ENV100Y5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Peak Oil, Surface Mining, Water Vapor

• School: UTM
• Department: Environment
• Course: ENV100Y5
• Professor: Monika Havelka

Document Summary

Air pollutants gases and particulate material added to the atmosphere. Outdoor (ambient) air pollution has decreased in some places due to government policy and improved technologies (but is still an issue in developing countries) Many pollutants are aerosols (aerosols reflect sunlight back into space and cool the atmosphere and surface) Tropospheric aerosols terrestrial/anthropogenic (human created) origins. Waves breaking (major source of salt moving from ocean to land based reservoirs) Nonpoint sources big area that moves (cars) Primary pollutants directly harmful and/or react to form harmful substances. Secondary pollutants form when primary pollutants react with other stuff. Harmful and common contaminates that pose biggest risk to human health. Volatile organic compound (turns to liquid + gas quickly) Tropospheric ozone main component to smog. Thermal inversions (layer of cool air trapped beneath a layer of warmer air) can worsen air pollution as pollutants cannot leave that area.