Clear and Detailed, Lec 2
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EESA10 – Lecture 2:
Outdoor Air Quality: 6 common Air Pollutants
•Quality of air is judged based upon these pollutants. They are measured everyday so we can
calculate air quality.
•Ozone is made up of 3 oxygen molecules. It can be pollutant if above ground level, but can
also have great affect on ozone layer in the stratosphere. It will protect us from UV radiation.
•Good ozone is in stratosphere while bad ozone is the one at ground level.
•Ozone is formed during summertime. Why? b/c in chemical formation of ozone sunlight and
heat have played significant roles, what happens? Volatile organic compounds that evaporate
at room temp, they react with N oxides, with affect of heat and sunlight, they produce ozone.
•This happens during summer time b/c higher heat and sun. Also effected by time of day b/c
in the morning there is less heat and sunshine, but during afternoon more ozone produced due
to higher temp and sunlight. This phenomenon is seasonal. Much of it is in California, but
still lots in Toronto during July/August.
•Ozone has ability to transvert on very long distances. It travels very far and doesn’t only
affect one area.
•How does ozone harm our body? Ozone can damage lungs (SMALL AIRWAYS) b/c ozone
is not very much dissolved in water and when it comes into our airways it doesn’t dissolve in
the upper levels of our airways, it travels further into our lungs and damages it. Symptoms
are shortness of breath, chest tightness, coughing/nausea, can irritate eyes/nose/sinesis/throat.
Ppl who are considered healthy experience high harm due to ozone b/c their outside and
exercising and breathing more air.
•Liquid particles and solid particles, These particles can be produced due to combustion
processes (burning). Also produced in air by rxn of solid particles and water. Or soln or water
vapor in air.
•Dust/smoke liquid droplets found in air.
•They can be very, very tiny.
•How much harm they cause depends on size. Particles smaller than 2.5 micrones are harmful
b/c that size can reach lower levels of our lungs and further into them. These are created thru
vehicles, crashing, burning, construction.
•When anything is burning, it produced carbon monoxide.
•How harmful is it? (look at USA stat).
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