ENV 107L

Introduction to Environmental Science Lab

Lecture 4

Air Pollution and

Global Warming
 Today’s Themes
Air Pollution
• What is Atmosphere?
• Composition of Atmosphere
• Air Pollution
• Air Quality Index (AQI)

Global Warming
• What is Global Warming?
• Effects of Global Warming
• Thermal Expansion of Water

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 What is atmosphere?
• We all know that earth is a unique planet due to the presence of life.
• The air is one among the necessary conditions for the existence of life on this
planet.

• The air surrounding the earth is called the atmosphere.

• The atmosphere is a mixture of different gases. It contains life-giving gases like
oxygen for humans and animals, and carbon dioxide for plants.
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 Composition of Atmosphere
Approximately
• Nitrogen = 78%
• Oxygen = 21%
• Argon = 0.93%
• CO2 = 0.04%
• Neon = 0.0018%
• Helium = 0.0005%
• Methane = 0.0002%
• Water vapor (not present
in dry atmosphere) =
0.001% - 5%

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 What is Air Pollution?
• Air pollution may be defined as any atmospheric condition in which certain
substances are present in concentrations at which they can produce
undesirable effects on human beings and environment.
• These substances include
• carbon dioxide/monoxide, sulfur and nitrogen oxides, smoke, dust,
aerosols, radioactive materials and many others
Air pollutants (Class) Example
Carbon Oxides CO, CO2
Sulfur Oxides SO2, SO3
Nitrogen Oxides NO, NO2, N2O
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) CH4, CFCs
Solid particles (dust, soot, asbestos, lead),
Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) liquid droplets (H2SO4, dioxins, and pesticides)
Photochemical Oxidants O3, H2O2, Aldehydes
Radon-222, Iodine-131, Strontium-90,
Radioactive Substances
Plutonium-239
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 What is Air Quality Index
(AQI)?
• The AQI is a tool for reporting daily air quality of any
city or country.
• It tells how clean or polluted the air is, and what
associated health effects might be a concern for public.
• In Bangladesh the AQI is based on 5 criteria pollutants;
Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and
Ozone (O3).
• The Department of Environment (DoE) has set national
ambient air quality standards for these pollutants.

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 How does the AQI work?
• Think of the AQI value as a yardstick (table) that runs
from 0 to 500.
• The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air
pollution and the greater the health concern.
• For example, an AQI of 50 represents good air quality
with little potential to affect public health, while an AQI
value of 350 represents hazardous air quality.

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 The table below defines the Air Quality Index (AQI) scale as defined by the US-EPA standard
AQI Air Pollution Level Health Implications Cautionary Statement (for PM2.5)

Air quality is considered satisfactory,

0 - 50 Good None
and air pollution poses little or no risk

Air quality is acceptable; however, for some

Active children and adults, and people with
pollutants there may be a moderate health
51 -100 Moderate respiratory disease, such as asthma,
concern for a very small number of people who
should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

Members of sensitive groups may Active children and adults, and people with
Unhealthy for
101-150 experience health effects. The general respiratory disease, such as asthma,
Sensitive Groups
public is not likely to be affected. should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

Active children and adults, and people

Everyone may begin to experience health with respiratory disease, such as asthma,
151-200 Unhealthy effects; members of sensitive groups may should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion;
experience more serious health effects everyone else, especially children, should
limit prolonged outdoor exertion

Active children and adults, and people with

Health warnings of emergency conditions. respiratory disease, such as asthma,
201-300 Very Unhealthy The entire population is more likely to be should avoid all outdoor exertion;
affected. everyone else, especially children, should
limit outdoor exertion.

Health alert: everyone may experience

300+ Hazardous Everyone should avoid all outdoor exertion
more serious health effects
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• Now carefully look at an example of AQI report of Dhaka city collected by the US
Embassy on 5th February 2020 at 7.00 PM which has been provided below.
• Note that data from a single monitoring station cannot be applied to an entire
city. Therefore, air quality data collected at one monitor station may differ
from other monitors located in the same cities.

Now look at the AQI value for

Dhaka city today and write it
down. You can go to American
Embassy or Air now to check AQI.

Dhaka US Consulate AQI.
https://aqicn.org/city/bangladesh/
dhaka/us-consulate/

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 Global Warming
Global warming is defined as a natural or human induced increase in the average global temperature of the atmosphere near the Earth's surface.


In the last 100 years, Earth's average
surface temperature increased by about 0.8
°C (1.4 °F) with about two thirds of the
increase occurring over just the last three
decades.

Scientists are more than 90% certain most of
it is caused by increasing concentrations of
greenhouse gases produced by human
activities such as deforestation and burning
fossil fuel.

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 Effects of Global Warming
Rising Sea Level Increased Temperature

Habitat Damage and Species Affected Changes in Water Supply

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 Reasons of Sea Level Rise

Global Warming

Melting of Ice Thermal

Caps and Expansion of Sea
Glaciers Water

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 Why does water expand with increasing temperature?

• Water molecules are always in motion. When heat is applied that

motion will increase and the molecules will spread out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jy7n7_8B8DE

• There is a lot water in the ocean and even small changes are cumulative
and can lead to real consequences over time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHhvaUdWfDI

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 Thermal Expansion of Water
• The surface temperature of ocean water varies by latitude and is affected by
air temperature. Globally, ocean water is 40C on average. If average surface
temperature increases (the air temperature near Earth’s surface), ocean
temperatures also increase.
• According to the 2014 report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC), Earth’s average surface temperature
increased by 0.85 [0.65 to 1.06] 0C, over the
period 1880 to 2012. This temperature is
expected to increase by an additional 1.8-4.0 0C
by the year 2100 (relative to 2000).
• The increase in air temperature causes a rise in
sea level rise as well. For the period 1961-2003,
global sea level rose an average of 1.8 mm per
year (total of 75 mm, or 7.5 cm), and it is
expected to rise by another 0.2-0.6 m (20-60 cm)
by the year 2100 (IPCC, 2014).

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 Thermal Expansion of Water (contd..)
• The approximate density of water is 1 g/mL, 1 g/cm3, or 1000 kg/m3.
Thermal expansion refers to the fact that, above 40C, as temperature
increases, water expands. In other words, water becomes less dense; a
given mass of water will occupy a greater volume.
• According to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), thermal expansion
is also predicted to be the dominant factor contributing to sea level rise in
the next 100 years.

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Task (in lab)
• Step 1: Weigh the empty 100 mL volumetric flask on the balance (show
all figures after the decimal point- don’t round).
• Step 2: Pour 100 mL water in the volumetric flask. Volumetric flasks
have a line marked on the neck of the flask. When the bottom of the
meniscus is at the line, the flask contains its stated volume of liquid. We
fill a volumetric flask to the mark in two steps:
• First use a beaker to quickly add liquid to a level below the mark.
• Then, holding the flask so the mark is at eye level, use a pipet to
carefully transfer liquid from the beaker into the flask until the bottom
of the meniscus is exactly at the mark.

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How to Measure Water in a Volumetric Flask
Read the bottom of meniscus at eye level
Task(in lab) (contd..)

•• Step
  3: Weigh the volumetric flask and the 100 mL of water in it.
• Step 4: Subtract the mass of the flask from the mass of the flask + water
to get the mass of the water only.
• Step 5: Calculate the density of your water at room temperature by
using the formula below.
density (d)= =
 
Remember that 1cm3 is equivalent to 1mL.

• Density is the amount of mass in a certain area

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Questions for the Lab Report 4
Question 1: Fill up (?) in Table 1. Students can calculate the density of water at
the given temperature from the given values of the parameters by the faculties
during the online class.

Table 1: Measurements and reading for calculating the density of water at 24.6 0C.

Parameters Measurements and calculations

Volume of water (mL) 100.00

Mass of flask (g) 58.03

Mass of flask (g) + water (g)  157.92

Mass of water (g) ? 

Density of water (g/mL) ? 

[mass/volume]

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•   Report Question
Lab 2.The approximate volume of water in the world’s
oceans is 1.35X1024cm3. Assume that this volume is at 24.60C and with the
density of 0.9989 g/cm3 . Calculate the mass of this much water.
Show your work and show the equation you used for your calculations.
Hints: density = ; mass = density*volume
Solution:….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………….
So the mass of 1.35X1024 cm3 of sea water at 24.60C would be …..?

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•   Report Question 3. Now using the 0mass you obtained
Lab in Question 2
and the known density of water at 60 C (0.9840 g/cm3), compute the
volume of that mass of water. Show your work and show the equation
you used for your calculations.
Hints: density (d)= ; So volume =
Solution:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
So the volume of 1.35X1024 g of sea water at 600C would be……?

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Lab Report Question 4. Translate your answer from question 3 into an estimate of
sea-level rise that would result from such a temperature increase from room
temperature to 60 oC. Think of the world oceans as a large box to simplify this
calculation. Given that the surface area of the oceans is 3.61 x 1018 cm2, calculate
the depth (in m) for the oceans at the two water temperatures that you
measured in lab (room temperature and 60 oC). Volume at room temperature is
1.35 x 1024 cm3 and volume at 60 oC is the volume you got in Question 3. Also
calculate how much the sea level will rise due to the temperature increase.
 
The volume of the box = surface area of the oceans * the depth of the box

Solution: At 60 oC
Volume = (From question 3)
Surface area = 3.61 x 1018 cm2 (Given)
 
So depth of ocean water = ----------------------
3.61 x 1018 cm2
 
=

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At 24.6 oC
Volume = 1.35 X 1024 cm3 (Given)
Surface area = 3.61 x 1018 cm2 (Given)
 
1.35 X 1024 cm3
So depth of ocean water = ----------------------
3.61 x 1018 cm2
 
=

So sea level will rise = ( ) cm due to the increase in temperature.

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Question 5. Look at the
map of Bangladesh.
Which areas do you think
are going to be most
affected from the sea level
rise?
Write down some impacts of
sea level rise in Bangladesh.

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Thank you for your attention

Questions
?
Have a good time with your family and stay safe at home

See you in next class…