Question | Answer |
precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere | acid precipitation |
the sudden runoff of large amounts of highly acidic water into lakes and streams when snow melts in the spring or when heavy rains follow a drought | acid shock |
the contamination of the atmosphere by wastes from sources such as industrial burning and automobile exhausts | air pollution |
any of six silicate minerals that form bundles of minute fibers that are heat resistant, flexible, and durable | asbestos |
the most common unit used to measure loudness (abbreviation, dB) | decibel |
a value that is used to express the acidity or alkalinity (basicity) of a system; each whole number on the scale indicates a tenfold change in acidity; a pH of 7 is neutral, a pH of less than 7 is acidic, and a pH of greater than 7 is basic | pH |
a pollutant that is put directly into the atmosphere by human or natural activity | primary pollutant |
a pollutant that forms in the atmosphere by chemical reaction with primary air pollutants, natural components in the air, or both | secondary pollutant |
a set of symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, eye irritation, and dizziness, that may affect workers in modern, airtight office buildings; believed to be caused by indoor pollutants | sick-building syndrome |
urban air pollution composed of a mixture of smoke and fog produced from industrial pollutants and burning fuels | smog |
the atmospheric condition in which warm air traps cooler air near Earth's surface | temperature inversion |