Air Pollution Concepts

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Air Pollution

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The release of damaging materials into the atmosphere.

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Emission

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A substance that is released into the atmosphere.

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Fossil Fuels

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A carbon-containing fuel formed over millions of years from the remains of living things.

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Primary Air Pollutant

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A pollutant released directly into the troposphere; can cause damage itself or react with other substances to cause damage.

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Secondary Air Pollutant

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A harmful substance produced when a primary pollutant reacts with other substances.

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Smog

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An unhealthy mixture of air pollutants that can form over cities and nearby areas.

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Temperature Inversion

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The condition in the troposphere where a layer of cooler air lies beneath a layer of warmer air; also called thermal inversion.

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Acid Deposition

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Water vapor containing acids that falls to the ground as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.