Air Quality Lab
Partner: Ryan Pate
Pre-Lab
1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns.
2. Why is ground level ozone highest in the summer and almost nonexistent in the winter? How might this affect our results as we test the air during this part of the year?
Ground level ozone is highest in the summer because it forms more easily when there is sunlight and hot temperatures, and those are very rare in the winter time. This might affect the results because we are testing for ground level ozone in the winter so there might be none or a very small amount present. If we were to test it in the summer time we would most likely find a lot more ground level ozone.
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or since they have not forced changes). What concerns may the governments of these countries need to deal with?
The governments of these countries might have to deal with high lead concentrations in the air caused by vehicles burning leaded gasoline. As well as the health problems that are associated with increased lead concentrations. There work force could be greatly affected by these health problems by shrinking it as well as making the work force that is available younger and not as productive.
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
The majority of the midsection of the state; counties such as: Wake, Durham, Orange, Randolph, and many more.
Ground level ozone is highest in the summer because it forms more easily when there is sunlight and hot temperatures, and those are very rare in the winter time. This might affect the results because we are testing for ground level ozone in the winter so there might be none or a very small amount present. If we were to test it in the summer time we would most likely find a lot more ground level ozone.
3. Many third world countries still use leaded gasoline (since they have older cars or since they have not forced changes). What concerns may the governments of these countries need to deal with?
The governments of these countries might have to deal with high lead concentrations in the air caused by vehicles burning leaded gasoline. As well as the health problems that are associated with increased lead concentrations. There work force could be greatly affected by these health problems by shrinking it as well as making the work force that is available younger and not as productive.
4. Use the internet to find what parts of North Carolina are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act. You may give either general areas or specific counties.
The majority of the midsection of the state; counties such as: Wake, Durham, Orange, Randolph, and many more.
Problem
How much ground level ozone and particular matter is found outside? How much particulate matter is found inside?
Hypothesis
Ozone - There will not be as much ozone present on the filter paper because ozone is most present during the summer when there is heat and sunlight.
Particulate Matter - There will be more particulate matter on the outside because the city is industrial and has lots of pollutants roaming around in the air.
Particulate Matter - There will be more particulate matter on the outside because the city is industrial and has lots of pollutants roaming around in the air.
Parts of the Experiment
Independent Variable - Location of the index card.
Dependent Variable - Amount of ozone and particulate matter collected on the index card.
Controlled Variables - Same brand index cards, vaseline, water, string.
Control Group - The index card and ozone paper inside the petri dish.
Experimental Group - One index card inside, one outside, and the ozone paper outside hanging from a tree.
Dependent Variable - Amount of ozone and particulate matter collected on the index card.
Controlled Variables - Same brand index cards, vaseline, water, string.
Control Group - The index card and ozone paper inside the petri dish.
Experimental Group - One index card inside, one outside, and the ozone paper outside hanging from a tree.
Materials
- 2 Index Cards
- Petrolium Jelly
- Beaker
- 2 Spatula
- Filter Paper
- 2 Petri Dish
- Tape
- String
- Microscope
- Vaseline
- Water
Procedure
- Grab 2 index cards and one strip of filter paper.
- Draw four circles on both index cards. The circles should all be on the same side.
- Spread the vaseline using a spatula evenly inside the four circles on both index cards.
- Take the filter paper and hole punch one hole anywhere on the edge. Cut off a piece of string long enough to hang from a tree and tie it through the hole.
- Spread the Petrolium Jelly mixture on one side of the filter paper using a spatula and dip the paper into water.
- Place one index card anywhere inside the building and the other anywhere outside.
- Tie the filter paper to any tree outside the building.
- Check back in 48 hours.
- Collect your data and use a microscope to observe what particles are present on your index cards.
- Look at the filter paper and determine how much ozone is present based on the color of the paper.
Observations
The filter paper was found stuck to the bark of the tree and it was dark purple in color, especially around the edges. The paper got lighter as it got more to where the string was attached. The index card that was outside contained small black particles that looked like dust or dirt. 12 particles were found. The index card that was inside contained 2 tiny particles.
Tables and Graphs
Analysis and Conclusion
1. The highest rating the EPA will allow for a community for ground level ozone is 80 ppb. Any community with over 80 ppb for an average over three years is in noncompliance with the Clean Air Act. Compare your number to this standard. Did Wake Forest meet the standard on this day? Using what you know about the formation of ozone, decide if you believe the measurement you made was an accurate measurement of the air quality and why.
Ozone number recorded was exactly 80 ppb, which means, that Wake Forest just barely met the standard of the Clean Air Act on this day. The measurement made was not completely accurate because it rained over night and was also really windy which could have messed up the experiment and caused the paper to turn purple. The experiment would need to be repeated a couple of times in order to get the most accurate results and data.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the reason for the location of the counties in Non-attainment.
Causes of ozone include industrial emissions and motor vehicle exhaust which would explain why most of the North Eastern counties are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Ozone is also more present in the summer when it is warm and there is sunlight so that would explain why some of the Southern counties are not meeting the Ozone requirements.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean Air Act.Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
Particulate matter includes general things such as dust and dirt that are found everywhere on our planet. It was most likely not part of the Clean Air Act because scientists did not think that particulate matter could hurt anyone since we have always been exposed to it; however, now asthma and allergies are more common than they used to be and a lot of them can be caused by particulate matter so they decided to add it to the Clean Air Act.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations?Why or why not?
The sample that was on the inside had 2 particles on it which was not very surprising. The sample that was on the outside had 12 particles which was extremely surprising since it has been outside for 24 hours on a windy day. However, the hypothesis turned out to be correct since the index card outside did have more particles than the index card on the inside. A lot more particulate matter was expected to be found on both index cards because we thought a lot of dust, dirt, and other particles would stick to the vaseline; therefore, the results did not meet our expectations but did meet the hypothesis.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is important because pollutants can cause a lot of damage not only to people but also to the lakes, rivers, trees, farms, and animals. If air quality was not monitored then the pollution would get really bad and cleaning it up would be a lot more expensive then if we were to monitor it from the beginning; therefore, monitoring air quality not only is beneficial to the health of us and everything around us but also to the economy. Also, bad air quality affects the production of farmers. It affects the soil, poisoning the crops directly and making them unsuitable for the market. Agriculture is a big part of the American economy and when there are no crops being put into the market then the economy suffers.
Ozone number recorded was exactly 80 ppb, which means, that Wake Forest just barely met the standard of the Clean Air Act on this day. The measurement made was not completely accurate because it rained over night and was also really windy which could have messed up the experiment and caused the paper to turn purple. The experiment would need to be repeated a couple of times in order to get the most accurate results and data.
2. 13% of counties in the US are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Use the chart below and information from class to explain the reason for the location of the counties in Non-attainment.
Causes of ozone include industrial emissions and motor vehicle exhaust which would explain why most of the North Eastern counties are not meeting the Ozone requirements of the Clean Air Act. Ozone is also more present in the summer when it is warm and there is sunlight so that would explain why some of the Southern counties are not meeting the Ozone requirements.
3. Particulate matter has recently been added to the requirements of the Clean Air Act.Theorize reasons that it was not part of the act until the 1990’s.
Particulate matter includes general things such as dust and dirt that are found everywhere on our planet. It was most likely not part of the Clean Air Act because scientists did not think that particulate matter could hurt anyone since we have always been exposed to it; however, now asthma and allergies are more common than they used to be and a lot of them can be caused by particulate matter so they decided to add it to the Clean Air Act.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations?Why or why not?
The sample that was on the inside had 2 particles on it which was not very surprising. The sample that was on the outside had 12 particles which was extremely surprising since it has been outside for 24 hours on a windy day. However, the hypothesis turned out to be correct since the index card outside did have more particles than the index card on the inside. A lot more particulate matter was expected to be found on both index cards because we thought a lot of dust, dirt, and other particles would stick to the vaseline; therefore, the results did not meet our expectations but did meet the hypothesis.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is important because pollutants can cause a lot of damage not only to people but also to the lakes, rivers, trees, farms, and animals. If air quality was not monitored then the pollution would get really bad and cleaning it up would be a lot more expensive then if we were to monitor it from the beginning; therefore, monitoring air quality not only is beneficial to the health of us and everything around us but also to the economy. Also, bad air quality affects the production of farmers. It affects the soil, poisoning the crops directly and making them unsuitable for the market. Agriculture is a big part of the American economy and when there are no crops being put into the market then the economy suffers.
General Analysis and Conclusion
Hypothesis Evaluation: The hypothesis for Particulate Matter turned out to be correct due to the fact that more was present on the index card outside; however, the hypothesis for the ozone turned out to be incorrect because there were high amounts of ozone present on the paper even though it is winter.
Accuracy of the Results: The experiment was outside during a big storm and high wind so the results are not absolutely accurate, especially not the paper that was testing for ozone present. The rain made the paper wet which could be the reason why the paper was so purple since there should be very little ozone present at this time of year.
Application: From this experiment I have learned that ground level ozone is very harmful for your health and if there is too much of it you can actually die from it. I also learned that there are six major air pollutants and they include particular matter, such as dust and dirt which I never thought to be harmful.
Real Life Example: Studies confirmed that health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, and asthma can all be caused by dirty air. Ground level ozone is particularly bad because it stops the growth of lungs which results in asthma and in many serious cases even death. Research has supported that cities with high ozone concentration have about 20% more deaths from lung cancer and asthma compared to clean cities. The results from this experiment are terrifying because our ground level ozone concentration turned out to be extremely high which is unusual especially in the winter time. This means that we are at a high risk of developing health problems such as asthma or lung cancer here in Wake Forest.
Rowland, Rhonda. "Studies confirm dirty air may cause disease." CNN. CNN, 5 Mar. 2002. Web. 6 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.cnn.com/2002-03-05/health/pollution.dangers_1_air-pollution-george-thurston-lung-cancer?_s=PM:HEALTH>.
Accuracy of the Results: The experiment was outside during a big storm and high wind so the results are not absolutely accurate, especially not the paper that was testing for ozone present. The rain made the paper wet which could be the reason why the paper was so purple since there should be very little ozone present at this time of year.
Application: From this experiment I have learned that ground level ozone is very harmful for your health and if there is too much of it you can actually die from it. I also learned that there are six major air pollutants and they include particular matter, such as dust and dirt which I never thought to be harmful.
Real Life Example: Studies confirmed that health problems such as lung cancer, heart disease, and asthma can all be caused by dirty air. Ground level ozone is particularly bad because it stops the growth of lungs which results in asthma and in many serious cases even death. Research has supported that cities with high ozone concentration have about 20% more deaths from lung cancer and asthma compared to clean cities. The results from this experiment are terrifying because our ground level ozone concentration turned out to be extremely high which is unusual especially in the winter time. This means that we are at a high risk of developing health problems such as asthma or lung cancer here in Wake Forest.
Rowland, Rhonda. "Studies confirm dirty air may cause disease." CNN. CNN, 5 Mar. 2002. Web. 6 Feb. 2013. <http://articles.cnn.com/2002-03-05/health/pollution.dangers_1_air-pollution-george-thurston-lung-cancer?_s=PM:HEALTH>.