Chapter 25

Environmental Problems

25.1 Lesson 25.1: Air Pollution

Lesson Objectives

• Discuss the types of outdoor pollution and what causes them.


• Describe the effects of outdoor pollution on the environment.


• Discuss where indoor air pollutants come from and what they are.


• Describe the health hazards of both indoor and outdoor pollutants.


• Discuss how you can protect yourself from air pollution.

Check your Understanding

• Describe the five layers of the Earth’s atmosphere (SeeFigure25.1).


• 
  
  
  
  1. Exosphere: from 300-600 mi up to 6,000 mi
  
  
  2. Thermosphere: from 265,000 – 285,000 ft to 400+ mi
  
  
  3. Mesosphere: from about 160,000 ft to the range of 265,000 – 285,000 ft
  
  
  4. Stratosphere: from 23,000 – 60,000 ft range to about 160,000 ft; contains most
     of the ozone layer (with relatively high [a few parts per million] concentrations of
     ozone – the ozone layer is mainly located from approximately 50,000 to 115,000
     ft above Earth’s surface)
  
  
  5. Troposphere: from the Earth’s surface to between 23,000 ft at the poles and
     60,000 ft at the equator
  
  
  
  


• Describe the chemical composition of the atmosphere.


• Explain the significance of the atmosphere.