Topic 8.3: Urban Air Pollution Questions

Acid snowmelt has killed the young salmon in a river in southern Norway. State one method that could be used to restore an ecosystem damaged by acid deposition.

Figure 1 shows the mean hourly concentration of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Kessling, an industrial town on wet and dry days. Outline one possible source of the pollutant shown in Figure 1.

Sulfur dioxide from a smelter has left a spruce forest with bare, acid soil. State one method that could be used to restore an ecosystem damaged by acid deposition.

Velmora is a small coastal city with few factories. Figure 1 shows its monthly mean PM2.5 in 2023, with the WHO guideline limit of 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Identify in how many months during 2023 the levels of PM2.5 exceeded the WHO guideline.

Figure 1 shows the mean hourly concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in Marlow Bay, a port city on wet and dry days. Outline one possible source of the pollutant shown in Figure 1.

Santiago, Chile, lies in a basin surrounded by mountains. In winter, many homes burn firewood for heat and the city often declares air pollution emergencies. State two sources of particulate matter (PM) and two negative impacts it could cause in urban areas.

Mendara is a made-up city of 1.4 million people with no rail network, so residents rely on diesel minibuses and motorbikes. In the cooler months many households burn wood and coal for heating and cooking, and a cement works and several brick kilns operate on the city's edge. Identify two human activities in Mendara that are likely to be major sources of the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) recorded at its monitoring station.

Lagos, Nigeria, is one of Africa's largest cities. Its roads are often jammed with traffic, many homes and shops run diesel generators, and a network of low-cost air sensors now records PM2.5. Outline one reason why PM2.5 is monitored in Lagos.

Krakow, Poland, lies in a valley. Until 2019 many homes burned coal in stoves, and the city has monitored PM2.5 for many years. Outline one reason why PM2.5 is monitored in Krakow.

The Dornvale power station has produced about the same amount of electricity since 1985. Figure 1 shows the sulfur dioxide it emitted. With reference to Figure 1, identify one strategy that might have been used to achieve the trend in sulfur dioxide emissions since 1995.

Mendara is a made-up city in a steep-sided river basin. Figure 1 shows the mean PM2.5 recorded at its roadside monitoring station in July (warm, wet season) and January (cool, dry season). Calculate the percentage increase in mean PM2.5 concentration from July to January.

Figure 1 shows the mean hourly concentration of PM10 near a large building site in Corvin on wet and dry days. Outline one possible source of the pollutant shown in Figure 1.

Every November the air in Delhi, India, turns grey with particulate matter (PM), and schools are sometimes closed. State two sources of particulate matter (PM) and two negative impacts it could cause in urban areas.

Kordal has cut its air pollution sharply. Figure 1 is a fact file on air quality in Kordal. With reference to Figure 1, identify two potential impacts of improved air quality on Kordal and its population.

Figure 1 shows the monthly mean PM2.5 in Tarnby, a city in a mountain valley, in 2024. Using Figure 1, state the number of months in 2024 in which PM2.5 levels exceeded the WHO 24-hour guideline.

How do fine particulates in city air harm human health?

A government wants a plan to deal with acid rain from its coal power stations. Outline the three levels of the pollution management model, with one strategy for acid deposition at each level.

Figure 1 shows the monthly mean PM2.5 at two monitoring stations in Brenhal in 2024: one in the city centre and one in a suburb. Using Figure 1, state the number of months in which PM2.5 at the suburb station exceeded the WHO 24-hour guideline.

A coal power station is fitted with flue-gas desulfurisation equipment. Explain how a scrubber reduces acid deposition.

Doctors in a city beside a coal power station see more children with asthma in winter. Outline how sulfate and nitrate particles from acid-forming gases harm human breathing.