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Decay heat is the heat released as a result of radioactive decay. This heat is produced as an effect of radiation on materials: the energy of the alpha, beta or gamma radiation is converted into the thermal movement of atoms. Decay heat occurs naturally from decay of long-lived radioisotopes that are primordially present from the Earth's formation.
This causes stable molecules such as N 2 and O 2 to convert into significant amounts of NO similar to the process that occurs during high temperature fuel combustion. [11] NO x from lightning can become oxidized to produce nitric acid ( HNO 3 ), this can be precipitated out as acid rain or deposited onto particles in the air.
There are many different types of air pollutants, such as gases (including ammonia, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane and chlorofluorocarbons), particulates (both organic and inorganic) and biological molecules. Air pollution can cause diseases, allergies, and even death to humans; it can also cause harm to other living ...
A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. [1] Urban runoff — stormwater discharged to surface waters from rooftops, roads, and parking lots—and reservoirs can also be a source of thermal pollution. [ 4 ]
Atmospheric chemistry is a branch of atmospheric science that studies the chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere and that of other planets. This multidisciplinary approach of research draws on environmental chemistry, physics, meteorology, computer modeling, oceanography, geology and volcanology, climatology and other disciplines to understand both natural and human-induced changes in atmospheric ...
There are five types of air pollution dispersion models, as well as some hybrids of the five types: [1] Box model – The box model is the simplest of the model types. [2] It assumes the airshed (i.e., a given volume of atmospheric air in a geographical region) is in the shape of a box.
Heat waves often lead to poor air quality, with hot and sunny dates associated with increased ground-level ozone, particulate pollution, drought, forest fires and more. Health Risks From Air Pollution
In European countries, air quality at or above 10 micrograms per cubic meter of air (μg/m 3) for PM 2.5 increases the all-causes daily mortality rate by 0.2-0.6% and the cardiopulmonary mortality rate by 6-13%. [35] Worldwide, PM 10 concentrations of 70 μg/m 3 and PM 2.5 concentrations of 35 μg/m 3 have been shown to increase long-term ...