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sick building syndrome
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an illness produced by indoor pollution in which the specific cause is not identifiable
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atmosphere
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the thin layer of gases surrounding planet Earth
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radon
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a highly toxic, radioactive, colorless gas that seeps up from the ground in areas with certain types of bedrock and can build up inside basements and homes with poor air circulation
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Coriolis effect
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the apparent deflection of north-south air currents to a partly east-west direction, caused by the faster spin of regions near the equator than of regions near the poles as a result of Earth's rotation
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stratosphere
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the upper layer of the atmosphere extending from 7-31 miles above sea level
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climate
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the pattern of atmospheric conditions found across large geographic regions over long periods of time
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tropospheric ozone
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a secondary pollutant created by the interaction of sunlight, heat, nitrogen oxides, and volatile carbon-containing chemicals, which is a major component of smog that can injure living tissues and cause respiratory problems
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industrial smog
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gray-air pollution caused by the incomplete combustion of coal or oil when burned
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nitrogen dioxide
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a foul-smelling reddish brown gas, produced primarily by the incomplete combustion of fuel, that contributes to smog and acidic deposition
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toxic air pollutant
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a type of chemical that is known to cause cancer, reproductive defects, or neurological, developmental, immune system, or respiratory problems in humans, and/or to cause substantial ecological harm by affecting the health of nonhuman animals and plants
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scrubber
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technology to chemically treat gases produced in combustion to remove hazardous components and neutralize acidic gases, such as sulfur dioxide and hydrochloric acid, turning them into water and salt, in order to reduce smokestack emissions
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atmospheric deposition
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the wet or dry accumulation on land of a wide variety of pollutants, including mercury, nitrates, and organochlorides
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volatile organic compound
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one of a large group of potentially harmful organic chemicals used in industrial processes
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weather
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the local physical properties of the troposphere, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, cloudiness, and wind, over relatively short time periods
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hurricane
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forms when winds rush into areas of low pressure where warm moisture-laden air over tropical oceans is rising, and powerful convective currents are generated that draw up water vapor, which condenses and falls as rain
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ambient air pollution
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this is another term used to describe outdoor air pollution
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tornado
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forms when warm air rises quickly over land, setting a powerful convective current in motion, resulting in a spinning funnel of rising air that picks up soil and objects with winds up to 310 mi/hr
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ozone
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a molecule consisting of three atoms of oxygen that absorbs ultraviolet radiation in the stratosphere
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lead
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a heavy metal that may be ingested through water or paint, or that may enter the atmosphere as a particulate pollutant through combustion of leaded gasoline or other processes, and then enter the food chain where it can poison animals and people
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sulfur dioxide
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a colorless gas resulting in part from the combustion of coal that may react in the atmosphere to form an acid that may return to Earth through acidic deposition
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thermal inversion
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occurs when a layer of warm air forms over a pocket of relatively cold, dense air near the ground, which traps pollutants and causes a buildup of smog
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indoor air pollution
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includes high concentrations of cleaning fluids, insecticides, plastics, chemically-treated wood, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that have significant health effects
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acid rain
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a specific type of acidic deposition that takes place through precipitation
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secondary pollutant
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a hazardous substance produced through the reaction of substances added to the atmosphere with chemicals normally found in the atmosphere
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Clean Air Act
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Congressional legislation that funds research into pollution control, sets standards for air quality, imposes limits on emissions from new stationary and mobile sources, enables citizens to sue parties that violate the standards, and introduces an emissions trading program for sulfur dioxide; first enacted in 1963 and amended multiple times since, particularly in 1970 and 1990
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Montreal Protocol
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an international treaty ratified in 1987 in which 180 signatory nations agreed to restrict production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in order to forestall stratospheric ozone depletion; considered to be the most successful effort to date in addressing a global environmental problem
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photochemical smog
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brown-air pollution caused by light-driven reactions of primary pollutants with normal atmospheric compounds that produce a mix of over 100 different chemicals, with ground-level ozone often being the most abundant among them
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Hadley cell
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one of a pair of convective circulation currents between the equator and 30 degrees north and south latitude that influence global climate patterns
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tropopause
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the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere that acts like a cap, limiting the mixing between these atmospheric layers
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convective circulation
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a circular current of air driven by temperature differences; warm air rises, expands and cools, descends and becomes denser, picks up heat and moisture near ground level, and prepares to rise again, continuing the process
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ozone layer
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the portion of the stratosphere, 10-19 miles above sea level, which absorbs ultraviolet radiation
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acidic deposition
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the settling of acidic or acid-forming pollutants from the atmosphere onto Earth's surface by precipitation, fog, gases, or dry particles
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chlorofluorocarbon
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one of a group of human-made organic compounds derived from simple hydrocarbons, such as ethane and methane, in which hydrogen atoms are replaced by chlorine, bromine, or fluorine; depletes the protective ozone layer in the stratosphere
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primary pollutant
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a hazardous substance that is emitted into the troposphere in a form that is directly harmful
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air pollutant
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any gas or particulate material added to the atmosphere that can affect climate or harm people or other organisms
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troposphere
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the bottommost layer of the atmosphere, extending to 7 miles above sea level
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carbon monoxide
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a colorless, odorless gas produced primarily by the incomplete combustion of fuel
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particulate matter
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solid or liquid particles small enough to be suspended in the atmosphere and able to damage respiratory tissues when inhaled; includes dust, soot, sulfates, and nitrates
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