Air Pollution in New York City

Leah Lin

llin11@schools.nyc.gov

INTRODUCTION

Ever walk outside and take in a big breath of fresh air? Ever think about if the air is as fresh as you think? Clean air is one of the most essential needs for the life of a human being. Unfortunately, the air that we breathe in New York City is heavily polluted and can cause serious health problems. In addition, it is severely harmful to the environment that we live in.

What and where does air pollution come from? Air pollution can come from various places. Here are what some air pollutants are and where they may come from:

Fine particulate matter: These are teeny tiny particles that come from motor vehicles and heating boilers.

Nitrogen Oxide: Mixtures of gasses containing nitrogen and oxygen. Typically comes from fossil fuels (coal, gas and oil), the main source of fuel used in cars.

Element Carbon: This is an element that emits from the combustion of fossil fuels.

Sulfur Dioxide: This is also produced by burning fossil fuels but at a much larger scale, such as in industrial operations.

Ozone: This is already present in the environment at higher levels naturally but due to the combustion of fuels in motor vehicles and industries, it is now affecting us.

What can you do to solve this problem? It’s your turn to help!

Many New York City Environmentalists have been working hard to try with local and state authorities to try and run programs that will reduce the amount of air pollution in our city. Today, I am asking you to join the New York City Department of Environmental Protection as an Air Pollution Research Associate.

Task

During this unit, we will focus on the effects that air pollution has on the environment. As a research associate to the Department of Environmental Protection, you will work in 6 groups of 5 and you will research the effects of air pollution and how it affects the environment we currently live in. You will create a presentation in your group and will be responsible to present your research to the class.

Process/Resources

I want you to think back to the presentation you were introduced to on poor attendance at PS85Q. As a class we worked through six steps of the PPA process to create a solution to poor attendance at PS85Q. Over the next few days, you will be using the PPA process to create your presentation on the effects of air pollution on the environment.

The Six Steps of the PPA Process:

1. Define the problem

2. Gather Evidence

3. Identify the Cause

4. Evaluate an Existing Policy

5. Develop a Solution

6. Select the Best Solution

Day 1 and Day 2: Defining the Problem and Gathering Evidence

Air Pollution is a problem that not only affects us here in our environment in New York, but also around the world. Your job is to define and gather evidence on a specific air pollutant. You can add other interesting facts or notes when you are gathering evidence/data.

Here are some helpful links on the types of Air Pollutants:

https://www.cdc.gov/air/pollutants.htm

https://www.britannica.com/science/air-pollution/Fine-particulates

https://www.breeze-technologies.de/blog/major-air-pollutants-their-impact-and-sources/

https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/sources-and-effects-of-six-common-air-pollutants.php

Questions to think about in this area:

● What is air pollution?

● What are the different types of air pollutants?

Day 3 and Day 4: Identify the Causes and Existing Policies

After doing some research on the air pollutant you have chosen, you now have an understanding of what and where the pollutant comes from. Your next step is to identify the effects of the air pollutant on the environment.

Here are some links to help identify the effects of each air pollutant:

https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/air-pollution/

https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/air-quality/effects-air-pollution

https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-quality-and-climate-change-research

Question to think about in this area:

● What is currently being done to stop the amount of pollutants going into our air?

Day 5 and Day 6: Develop and Select the Best Solution

Based on all your research that you have conducted over the last couple of days, as a group I’d like for you to think about how you can try to minimize air pollution. Here is where you can figure out existing policies in place regarding air pollution and try to form your own.

Once your group has created some ideas, you will work together to form a petition or come up with the best solution.

Question to think about in this area:

● What is a feasible and effective solution to this problem?

Day 7 and Day 8: Presentations

Over the next two days, your group will gather together to create a presentation to present to the class that shows the 6 steps of the PPA. You can choose to either create a poster, a brochure, a powerpoint, or an infographic. Make sure that your presentation is visually appealing. You will be graded on the quality of your presentation and how well you share with the class.

Evaluation

Conclusion

Together you worked in groups to create a six-step process of a PPA to define and explain the effects of Air Pollution. You conducted research by reading articles, analyzing photographs and videos. Finally, as a group, you came up with the best solution to try and solve this major problem.

Standards Met: New York State Next Generation Standards