Pre-Lab Questions
1. Create a chart showing the six air pollutants, causes, and concerns from the information in the pre-lab.
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 and almost non existent in the winter because ground level ozone is caused by sunlight and warm weather. This can potentially affect our results by giving us a lower measurement of ground ozone than if the experiment were done in the spring or summer.
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?
Governments of countries that still use leaded gasoline may have to deal with a decrease in animal and plant health as well as populations such as fish population. Lead deters plant and animal vegetation so the government may need to intervene with policy to restrict leaded gasoline. They also may need to enforce policy to deal with the impending health risks that lead has on humans, in the brain and in other organs.
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.
Parts of North Carolina that are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act include: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Catawba, Davidson, and many other areas.
Ground level ozone is highest in the summer and almost non existent in the winter because ground level ozone is caused by sunlight and warm weather. This can potentially affect our results by giving us a lower measurement of ground ozone than if the experiment were done in the spring or summer.
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?
Governments of countries that still use leaded gasoline may have to deal with a decrease in animal and plant health as well as populations such as fish population. Lead deters plant and animal vegetation so the government may need to intervene with policy to restrict leaded gasoline. They also may need to enforce policy to deal with the impending health risks that lead has on humans, in the brain and in other organs.
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.
Parts of North Carolina that are not in compliance with the Standards of the Clean Air Act include: Charlotte, Mecklenburg, Catawba, Davidson, and many other areas.
Problem
What is the level of ozone and the level of particulate matter in Wake Forest both inside of the school and outside of the school, and how does it affect the people and organisms in the area?
Hypothesis
If particulate matter and ozone are measured inside and outside of the school, then the levels of ozone and particulate matter will be higher in the collectors that are placed outside.
Parts of the Experiment
Independent Variables: location of filter paper and slides
Dependent Variables: ozone and particulate matter collected
Controlled Variables: filter paper, slides, petroleum, time
Control Group: Protected collectors (petri dish and filter paper inside the school)
Experimental Group: All other collectors (outside)
Dependent Variables: ozone and particulate matter collected
Controlled Variables: filter paper, slides, petroleum, time
Control Group: Protected collectors (petri dish and filter paper inside the school)
Experimental Group: All other collectors (outside)
Materials
- Potassium Iodide
- Corn starch
- Beakers
- Spatulas
- Large Graduated Cylinder
- Test Tube Rack
- Filter Paper
- Microscope slides
- Petroleum Jelly
- Q-tips
- Microscopes
Procedure
- Cover two pieces of filter paper with petroleum jelly to test for ozone.
- Apply a potassium iodide solution to two slides inside petri dishes to test for particulate matter.
- Place one piece of filter paper and one petri dish inside the school, and one of each outside of the school.
- Wait two days to allow results to occur.
- Retrieve the collectors and test to see how much ozone and particulate matter they've collected by dipping the filter paper in distilled water and looking at the slide underneath a microscope.
- Use the Schoenbein Number chart to judge the amount of ozone collected and use the figures of the different amounts of particulate matter to determine the source and quantity of the PM.
Observations
- The filter paper inside Ms. Thomas's room was white and turned an off-white color when dipped in distilled water
- It measured to have 20 parts per billion ozone
- The filter paper that was hung outside in the tree disappeared
- The particulate matter on the slide from outside was light
- The particulate matter on the slide from Ms. Thomas's room was non-existent
- Under the microscope, the slide from the petri dish that was placed outside had what looked like a small bubble on it
- The petri dish from outside contained water and larger particles, most likely from the rain
Data Tables
Data collected 1/30/13-2/1/13
Weather: Blustery and very humid, drizzle
Temperature on 1/30/13: 20°C
Relative Humidity on 1/30/13: 74%
Weather: Blustery and very humid, drizzle
Temperature on 1/30/13: 20°C
Relative Humidity on 1/30/13: 74%
Lab Questions
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.
Wake Forest was under the standard on this day with only 20 ppb of ozone, but the filter paper from outside was lost. This most likely means that the measurement of ozone was inaccurate because the filter paper inside was void of sunlight. Ozone is caused by sunlight and the lack of sunlight could be the reason for the low measurement of ozone.
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.
The geography of the counties may be the reason for them not attaining the Ozone requirements enlisted by the Clean Air Act. The majority of the counties in Non-attainment are on the coast, so it could mean those counties are receiving increased amounts of sunlight which is a cause of ozone. It may also be because these counties are experiencing coastal winds that spread the movement of vehicle exhaust which is another cause of ozone.
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 may have been absent from the requirements of the Clean Air Act until the 1990's because people overlooked it as a source of pollution. Before the 90's, there weren't processes like fracking which produces a form of particulate matter. There was also less industry activity and fewer automobiles than there are today. In addition, particulate matter is so small and occurs so often that it may have been questionable at the time to include measurements of pollution that were that miniscule.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations? Why or why not?
The PM sample from outside contained light amount of PM and the sample from inside had collected none. I was surprised that the sample from outside only collected a light amount. I expected it to bare a more prominent result because it was placed on the ground near dirt in a heavily traveled area. I was not surprised by the amount of PM found inside because I don't think there are a lot of processes occurring in the school that would produce any levels of PM.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy because the effects of air pollution can negatively impact the elements that make up an economy. The Criteria Air Pollutants discussed in this experiment can cause: health problems in humans, acid rain, plant and water damage, and ecosystem damage. The economy will suffer if pollutants are causing health problems that force us to use federal health insurance. Also, revenue based on agriculture will diminish if there is little vegetation due to the lack of air quality monitoring. By monitoring air quality closely, we avoid having to waste money to fix the problems that air pollution causes.
Wake Forest was under the standard on this day with only 20 ppb of ozone, but the filter paper from outside was lost. This most likely means that the measurement of ozone was inaccurate because the filter paper inside was void of sunlight. Ozone is caused by sunlight and the lack of sunlight could be the reason for the low measurement of ozone.
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.
The geography of the counties may be the reason for them not attaining the Ozone requirements enlisted by the Clean Air Act. The majority of the counties in Non-attainment are on the coast, so it could mean those counties are receiving increased amounts of sunlight which is a cause of ozone. It may also be because these counties are experiencing coastal winds that spread the movement of vehicle exhaust which is another cause of ozone.
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 may have been absent from the requirements of the Clean Air Act until the 1990's because people overlooked it as a source of pollution. Before the 90's, there weren't processes like fracking which produces a form of particulate matter. There was also less industry activity and fewer automobiles than there are today. In addition, particulate matter is so small and occurs so often that it may have been questionable at the time to include measurements of pollution that were that miniscule.
4. Compare and contrast the different PM samples – did they meet your expectations? Why or why not?
The PM sample from outside contained light amount of PM and the sample from inside had collected none. I was surprised that the sample from outside only collected a light amount. I expected it to bare a more prominent result because it was placed on the ground near dirt in a heavily traveled area. I was not surprised by the amount of PM found inside because I don't think there are a lot of processes occurring in the school that would produce any levels of PM.
5. Explain why air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy.
Air quality monitoring is important for the health of the economy because the effects of air pollution can negatively impact the elements that make up an economy. The Criteria Air Pollutants discussed in this experiment can cause: health problems in humans, acid rain, plant and water damage, and ecosystem damage. The economy will suffer if pollutants are causing health problems that force us to use federal health insurance. Also, revenue based on agriculture will diminish if there is little vegetation due to the lack of air quality monitoring. By monitoring air quality closely, we avoid having to waste money to fix the problems that air pollution causes.
General Analysis and Conclusions
My hypothesis was proven to be half correct based on the data that I collected. Since the filter paper from outside went missing, there was nothing to compare the inside paper to, making the ozone measurement inconclusive. The data collected from the petri dishes, however, reflected the accuracy of my hypothesis. The experiment may have produced more accurate results for the measurement of ozone if it had been done on a day with no rain or high winds. The extreme weather had a significant effect on my results and made it difficult to judge the ground-level ozone of Wake Forest. There was no particulate matter found on the dish inside, but the dish outside had light amounts of particulate matter. This data validated half of my hypothesis.
The objective of the lab was to describe the air quality of Wake Forest using Ozone and particulate matter measurements. In doing the lab, it became clear that all the groups found a difference between levels of the pollutant indoors and outdoors. By measuring the quality of the air inside and outside, we are able to see the range that these pollutants have. Studying air quality can help us find the changes that are occurring in the air and what that change is doing to ecosystems. One of the most important things to remember is that even if you are indoors, you are never free of pollution. If we are cautious of the things we allow into the air, such as PM by methods such as fracking or stone crushing, then we can prevent the spread of Criteria Air Pollutants and reduce the harmful effects that accompany them.
The objective of the lab was to describe the air quality of Wake Forest using Ozone and particulate matter measurements. In doing the lab, it became clear that all the groups found a difference between levels of the pollutant indoors and outdoors. By measuring the quality of the air inside and outside, we are able to see the range that these pollutants have. Studying air quality can help us find the changes that are occurring in the air and what that change is doing to ecosystems. One of the most important things to remember is that even if you are indoors, you are never free of pollution. If we are cautious of the things we allow into the air, such as PM by methods such as fracking or stone crushing, then we can prevent the spread of Criteria Air Pollutants and reduce the harmful effects that accompany them.