Photochemical Smog :: essays research papers fc

Photochemical SmogHistori anticipatey, the term smog referred to a sort of smoke and fog, hence thename smog. The industrial revolution has been the central acquire for the increasein pollutants in the atmosphere over the last 3 centuries. Before 1950, themajority of this pollution was created from the burning of coal for energygeneration, length heating, cooking, and transportation. Under the rightconditions, the smoke and sulfur dioxide produced from the burning of coal hindquarterscombine with fog to create industrial smog. In high up concentrations, industrialsmog can be extremely toxic to charitables and early(a) living organisms. London isworld storied for its episodes of industrial smog. The most famous London smogevent occurred in December, 1952 when five days of cool it 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 greatlyreduced the occurren ce of industrial smog. However, the burning of fossil fuelslike petrol can create another atmospheric pollution problem cognize asphotochemical smog. Photochemical smog is a condition that develops when aboriginalpollutants (oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds created fromfossil fuel combustion) interact infra the influence of sunlight to produce amixture of hundreds of different and unsafe 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 oft 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. on that point aremany sources of photochemical smog, including vehicle engines (the number one yard of photochemical smog), industrial emissions, and area sources (the l ossof vapors from small areas such(prenominal) as a local service station, surface coatings andthinners, and natural bumble leakage).Vehicle engines, which are extremely numerous in all split 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 volatilized cloud which may contain numerous chemicalcompounds, the combination of which, we call photochemical smog.Both types of smog can greatly reduce visibility. in time more importantly, theypose a serious threat to our health. They form as a result of extremely highconcentrations of pollutants that are trapped most the surface by a temperature