Air Quality
Pre-lab Questions:
1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns from the information in the pre-lab.
See below.
2. Why is ground level ozone highest in the summer and almost nonexistent in the winter? How might this affect our results as we test the air during this part of the year?
Sunlight and hot weather cause the ozone to have chemical reactions and form in harmful concentrations in the air. Other seasons don’t have nearly as much sunlight which causes the ozone to be less present in the air. Our results will be tested in relatively temperate weather, so the ozone should be present in the air; however, it will not be in harmful concentrations due to the lack of hot weather.
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or since they have not forced changes). What concerns may
the governments of these countries need to deal with?
Leaded gasoline can be very harmful in these third world countries. The lead could be emitted into the atmosphere from the emissions from the various motor vehicles. The lead can further lead to a variety of health concerns. Organ damage to the local population could be one major concern. These lead emissions could also get into the local environments which can severely damage local ecosystems, and cause of shortage of food. If the lead reached a water source, fish could be infected and die, which in turn poisons the human populations which eat the fish.
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
In general the heavily urban areas in the upper piedmont region are not in compliance, such as Wake County. Also many of the southern mountain region counties are also not in compliance with the standards of the Clean Air Act.
Hypothesis:
If particulate matter tests are placed inside and outside the school buildings, then the particulate matter found indoors will contain more
particulates than the particulate matter found outside.
If ozone tests are placed outside than it will measure a medium amount of ozone in the air of a Schoenbein number of 4 – 7.
· Independent variable: Location of the particulate matter tests; location of the ozone test
· Dependent variable: Amount of particulate matter collected, level of ozone measured in air
· Controlled Variables: Both particulate matter tests were in their respective areas for the same amount of time, size of the testing sample, type of test used.
· Control Group: Particulate matter and ozone test placed in the Petri dish.
· Experimental Group: The tests placed around the school and outside.
Problem:
How much particulate matter is in our air?
How much ozone is in our air?
Materials:
· Potassium Iodide
· Corn starch
· Beakers
· Spatulas
· Large Graduated Cylinder
· Test Tube Rack
· Filter Paper
· Microscope slides
· Petroleum Jelly
· Q-tips
· Microscopes
Procedure:
1. Use the materials to create the solution that will be placed on the particulate matter and ozone tests.
2. Take two index cards for an indoor and outdoor test.
3. Put the particulate matter solution on each index cards in a small circle.
4. Scrub the ozone solution on the test paper with a Q-tip.
5. Place one particulate matter test indoors and the other outdoors.
6. Place the ozone test outdoors.
Observations:
- Particulate matter appears different on the indoor test compared to the outdoor test. The particulate matter found indoors appeared to primarily dust. Fabric fibers from clothing also appeared to be present on the indoor test. The particulate matter on the outdoor test had different particulates. What appeared to be pollen and seeds from plants were found on the test. Under the microscope, small insects appeared to be found on the outside test as well.
- The ozone test gave a very deep purple color, but only on the edges of the test. The center yielded no results which was strange because the solution was applied to the entire test.
- The indoor particulate matter test actually had a greater amount of particulates present compared to the outdoor particular matter test.
Analysis and Conclusions
1. The highest rating the EPA will allow for a community for ground level ozone is 80 ppb. Any community with over 80 ppb for an average over
three years is in noncompliance with the Clean Air Act. Compare your number to this standard. Did Wake Forest meet the standard on this day? Using what you know about the formation of ozone, decide if you believe the measurement you made was an accurate measurement of the air quality and why.
It’s hard to say without an exact humidity measurement; however, based on weather reports found online, the humidity for the day of the
experiment was an average of 78 percent. With that average, Wake Forest would be just shy of the 80 ppb mark, making it in compliance with the Clean Air Act. No, I don’t think this measurement was very accurate. Obviously the lack of an exact humidity on the day of the experiment makes this number not very accurate. The fact that almost every other group got different results is also a sign that the experiment got different results.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the reason for the location of the counties in Non-attainment.
The location of the counties in Non-attainment is primarily because of population density. A common trend in each of the counties is that they are in heavily population areas of their state. With a large population, it’s expected to have much greater emissions of refrigerants which can cause reactions to create much more amounts of ground-level ozone. Another trend in the counties is that many are in relatively non-humid areas. Areas with extremely high humidity such as Florida have all counties in the compliance; however, many counties in California are much drier which causes a greater level of ground-level ozone.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
The addition of particulate matter was added in the 90’s because of the economic and industrial prosperity of the United States. The United States economy was flourishing during the 90’s which also means greater industrial progress. The greater amount of industry across the United States will naturally lead to more particulate matter during the United States. Before the 90’s, the economy wasn’t near as possible, and industry wasn’t as big of a concern. The 1970’s was also the start of the modern environmental movement. People were much wearier of human impact on the earth. These ideas gradually faded, and by the time the 90’s rolled along, particulate matter became a much greater issue.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations? Why or why not?
Overall the PM samples did not meet my expectations. I expected the indoor PM sample to have much less particulate matter due to vents and air filters inside of the school. I predicted the indoor would have much less than the outdoor particulate matter sample, which has a parking lot very close collecting emissions from the cars. The indoor sample actually had much more particulate matter, but I believe that was more because of the location I placed the PM sample. As far as what was on the PM samples, it met my expectations. The indoor sample had dust, and other matter you’d expect to be indoors such as clothing fibers. The outdoor naturally had particulates such as pollen and small seeds you’d expect to be outdoors.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is crucial for the health of the economy. Balance is vital to a strong economy and limiting environmental impact. Industry
is largely responsible for the strength of an economy; however, strong industry almost always equals strong environmental impact. This is where air quality monitoring takes place. Strict rules and regulations need to be put in place. These rules and regulations will be beneficial long term because if you let the air quality get out of hand, your economy is going to plummet. The air will be so undesirable with smog that it will be hazardous to human health. No workers will want to work under those environments unless they are forced to. New businesses will also refuse to relocate because of the horrid environment that surrounds their industry.
Conclusion
The results were surprisingly different then the hypothesis. The outdoor particular matter test was predicted to contain much more particulate matter than the indoor test; however, the indoor particulate matter test caught much more particulate matter. This was due to the location of the test. The indoor particulate matter test was located very close to a busy walkway which caused a substantial amount of dust and other particulate matter from the people walking past the particulate matter test. The ozone results were also much more different than expected. The part of the test that yielded results was dark purple, which contradicts the hypothesis of a medium lavender hue. This is because the weekend of the test received damp and rainy weather. This caused the humidity to spike which made the results appear to be more ozone.
The most significant source of error was the lack of an accurate humidity test taken during the day of the experiment. Without testing the humidity there is really no way to know the correct Schoenbein number because the Schoenbein number requires the humidity to be known. The humidity was looked up; however, it would have been much more accurate and yielded better results if it was tested before the experiment. The location of the indoor particulate matter could have also been improved. It was placed very close to a busy walkway in the building. This causes particular matter to be not only measured in the air, but from students which make the results less accurate.
This lab proved that the air we breathe does not solely consist of gases. Particulate matter is present whether you are indoors and outdoors. This is somewhat alarming because of the fact particulate matter can cause breathing problems and damage lung tissue. This just strengthens the fact that we need to clean our air and lessen the effects of air pollution. The lab also showed that a fair amount of ozone is also present in the air. This is also alarming because ozone should really be limited to the stratosphere where it is useful. This again just enforces that air pollution is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible to live on a more sustainable Earth.
1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns from the information in the pre-lab.
See below.
2. Why is ground level ozone highest in the summer and almost nonexistent in the winter? How might this affect our results as we test the air during this part of the year?
Sunlight and hot weather cause the ozone to have chemical reactions and form in harmful concentrations in the air. Other seasons don’t have nearly as much sunlight which causes the ozone to be less present in the air. Our results will be tested in relatively temperate weather, so the ozone should be present in the air; however, it will not be in harmful concentrations due to the lack of hot weather.
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or since they have not forced changes). What concerns may
the governments of these countries need to deal with?
Leaded gasoline can be very harmful in these third world countries. The lead could be emitted into the atmosphere from the emissions from the various motor vehicles. The lead can further lead to a variety of health concerns. Organ damage to the local population could be one major concern. These lead emissions could also get into the local environments which can severely damage local ecosystems, and cause of shortage of food. If the lead reached a water source, fish could be infected and die, which in turn poisons the human populations which eat the fish.
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
In general the heavily urban areas in the upper piedmont region are not in compliance, such as Wake County. Also many of the southern mountain region counties are also not in compliance with the standards of the Clean Air Act.
Hypothesis:
If particulate matter tests are placed inside and outside the school buildings, then the particulate matter found indoors will contain more
particulates than the particulate matter found outside.
If ozone tests are placed outside than it will measure a medium amount of ozone in the air of a Schoenbein number of 4 – 7.
· Independent variable: Location of the particulate matter tests; location of the ozone test
· Dependent variable: Amount of particulate matter collected, level of ozone measured in air
· Controlled Variables: Both particulate matter tests were in their respective areas for the same amount of time, size of the testing sample, type of test used.
· Control Group: Particulate matter and ozone test placed in the Petri dish.
· Experimental Group: The tests placed around the school and outside.
Problem:
How much particulate matter is in our air?
How much ozone is in our air?
Materials:
· Potassium Iodide
· Corn starch
· Beakers
· Spatulas
· Large Graduated Cylinder
· Test Tube Rack
· Filter Paper
· Microscope slides
· Petroleum Jelly
· Q-tips
· Microscopes
Procedure:
1. Use the materials to create the solution that will be placed on the particulate matter and ozone tests.
2. Take two index cards for an indoor and outdoor test.
3. Put the particulate matter solution on each index cards in a small circle.
4. Scrub the ozone solution on the test paper with a Q-tip.
5. Place one particulate matter test indoors and the other outdoors.
6. Place the ozone test outdoors.
Observations:
- Particulate matter appears different on the indoor test compared to the outdoor test. The particulate matter found indoors appeared to primarily dust. Fabric fibers from clothing also appeared to be present on the indoor test. The particulate matter on the outdoor test had different particulates. What appeared to be pollen and seeds from plants were found on the test. Under the microscope, small insects appeared to be found on the outside test as well.
- The ozone test gave a very deep purple color, but only on the edges of the test. The center yielded no results which was strange because the solution was applied to the entire test.
- The indoor particulate matter test actually had a greater amount of particulates present compared to the outdoor particular matter test.
Analysis and Conclusions
1. The highest rating the EPA will allow for a community for ground level ozone is 80 ppb. Any community with over 80 ppb for an average over
three years is in noncompliance with the Clean Air Act. Compare your number to this standard. Did Wake Forest meet the standard on this day? Using what you know about the formation of ozone, decide if you believe the measurement you made was an accurate measurement of the air quality and why.
It’s hard to say without an exact humidity measurement; however, based on weather reports found online, the humidity for the day of the
experiment was an average of 78 percent. With that average, Wake Forest would be just shy of the 80 ppb mark, making it in compliance with the Clean Air Act. No, I don’t think this measurement was very accurate. Obviously the lack of an exact humidity on the day of the experiment makes this number not very accurate. The fact that almost every other group got different results is also a sign that the experiment got different results.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the reason for the location of the counties in Non-attainment.
The location of the counties in Non-attainment is primarily because of population density. A common trend in each of the counties is that they are in heavily population areas of their state. With a large population, it’s expected to have much greater emissions of refrigerants which can cause reactions to create much more amounts of ground-level ozone. Another trend in the counties is that many are in relatively non-humid areas. Areas with extremely high humidity such as Florida have all counties in the compliance; however, many counties in California are much drier which causes a greater level of ground-level ozone.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean Air Act. Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
The addition of particulate matter was added in the 90’s because of the economic and industrial prosperity of the United States. The United States economy was flourishing during the 90’s which also means greater industrial progress. The greater amount of industry across the United States will naturally lead to more particulate matter during the United States. Before the 90’s, the economy wasn’t near as possible, and industry wasn’t as big of a concern. The 1970’s was also the start of the modern environmental movement. People were much wearier of human impact on the earth. These ideas gradually faded, and by the time the 90’s rolled along, particulate matter became a much greater issue.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations? Why or why not?
Overall the PM samples did not meet my expectations. I expected the indoor PM sample to have much less particulate matter due to vents and air filters inside of the school. I predicted the indoor would have much less than the outdoor particulate matter sample, which has a parking lot very close collecting emissions from the cars. The indoor sample actually had much more particulate matter, but I believe that was more because of the location I placed the PM sample. As far as what was on the PM samples, it met my expectations. The indoor sample had dust, and other matter you’d expect to be indoors such as clothing fibers. The outdoor naturally had particulates such as pollen and small seeds you’d expect to be outdoors.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is crucial for the health of the economy. Balance is vital to a strong economy and limiting environmental impact. Industry
is largely responsible for the strength of an economy; however, strong industry almost always equals strong environmental impact. This is where air quality monitoring takes place. Strict rules and regulations need to be put in place. These rules and regulations will be beneficial long term because if you let the air quality get out of hand, your economy is going to plummet. The air will be so undesirable with smog that it will be hazardous to human health. No workers will want to work under those environments unless they are forced to. New businesses will also refuse to relocate because of the horrid environment that surrounds their industry.
Conclusion
The results were surprisingly different then the hypothesis. The outdoor particular matter test was predicted to contain much more particulate matter than the indoor test; however, the indoor particulate matter test caught much more particulate matter. This was due to the location of the test. The indoor particulate matter test was located very close to a busy walkway which caused a substantial amount of dust and other particulate matter from the people walking past the particulate matter test. The ozone results were also much more different than expected. The part of the test that yielded results was dark purple, which contradicts the hypothesis of a medium lavender hue. This is because the weekend of the test received damp and rainy weather. This caused the humidity to spike which made the results appear to be more ozone.
The most significant source of error was the lack of an accurate humidity test taken during the day of the experiment. Without testing the humidity there is really no way to know the correct Schoenbein number because the Schoenbein number requires the humidity to be known. The humidity was looked up; however, it would have been much more accurate and yielded better results if it was tested before the experiment. The location of the indoor particulate matter could have also been improved. It was placed very close to a busy walkway in the building. This causes particular matter to be not only measured in the air, but from students which make the results less accurate.
This lab proved that the air we breathe does not solely consist of gases. Particulate matter is present whether you are indoors and outdoors. This is somewhat alarming because of the fact particulate matter can cause breathing problems and damage lung tissue. This just strengthens the fact that we need to clean our air and lessen the effects of air pollution. The lab also showed that a fair amount of ozone is also present in the air. This is also alarming because ozone should really be limited to the stratosphere where it is useful. This again just enforces that air pollution is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible to live on a more sustainable Earth.