Activity 3.3.1 Air Pollution Core Activity

 Air pollution

As society developed, so did harmful human activities increase in the environment. With the new standard of living, inventions like cars, air conditioning, and much more use up fossil fuels which pollute the air. Gaseous air pollutants also have a part of air pollution. It is inevitable and is broken down into the three following categories.

Sulfur Pollutants 

There are two major sulfur gasses. They're called Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and Hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The two together create sulfate. Volcanos give out both of these gasses and wildfires. Which are harmful to the environment being highly toxic to agriculture and animals. Due to sulfur being so dangerous, precautions are taken while utilizing the gasses. For example, coal washing removes the fuels.

Freedman, B. (2018)

Nitrogen Pollutants 

Nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) are all gasses containing Nitrogen. The process of decomposition of dead biomass is the result of these gasses released. Fossil fuels and power plants also have a part in these gases pollution. The effect is a toxic gas called ozone is produced in the atmosphere.

Freedman, B. (2018)

Hydrocarbon and Volatile Organic Compound Pollutants

Hydrocarbon is a chemical of hydrogen and carbon atoms. Some examples are methane and CH4 which are formed when an animal like a cow digests its food. The harmful part of these chemicals is the role of photochemical reaction creating the toxic gas ozone.

Freedman, B. (2018)

Air Quality Index

The air quality index (AQI) is a tool to inform you about air quality. The scale to determine if the air is healthy is 0-500. The higher the number is the more hazardous the air quality is. It is divided into six categories and there for a better understanding of the local air quality for health purposes.

Comparison of Current AQI

	Time of Day	AQI Current	AQI Forecast	PM2.5	O3
Tehran, Iran (highest)	8:30 am	748	Hazardous	33	66000
San Antonio, TX	1:00 am	61	Moderate	17.1	58
Los Angeles, CA	11:00 pm	23	good	5.7	64

Source: IQ Air

The chart above is a perfect example of good and bad air quality. The highest is Tehran by a lot compared to the other two cities. The difference in Iran is beyond the opposite. The air quality there is hazardous for humans and life in general. San Antonio air quality would be considered moderate. Not the worst, but also not the best air quality. Unlike Tehran, people and nature can live or grow in San Antonio.

 Los Angeles is where everyone's air quality try's to be. It is only 23, the lowest out of both cities. I never thought Los Angeles would have such good air quality. Although all three were different in air quality, it shows the importance of wanting to continue or beginning to change ways to get at a low number.

PM2.5

It is a pollutant that is super small but has a great impact on the environment. To be seen you need a microscope, but its size is irrelevant to its effectiveness. It can cause asthma attacks, shortness of breath, and lower heart function. It can carry far effecting water, soil, and crops. Which is why tracking it in the air quality is significant.

O3

Ozone is a toxic gas that is in the upper and lower atmosphere. It absorbs UV light which is very important to us. UV radiation is toxic to our skin, and too much exposure can cause sickness like a skin disease. Inhaling this toxic gas is just as bad. That is why it is also tracked to conceal if the air quality is good.

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	13.0 µg/m3	1:00 pm
O3 Average measured over 8 hours - 70 ppb (137 µg/m3)	26 ppb	1:00 pm

Source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

References 

Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. Halifax, Canada: Dalhousie University Libraries

“Current Ozone 1-Hour Levels for San Antonio Metropolitan Area.” Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl?user_param=44201&user_metro=4&user_average=1. Accessed 23 March 2023.

“Latest Hourly PM-2.5 Levels for San Antonio Metropolitan Area.” Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, https://www.tceq.texas.gov/cgi-bin/compliance/monops/select_curlev.pl?user_param=88101&user_metro=4&user_average=1. Accessed 23 March 2023.

“World Air Quality Index (AQI) Ranking.” IQAir, 21 February 2023, https://www.iqair.com/us/world-air-quality-ranking. Accessed 23 March 2023.