Describe how carbon monoxide is produced by both humans and nature. Then discuss why it is so toxic to humans
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. In the natural environment it is released as a primary pollutant by volcanic eruptions, forest fires, bacterial action, and other processes. Though natural processes emit far more CO into the environment than do human activities, soil microorganisms consume it effectively, and background values are very low. In cities, however, inputs can greatly exceed the rate of removal, and unsafe concentrations can accrue. In the United States, the most important source of CO is the automobile which releases the gas as a by-product of incomplete combustion. In well-maintained vehicles, carbon monoxide emissions are low, but poorly operating engines can cause CO concentrations to accumulate to unsafe levels. Carbon monoxide is extremely toxic. Even low levels can cause a person to immediately experience slowed reflexes, drowsiness, and a reduction or loss of consciousness. Exposure for three hours at 400 parts per million (ppm) is life threatening, and at 1600 ppm death comes within an hour. Over the long haul, it can contribute to heart disease.
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The hypoxia problem in the Gulf of Mexico is primarily caused by
A) local wind circulations along the coast. B) very low thermocline levels in the Gulf of Mexico. C) runoff of nutrient-rich fertilizers into the Mississippi River. D) El Niño events.
The increasing job opportunities for an Andean farmer in Peru due to a global rise in demand for quinoa demonstrates
A) complementarity. B) cognitive distance. C) situation. D) site. E) time-space convergence.
Turbulent wind flow that blows over a barren surface can pick up sediment by the process known as ____________________
Fill in the blank(s) with correct word
Major area of commercial grain farming:
From Table 29.1, the biome map, and the climate map, determine the terrestrial biome that best characterizes each of the following descriptions and write its name on the first line provided. On the second line, relate it to temperature and precipitation regimes and/or global pressure and wind belts outlined at the end of Section 1.