Essay On Photochemical Smog

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Definition of Photochemical Smog
Photochemical smog is an environmental problem that develops when primary pollutants interact under the presence of sunlight to produce a mixture of many different and hazardous chemicals known as secondary pollutants. Photochemical smog is formed by the reactions of automobile exhaust in the presence of sunlight. The term “smog” is derived from the words smoke and fog. It is also known as Los Angeles smog.
It is a brownish-black-haze particularly on still sunny days. Unfortunately, it is harmful to us. It consists of many types of gases including ozone, some if which can cause severe health problems and endanger plants animals. Photochemical smog forms from the action of sunlight on a mixture of nitrogen dioxides, unburned hydrocarbons and oxygen. This has been a major concern in urban areas around the world since it has been getting severe and its occurrence is often year by year.

Characteristic coloration for smog in California in the beige cloud bank behind …show more content…

Photochemical smog starts with certain primary pollutants which are from the combustion of fossil fuels. These are influenced by sunlight and addition of chemicals and they are transformed into secondary pollutants. Secondary pollutants are involved directly in formation of smog. NO can react with radicals produced from VOCs to form PAN. Peroxyacetyl Nitrates (PAN) are secondary pollutants, which means they are not directly emitted as exhaust from power plants or internal combustion engines, but they are formed from other pollutants by chemical reactions in the atmosphere. Examples of a secondary pollutant include ozone, which is formed when hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) combine in the presence of sunlight; NO2, which is formed as NO combines with oxygen in the

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