Photochemical Smog

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primary
pollutants (oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds created from
fossil fuel combustion) interact under the influence of sunlight to produce a
mixture of hundreds of different and hazardous chemicals known as secondary
pollutants. Development of photochemical smog is typically associated with
specific climatic conditions and centers of high population density. Cities
like Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, and Vancouver frequently suffer episodes of
photochemical smog.

One way in which the production of photochemical smog is initiated is through
the photochemical reaction of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to form ozone. There are
many sources of photochemical smog, including vehicle engines (the number one
cause of photochemical smog), industrial emissions, and area sources (the loss
of vapors from small areas such as a local service station, surface coatings and
thinners, and natural gas leakage).

Vehicle engines, which are extremely numerous in all parts of the world, do ...

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to react forming nitrogen dioxide, increasing
its concentration.
� As the sunlight becomes more intense later in the day, nitrogen dioxide is
broken down and its by-products form increasing concentrations of ozone.
� At the same time, some of the nitrogen dioxide can react with the volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) to produce toxic chemicals.
� As the sun goes down, the production of ozone is halted. The ozone that
remains in the atmosphere is then consumed by several different reactions.

3. Several meteorological factors can influence the information of photochemical
smog. These conditions include :

� Precipitation can alleviate photochemical smog as the pollutants are ...

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