Danger In The Air!
Activity #4: Finding and Analyzing Air Quality Data

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Shocking fact: Mexico City's air pollution levels exceeded healthy levels on 312 days in the year 1988!!!

Even though on an ordinary day there is the same amount of traffic, and our industries do not change, something else causes some days to have more pollutants concentrated in the air. Some days the pollution levels are so high it is not healthy to be outside. Let's explore a connection between weather and pollution...

Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper:

• What is Pollution?
• What are the major air pollutants that are put into our atmosphere?
• What are some natural forms of pollution?
• Where do they come from?

You are going to collect air pollution and weather data. Obtain your data from the World Wide Web. Input your data into the given tables or make ones like them.

Name of Reporter(s):

Monitoring for which city?

Use one of the following sources for your weather data:

• INTELLICAST
• The University of Washington
• The Weather Channel
• The Weather Processor
• The Weather Underground

• Temperature: Record the highs, lows and averages. Record in Celsius and Fahrenheit.
• Cloud Cover: Clear, partly cloudy, or cloudy
• Wind Direction and Wind Speed: Record which direction the wind is coming from and its average speed.
• Precipitation: List rain, snow, sleet, hail.

Graph your weather data and air quality values. Answer the questions below with your group while looking at your completed graphs.

Which days had the highest levels of air pollutants? Which pollutant was the highest?

What was the weather like on each of those days?

Temperature:

Air Pressure:

Wind Speed and Direction:

Weather Conditions:

On days when pollution levels are the highest are there similar weather readings? What are the similarities?

Why do we have days we are not able to use our fire places or wood stoves?

Why on hot, sunny summer days pollution values rise to unhealthy levels?

What are things that we can do to decrease the amount of pollution in the air?

On days when low levels of pollution are present, what is the weather like?

Describe how you think the weather affects the levels of air pollutants?

• What is in our air and how did it get there? (first page of this module)
• What is in Our Air? (second page of this module)
• Activity #1: Does Air Pollution Effect You?
• Activity #2: Effects of Air Pollution on Plant Growth
• Activity #3: You ask the Questions
• Activity #5: Air Pollution and Health Issues
• Activity #6: The Effect of Air Pollution on Plant Growth (Optional)
• Activity #7: The Big Bad Eight (Optional)
• Activity #8: Particulate Matter in the Atmosphere (Optional)
• Air Pollutants
• Assessment
• Teachers' Resources