Air Quality and Pollutants- Lead

Air Quality and Pollutants- Lead

Air pollution is the pollution or contamination of air due to gaseous, liquid, or solid chemicals or particles that adversely affect humans, plants and animals, and the environment. The selected air pollutant for this discussion is lead. The chemical symbol for lead is Pb (National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2022). Lead occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust and is a Group 14 periodic table element (Abadin et al., 2007). Primarily, it exists as Pb(II) in the environment. Notably, a mixture of four isotopes (²⁰⁴Pb (1.35-1.5%), ²⁰⁷Pb (20.5-23%), ²⁰⁶Pb (23.5- −27%), and ²⁰⁸Pb (51-53%)) form natural lead (Abadin et al., 2007). Lead emission into the atmosphere results from the combustion of oil, coal, wastes, and leaded gasoline (Abadin et al., 2007). However, leaded gasoline for highway transportation was banned in 1996 by the EPA. Also, before the 1950s, airborne lead resulted from spraying leaded pesticides (Abadin et al., 2007). In addition, high levels of airborne lead are found near industrial factories processing materials containing lead (Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). Do you need any help for completing your assignment ? Contact us at eminencepapers.com. We endeavor to provide you with excellent service.

Lead reacts with several gases or molecules in the atmosphere. For instance, it reacts with oxygen to form lead oxide (Pilgaard, 2019). Also, a reaction between air (oxygen) and lead in the presence of carbon dioxide and moisture forms lead hydroxy carbonate, a passivating layer (Pilgaard, 2019). Further, lead sulfide reacts with oxygen to form lead oxide and sulfur dioxide.

The effects of air pollution from lead on human health are the same whether inhaled or ingested. Nonetheless, the nervous system is the major target of lead toxicity. Adults exposed to lead for a long period perform poorly in tests for measuring the function of the nervous system (Abadin et al., 2007). In addition, exposure to lead causes anemia and small increases in blood pressure. Long-term exposure to lead results in severe brain and kidney damage, miscarriages in pregnant women, damaged reproductive systems, and increased mortality rates (Abadin et al., 2007).

References

Abadin, H., Ashizawa, A., Stevens, W., Llados, F., Diamond, G., Sage, G., Citra, M., Quinones, A., Bosch, S. J., & Swarts, S. G. (2007). Toxicological Profile for Lead. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK158769/.

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Lead Emissions. EPA. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://www.epa.gov/report-environment

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2022). Lead. PubChem Compound Database. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/element/Lead

Pilgaard, M. (2019). Lead. Pilgaard Elements. Retrieved November 30, 2022, from https://pilgaardelements.com/Lead/

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Air Quality and Pollutants

Step 1: What is Air Pollution? View this brief video below as an overview.

(For more on Pollution, you can also view a brief documentary by the Lancet Commission. https://youtu.be/9jOpNF2uc2M )

Step 2: See the list of air pollutants below. State the pollutant that you chose in your Subject line

Step 3: Conduct research to locate the chemical symbol or molecular structure of the pollutant. Include the symbol or structure in your post. Cite your source.

Step 4: What is the source or origin of the pollutant? Is it synthetic? Or does it occur in nature? Cite your source.

Step 5: Discuss or describe how the pollutant chemical becomes airborne and migrates into the atmosphere. Cite your sources.

Step 6: Explain how the chemical interacts with other molecules and chemicals in the air. Cite your sources.

Step 7: How does the pollutant cause harm to humans, other living beings, and/or the environment? Cite your sources.

Step 8: Provide a reference list of your cited sources

Step 9: Choose two classmates who reported on pollutants different than your choice. State at least one new idea or concept that you learned from reading your classmates’ posts.

Please see the list of air pollutants below or choose another known pollutant:

Carbon monoxide

Sulfur dioxide

Formaldehyde (toxic organic)

Acetaldehyde (toxic organic)

Benzene (toxic organic)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (toxic organic)

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (toxic organic)

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)

Lead

Mercury

Diesel particulate matter

Nitrogen oxides

Ammonia

Radon

Asbestos

Soot

please choose any of your choice