TANJONG KATONG GIRLS’ SCHOOL

Sec 4 Chemistry
Maintaining Air Quality

Name: ………………………………....... ( ) Date: ………….............

Class: Sec 4 / ……

Lesson Objectives
Candidates should be able to:
(a) describe the volume composition of gases present in dry air as being approximately
78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the remainder being noble gases (with argon as the main
constituent) and carbon dioxide
(b) name some common atmospheric pollutants, e.g. carbon monoxide; methane; nitrogen
oxides (NO and NO2); ozone; sulfur dioxide; unburned hydrocarbons
(c) state the sources of these pollutants as
(i) carbon monoxide from incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances
(ii) nitrogen oxides from lightning activity and internal combustion engines
(iii) sulfur dioxide from volcanoes and combustion of fossil fuels
(d) describe the reactions used in possible solutions to the problems arising from some of
the pollutants
(i) the redox reactions in catalytic converters to remove combustion pollutants
(ii) the use of calcium carbonate to reduce the effect of ‘acid rain’ and in flue gas
desulfurization
(e) discuss some of the effects of these pollutants on health and on the environment
(i) the toxic nature of carbon monoxide
(ii) the role of nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide in the formation of ‘acid rain’ and its
effects on respiration and buildings
(f) discuss the importance of the ozone layer and the problems involved with the depletion
of ozone by reaction with chlorine-containing compounds, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
(g) describe the carbon cycle in simple terms, to include
(i) the processes of combustion, respiration and photosynthesis
(ii) how the carbon cycle regulates the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
(h) state that carbon dioxide and methane are greenhouse gases and may contribute to
global warming; give the sources of these gases and describe the potential effects of
increased levels of these greenhouse gases, including more extreme weather events and
melting of polar ice.

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1 What Is Air Made Up Of?

(a) Air is a mixture of gases. The composition of air varies with time and place.

(b) Composition of Clean Air

Extraction of oxygen and nitrogen from liquid air l Chemistry for

All l The Fuse School
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6J47XX55CU [4:04 min]

Gas Uses % by volume

To provide an inert 78
Nitrogen
environment
For combustion / 21
support patient with
Oxygen
breathing difficulties /
oxidiser in welding
-
Carbon Dioxide 0.04
To provide an inert
Noble gases environment for high 1
(mainly argon) temperature processes
0.96
(eg. in light bulbs)
-
Water vapour

(c) Separation of Air (Optional)

Air can be separated into its components by physical means. In order to obtain
the separate useful components of air, it is

Step 1 : liquified by cooling and compression.

Step 2 : then separated by fractional distillation

into nitrogen, oxygen and argon.

liquid air

Nitrogen gas with the lowest boiling point will be distilled over first, at the top of
the fractionating column.

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2 What Are Air Pollutants?

Air pollution is the introduction of unwanted and harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

Air pollution is caused by natural causes (eg. lightning strikes, wildfires and volcanic eruptions) and human activities (eg. industrial
emissions, combustion engine emissions and man-made fires).

Name / Formula
of Pollutant Source of Pollutant Effect of Pollutant
Carbon Incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels • Binds irreversibly with the haemoglobin in our red
monoxide (eg. petrol, coal, natural gas: methane) blood cells, lowering the ability of the haemoglobin to
(CO) transport oxygen to the rest of our body. It is toxic.
• This can result in the loss of consciousness and even
death.

Nitrogen oxides: Produced in vehicle combustion engines, forest Nitrogen oxides react with oxygen in the air to form acidic
fires or lightning. compounds which dissolve in rainwater. This results in
Nitrogen acid rain. (See page 9)
monoxide At high temperatures (in combustion engine of
(NO) vehicles):

Nitrogen dioxide 1. nitrogen combines with oxygen in air

(NO2) to form nitrogen
monoxide

N2 (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO (g)

2. NO reacts with more oxygen to form

nitrogen dioxide

2NO (g) + O2 (g) → 2NO2 (g)

Brown gas
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Name / Formula
of Pollutant Source of Pollutant Effect of Pollutant
Control Of Air • Use of catalytic converters (contains a coating of catalyst: platinum, palladium and rhodium).
Pollution: • Catalysts (sometimes in powder form) are arranged in honeycomb structures that maximise the surface
area for gases to interact with.
How to reduce • Speed up the conversion of harmful substances in the vehicle exhaust into less harmful substances via
carbon redox reactions.
monoxide and
nitrogen oxides

• Nitrogen oxide is reduced to nitrogen.

• Carbon monoxide is oxidised to carbon dioxide.
• Nitrogen dioxide is reduced to nitrogen.
• Unburnt hydrocarbons are oxidised to carbon dioxide and water vapour.

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 Name / Formula
of Pollutant Source of Pollutant Effect of Pollutant
Sulfur dioxide Combustion of fossil fuels which contains • Causes breathing difficulties in humans and animals.
(SO2) sulfur or volcanic eruptions. • Sulfur dioxide react with oxygen in the air to form
acidic compounds which dissolve in rain water.
S (s) + O2 (g) → SO2 (g) This results in acid rain. (See Page 9)

Control Of Air Flue gas desulfurisation:

Pollution: • fossil fuels contain large amount of sulfur.
• power plants / waste incinerators that burn fossil fuels produce high amount of sulfur dioxide in their exhaust,
How to reduce also known as flue gas.
sulfur dioxide • wet scrubbing using a calcium carbonate slurry (aqueous suspension) to remove sulfur dioxide from flue
gas before releasing into the atmosphere.

1. Slurry sprayed through flue gas.

Calcium carbonate reacts with sulfur dioxide to form calcium sulfite and carbon dioxide.

2. Calcium sulfite is then further oxidised by atmospheric oxygen to form calcium sulfate.

3. Calcium sulfate can then be hydrated to form hydrated calcium sulfate or gypsum.

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Name / Formula
of Pollutant Source of Pollutant Effect of Pollutant
Disadvantage:
Flue gas desulfurisation set-ups require a large amount of space to install and can be quite costly to run
→ not practical to install in vehicles.

Note:
Excess sulfur can be removed from fossil fuels by treating it with hydrogen gas, producing hydrogen sulfide (H2S)
as a by-product. This allows for the production of low-sulfur petrol and diesel.

Unburnt Found in vehicle combustion engines. • Can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation.
hydrocarbons • React with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight
(CxHy) to form photochemical smog, which appears as a
brown haze.
• The formation of smog also produces ozone, sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are also air
pollutants.

How to reduce • Use of catalytic converters in vehicles.

the unburnt • Use of alternative fuels
hydrocarbons • Encourage use of clean fuels e.g. hydrogen & methanol
• Development of electric powered motor vehicles

Methane (CH4) Anaerobic (in the absence of oxygen) bacterial A major greenhouse gas that leads to global warming
decay of organic substances or found in the
waste gases of cattle.

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 Name of
Source of Pollutant Effect of Pollutant Reference
Pollutant
Ozone (O3) Produced during • Can cause eye and respiratory tract The Ozone Layer -
Pale blue, • lightning storms. irritation, leading to breathing Part 1 | Chemistry for
pungent gas, • reactions between oxygen difficulties. All | FuseSchool
allotrope of molecules and UV radiation • Causes chest pains and headaches https://www.youtube.
oxygen (O2) from the sun in the upper when inhaled. com/watch?v=J0bx2
atmosphere. • Slows down photosynthesis in plants, BuxT-I
Ozone layer (15 which can damage crops. [4:26]
to 30km above Ozone molecules break up to
us) can absorb reform oxygen when they absorb
and reduces the UV radiation.
amount of UV
radiation that This cycle happens naturally in
reaches earth’s the stratosphere and maintains
surface. the ozone layer.

• reactions between unburnt

hydrocarbons and nitrogen
oxides in the presence of
sunlight in the lower
atmosphere (ground level).

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Chlorofluorocarbons • Contain the elements • When released, CFCs rise up into the What Is The Hole In
(CFCs) chlorine, fluorine and stratosphere. UV radiation from the sun The Ozone - Part 2 |
carbon. breaks up CFC molecules to produce Chemistry for All |
• Found in aerosol chlorine atoms. FuseSchool
propellants, refrigerants • The chlorine atoms react with ozone https://www.youtube.
and certain kinds of molecules to form chlorine oxide and com/watch?v=WLqR
plastic. oxygen. Bc4oxDk
Cl + O3 → ClO + O2 [4:21 min]

• Chlorine oxide continues to break up

another ozone molecule. The chlorine
atom is released and continues to attack
another ozone molecule in a chain
reaction.
ClO + O3 → Cl + 2O2

• Depleted ozone molecules leads to

holes in the ozone layer, allowing
harmful UV radiation to reach the
Earth’s surface.
• Harmful UV radiation causes sunburns,
skin cancer, premature aging and
cataracts in the eyes.

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3 Acid Rain
• Formed when SO2 / NO2 dissolve in rainwater.
• SO2 and NO2 are non-metal oxides which are acidic.
• pH of unpolluted rainwater: 5 to 5.5
• pH of polluted rainwater: 4

Acidic Air Formation of Acid Rain Effects of Acid Rain Reference

Pollutant
SO2 1. Sulfur dioxide dissolve in water to form • Leaches essentials nutrients like Acid Rain l
sulfurous acid. magnesium and calcium from the soil, Chemistry for All l
which affects the health and growth of The Fuse School
SO2 (g) + H2O (l) → H2SO3 (aq) trees. https://www.youtub
• Lowers the pH of soil below what e.com/watch?v=Nf
2. In the presence of oxygen in the air, many plant species can tolerate, killing 8cuvl62Vc
sulfurous acid is oxidised to form sulfuric them. [5:36 min]
acid. • Lowers the pH of water bodies and
kills aquatic organisms → water bodies
2H2SO3 (aq) + O2 (g) → 2H2SO4 (aq) become much less biodiverse.
• Corrodes buildings and structures
NO2 In presence of oxygen and water, nitrogen made from limestone, marble and
dioxide is converted to nitric acid. metals.
Note:
(NO is neutral) 4NO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 4HNO3 (aq)

Control Of Air Liming

Pollution: • The addition of calcium carbonate to soil and water bodies to remove some of the
excess acid contributed by acid rain.
How to
reduce acid Limitations:
rain • Acid rain can affect vast areas and there are limits to the regions that can be protected.
• Process is expensive, and its effects are only temporary.
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4 WHAT IS THE CARBON CYCLE?

• Carbon is essential for life and the carbon cycle is a set of processes that regulates the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.

• To maintain a constant amount of carbon dioxide, the rate of removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide must be equal to the
rate of release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

How is CO2 produced How is CO2 removed

1. Respiration (reverse of photosynthesis) 1. Photosynthesis (reverse of respiration)

Living organisms break down glucose into carbon dioxide and Green plants take in carbon dioxide and water to make
water. Energy is released. glucose and oxygen in the presence of sunlight.

C6H12O6 (aq) + 6O2 (g) → 6CO2 (g) + 6H2O (l) 6CO2 (g) +6H2O (l) → C6H12O6 (aq) + O2 (g)

2. Combustion 2. Ocean Uptake

Complete combustion of fossil fuels (mainly methane) Oceans and other large bodies of water absorb carbon
produces carbon dioxide and water. dioxide. Some marine plants use it for photosynthesis. It is
also converted to carbonic acid and calcium carbonate that
CH4 (g) + 2O2 (g) → CO2 (g) + 2H2O (l) make up the shells of marine organisms.

3. Decomposition

Dead organisms are broken down into simpler compounds by

decomposers. Aerobic decomposition occurring in the presence
of oxygen releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

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5 WHAT ARE GLOBAL WARMING AND CLIMATE CHANGE?

• What is global warming?

The increase in the average temperature of the Earth's surface due to increasing amounts of greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere.

• What is a greenhouse gas?

Greenhouse gases absorb solar radiation, acting as a blanket by preventing heat from escaping into space, producing a
warming effect known as global warming.

Name of
Greenhouse Gas Source of Greenhouse Gas Effect of Greenhouse Gas Reference
Carbon dioxide • Combustion of fossil fuels in The build-up of greenhouse gases causes How The Earth's
(most common power plants, industries and global warming which causes melting of Climate Works and
greenhouse gas) vehicles polar ice caps, results in rising of sea level the Greenhouse
• Deforestation and flooding. Effect
• Human activities resulted in more https://www.youtube.
carbon dioxide released into the com/watch?v=G0wN
atmosphere. sQm0ypA [6:02min]

Methane (even • Waste gases from cattle.

stronger • Leakage from methane
greenhouse gas reservoirs under the arctic tundra
than carbon (treeless regions in the Arctic)
dioxide) and from oceanic methane ice.

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CLIMATE CHANGE

• “Climate” refers to weather conditions over a period of time, which is influenced by factors such as ocean temperature, wind speed
and direction, and humidity.
• The increase in global temperatures leads to climate change which is seen in:
• Changes in rainfall patterns
• Heat waves
• Tropical storms
• Ocean warming and acidification
• Glacial retreat and melting of polar ice caps

Climate Change Impact On The Environment

Changes in rainfall patterns • Lush areas might begin to receive too little rain and turn into deserts.
• Other areas may receive too much rain and flood more often than before.
• Fertile land may become barren (desertification) and no longer able to produce food →
food shortages.

Heat waves • Heat waves become more common.

• Higher global temperatures increase frequency of destructive wildfires which destroy
ecosystems.

Tropical storms • Typhoons, hurricanes or cyclones

• Bring about strong winds, rain and an ultra-high tide (storm surge).
• Endanger human lives and destroy property.
• Damage farmland due to the increase in salt content brought by the salt water.
• The warmer the ocean, the stronger the storms become.
•
Ocean warming and acidification • Rising temperatures have caused coral to bleach and die.
• Results in a loss of habitat and decrease in marine biodiversity.
• Decrease in the population of fish species, which are sources of food for humans.
• Warmer waters also absorb carbon dioxide more quickly, decreasing the pH of the
water.

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 Climate Change Impact On The Environment

• Acidified waters remove carbonate minerals from the ocean via acid-carbonate
reactions.
• Crustaceans (crabs, corals, oysters, plankton) depend on carbonate minerals to form
their shells.
• Existing shells might also begin to dissolve, killing the organisms or making them more
vulnerable to injury and predation.

Glacial retreat and the melting of • The entry of a large amount of fresh water to the ocean could also disrupt ocean
polar ice caps currents.
• Ocean currents redistribute heat around the globe and help to stabilise global climate
patterns. Disrupting them would further amplify the effects of climate change.

Desertification

Glacial retreat and Extreme weather

melting of polar ice (tropical storms)

Effects of climate
change

Ocean warming and

Heat waves
acidification

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 SOURCES & EFFECTS
• CFCs from aerosol propellants and SOURCES
EFFECTS refrigerants depletes the ozone layer. • Burning of fossil fuels containing
• Eye and respiratory • More UV radiation enter Earth’s surface and sulfur.
results in skin cancer and cataracts in the
tract irritation • Volcanic eruptions
• React with nitrogen eyes.
EFFECTS
oxides in the
O3: pale blue, • Corrodes buildings
presence of pungent colourless and EFFECTS and structures made
sunlight to form irritating from limestone, marble
Acid Rain
ozone a main Equations: and metals
Ozone sulfur
component of (stratosphere) dioxide, SO2 + H2O → H2SO3 • Lowers pH of soil and
photochemical 2H2SO3 + O2 → 2H2SO4 water bodies; kill
& CFCs SO2
smog 4NO2 + 2H2O + O2 → 4HNO3 aquatic life.
• Leaches nutrients
NO: colourless from soil; cause stunt
NO2: brown growth in plants
unburnt Atmospheric nitrogen
Pollutants SOURCES
hydrocarbons, oxides,
CxHy NO, NO2 • At high temperature, N2 and O2
colourless, odourless
in the air react to form NOx
colourless, odourless
SOURCE and toxic • Lightning and vehicle
Incomplete combustion methane, carbon combustion engines
in vehicle combustion CH4 monoxide,
engines CO EFFECTS

SOURCES • Binds irreversibly with

EFFECTS SOURCE haemoglobin in red blood
• Anaerobic bacterial • Greenhouse gas that traps Incomplete combustion cells, lowering the ability to
decay of organic heat and contributes to global of carbon-containing transport oxygen.
substances warming fuels
• Results in death.
• Waste gases of • Causes melting of polar ice
cattle caps which results in sea
level rising and flooding 14 AIR POLLUTANTS’ SOURCES
• Another major greenhouse AND THEIR EFFECTS
gas is excess CO2
My mindmaps on control of air pollutants(possible solutions) OR carbon cycle, global warming and climate changes:

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