CHAPTER 7 Junior 1 (garyaogaryaogaryao)

Composition of air:
- 78% Nitrogen
- 21% Oxygen
- 0.9% Argon
Importance of atmosphere:
-Contains oxygen for respiration and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.
-Filters excessive harmful ultraviolet rays (From the Sun)
-Protects the earth from meteoroids. (They burn up into smaller fragments)

How altitude affects air pressure?

Higher alt. results in lower air pressure due to weak gravity and vice versa.

------------------Atmospheric Layers
The atmosphere layers are separated based on altitude, temperature and pressure.
--Troposphere
Closest to surface, highest air pressure
Temperature lowers and air pressure drops with height
Random movements of convection currents cause complicated weather conditions.
Formation of clouds and weather changes (rain, snow and lightning)

--Stratosphere
Temperature rises with height
Lacks conditions for formation of convection currents
Air is calm (No clouds, dust or water vapour)
Clear weather and high visibility makes it suitable for COMMERCIAL PLANE FLIGHT
Ozone layer (Protects earth from harmful ultraviolet rays)
--Mesosphere
COLDEST layer, temperature lowers with height
Density low, no significant convection currents
Water vapour and impurities are spare, no weather phenomena
Protects earth from meteoroids
--Thermosphere
HOTTEST layer, temperature rises with height
Air particles here are highly ionised by ultraviolet to produce ions because they are
exposed to the sun’s radiation. These ions form the ionosphere.
The ionosphere reflects waves for long distance communication. (Satellites)
Auroras are formed in this region. (Gas particles collide with charged particles from the
sun to produce ~)

--Exosphere
Outermost layer
Lowest density (Lowest air pressure)
Slowly fades into vacuum.
Contains hydrogen gas and inert helium gas

------------------Effects of air pollution

Human health:
-Smoke and soot cause asthma.
-Carbon monoxide causes blocks the transportation of oxygen in blood, leading to
unconsciousness.
-Lead particles cause disability in babies and children.
-Sulphur dioxide causes chronic bronchitis. (emphysema)

Plants:
-Acid rain makes soil infertile and corrodes leaves and roots of plants.
-Haze reduces photosynthesis rates.
Animals:
-Acid rain increases acidity in water source, killing aquatic life.
-Pesticide spray weakens immunity systems of birds, fish, amphibians and insects.

Environment:
-Carbon dioxide causes greenhouse effect and global warming.
-Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) causes depletion of ozone layer (exposes humans to UV RAYS,
inducing/causing skin cancer)
-Acid rain corrodes buildings and speeds up the rusting of iron.
-Haze reduces visibility.

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Haze
-Formed when fine particles are suspended in the air, affecting visibility of the air.
Causes: Forest fires, natural environment and agricultural activities in our country, open
burning

Acid rain
Caused by acidic gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide that dissolve in water
vapour in the atmosphere.
Sources of the acidic gases:
Exhaust gases from vehicles and factories, burning of fossil fuel, emissions from volcano
eruption.

Measurement of air pollution

-Uses API (Air Pollution Index) to measure. It can quantitatively describe air quality.
- Six major pollutants include:
- Fine particulate matter
- Inhalable particulate matter
- Sulphur dioxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Ozone
- Carbon monoxide
Prevention of air pollution
Law enforcement:
- Fine smokers who smoke in prohibited areas.
- Fine individuals that burn rubbish openly (Engage in open burning)
- Fine factories that release excessive toxic smoke
- Restrict construction of factories near housing areas
Education:
- Educate students and public to love the environment 😉
- Launch anti-smoking programs
- Promote car-pooling and public transport
- Publish reports on the API (write expanded form) to the community to increase
awareness
- Promote benefits of 5R’s – recycle, reuse, reduce, recover and repair
Modern technology
- Use unleaded petrol
- Install catalytic converters to filter out toxic particles from exhaust fumes
- Carry out cloud seeding to produce artificial rain, reducing haze
- Use biological pest control to control pests instead of pesticides

Effects of ozone layer depletion

-Exposes humans to harmful UV light, may cause disease such
as SKIN CANCER or CATARACT CANCER
-Affects crop growth
-Changes composition of species in forestry (in turn affect the
variation of organisms in different ecosystem)
-Materials used in building, packaging, spray coating and electric wires will decay and age
faster