AIM: What are the effects of air pollution on human health and the environment

Do Now: Describe some ways in which air pollution can affect our health.

HW: Article and Questions #2 due Friday

Humans

• Can cause respiratory disease–Bronchitis-

bronchi inflamed–Emphysena- air

sacs break down–Cancer-

uncontrolled cell growth

Plants

• Brittle stems

• 10 billion dollars of crops lost each year

Animals

• Eye and lung irritation

• cancer

Air pollution can also be absorbed into the grass!!!

• Animals can eat the grass

• Pollutants can seep into the groundwater

Global Effects of Air Pollution

1. Acid Precipitaiton

2. Ozone Depletion

3. Global Warming

Acid Precipitation

Acid Precipitation

• Rain or snow becomes acidic

• Normal rain/snow has a pH of 5.6

• Reacts with CO2 forming carbonic acid (weak acid)

• Other pollutants form much stronger acids

–Ex: sulfuric acid (sulfur dioxide), nitrogen oxide

What happens when acid starts to accumulate in lakes?

• Fish die- water is too acidic for them

• Disrupts the food chain

• Affects the entire ecosystem

Other problems associated with acid rain

• Damages trees

• Damages crops

• Damages buildings

Damage costs about 5 billion

dollars per year!!!!

Ozone Depletion

• The ozone layer absorbs UV radiation from the sun

• Has been thinning tremendously over the last twenty years

• Increases the amount of UV radiation–Sunburn, blindness, skin cancer–Severe crop damage–Kills aquatic organisms (disrupts

food chains)

Causes of Ozone Depletion

• CFC’s- chlorofluorocarbons

–Freon (coolants)

–Do not break easily in the atmosphere

–UV breaks them down- releases chlorine and fluorine, which breaks down the ozone