Murstig 1!

Secondary pollutants formed as a result of photochemical smog reactions

The United States Environmental Protection Agency1 states that there are six pollutants
that pose a threat to human health, ground level ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxide
sources (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM) and lead. NOx is the collective
name of nitrous oxide and nitrogen dioxide, and also one of the components that are in
automobile exhaust. Excluding ozone, the remaining five pollutants fall into a category called the
primary (1) pollutants, in which natural, stationary, and mobile chemicals are pollution sources
that release directly into air. Natural sources of pollution come from forest fires and volcanos,
stationary pollutants come from industrial sources and mobile pollutants come for cars, buses,
lawn equipment and boats. Additional 1 pollutants are volatile organic compounds (VOCs),
substances that readily vaporize into air. VOCs in this case, are unburned hydrocarbons or
partially oxidized hydrocarbons as a result of evaporation of solvents, liquid fuels, and other
organic compounds.

Of the 1 pollutants, VOCs and NOx in

combination with sunlight and O2 are the
chemicals needed to lead to the formation of
O
2
photochemical smog. Smog would be considered
a secondary pollutant, a harmful substance created
in the presence of sunlight from reactions of 1
pollutants and components in the atmosphere
the ozone in this case. An important point is the
the reaction of N2 and O2 which forms 2NO, two
NOx; components. Typically a very unfavorable
reaction, however, due to the very high heat in
combustion chambers of an automobile, the
reaction proceeds very rapidly without the http://study.com/academy/lesson/photochemical-smog-definition-formation-effects.html

reversion back to N2 and O2. This reversion has a

very high activation energy and combined with the
quick cooling effect when exhaust gas temperatures go down, prevents the reversion.

There are specific conditions in order for a photochemical event to occur, 1-high
emissions of VOCs and NOx, 2-warmth and adequate sunlight as heat drives the reaction, 3-
limited air movement that does not allow for removal or dilution of the reactants.

The overall smog reaction:

VOCs + NO + O2 + sunlight O3, HNO3, organics2

(1 pollutants) (2 pollutants)
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The HNO3 vapor product is a quite acidic one and eventually has an acid/base reaction. NH3, a
basic gas is found in tropospheric air due to biological decay from animals in the ocean or from
livestock. The product of the reaction transforms into (NH4)2NO3 , a salt that later reacts to
become NH4+, a weak acid and NO3- anion fine particle. Fine particulate matter such as these
nitrate particles have serious health concerns for humans especially those that have weak upper
respiratory and cardiovascular disease3. It is due to the size of the particle; the smaller the
particle, the more damage it creates. There is also environmental damage from corrosion of
metals thus causing corrosive soil deposits that affect urban areas and interrupt natural
ecosystems. The fine nitrate particles along with natural corrosion cause accelerated chemical
degradation to these metal materials. Natural runoff from these corroded materials cause damage
to soil and aquatic animals and acidification of water and soil4.
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References

1. EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency). What are the six common air

pollutatants. 2014. [Online] http://www3.epa.gov/airquality/urbanair/.

2. Baird, Colin. Environmental Chemistry. Fifth ed. New York: W.H. Freeman, 1995. Print.

3. British Columbia Air Quality. How Vehicle Emissions Affect Us. 2016. [Online] http://

www.bcairquality.ca/topics/vehicle-emissions-impacts.html.

4. The Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy. Section 5: Environmental

Effects of Particulate Matter. 2016. [Online]. https://www.princeton.edu/step/conferences-

reports/reports/ch5.pdf.