Activity 3.3.1 Air Pollution Core Activity

 Air Pollution Basics

  • Sulfur Pollutants 

  • Nitrogen Pollutants 

  • Hydrocarbon and Volatile Organic Compound Pollutants


In this weeks module we are learning about air pollution. It is important for the air quality to be good, because breathing is an essential part of living. As times have become more industrialized the air quality has gotten more polluted, so its important to know some of those toxic chemicals that are in our air. Now some common air pollutants are sulfur, nitrogen, hydrocarbon, and volatile organic compound pollutants. Volcanoes are natural sources of emissions of sulfur gasses, and extracting metal is also another natural source. Coal and petroleum also contain mineral compounds of sulfur as well as vehicles or equipment that burns fuel with high sulfur content. Nitrogen pollutants are also similar to sulfur, its a colorless gas, but Nitrogen dioxide forms when fossil fuels such as coal, oil, methane gas, or diesel are burned at high temperatures. Lastly, hydrocarbon and volatile organic compound pollutants are a diverse group of chemicals whose molecular structures contain various combinations of hydrogen, and carbon atoms. The simplest hydrocarbon is methane, a gas. All of these pollutants can cause a risk to health issues if there is a high amount of it, and it can also affect vegetation.


Comparison of Current AQI

  • AQI is a daily reporting depending where you live and how the air quality is doing. Meaning if the air quality is good that means there isn't much pollution, but if the air quality is bad then it can be a health risk factor.

(a) The current highest AQI is Lahore, Pakistan with an AQI of 248, meaning air quality is very unhealthy.

(b) The current AQI from where I live, which is San Antonio, Texas is a 39 AQI. This means its in the green category so the air quality is good.

(c) The current AQI for Los Angeles, CA is 38.



Time of Day

AQI Current

AQI Forecast

PM2.5**

O3**

Lahore, Pakistan (highest)

9:00pm

258

132

208.5


San Antonio, Texas

11:10pm

39

42

38

36

Los Angeles, CA

9:10pm

38

42

38

36


  •  After comparing different AQI I did notice that for Los, Angeles and San Antonio the results were similar. I think that has to do with the fact that CA and TX arent that far from each other so it is relatively the same area. However, for Lahore, Pakistan it was a much different result since its a country farther away from the United States.


Comparison of Current PM2.5 and O3 to EPA Standards

  • PM2.5 basically means the particle size of whats in the air.  PM stands for particulate matter and the 2.5 refers to size. 

  • O3 means the ozone layer of air depending where in the atmosphere

  • Since the ozone contains particle pollution that can affect a persons immune system. Air pollution also contains the risk of lung diseases.


National Standard

San Antonio Current measured over 1 hour

Time of Day

PM2.5

Average measured over 24 hours - 35 μg/m3

10.8 µg/m3

12:12 am

O3

Average measured over 8 hours - 70 ppb (137 µg/m3)

26 ppb

12:12 am





References Used

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