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- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Biology_(Kimball)/17%3A_Ecology/17.02%3A_Cycles_of_Matter_in_the_Biosphere/17.2G%3A_Air_PollutionThis page discusses how human activities emit air pollutants like PM2.5, which are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung cancer. The EPA suggests maintaining PM2.5 levels under 15 µg/m3 fo...This page discusses how human activities emit air pollutants like PM2.5, which are linked to health problems such as asthma and lung cancer. The EPA suggests maintaining PM2.5 levels under 15 µg/m3 for better health outcomes. It also highlights other pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, that contribute to photochemical smog, causing eye irritation. Catalytic converters in vehicles help reduce these emissions, thereby improving air quality.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Gettysburg_College/01%3A_Ecology_for_All/20%3A_Biogeochemical_Cycles/20.07%3A_The_Sulfur_CycleAtmospheric sulfur is found in the form of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), which enters the atmosphere in three ways: first, from the decomposition of organic molecules; second, from volcanic activity and geo...Atmospheric sulfur is found in the form of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), which enters the atmosphere in three ways: first, from the decomposition of organic molecules; second, from volcanic activity and geothermal vents; and, third, from the burning of fossil fuels by humans. As rain falls through the atmosphere, sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) in the atmosphere is dissolved in the form of weak sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ), creating acid rain.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Workbench/General_Ecology_Ecology/Chapter_20%3A_Biogeochemical_Cycles/20.2%3A_The_Biogeochemical_CyclesThe matter that makes up living organisms is conserved and recycled. The six most common elements associated with organic molecules—carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur—take a va...The matter that makes up living organisms is conserved and recycled. The six most common elements associated with organic molecules—carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur—take a variety of chemical forms and may exist for long periods in the atmosphere, on land, in water, or beneath the Earth’s surface. Geologic processes, such as weathering, erosion, water drainage, and the subduction of the continental plates, all play a role in this recycling of materials.
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Biology_(Kimball)/17%3A_Ecology/17.02%3A_Cycles_of_Matter_in_the_Biosphere/17.2H%3A_Acid_RainThis page discusses the increasing acidity of rain in North America and Europe, primarily caused by industrial sulfur dioxide emissions, with pH levels dropping to 2.1. This acid rain poses risks to b...This page discusses the increasing acidity of rain in North America and Europe, primarily caused by industrial sulfur dioxide emissions, with pH levels dropping to 2.1. This acid rain poses risks to buildings, aquatic ecosystems, and forests, especially in sensitive regions like the Adirondacks. Although sulfur dioxide emissions have declined since the 1980s, nitrogen oxides and ozone from vehicle exhaust continue to be concerns.
