Environmental Studies 502 Exam 1
ambient - ANS-outdoor air pollution
contaminant - ANS-anything added to the environment that causes a deviation
1970 Clean Air Act - ANS-many of the U.S.'s environmental laws happened after earth day
Greenhouse Effect - ANS-sun rays come in as ultraviolet rays and bounce back as infrared;
gets trapped in like a greenhouse effect
Carbon Dioxide - ANS-the goal used to be to break down pollutants into carbon dioxide
because it was not known to be a pollutant; now it is considered a greenhouse gas and a
leading cause of climate change
Before Industrial Revolution - ANS-- tribes were partly nomadic to get away from their waste
- fire without chimney
- natural gas is clean fuel
- things we saw as progress (ceramics and animal preservation) were actually bad for the air
What did chimneys do? - ANS-removed combustion products from inside to outside
The Industrial Revolution - ANS-- steam engine
- smoke and ash from fossil fuels by powerplants, trains, ships, and coal
- studies were done and found lots of dirty air but nothing was done
Smoke Abatement Era - ANS-- no penalties for violations in early laws
- stricter laws with penalties
- ore smelting era
- electricity powerplants
Disaster Era (1930s to now) - ANS-- Meuse Valley, Belgium
- 1st modern air pollution disaster
- river valley, densely populated
- highly industrialized
- winter, high barometric pressure
- thermal temperature inversion
Meuse Valley, Belgium (1930) - ANS-- highly industrialized
- temperature inversion
, - build up of SO2, H2O, and SO4
- 63 died
- sore throats, short breath, cough, phlegm, vomiting
Temperature Inversion - ANS-held pollution in valleys
Donora, Pennsylvania 1948 - ANS-- industrial town
- steep hills surrounding valley
- temperature inversion
- air fog lasted 4.5 days
- 1st time air pollution recognized as public health problem
- sulfur gases and particulates made sulfuric acid mist
Poza Rico, Mexico 1950 - ANS-- high sulfur flare
- inversion in valley
Great London Smog 1952 - ANS-- cold front, londoners burned soft coal
- factories, power plants
- public transportation stopped
- temperature inversion
Seveso, Italy - Dioxin - ANS-- a valve broke at chemical plant
- TCDD is a contaminant of herbicide
Effects of Dioxin - ANS-- industrial accidents
- animal experiments
- agent orange studies
Toxicity of TCDD - ANS-- necrosis of liver
- GI tract bleeding
- stomach ulcers
- anemia
Bhopal, India, 1984 - ANS-pesticide plant leak killed up to 2,000, injured lots, and left many with
permanent disabilities
made MIC - irritant to the lungs, caused them to fill with fluids
Seveso II - ANS-4% of farm animals dropped dead and the govt. killed the rest
Similarities among disasters - ANS-- winter months
- dense population
- heavy industrialization
- in valleys
- temperature inversion
ambient - ANS-outdoor air pollution
contaminant - ANS-anything added to the environment that causes a deviation
1970 Clean Air Act - ANS-many of the U.S.'s environmental laws happened after earth day
Greenhouse Effect - ANS-sun rays come in as ultraviolet rays and bounce back as infrared;
gets trapped in like a greenhouse effect
Carbon Dioxide - ANS-the goal used to be to break down pollutants into carbon dioxide
because it was not known to be a pollutant; now it is considered a greenhouse gas and a
leading cause of climate change
Before Industrial Revolution - ANS-- tribes were partly nomadic to get away from their waste
- fire without chimney
- natural gas is clean fuel
- things we saw as progress (ceramics and animal preservation) were actually bad for the air
What did chimneys do? - ANS-removed combustion products from inside to outside
The Industrial Revolution - ANS-- steam engine
- smoke and ash from fossil fuels by powerplants, trains, ships, and coal
- studies were done and found lots of dirty air but nothing was done
Smoke Abatement Era - ANS-- no penalties for violations in early laws
- stricter laws with penalties
- ore smelting era
- electricity powerplants
Disaster Era (1930s to now) - ANS-- Meuse Valley, Belgium
- 1st modern air pollution disaster
- river valley, densely populated
- highly industrialized
- winter, high barometric pressure
- thermal temperature inversion
Meuse Valley, Belgium (1930) - ANS-- highly industrialized
- temperature inversion
, - build up of SO2, H2O, and SO4
- 63 died
- sore throats, short breath, cough, phlegm, vomiting
Temperature Inversion - ANS-held pollution in valleys
Donora, Pennsylvania 1948 - ANS-- industrial town
- steep hills surrounding valley
- temperature inversion
- air fog lasted 4.5 days
- 1st time air pollution recognized as public health problem
- sulfur gases and particulates made sulfuric acid mist
Poza Rico, Mexico 1950 - ANS-- high sulfur flare
- inversion in valley
Great London Smog 1952 - ANS-- cold front, londoners burned soft coal
- factories, power plants
- public transportation stopped
- temperature inversion
Seveso, Italy - Dioxin - ANS-- a valve broke at chemical plant
- TCDD is a contaminant of herbicide
Effects of Dioxin - ANS-- industrial accidents
- animal experiments
- agent orange studies
Toxicity of TCDD - ANS-- necrosis of liver
- GI tract bleeding
- stomach ulcers
- anemia
Bhopal, India, 1984 - ANS-pesticide plant leak killed up to 2,000, injured lots, and left many with
permanent disabilities
made MIC - irritant to the lungs, caused them to fill with fluids
Seveso II - ANS-4% of farm animals dropped dead and the govt. killed the rest
Similarities among disasters - ANS-- winter months
- dense population
- heavy industrialization
- in valleys
- temperature inversion
