4.

GASES AND POLLUTION

By the end of this section, you should be able to:
2.1o Relate the emission of the pollutants present in air to human activities. (Limited to carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and soot.)
2.2o Describe how the amount of certain gases and particulates in the environment may increase due to combustion
reactions. (E.g. carbon dioxide due to complete combustion, carbon monoxide and soot due to incomplete
combustion.)
2.3o Explain how the amount of certain gases and particulates in the environment may increase due to combustion
reactions and natural causes. (E.g. carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and soot.)
2.2p Identify carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as examples of acidic oxides.
2.3p Explain how some gases react with water to produce acidic solutions. (E.g. acidic oxides such as carbon dioxide,
nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.)
2.2q Identify water and carbon monoxide as examples of neutral oxides.
2.1r Identify gases that contribute towards the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion and acid rain. (Greenhouse gases:
e.g. CO2, CH4 and water vapour. Ozone depletion: CFCs. Acid rain: e.g. SO2 and NO2.)
2.2r Explain environmental effects of pollutants. (Such as greenhouse gases, CFCs, SO2, NO2 and particulates which
include smog, soot, dust and volcanic ash.)
2.3r Interpret data regarding environmental effects of some pollutants. (Such as global warming, acid rain, effect of
CFCs on ozone and particulates which include smog, soot, dust and volcanic ash.)
2.1s Identify methods for reducing emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. (E.g. use of renewable sources of
energy.)
2.2s Describe methods for reducing emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. (E.g. use of renewable sources of
energy, banning or reduction of pollutants, better choice of non-renewable fuels.)
2.3s Discuss methods for reducing emission of pollutants into the atmosphere. (E.g. use of renewable sources of
energy, catalytic converters and better choice of non-renewable fuels.)

2.1o Relate the emission of the pollutants present in air to human activities.
(Limited to carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and soot.)

How it all came to be ☺

The first green plants appeared on the Earth about 2 billion years ago(in the sea) and about 0·5
billion years ago on land.

Green plants use photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide from the air into glucose (sugar) plus
oxygen. This is done by the pigment chlorophyll and energy is provided by sunlight.

water + carbon dioxide → glucose + oxygen.

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

Oxygen is given off by the reaction, and many of the earlier bacteria on the planet were killed by
it!!!

Over millions of years, photosynthesis reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
and replaced it with oxygen. Carbon dioxide became increasingly contained in fossil fuels and

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carbonate rocks. The evolution of green plants and the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere
produced further changes.

Ammonia and methane would have reacted with oxygen producing carbon dioxide and water
(from methane) and nitrogen and water from ammonia. Ammonia would also have decomposed
in the presence of strong ultraviolet light from the sun, giving more nitrogen and hydrogen.

Nitrifying bacteria acted on ammonia to produce nitrates for plant growth, and denitrifying
bacteria added nitrogen to the atmosphere (nitrogen cycle). The proportion of nitrogen in the
atmosphere steadily increased.

The increase in oxygen and the presence of the ozone layer in the atmosphere allowed new and
more complex life forms to evolve.

What is pollution???

the modificon on of the enviorment caused by human activitied

which endup harming the enviorment
Water pollution is caused by many substances, such as those found in fertilizers and in industrial
effluent. Atmospheric pollution is caused by gases such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and
nitrogen oxides being released into the atmosphere by a variety of industries and also by the
burning of fossil fuels.
The two major resources are water and air and they are both essential to our way of life. Pollution
of these resources is very common.

Carbon dioxide and the green house

effect
Carbon forms two oxides, the dioxide and
the monoxide. Large amounts of carbon
dioxide are produced in industry from the
liquefaction of air. Air contains 0.03% by
vole of carbon dioxide; this value is
maintained via the carbon cycle.
Carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil
fuel and by aerobic respiration of living
organisms. Animals and plants take in
oxygen and give out carbon dioxide.
C6H12O6(aq) + 6O2(g) → 6H2O(l) + 6CO2(g)
Carbon dioxide is taken by plants through
the leaves and used for photosynthesis.

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An increase in the amount of carbon dioxide has been observed however due to an increase in the
amount of carbon dioxide produced on burning fossil fuels and the deforestation of large areas of
tropic rain forests. This will affect the earth’s climate along with fluctuations of water vapour. It is
thought that the average temperature of the earth will rise (global warming) leading to the
Greenhouse effect. Some
energy from the sun is
absorbed by the earth and its
atmosphere. The remainder is
reflected back at a different
wavelength. The absorbed
energy will heat the earth, the
reflected will be stopped by
greenhouse gases such as
carbon dioxide and is reflected
back.
The longterm effect of this
phenomenon would be the
melting of the ice caps and
consequent flooding in low
lying areas as well as changes
in the weather patterns.

Remember the carbon cycle?

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How can the levels of CO2 be decreased?

• The Kyoto Protocol (1997); 100 countries committed to reduce their emissions of CO2
and 5 other greenhouse gases.
• The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference was the 26 th UN climate change
conference to discuss the way forward to curb CO2 production.

What about CO?

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It can be
produced by burning carbon containing compounds in limited oxygen. Vehicular exhaust is a
major source of carbon monoxide. When cars are subjected to a vehicular road-worthiness test
(VRT), one of the tests is to check that the engine is producing CO at an acceptable level. CO is
produced from cigarette smoking.

Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs as carbon monoxide mixes and binds with haemoglobin in
the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin. When carbon monoxide binds to haemoglobin, less
oxygen gets transported to body tissues and vital organs such as the brain and heart.

CO can be removed in a number of ways:

- Use of catalytic converters which oxidise CO to CO2.

- Use of cleaner fuels e.g. alcohol.

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2.2/3o Describe how the amount of certain gases and particulates in the
environment may increase due to combustion reactions. (E.g. carbon dioxide due
to complete combustion, carbon monoxide and soot due to incomplete
combustion.)
Most fuels contain carbon and/or hydrogen. When hydrogen atoms are present in a fuel, they
are oxidised to water. Water is not a pollutant. When there are lots of oxygen atoms present
during combustion, the carbon atoms are completely oxidised to carbon dioxide. When there are
fewer oxygen atoms present, carbon monoxide or carbon may be produced during combustion.

Complete combustion occurs when there is a good supply of oxygen. It releases the
maximum amount of energy and produces carbon dioxide and water. For example, using
methane (CH4) as the fuel:
methane + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water
CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O

Observe the following setup:

Wax is being burned. During the progress of the experiment, cobalt chloride turns from blue to
pink which indicates the presence of water. Lime water turns milky which indicates that carbon
dioxide is present.

Incomplete combustion occurs when there is a poor supply of oxygen. Less energy is
released. Instead of carbon dioxide, you might get carbon monoxide or particulate carbon,
known commonly as soot, or a mixture of both.

For example, using ethane (C2H6) as a fuel, and producing CO as one of the products:
ethane + oxygen → carbon monoxide + water
2C2H6 + 5O2 → 4CO + 6H2O

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Problems with incomplete combustion

- Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas which binds to haemoglobin in your red blood cells,
preventing them from carrying oxygen to the cells in your body. Carbon monoxide is
colourless and has no smell, so it is very difficult to tell if you are breathing it in. It can be
detected by electronic detectors which are often fitted near to boilers.

- Particulate carbon can cause health problems for humans because it irritates the lining of
the lungs, can make asthma worse, and perhaps even cause cancer. Particulate carbon can
also cause global dimming, which may reduce rainfall.

Let’s compare complete and incomplete combustion:

Complete combustion Incomplete combustion

Amount of oxygen available

Flame colour

Products

Amount of energy released.

Properties of Carbon dioxide vs. Carbon monoxide.

Carbon dioxide Carbon monoxide

Appearance
Odour
Effect on damp litmus paper
Bubbling through limewater
Bubbling through sodium
hydroxide
Reducing agent
Combustion
Toxicity

Particulates (Particulate matter; PM; fine particles)

- Tiny particles of solid or liquid suspended in a gas.
- Particles and gas together are termed aerosols.

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 - Can be made by humans (burning fossil fuels; mining etc) or form naturally (volcanoes;
dust storms; forest and grassland fires etc).

Effect on human and environmental health

- Smoke enhances the dangers of smog.
- Solid particles can fall on clothing, buildings and vegetation.
- Increases levels of these fine particles in the air has been linked to heart disease, modified
lung functioning as well as a lung cancer.

Removal of particulate matter

- Sprays of water wash out particles from waste gases in industry.
- Waste gases are filtered.

2.2p + 2.3p Identify carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide as
examples of acidic oxides. Explain how some gases react with water to produce
acidic solutions. (E.g. acidic oxides such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and
sulfur dioxide.)
Acidic oxides are non-metallic oxides which dissolve in water to form the corresponding acid. E.g.
CO2 + H20

SO2 + H20

NO2 + H20 →

2.2q Identify water and carbon monoxide as examples of neutral oxides.

These are neither acidic nor basic. They are usually the lower oxides of non-metals. E.g CO & H2O.
Neutral oxides will not effect the pH of water, and will not neutralize either an acid or a base.
i. Water, H2O
ii. Nitrogen monoxide, NO
iii. Dinitrogen oxide, N2O
iv. Carbon monoxide, CO

2.1r/2.3r/2.1s Identify gases that contribute towards pollution, their

environmental effects and methods of reducing such emissions.

Sulfur dioxide as a pollutant.

Some fossil fuels contain sulfur impurities. These fuels include: 1) coal burnt in some power
stations and 2) some diesel fuel burnt in ships and heavy vehicles.

Sulfur dioxide is produced when the sulfur atoms are oxidised:

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 sulfur + oxygen → sulfur dioxide

S + O2 → SO2

Sulfur dioxide then reacts with oxygen and water in moist air to make acid rain, which is a dilute
solution of sulfuric acid, H2SO4.

Sulfur dioxide is colourless with an irritating smell. Inhalation causes coughing, chest pains and
shortness of breath. At a level of 0.5% it is LETHAL.

How can the sulfur dioxide levels be lowered? New power stations filter around 95% SO2; gases
are passed through calcium carbonate which reacts with SO2 to form CaSO4. The calcium sulfate is
also known as gypsum and is used to make plasterboard and other useful building materials.

Nitrogen oxides: NOx gases as pollutants

Nitrogen is not present in fuels, but the high temperatures and pressures inside a car engine can
cause the nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react together to make oxides of nitrogen.

There are several compounds formed when nitrogen bonds with oxygen, but the two which are
made inside engines are NO and NO2 (a dense brown gas). These two pollutants are grouped
together with the general formula NOx.

Atmospheric nitrogen reacts with oxygen to form Nitrogen monoxide. This in turn is oxidised
further to produce nitrogen dioxide.

Nitrogen dioxide is highly toxic and irritates breathing passages.

NOx gases can cause acid rain.

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Nitrogen dioxide dissolves in water to produce nitric and nitrous acids. Nitrous acid is then
oxidised further to give nitric acid.

NOx gases also react in the atmosphere with other pollutants to make photochemical smog. Smog
can have major health effects, causing asthma attacks and even death.

How can NOx levels be lowered?

- Installation of catalytic converters on unleaded petrol engines. The hot exhaust gases are
passed over the catalytic converter surface and, in the process, harmful gases are
converted into less harmful products.

- Nitrogen monoxide reacts with carbon monoxide to form nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Acid Rain
Rain water is normally acidic due to the dissolved carbon dioxide gas from the atmosphere as it
falls. Natural rain water has a pH of about 5.7. However recently it has fallen to pH 4 and pH 4.8
range. This increase in acidity causes extensive damage to forests, lakes and marine life.
Acid rain damages the waxy layer on the leaves of trees. This makes it more difficult for trees to
absorb the minerals they need for healthy growth and they may die. Acid rain converts metals
into their soluble salts which trickle into the sub soil where plant roots cannot reach them. Acid
rain also forms aluminium sulfates which damages plant roots.
Acid rain also makes rivers and lakes too acidic for some aquatic life to survive. Aluminium salts
such as aluminium hydroxide precipitate in fish fgills causing them to be clogged with mucus cause
fish death.

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Chloroflourocarbons and the ozone layer.
The ozone layer- What is it?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________
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Ozone is very important in the atmosphere (stratosphere) since it prevents harmful UV radiation
from reaching the earth. Over recent years it has been known that the amount of ozone in our
atmosphere is decreasing due to the formation of holes. This will lead to a greater risk of skin
cancer and such. Without the ozone layer, all but very simple life forms would be destroyed by the
action of ultraviolet light. Ozone therefore acts to absorb (soak up) ultraviolet light and prevent it
reaching the planet's surface. This is the so-called 'ozone layer'.

CFCs: ___________________________.

Some chemicals, particularly CFCs, destroy ozone in the upper atmosphere. CFC will reach the
ozone layer unchanged since they are inert and then decompose in the presence of ultraviolet
light. This will produce highly reactive chlorine free radicals which will react with ozone molecules
and turn them back into oxygen molecules.

When this happens on a large scale, a great deal of ozone is lost and a so called "hole" in the
ozone layer appears. The hole allows more ultraviolet light to reach the surface of the Earth.

Uses of CFCs.

The use of CFCs has been severely restricted in many countries because of their damaging effect
on the ozone layer. CFCs are also significant greenhouse gases. At present better alternatives
called hydrochloroflourocarbons (HCFCs) have been developed. These have lower ozone-depletion
effects and are not very effective greenhouse gases.

How does the depletion of ozone layer influence living things?

- Long exposure to UV light causes:

- Skin cancer
- Eye cataracts
- Weakened immune system
- Damage to crops
- Phytoplankton is killed.

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2.2/3 s Describe and discuss reduction of pollutant emission into the atmosphere.

To reduce pollution;
o Lean burn engine which reduces the amounts of carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen
produced but increases the amount of hydrocarbons present in the exhaust gases.

o Conversion of petrol burning engines to LPG, liquid petroleum gas, engines whilst still being
able to burn petrol. This leads to dual –fuel cars.

o Units called flue gas desulphurization (FGD) units are fitted to some power stations to
prevent the emission of sulfur dioxide gas. The sulfur dioxide gas is removed from the
waste gases by passing it through calcium hydroxide slurry. Calcium sulfate produced can
be sold to produce plasterboard making process more economical.

o The catalytic converter is a device to speed up reactions which involve the pollutant gases,
converting them to less harmful products such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide. These can
only be used with unleaded petrol since lead would poison the catalyst preventing it from
catalyzing the reactions.

o Use of renewable sources of energy.

What is a fuel?
A fuel is a substance which can be conveniently used as a source of energy.
Fossil fuels produce energy when they undergo combustion (exothermic).

Fossil fuel + oxygen → carbon dioxide + water + energy.

e.g. CH4(g) + 2O2(g) → CO2(g) + 2H2O(l) + energy
The perfect fuel would be;

- Cheap
- Available in large quantities
- Safe to store and transport
- Easy to ignite and burn, causing no pollution.
- Capable of releasing large amounts of energy.

Solid fuels are safer than volatile liquid fuels like petrol and gaseous fuels like natural gas.

Coal, oil and natural gas are all examples of fossil fuels.

Coal was produced by the action of pressure and heat on dead wood from ancient forests which
once grew in swampland in many parts of the world under the prevailing weather conditions of that
time.

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 - When dead trees fell into the swamps
they were buried by mud preventing
aerobic decay.
- Over millions of years, due to
movement of the earth’s crust as well
as to changes in climate, the land sank
and the decaying wood became
covered by even more layers of mud
and sand. Anaerobic decay occurred
and as time passed the gradually
forming coal become more and more
compressed as other material was laid
down above it.
- Over millions of years as the layers of
forming coal were pushed deeper and
the pressure and temperature increased, the final conversion to coal took place.

Oil and gas were formed during the same period as coal. It is believed that oil and gas were
formed from the remains of plants, animals and bacteria that once lived in seas and lakes.

- This material sank to the bottom of these seas and lakes and became covered in mud, sand
and silt which thickened with time. Anaerobic decay took place and as the mud layers built
up, high temperatures and pressures were created which converted the material slowly
into oil and gas. As rock formed, earth movements caused it to buckle and split, and the oil
and gas were trapped in folds beneath layers of non-porous rock or cap rock.

A major use of fossil fuels is in the production of electricity. Coal, oil and natural gas are burned
in power stations to heat water to produce steam which is then used to drive large turbines. Other
major uses of fossil fuels are for domestic and industrial heating and cooking as well as fuels for
various forms of vehicle transport.

It is fundamental to note that fossil fuels are finite and that they are non –renewable sources of
energy.

Alternative sources of energy OVERLEAF.

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 Hydroelectric power Solar energy/ Photovoltaic cells Wind Energy

The process involves turbines being moved by The sun’s heat energy is collected onto black Today’s wind machines (also called wind
water coming from a high level dam under printed collector plate and it is then used for turbines) use blades to collect the wind’s
high pressure. The turbine is in turn heating and lighting purposes (sun’s energy is kinetic energy. The wind flows over the
connected to a generator which produces the stored during the day and then released during blades creating lift, like the effect on airplane
electricity. This process is used in countries the night). wings, which causes them to turn. The blades
which have plentiful of fresh water. It is are connected to a drive shaft that turns an
usually used to supplement electricity electric generator to produce electricity.
produced from the combustion of fossil fuels
during times of high demand.
Adv: Adv: Adv:

Disadv: Disadv: Disadv:

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Wave power Geothermal power Tidal power

The energy of moving waters is used to Water is pumped into hot rocks in the earth’s The ebb and flow of tides drives turbines
generate electricity. The vertical motion of crust far below ground level. The internal heat built into a dam or barrage across an estuary
the waves is converted to rotary motion, of the rocks converts the water to steam which where the height difference between high
which is used to drive a generator is used to drive turbines and hence generate and low tides is large.
producing electricity. electricity.
Adv: Adv: Adv:

Disadv: Disadv: Disadv:

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Biomass and biogas

When any biological material, whether plant or animal, is converted into energy, this energy is
called biomass energy. It can be taken in different ways;

- Burning it e.g. wood.

- Pressing out oils that can be burned.
- By fermenting it to produce fuels such as ethanol or methane.

Methane generated by the digestion of animal wastes is called biogas. The biogas is used for
cooking, heating and lighting. The by-product is an excellent fertilizer.

4. GASES AND POLLUTION

TASKS
1. This question is about learning outcomes 2.1o. 2.2o and 2.3o.
a. What is combustion?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. Mention one natural and one anthropogenic process by which carbon dioxide and sulfur
dioxide are released in air.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

c. Mention one natural process by which CO2 can be removed form the atmosphere.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

d. How is carbon monoxide formed? Why is it poisonous?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

e. What is soot? Why is this harmful?

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_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

f. Suggest effective ways to reduce particulates in air.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. This question is about learning outcome 2.2p. 2.3p and 2.2q.

a. Oxides can be neutral, acid, basic and amphoteric. List A next to acidic oxides and N next to
neutral ones.

Carbon dioxide Sulfur dioxide

Nitrogen dioxide Water
Carbon monoxide

b. Explain what happens when carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide react with water.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. This question is about learning outcome 2.1r.

Refer to the link below and answer the following question.

http://lab.concord.org/embeddable.html#interactives/sam/light-matter/sun-on-ground.json

a. Try sun on ground setting.

i. Explain what is happening as sunlight reaches the earth particles?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

ii. What property of the energy waves is changing?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

b. Try sun on ground and CO2 setting.

i. How is the temperature reached different from that reached in a?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

ii. What is happening to the infrared waves?

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_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

c. Is the greenhouse effect, always, harmful to our earth and its inhabitants?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Refer to the link below.

https://cloud.graasp.eu/en/pages/5abb6b6e2651405b6dff81d3/subpages/5abb6b702651405b6dff81dc?pr
eviewing=true

d. What is the role of ozone in the stratosphere?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

e. Explain how CFCs damage the ozone layer.

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

f. What is acid rain?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

g. Why is acid rain harmful?

_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________

Useful links:

Air and water pollution: https://www.onlinemathlearning.com/pollution-air-water.html

Renewable energy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giek094C_l4

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