Endangered Global Atmosphere
Endangered Global Atmosphere
Endangered Global Atmosphere
• There is a very strong connection between life forms on earth and the
nature of earth’s climate, which determines its suitability for life.
• As proposed by James Lovelock, a British chemist, this forms the basis of
the Gaia hypothesis, which contends that the atmospheric O2/CO2
balance established and sustained by organisms determines and maintains
earth’s climate and other environmental conditions.
14.1. ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE IN THE ATMOSPHEREC
• Ever since life first appeared on earth, the atmosphere has been influenced
by the metabolic processes of living organisms. When the first primitive
life molecules were formed approximately 3.5 billion years ago, the
atmosphere was very different from its present state.
• At that time, it was chemically reducing and thought to contain nitrogen,
methane, ammonia, water vapor, and hydrogen, but no elemental oxygen.
These gases and water in the sea were bombarded by intense, bond-
breaking ultraviolet radiation which, along with lightning and radiation
from radionuclides, provided the energy to bring about chemical reactions
that resulted in the production of relatively complicated molecules,
including even amino acids and sugars.
14.1. ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE IN THE ATMOSPHEREC
• From this rich chemical mixture, life molecules evolved. Initially, these
very primitive life forms derived their energy from fermentation of organic
matter formed by chemical and photochemical processes, but eventually
they gained the capability to produce organic matter by photosynthesis,
and the stage was set for the massive biochemical transformation that
resulted in the production of almost all the atmosphere’s oxygen.
14.1. ANTHROPOGENIC CHANGE IN THE ATMOSPHEREC
• The oxygen initially produced by photosynthesis was probably quite toxic
to primitive life forms. However, much of this oxygen was converted to
iron oxides by reaction with soluble iron(II):
• *Damaging health effects primarily with skin, eyes, and immune system
• Reduced air quality
• Human exposure to UV-B depends on
– Individual’s location
– Duration and timing of outdoor activities
– Precautionary behavior
– Skin color and age
14.4. OZONE LAYER DESTRUCTION
• where the HCl comes primarily from the reaction of stratospheric methane,
CH4, with Cl• atoms produced from chlorofluorocarbons. The preceding
reactions are aided by the tendency of the HNO3 product to become
hydrogen-bonded with water in the cloud particles. The result of these
processes is that over the winter months photoreactive Cl2 and HOCl
accumulate in the Antarctic stratospheric region in the absence of sunlight
then undergo a burst of photochemical activity when spring arrives as
shown by the following reactions:
14.4. OZONE LAYER DESTRUCTION
• The word ‘smog’ comes from two words: smoke and fog.*
• It occurs in urban areas where the combination of
pollution-forming emissions and appropriate atmospheric
conditions are right for its formation.
• It is because of action of sunlight on H-C (Hydrocarbons)
and NOx(Nitrogen Oxides) emitted from internal
combustion engines.
14.5. PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG
SMOG
PRIMARY POLLUTANTS SECONDARY POLLUTANTS
• In the presence of sunlight (UV radiation) the NO2 is broken up to form oxygen
radicals.
• The implementation of these kinds of tie-in strategies requires some degree of incentive
beyond normal market forces and, therefore, is opposed by some on ideological grounds.
THANK YOU!