Air Pollution Research Project

Types of Air Pollution

Ground-level ozone / CFCs / Asbestos
Sulfur oxides / Nitrogen oxides / Greenhouse gases
VOCs (except CFCs) / SPMs (except asbestos) / Carbon monoxide
Lead / HAPs / Radon

Required Information

·  Name of pollutant(s) and chemical formula(s)

·  Formation:

o  Is it a primary or secondary pollutant?

o  What human activity releases it into the atmosphere?

o  Can it form naturally? If so, how?

·  Effects:

o  On the biosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere

o  Short-term vs. long-term exposure for plants and animals

·  History:

o  When and how was it first emitted by humans?

o  What benefits did it provide humans?

o  Describe at least one specific incident that involves your pollutant

·  Location:

o  Where in the world is it most concentrated? Why there?

o  Is it a concern to Pennsylvania residents? Why or why not?

·  Regulation:

o  What legislation regulates it (both nationally and internationally)?

o  How has technology helped to reduce the amount of it in the atmosphere?

o  What can we (students) actually do to reduce the amount that’s emitted?

Information Collection

Know / Need to Know
(List anything you already know about it) / (List what you need to learn more about)

Presentation

You will teach your classmates about your pollutant by performing a 7 minute presentation. During your presentation, you must address each item in the “Required Information” section and each team member must contribute. You are encouraged to tap into your strengths (video, artwork, etc.) to produce a memorable and creative presentation.

Data Collection

This will keep track of where and how you find information. Any images or other resources retrieved from the Internet and used in your project must be cited.

How did I find it?
(What keywords, search engines, directories, etc. did you use?) / Where did I find it?
(What is the URL or book title?) / What did I find out?
(What information did you find there?)

Self-Evaluation

At the end of the project you will complete a final group evaluation. You will divide up a set number of points among your team members, with the most points going to the student(s) who did the most work. Everyone must agree to the point distribution and sign the page before submitting.

Useful Sources

EPA website on Air Pollutants – www.epa.gov/air/airpollutants.html

PA Dept. of Env. Protection – www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/aq/pollutants.htm

World Health Organization – www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs313/en/index.html

Clean Air Council – www.cleanair.org/Air/airHome.html

Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry – www.atsdr.cdc.gov/general/theair.html

AIRNow – http://airnow.gov/