Nitrogen Oxides
•Dry Air
is 78% Nitrogen (N2), 21% Oxygen (O2)
•Heating
air to high temperatures forms NO• (motor vehicles, fossil-fuel power plants, lightning)
• NO• is an ozone precursor and also reacts
directly with ozone to destroy it
Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOC’s)
•VOC’s
continuously emitted by fuel spills, motor vehicles, trees, air fresheners, paints, and countless other
sources
•
•OH• hydroxyl radical is the atmosphere’s “natural detergent” that cleans VOC’s from the air by
initiating the process that
converts them into carbon dioxide and water