temperatures and air quality?

Question

im doing a science project on how does temperature affect air quality, and i said that the hotter the temperatures the worse the air quality because the hot temperatures help to form the ground- level layers of ozone. But because that ozone forms is it really making the air qualoty worse. i have been searching all over the internet, and i cant find it. im getting worried that i might have made a mistake on my project idea cause i have to be doing it all year as a long-term project. so i just wanted to know if warmer temperatures really made air quality worse. thanks for any help ! its greatly appreciated !

Answer 1

Below is a good (reliable) source that can explain this better. If I remember correctly from chemistry a couple years ago though, you are right, and it has something to do with the fact the the pollutants get trapped lower to the ground. I believe that what the other person said about humidity also plays some part, but you are right.
Take a look at the link below, it has pictures and everything!

Answer 2

No they don't, otherwise, the air quality in places like Nevada Arizona and New Mexico would always be terrible. Actually, scientists have found the 'hole' in the ozone layer in Antartica has been getting smaller all on it's own, all part of cyclic changes in weather patterns. Warm temperatures in heavily congested areas could cause air quality to decrease, but it's also a factor of prevailing winds, pollen counts, mold spores, a lot more than ozone.

Answer 3

Ground-level ozone(which is also considered as an air pollutant) is a key component in smog which is a pollutant.Some of the major urban air pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide react with hydrocarbons and sunlight to produce ozone near the surface.This ozone is responsible for the formation of smog.Smog is a contraction of 'smoke fog'.
Photochemical smog is a form of air pollution characterized by,haze,eye irritation and plant damage.It is produced in stagnant or slowly moving air by the reactions of certain hydro carbons and oxides of nitrogen(arising mainly from motor-car exhaust) in the presence of sunlight.
Further, for the formation of fog,a ground inversion(increase of temperature with height ) is required.
Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air.So, if the temperature increases,the moisture content also increases.So, wherever water vapour contrbutes to air pollution, the temperature also indirectly plays an important role.
Cities consume enormous amounts of energy in heating,cooling and transportation.The energy is released as heat with a temperature rise.So,cities are typically several degrees warmer than surrounding rural land.The warm areas over the city are sometimes called 'heat islands'.Because of this, sometimes an inversion layer forms over the cities which traps the pollution below and affects the air quality.
Somtimes the reverse thing happens.The air pollution becomes a layer over the cities and prevents the enormous heat produced by the cities from escaping into the upper layer of the atmosphere.
These are some facts related to temperature and pollution .You can develop over this.

Answer 4

You have to define what you mean by air quality. Although you mention ozone, it is only one of several factors. Ground level ozone is formed from many contributing sources.

Also remember that warm air rises. Using that concept, if you had an area where pollution is concentrated, would warm air cause more dispersion or more concentration?

Wikipedia has a good article on tropospheric ozone formation. It also has a lot of good research leads on pollution and pollution dispersion that should help you polish your topic. There are also a lot of leads on the websites of the US EPA, Canada EPA, UNEP, NOAA, and several academic sites on air pollution.

Good luck.

Answer 5

You won't make a mistake---you already seemed to have a basic concept of the temperature--air connection. Look up convection and heat radiation--it will describe what you are asking---then look up SMOG---the smog is made up of exhaust gasses that are susceptible to temperature and wind movement. Look up OZONE and see what it is comprised of and what can destroy it. Certainly you can do this project and get an excellent grade---and WE used to have to do it with actual books in the library.... good luck

Answer 6

I would not necessarily say it is the high temperatures but the humidity that effects the air quality since the humidity allows for more ozone in the air... but it's not my expertise. I would consider the humidity factor.

Answer 7

oxygen is a molecule of made up of two atoms ozone is just free single atoms of oxygen joined to nothing that's why their high in the atmosphere Thar lighter if anything my guess is cold air is warse it is more dense theh worm air

Answer 8

I would think you are correct,because most T.V. stations give air quality reports in the summer not winter.

Answer 9

try your search engine for "HVAC" "heating, ventilation, and air - conditioning contractors association, I have checked this out a while back, there is quite a bit, and you'll have to find it on the YAHOO search engine., type in "HVAC".

Answer 10

u r correct. go to global warming sites, google it.