Air Composition and Chemistry

by Peter Brimblecombe

• ISBN13: 9780521459723
• ISBN10: 0521459729
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-01-26
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This book is about the atmosphere and mankind's influence on it. Although air chemistry is probably one of the oldest branches of chemistry, it is now the focus of considerable public interest. The second edition of this extremely popular text has been rewritten and all information updated, to keep pace with this important and fast moving science. In the early chapters of his book, Dr Brimblecombe discusses the geochemical, biological and maritime sources of the trace gases. After dealing with the natural atmosphere, the book examines the sources of air pollution and its effects; all these scenarios are rewritten from the last edition to include all recent knowledge. The final chapters are concerned with the chemistry and evolution of the atmospheres of the planets of the Solar System; this has been revised in accordance with current understanding.

Table of Contents

Preface to the first edition	ix
Preface to the second edition	xi
Note	xiii
The atmosphere	1	(19)
Chemical composition	1	(3)
Residence time	4	(1)
Size and pressure variation	5	(2)
Radiation and thermal structure	7	(6)
General circulation	13	(4)
Water	17	(2)
Further reading	19	(1)
The natural components of the air	20	(22)
Biological sources	20	(7)
Geochemical sources	27	(3)
Atmospheric sources	30	(3)
Sinks	33	(3)
Global cycles and residence times	36	(5)
Further reading	41	(1)
Gas phase chemistry of the atmosphere	42	(13)
Reaction rates	42	(5)
Photochemistry	47	(2)
The methane cycle and continuity	49	(2)
Atmospheric chemistry of the hydroxyl radical	51	(2)
The nitrate radical	53	(1)
Conclusions	54	(1)
Further reading	54	(1)
Aerosols	55	(27)
The origin of aerosols	55	(9)
Size spectra of atmospheric particulate/aerosol material	64	(5)
Enrichment of trace components on particles	69	(4)
Absorption and chemistry on particle surfaces	73	(3)
Optical effects of particles	76	(4)
Further reading	80	(2)
The chemistry of aqueous systems	82	(19)
Cloud physics	82	(1)
The solubility of gases	83	(7)
The transfer of gases to liquids	90	(2)
The composition of precipitation	92	(2)
Chemical reactions in droplets	94	(6)
Further reading	100	(1)
Sources of pollution	101	(38)
Combustion processes	101	(7)
Incineration and impurities in fuels	108	(6)
High-temperature sources	114	(2)
Low-temperature sources	116	(3)
Photochemical pollution	119	(7)
Heterogeneous reactions - particulate materials and rainfall	126	(4)
Air pollution meteorology	130	(8)
Further reading	138	(1)
Air pollution and its effects	139	(51)
Urban air	139	(10)
Health	149	(11)
Effects on plants and animals	160	(5)
Effects on building materials	165	(2)
Indoor pollution	167	(4)
The museum environment	171	(2)
Acid rain and acid deposition	173	(11)
Global pollution	184	(5)
Further reading	189	(1)
The upper atmosphere	190	(20)
Ozone and the chemistry of the stratosphere	190	(7)
Stratospheric aerosols and the ozone hole	197	(5)
The upper atmosphere	202	(3)
Sporadic processes in the ionosphere	205	(2)
Policy and change	207	(2)
Further reading	209	(1)
The atmospheres of the planets and their evolution	210	(37)
The stability of planetary atmospheres	210	(5)
Surface boundary exospheres	215	(2)
Tenuous colder atmospheres	217	(6)
Atmospheres of the outer planets	223	(7)
Atmospheres of the terrestrial planets	230	(6)
The origin and evolution of secondary atmospheres	236	(7)
Life and the evolution of our atmosphere	243	(3)
Further reading	246	(1)
References	247	(3)
Index	250