Environmental scienceLesson 1 of 1 in the course Air pollution

Particulate Matter: Sources, Measurement, Impacts, and Control

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Particulate matter is a widespread form of air pollution with sources ranging from natural dust storms to human activities such as fuel combustion. This lesson introduces particle sizes, aerosols, and the varied materials particles contain.

Particulate matter (PM) consists of microscopic solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air. The combination of suspended particles and air is called an aerosol. Particles may come from natural sources, including sea spray, volcanoes, and wind-blown dust, or from human activities such as transportation, industry, and burning fuels.

All flashcards

What is particulate matter?
Microscopic solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air.
What does PM10 mean?
Particles with diameters of 10 micrometers or less; the coarse fraction commonly spans 2.5 to 10 micrometers.
How do primary and secondary particles differ?
Primary particles are emitted directly into the air; secondary particles form through atmospheric chemical reactions involving gases.
What are sea-salt aerosols?
Particles from sea spray or evaporated seawater, composed mainly of sodium chloride and other salts.
How does black carbon interact with light?
It absorbs light strongly, while sea-salt aerosols tend to scatter it.

Quiz questions

  1. What does aerosol optical depth (AOD) indicate?Answer: How aerosols affect light passing through the atmosphere.
  2. Which instrument is commonly used to measure black carbon?Answer: An aethalometer.
  3. What is wet deposition?Answer: The removal of airborne particles through interactions with precipitation.
  4. What role can cloud condensation nuclei play?Answer: They provide surfaces around which water droplets can form.
  5. How does an electrostatic precipitator remove particles from exhaust?Answer: It charges particles and collects them on oppositely charged plates.

Based on the Wikipedia article Particulate matter, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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