Atmospheric CO2 and Particulates
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| carbon dioxide/ˈkɑːbən daɪˈɒksaɪd/ | A compound whose molecules contain one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. |
| particulates/pəˈtɪkjʊleɪts/ | Small solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in air or another fluid. |
| greenhouse gas/ˈɡriːnhaʊs ɡæs/ | A gas that absorbs and emits infrared radiation, contributing to atmospheric warming. |
| Particulate matter/pəˈtɪkjʊleɪt ˈmætə/ | Small solid particles and liquid droplets suspended in air. |
| micrometres/ˈmaɪkrəʊmiːtəz/ | Units of length each equal to one millionth of a metre. |
Two pollutants from one fire
- Burning fossil fuels adds two big pollutants to the air.
- One is a gas: carbon dioxide 二氧化碳 (CO2).
- The other is tiny solid bits: particulates 颗粒物.
- They cause very different kinds of harm.
Carbon dioxide warms the planet
- CO2 is an invisible gas — you cannot see or smell it.
- It is the main greenhouse gas 温室气体.
- It traps heat in the atmosphere, warming the climate.
- Every fossil fuel we burn adds more CO2 to the air.
PM10 and PM2.5 compared with a human hair
The main problem with rising atmospheric CO2 is that it…
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CO2 is the main greenhouse gas — it traps heat and drives global warming.
Particulates harm the lungs
- Particulate matter 颗粒物 is tiny solid and liquid bits.
- Soot, dust, and droplets float in the air.
- The smallest bits lodge deep in the lungs.
- They cause breathing problems, heart disease, and hazy air.
Carbon dioxide or particulates?
Sort each description under the pollutant it fits.
Particulate matter is harmful mainly because it…
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Particulates are tiny enough to reach deep into the lungs, causing breathing and heart problems.
The tiny solid and liquid bits floating in polluted air are called ____ matter.
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Particulate matter (PM) is the mix of tiny particles — soot, dust, droplets — in the air.
Size is everything for particulates
- Scientists sort particulates by size, like PM2.5 and PM10.
- The number is the width in micrometres 微米.
- Smaller particles (PM2.5) are the most dangerous.
- They slip past the body's defences and reach the deepest lungs.
Burning fossil fuels releases both CO2 and particulates.
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Combustion gives off CO2 gas and soot particles, so fossil fuels produce both pollutants.
Select all true statements.
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CO2 warms the climate, particulates harm lungs, and both come from combustion. CO2 is an invisible gas.
Keep the two harms separate. CO2 is a climate problem — it's not poisonous to breathe at normal levels, but it traps heat and warms the whole planet. Particulates are a health problem — they don't warm the climate much, but breathing them damages your lungs and heart. Same source (burning), completely different danger.
Standing by a coal plant:
- The CO2 streaming from the stack is invisible and harmless to breathe right there — but it joins the atmosphere and nudges the whole planet warmer for centuries.
- The grey particulate haze around the same stack is the immediate health threat — breathe it daily and your lungs and heart suffer.
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and particulate matter. CO2 is an invisible greenhouse gas — a climate problem that traps heat and warms the planet. Particulates are tiny bits (measured in micrometres, e.g. PM2.5) — a health problem that lodges in the lungs and heart. Same source, different dangers.