Biology 2485B Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Criteria Air Contaminants, Persistent Organic Pollutant, Sulfur Dioxide
8 Apr 2017
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Document Summary
Dust storms: hundreds of millions of tons of dust are blown westward across the atlantic ocean by trade winds every year. Volcanic eruptions: release of large quantities of particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and other gases. Over 60 million hectares of forests and grasslands burn per year. Canadian environmental protection act identifies harmful airborne substances. Criteria air contaminants: pollutants judged to pose especially great threats to human health, produced by a number of processes. Persistent organic pollutants: can last in the envt for long periods of time, and they are volatile (evaporate readily). Heavy metals: can be transported by air, water, and food supply and can reside in the sediment for long periods of time. Toxic air pollutants: broad category of other pollutants as being harmful or toxic. Cause cancer, developmental or neurological problems, most are produced by human activities. Smog: unhealthy mixtures of air pollutants over urban areas. Gray air smog is when industries burn coal or oil.
