm ecosystems by making soil and water too acidic. (Freedman, p. 370) Have you ever been to a big city and the air felt hazy? Well it is probably because of the big traffic releasing high levels of Nitrogen pollutants. Vehicle exhaust, industrial pollutants, and even commonplace items like paint and cleaning supplies release Hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds and, under many cities, photochemical smog which is a dense, brownish haze is produced when VOCs combine with nitrogen oxides under the sun. Long-term lung damage, eye irritation, and breathing problems can all be brought on by smog. Natural sources such as wetlands also release certain volatile organic compounds. These pollutants are especially dangerous because they don’t just affect air quality—they can also contribute to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere. (Freedman, p. 373) Air Quality Index We use The Air Quality Index as a tool to communicate how polluted the current air is or it predicts the forecast. The complex air quality data is translated and divided into six color coded categories. The first is green 0-50 and this means the air quality is great! Then there's 51-100 (yellow) meaning the air quality is moderate and acceptable. 101-150 (orange) means the air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups. 151-200 (red) everyone may begin to experience health effects and it is not hea;thy to breathe outside. 201-300 (purple) it is very unhealthy and there are health warnings where everyone may suffer serious health effects. Finally 301-500 (maroon) at this point it's hazardous and emergency conditions and health effects across the population. Comparison of Current AQI Time of Day AQI Current AQI Forecast PM2.5 O3 Pawnee country (highest) 3pm 170 Very unhealthy 10 55 Fort Collins Colorado (Where I Live) 4:00 pm 42 Good 5.1 104 Los Angeles, CA 3:00pm 68 Moderate 31 38 Source: Los Angeles Data Highest in US Map Where I Live Data Links to an external site. The data I collected shows that Pawnee County has the highest AQI at 170, categorized as "Very Unhealthy." This means that air pollution levels are high enough to cause serious health effects for everyone, particularly sensitive groups like children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions. The primary pollutant contributing to this poor air quality is ozone (O3), measured at 55. PM-2.5 PM2.5 denotes fine particulate matter that measures 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter. These minuscule particles are small enough to be inhaled deep into the lungs and can even penetrate the bloodstream, resulting in serious health complications. PM2.5 is produced by various sources, including vehicle emissions, industrial activities, wildfires, and domestic actions such as wood burning or cooking. Due to their tiny size, PM2.5 presents considerable health dangers, encompassing respiratory problems, heart diseases, and exacerbated conditions for people suffering from asthma or other pulmonary disorders. Prolonged exposure can cause lasting health issues, such as lung cancer and diminished lung capacity. Ozone (O3) Ozone (O₃) consists of three oxygen atoms and is a gas. It occurs in both the stratosphere, the upper layer of the Earth's atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone creates the ozone layer, which protects us from dangerous ultraviolet radiation, whereas ground-level ozone is a detrimental air contaminant. Comparison of Current PM2.5 and O3 to EPA Standards National Standard San Antonio Current measured over 1 hour Time of Day PM2.5 Average measured over 24 hours - 35 μg/m3 35.0µg/m3 4pm O3 Average measured over 8 hours - 70 ppb (137 µg/m3) 12.ppm 9.0 pg/m3 (annual average) 4:00pm Source:Texas commission on Environmental quality. Works cited Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. Halifax, Canada: Dalhousie University Libraries. https://gispub.epa.gov/airnow/?contours=ozonepm&xmin=-10999793.173615675&xmax=-10750914.209519263&ymin=4243657.077759096&ymax=4426800.19753029 https://www.proquest.com/docview/1898093050/E3AAC90953CB49FFPQ/1?accountid=5482&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

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