CHAPTER 17

CHEMISTRY
OF OUR ENVIRONMENT

GRADE IX
CAIE
 Air
Air is crucial for life on Earth. It provides the
oxygen we need to breathe and helps plants
grow through photosynthesis. Air also influences
our weather and climate. However, pollution
from cars, factories, and other sources can harm
air quality. It’s important to protect our air so we
can stay healthy and keep the environment safe
for future generations.

Let’s see further how air affects us and what we can do to keep it
clean.
Atmospher Human Pollutants
e and Air Activities and
compositio and Air solutions
n Pollution reduce
Pollution
 Atmosphere and Air Composition
The atmosphere is a layer of air and water vapour that extends up to
480 km above Earth.
Water vapour levels vary:

• 0.2% in high mountains

• 4.0% in tropical rainforests

oxygen - 21%

nitrogen - 78%
argon - 0.90%

oth
er
car gas
bo es -
n 0.0
dio 6%
nitrogen - 78% xid
oxygen - 21%
e-
argon - 0.90% other
0.0 gases - 0.06%
carbon dioxide - 0.04% 4%
Composition of Clean Dry Air
Nitrogen (N₂): 78%
It is Inert, used to preserve food and also used in
fertilizers.

Oxygen (O₂): 21%

Essential for respiration and used in hospitals. oxygen - 21%

Argon (Ar): 0.9%

nitrogen - 78%
Used in light bulbs and welding. argon - 0.90%

oth
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂): 0.04% er
gas
Required for photosynthesis but contributes to global car es -
warming in excess. bon 0.0
dio 6%
xid
Other gases:0.06% e-
0.0
Methane, krypton and neon 4%
nitrogen - 78% oxygen - 21%
argon - 0.90% other gases - 0.06%
carbon dioxide - 0.04%
Atmospher Human Pollutants
e and Air Activities and
compositio and Air solutions
n Pollution reduce
Pollution
Human activities  Pollutants are harmful
contribute to air substances added to the air.
pollution, They cause health issues,
increasing environmental damage, and
climate change.
•pollutants like:
Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
• Oxides of nitrogen (NOₓ)
 Global warming and climate
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
change are partly due to
• Particulates (Soot)
increased greenhouse gases.
Atmospher Human Pollutants
e and Air Activities and
compositio and Air solutions
n Pollution reduce
Pollution
 Pollutants and Chemical Equations

Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂) Carbon Monoxide (CO)

• Equation: S+ O₂ → SO₂ • Equation: 2C₈H₁₈ + 17O₂
• Impact: Causes acid rain, harming → 16CO + 18H₂O
aquatic life and corroding buildings. • Impact: Toxic Binds with
Irritates respiratory systems, especially haemoglobin, preventing
for people with asthma. oxygen transport in the
body.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOₓ) Particulates (Soot)
• Equations: N₂ + O₂→ 2NO + O₂ → 2NO₂ • Equation: 2C₈H₁₈ + 9O₂ →
• Impact: Forms acid rain: 2NO₂ + H₂O →
16C+ 18H₂O
HNO₂ + HNO₃
• Impact: Linked to respiratory
Contributes to photochemical smog and
respiratory diseases. diseases and cancer.
• Photochemical smog Produced by diesel engines and
A brown haze caused by pollutants incomplete combustion.
reacting with sunlight. Which increases
respiratory issues ,like asthma.
 Combustion and
Solutions to reduce
The two types of combustion are: Pollution

Complete Combustion: Incomplete

Fuel+ Oxygen → CO₂ + water Combustion:
Fuel+ less Oxygen → CO₂ +water

CH₄ + 2O₂ → CO₂ + 2H₂O 2CH₄ + O₂ → 2CO + 4H₂O

Methane + Oxygen → Carbon Methane + less Oxygen →

Monoxide + Water Carbon Dioxide + Water

Solutions to Reduce Pollution:

• Catalytic Converters: Convert harmful gases to safer ones.
2CO + 2NO → 2CO₂ + N₂
• Desulfurization: Removes sulphur dioxide using calcium oxide.
SO₂ + CaO → CaSO₃
• Use Particulate Traps to filter soot from diesel exhaust.
• Use low-Sulfur Fuels: Reduces SO₂ emissions.
WHAT IS CLIMATE CHANGE AND HOW DOES IT
AFFECT US?
Climate change refers to significant changes in global temperature
and weather patterns over time. While climate change is a natural
phenomenon, recent human activities—especially the burning of
fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes—have
accelerated
So what are these changes.
the impacts of global warming? The impacts are
different for every country as they all have different climates.
Many impacts of climate change are melting of polar ice caps,
rising sea levels, flooding, coastal erosion, droughts, etc. the
effects of climate change can be disruptive to humans, animals and
plants. Many organisms are highly sensitive to slight changes in
average temperatures like differences in seasons when plants bud
and produce fruits which some organisms depend on and
 What is Global How to prevent global
e Warming? warming?

Save energy at home. Much

Global warming refers to of our electricity and heat
the continuous rise in are powered by coal, oil,
and gas. Change your
the average home's source of energy.
temperature of the Walk, bike, or take public
earth's climate system, transport. Switch to an
electric vehicle. Consider
mainly due to human- your travel. Reduce, reuse,
induced factors. The repair and recycle. Eat more
most significant human- vegetables. Throw away
less food.
induced factor
contributing to global One of the most effective
warming is the emission ways to prevent global
warming is to start using
of greenhouse gases renewable energy sources
such as solar, geothermal,
wind and biomass, and stop
What is the greenhouse
effect?
• The greenhouse effect is
a natural process where
certain gases called the
greenhouse gases in
Earth's atmosphere trap
heat, keeping the planet
warm enough to support
life.
GREENHOUSE GASES
GREENHOUSE GASES are gases in the earth's atmosphere that trap heat.
There are several greenhouse gases including water vapour, carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
Let us take a look at these gases

• Carbon dioxide (CO₂)- Produced by burning fossil fuels,

deforestation, and certain industrial processes.
• Methane (CH₄)- Released from natural gas extraction, livestock
digestion, and decaying organic matter.
• Nitrous oxide (N₂O)- Emitted from agricultural activities and
industrial processes.
• Water vapor (H₂O)- The most abundant greenhouse gas, but its
concentration is influenced by temperature and other natural
WHAT IS THE PROCESS ?

• Our Sun emits energy, and greenhouse gases

allow sunlight to enter Earth's atmosphere and
reach the surface.
• Some of this energy is absorbed, heating the
oceans and land, while some is reflected or
radiated back into the atmosphere.
• These greenhouse gases, including carbon
dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, can
absorb this radiation and re-emit or reradiate
it in all directions.
• As it is re-emitted in all directions, some of it
 HOW MUCH DOES IT AFFECT OUR
•
EARTH?
Human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels,
increase the concentration of greenhouse gases, enhancing
the greenhouse effect. This leads to global warming and
climate change.
• Increased CO2 levels also lead to more carbon being
absorbed by oceans, causing acidification, which affects
marine life.
• Changes in temperature and weather patterns can disrupt
habitats, leading to shifts in species distribution and, in some
cases, extinction.
• Overall, while the greenhouse effect is crucial for life on
Earth, its intensification due to human activities poses
 Water
Water is vital to life and plays an important role in many
industrial processes. It is transparent, tasteless, and
odorless.
 Substanc
Purity Water
es
Of Water Purification
Present
in water
Purity
Of Water
There are multiple ways of testing for the purity of
water.

Two of them are:

• Using anhydrous salts
We can use any anhydrous salt (a salt with no water
present) and add some water to it. If the salt’s colour
changes, the water used is pure.
E.g. CoCl2 + H2O CoCl2 • 6H2O

• Boiling Point
The Boiling point of Pure water is 100˚c; if the water
boils over or under 100 ˚c, then it’s not pure water.
 Substance
Purity s Present
Water
Of Water in water
Purification
 Substances Present
in water
Water from natural sources contains many dissolved substances. Some of these are
beneficial and some are harmful.

Beneficial Harmful
• Sewage
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Nitrates & Phosphates
• Plastics
• Metallic Compounds
• Some metallic compounds
 Substances Present
in water
Beneficial
• Dissolved Oxygen
Oxygen enters the water as a product of the photosynthesis of
aquatic animals. The oxygen present in water supports animal and
plant life.

• Metallic Compounds
These metallic compounds, known as minerals, dissolve in water
when water flows through different types of rocks.
E.g. Calcium & Magnesium salts
 Substances Present
in water
Harmful
• Sewage
Sewage produced by humans contains a lot of contaminants. This water it taken to
treatment plants, treated, and returned to rivers or seas.
• Nitrates & Phosphates
These salts are used in fertilizers. These substances can be washed away by heavy rain,
into waterways and cause rapid growth of algae. This algae can block sunlight which will
stop photosynthesis in the aquatic plants and they will eventually die.
• Plastics
Since plastics are poorly disposed of in water bodies, they stay there for a very long time.
The aquatic animals can consume the plastics, which can lead to problems in their
digestive system.
• Some metallic compounds
There are metals in the water that are beneficial, but heavy metals such as Lead &
Mercury are potentially harmful. These enter the water by mining, metal smelting,
corrosion, etc.
 Substances Present
in water
Water from natural sources contains many dissolved substances. Some of these are
beneficial and some are harmful.

Beneficial Harmful
• Sewage
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Nitrates & Phosphates
• Plastics
• Metallic Compounds
• Some metallic compounds

With All these contaminations, water from natural sources cannot be directly consumed.
It can be used after being purified. Distilled water is used for experiments and can also
be used for drinking as it is contamination-free.
 Substance
Purity s Present
Water
Of Water in water
Purification
 Water
Purification
The water that reaches our
houses, undergoes an entire
purification process.

• Remove large insoluble substances

• Filter smaller particles

* Purification of water
• Use an activated carbon filter

• Disinfection
 Thank
Tanishka Ashtikar • Akshita Kumar • Palak Thube • Shlok Singha • Shashwat Mhatre

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