Photochemical Smog :: essays research papers fc

Photochemical SmogHistori chaty, the term smog referred to a variety show of smoke and fog, hence thename smog. The industrial revolution has been the central capture for the increasein pollutants in the atmosphere over the last trio centuries. Before 1950, themajority of this pollution was created from the burning of coal for energygeneration, home heating, cooking, and transportation. Under the rightconditions, the smoke and sulfur dioxide produced from the burning of coal female genitalscombine with fog to create industrial smog. In steep concentrations, industrialsmog can be extremely toxic to humanitys and another(prenominal) living organisms. London isworld notable for its episodes of industrial smog. The most famous London smogevent occurred in December, 1952 when five days of quiet down foggy weather created atoxic atmosphere that claimed about 4000 human lives. Today, the use of otherfossil fuels, nuclear power, and hydroelectricity instead of coal has greatlyredu ced the occurrence of industrial smog. However, the burning of fossil fuelslike flatulence can create another atmospheric pollution problem cognise asphotochemical smog. Photochemical smog is a condition that develops when elementalpollutants (oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds created fromfossil fuel combustion) interact to a lower place the influence of sunlight to produce amixture of hundreds of different and raving mad chemicals known as secondarypollutants. Development of photochemical smog is typically associated withspecific climatic conditions and centers of high population density. Citieslike Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, and Vancouver a great deal suffer episodes ofphotochemical smog.One way in which the production of photochemical smog is initiated is throughthe photochemical reaction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to form ozone. in that location aremany sources of photochemical smog, including vehicle engines (the number one private road of photochemica l smog), industrial emissions, and area sources (the lossof vapors from small areas much(prenominal) as a local service station, surface coatings andthinners, and natural swash leakage).Vehicle engines, which are extremely numerous in all separate of the world, do notcompletely burn the petroleum they use as fuel. This produces nitrogen dioxidewhich is released through the vehicle exhaust along with a high concentration ofhydrocarbons. The absorption of solar radiation by the nitrogen dioxide resultsin the formation of ozone (O3). Ozone reacts with many different hydrocarbons toproduce a brownish-yellow vapourous cloud which may contain numerous chemicalcompounds, the combination of which, we call photochemical smog.Both types of smog can greatly reduce visibility. withal more importantly, theypose a serious threat to our health. They form as a result of extremely highconcentrations of pollutants that are trapped serious the surface by a temperature