TOPIC 10 : ATMOSPHERE AND ENVIRONMENT

10.1 AIR

➢ The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of air called atmosphere.

➢ Air is important so that we can use its constituent gas (e.g: O₂ for breathing and as
a raw material for industrial uses.   
➢ Air is a mixture therefore its composition varies from time to time and place to
place. 

【HOW DO WE SEPARATE AIR INTO ITS CONSTITUENT Gas Composition

GAS?】 by volume
We separate air into constituent gas by using Nitrogen 78 -79%
Fractional distillation, the steps are; Oxygen 20%
Carbon dioxide 0.03%
1. Air Is collected and go through cooling and Water vapour 0-5%
compression. Noble gases:
2. Air is then liquefied and go through fractional ➛ Argon 0.9%
Distillation. ➛ Neon and 0.002%
3. Liquid with the lowest boiling point distil first. helium

【AIR POLLUTION】
➢ Air pollution is defined as the condition where air contains a high concentration
of harmful chemicals.
➢ Air pollution is caused by solid particles and poisonous gases in air, these
substances is called air pollutant.
➢ The table below shows common air pollutants, source of pollutants and its
effects.

Air pollutants Source Effects

Carbon monoxide Incomplete combustion ➛ Stop haemoglobin from
transporting oxygen
➛ Headache
➛ Fatigue
➛ Breathing difficulties
➛ Death
Oxides of nitrogen Car engine, chemical ➛ Irritate the eyes
Factory and lightning ➛ Breathing Difficulties
Sulfur dioxide Combustion of fossil fuel ➛Inflammation of lungs (bronchitis)
and volcanoes ➛ Form acid rain
Unburnt hydrocarbon Car exhaust ➛ Cancer
➛ Photochemical smog
Methane Decay of living-thing and ➛Contribute to the formation of
rubbish in landfills Ozone in the lower atmosphere
➛Greenhouse gas
【ACID RAIN】
➢ Acid rain is formed when acidic air pollutants (e.g: SO2 and NO2) dissolve in water.
➢ pH value of unpolluted rainwater is slightly above 7 this is because carbon dioxide
in the air dissolves in rainwater to form carbonic acid (weak acid).
➢ Acid rain has a pH value of 4 or less.
➢ The table below shows how CO2, SO2 and NO2 turned into acid and its effects on
building, plants and aquatic life.

Reactant Product Effects

CO2 (g) + H2O (l)
SO2 (g) + H2O (l)
4NO2 (g) + 2H2O (l) + O2 (g)
H2CO3 (aq) -
➛ Reacts with metal and carbonate
H2SO4 (aq) causing damage to metal bridges and
stone buildings.
➛ Reduce pH value of natural water
bodies from between 6.5 and 8.5 to
4HNO3 (aq) below 4, killing aquatic life.
➛ Leaches important nutrients form soil
and destroy plants.

【OZONE】
➢ Ozone is a pale blue gas produced by a photochemical reaction, composed of
three oxygen atoms bonded together.
➢ Ozone at low altitude cause severe pollution, meanwhile ozone in the
stratosphere is very important as it acts as a shield filtering out the harmful
ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
⤷can cause skin cancer, genetic mutations and eye damage if reaches
the surface of the Earth.

【DEPLETION OF OZONE LAYER】

➢ This is caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) containing carbon, fluorine and
chlorine.
➢ CFC is used as propellant for aerosols, coolants in refrigerators and air
conditioners.
➢ Large amount of CFCs can remain in the atmosphere for a very long time,
eventually they slowly diffuses through the air and react with ozone, destroying
the ozone layer.

【HOW CAN WE REDUCE AIR POLLUTION】

1.Prohibit the use of open fire for waste disposal.
2.Use unleaded petrol and fit all petrol-driven vehicles with catalytic converters.
3.Burn less fossil fuel.
4.Use of alternative fuels, such as methanol and hydrogen.
5.Develop an electric-powered motor vehicle.
1.
【CATALYTIC CONVERTERS】

What? Catalytic converters

Why? It turns harmful pollutants into harmless substance
Where? In the car’s exhaust
When? After the hot exhaust gases pass over the catalysts
How? ➛ By the occurrence of redox reactions
➛ CO and unburnt hydrocarbon is oxidised to CO2 and CO2 + H2O
➛ NO/NO2 reduced to N2

➢ Below is the chemical equation that happens inside the exhaust of a car during
the oxidation of CO and unburnt hydrocarbon and the reducing of NO/NO2.

2NO2 (g) + 2CO (g) → N2 (g) + CO2 (g)

2C8H18 (g) + 25O2 (g) → 16CO2 (g) + 18H2O (g)

RECAP
What is a redox reaction?
Redox reaction is a type of chemical reaction that involves a transfer
of electrons between two species

⬑Picture of a catalytic converter

【FLUE GAS DESULFURISATION】
➢ There are two ways to minimize the effects of sulfur dioxide, but one of the way
is too expensive and technologically difficult to accomplish.
➢ The cheaper way is to remove sulfur dioxide from waste gases formed when fossil
fuels undergo combustion, this waste gases also know as flue gases.
➢ This process is called desulfurisation.
➢ The diagram below shows Flue Gas Desulfurisation (FGD) plant

2.Calcium sulfite is further oxidised to calcium sulfate by atmospheric oxygen

CaSO3 (s) + O2 (g) → CaSO4 (s)

1.Sulfur dioxide react with calcium carbonate to form calcium sulfate

CaCO3 (s) + SO2 (g) → CaSO3 (s) + CO2 (g)
[Calcium oxide can also be use for desulfurisation]
 【THE CARBON CYCLE】
➢Carbon is continually being removed from and returned to the atmosphere by a
variety of process.
➢The atmosphere need to maintain a balance rate of removal of atmospheric
carbon dioxide and the rate of return of the gas.
➢The mechanism that maintain the level of carbon in the atmosphere is called
carbon cycle.
How is carbon dioxide produced?
The process: Chemical equation: Extra Information:
Respiration C6H12O6 (aq) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) + energy ➛All living things respire.
➛This is the equation for
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H2O (g) + heat energy combustion of natural gas.
Combustion of ➛If a limited supply of air is used,
fuels Carbon particles and poisonous
CH4 (g) + 5O2 (g) → 2CO (g) + 8H2O (g) + 2C (s) gas, carbon monoxide is
+ heat energy produced.
➛This is the equation for
incomplete combustion .
How is carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere?
➛Photosynthesis takes place in
the green leaves of plants.
➛Glucose formed during the
process is converted into cellulose
and starch, which make up the
structure of cells of plants.
Photosynthesis 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) → C6H12O6 (aq) + 6O2 (g) ➛Photosynthesis is the reverse
process of respiration.
➛It is important to recognise that
the net result of this process is
conversion of solar energy into a
form which can be used by living
organisms.

【THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT】

➢Carbon dioxide and water vapor were critical in keeping the Earth's surface
temperature consistent, these gases allow the sun's visible radiation to reach the
Earth, but they also trap some of the Earth's infrared radiation.
➢A warming effect is produce when the energy remain in the atmosphere this
effect is called the greenhouse effects.
➢Sunlight enter the greenhouse, and the glass trap some of the Sun’s radiation
energy, this energy helps to keep the greenhouse warm.
➢The glass has a similar effect as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, therefore it is
called the greenhouse gas.
➢Carbon dioxide absorb the infrared radiation = less amount of heat escaping into
the space.
➢Another greenhouse gas that are a stronger infrared absorber are methane and
nitrous oxide.
➢Without these greenhouse gases Earth’s surface temperature would be -40°C and
it would be permanently covered with ice.
【IS THE EARTH OVERHEATING?】
➢Some of the human activities cause the increase of greenhouse gas (especially
carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere.
➢Which means that carbon dioxide is being added to the atmosphere at a higher
rate than photosynthesis can remove the excess gas.
➢Increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere = increase in the Earth’s average
temperature.
➢This phenomenon is called global warming.

【EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING】

➢Decrease in crop yields because the areas that are covered by vegetation may
become deserts.
➢Ice in the North Pole and South Pole melt in a large quantities causing the levels
of ocean to rise and flood low-lying countries.
➢Rapid evaporation of water from the Earth’s surface, when this happens carbon
dioxide dissolves in the ocean will be driven out in the atmosphere. This adds
further to the greenhouse effect.

10.2 WATER

➢Water takes up the most of the planet surface around 70% and water is use for so many
things.
➢In industries they use water as heat exchanger, raw material for foods and drinks, as a
solvent, cleaning and purification, irrigation, dyeing, and bleaching process.
➢The list below shows content of water.

Mineral salts(e.g, aluminium, calcium, potassium and etc)

☞ Needed for basic function of human body (e.g, bone growth, fluid regulation, normalize
nerve and muscle functionality, metabolism control, growth and etc)
☞ Needed for growth of aquatic plants.
Dissolved oxygen
☞ Needed for respiration and growth of aquatic life. Water without O 2 is stagnant.
Organic matter
☞ Needed for aquatic organisms.
Acid
☞ Makes water acidic and corrosive which kills aquatic organisms and plants, it is also
unsafe
to drink.
Nitrates
☞ Causes eutrophication and nitrate ion may cause breathlessness and kill babies when
consumed.
Phosphates
☞ Encourage the growth of algae and cause eutrophication.
Heavy metal ions
☞ These are carcinogenics.
Sewage
☞ Contains pathogens which when consume carries disease.
Oil
☞ Depletes oxygen and trap bird’s feathers and kill them eventually.
【HOW TO REDUCE WATER POLLUTION?】
➢Proper disposal of rubbish.
➢Prohibit activities near river/reservoir that may cause water polution such as
camping or swimming.
➢Dispatch monitor ships to prevent accidents between ships so oil will not
spill.

【PURIFICATION OF WATER】
➢The table below are steps on how to purify water.

step Where? What occur?

1 Reservoir ➛Water from river or rain is collected here
2 Flocculation tank ➛Alum and lime are added
➛Small solid clay particles join to form a large lumps of solid
3 Sedimentation tank ➛Large lumps of solid settle at the bottom of the tank
➛Carbon in form of activated charcoal is added to remove taste and
odor
4 Filtration tank ➛Contain sand particles filter to trap leftover solid particles
5 Chlorination tank ➛Contain chlorine and fluorine
➛Chlorine is used to kill bacteria, this process is called chlorination
➛Fluorine is used to strengthen teeth

【DESALINATION】
➢Ocean is the vast source of water.
➢Seawater contain salts which need to be remove so it’s drinkable.
➢Desalination is the process where seawater is distilled until it become s steam
which is then cooled and condensed into drinking water.
uaushuhsuahushu