The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains
an extensive web site providing resources for both scientists and the general
public. The EPA Air & Radiation web site contains a number of "consumer-friendly"
documents on air quality. Explore this web site for a few minutes and provide the
following information about a document you found:
Title of the EPA document
URL of document
Summary of contents
Last updated (if provided)
Notable features (good or bad)
Something interesting you learned
Get directions from your instructor if you are to share the information you
found with your classmates, and how to do so.
1.6 Consider This: Gaseous Pollutant Levels for Selected Cities
In Table 1.3, the top line that appears in boldface type lists the EPA
accepted limits for different pollutants. Use both the data you gain from
the table and your knowledge of chemistry to answer these questions.
List the cities that had the greatest decrease from 1996 to 2000 in
(1) carbon monoxide (2) sulfur oxides (3) nitrogen oxides
Which cities exceeded or came close to exceeding the ozone accepted limit in 2000?
By examining the data provided, which city had the lowest overall pollution in 1996? In 2000?
Use the Web to find out the concentrations of the major pollutants
listed in Table 1.3 for the metropolitan area nearest you (if it is not
listed in Table 1.3). Which, if any, of the pollutants there exceeds the
EPA's accepted limit?
Data on atmospheric ozone can be found at EPA's
AIRNOW, a mapping project
for ground-level ozone. Use the maps to estimate
the ozone levels for one of the cities listed in Table 1.3. First select
the appropriate state or region and then see what you can find about its
ozone values by using the color-coded data provided. Notice that the data
are reported in several different ways. Compare what you find on the Web
with the values listed in Table 1.3. What factors might contribute to
any differences you observe?
1.9 Consider This: Communicating Air Pollution Levels
Newspapers often provide a color-coded Pollution Index" to give
the public a qualitative indication of the level of air pollution expected
in the region. Typically, the index is based on computer-based models
predicting anticipated levels of ground-level ozone. The pollution index
color codes are green - low levels, with no cautionary action required;
yellow - moderate levels and often leads to warnings that outdoor activity
should be limited, particularly for children and adults with respiratory
problems; red levels - ozone that is likely to exceed federal standards
and outdoor activity should be avoided.
What are the advantages to using a color-coded qualitative index
rather than simply reporting the predicted parts per million of ozone?
A "red alert" is forecast for tomorrow. Prepare a list
of at least five actions that you could take that would help reduce
air pollution tomorrow, particularly if everyone were to follow your
suggestions.
Check the weather page of your local newspaper or the newspaper's
or a television station's web site to see if an air pollution index
is included. You may also want to check an appropriate state or regional
web site for this information. Describe the pollution indices you have
located and comment on their effectiveness in communicating with the
public.
Use the Web to determine the latest information about whether elements
116 and 118 have been synthesized, and whether the syntheses have been
confirmed.
What information has been found about how the faulty conclusion was
reached that element 118 had been synthesized?
Have elements 113, 115, or 117 been synthesized? If any of them have,
write a report about the methods used to synthesize and detect the new
element.
Periodic tables are available on the Web that list the properties of
elements, their date of discovery, their naturally occurring isotopes,
and much more. Thus, the Web can give you quick access to information
that it might take you hours to find using reference books.
Use a search engine to bring up a list of periodic tables. Go to one
of the periodic tables to find out more about an element of your choice.
You probably will obtain more complete information if you select an element
with atomic number of 94 (plutonium) or less.
Find out what year your element was discovered; whether it occurs naturally
as a solid, liquid, or gas; its appearance; where it is found; and any
two other facts, such as toxicity, cost, uses, etc.
Following the directions given by your instructor, get together with
other students in your class to answer questions such as: Are most elements
gases, solids, or liquids? Which elements were discovered first? Last?
Are most elements found "free" in nature, that is, not combined
with any other element? Do the elements chosen combine with other elements
to form compounds?
1.32 Consider This: Growing Interest in Air Pollution
Air pollution has not occurred overnight. It has been a growing problem
since at least the time of the Industrial Revolution. Why have we as a
nation and a world community become so concerned with it lately? Through
discussion and/or library and web research, identify at least four factors
that have combined to make air pollution an important issue at present.
As a public service, local and national agencies provide documents on
the Web about radon. Search the Web to bring up a list about radon. In
addition to searching just for "radon," you might want to add
the terms "detection," "air quality," and/or "EPA."
Find two web sites about radon provided by government agencies. For
each list the title, the source, and the URL.
How can you measure the radon levels in your home? Search the Web
for a company that sells radon test kits. Describe the kit, including
its price. If you don't find anything, switch to another search engine.
Is information from commercial sources about radon any different
in its objectivity from that provided by agencies as a public service?
If so, discuss the differences and reasons for them
Naming Compounds
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