Student Activity Sheets - Grades 3-5 Page 4
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20Major Pollutants
Activity 3:
In the San Joaquin Valley, our air quality does
not meet standards set by both the federal or
state governments for two pollutants:
• particulate matter (PM2.5)
• ozone (O 3 )
Particulate Matter
Many small particles of solid or liquid matter
are carried in our air. Some we can see; others
are so tiny that we can’t see them. Some occur
naturally; others are created by people.
Particulate matter comes from:
• soot and smoke from chimneys and
smokestacks
• ash and gases from burning wood
• exhaust from vehicles, especially diesel
engines
• dust from construction and mining
• dust from roads and fields
• rubber from tires
• emissions from factories and power plants
Particulate matter is more of a problem during the winter months when people like to use their fireplaces and
wood stoves. And when there is fog, the unhealthy particles can stay in the air at ground level long after the
fires go out.
Ozone
Ozone is an odorless, colorless gas. It doesn’t come directly out of a smokestack or tailpipe, but ozone is created
by the pollutants that do come out of tailpipes and smokestacks, as well as other sources.
Here’s how it works. In the air, combine...
Hot Sunshine
+
Nitrogen Oxides
+
Volatile Organic Compounds =
(NOx)
(VOCs)
(emitted from vehicles, equipment,
(from the vapors of gasoline, lighter
and buildings that burn fossil fuels)
fluid, paint, cleaners, and other chemicals)
When the sun is bright and hot, the pollutants combine to form ozone, which is the main ingredient in smog.
Ozone can become dangerous during the summer.
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