Air and water pollutants exist in many forms. Understanding what they are and where they come from better equips you to address the issues of air and water pollution.

Select two types of air pollutants and two types of water pollutants.

• Indicate whether the selected air pollutants are considered primary or secondary pollutants. Explain why they are considered to be primary or secondary and discuss the sources of these pollutants.

• Describe how the selected air pollutants affect the different layers of the atmosphere. In looking at this interaction, how do greenhouse gases influence Earth’s climate? Discuss how these air pollutants and greenhouse gases affect human, plant, and animal life.

• Examine the selected water pollutants. Discuss the sources of these pollutants and indicate their effects on water resources and aquatic life. 

• Discuss the effect of poor water quality on humans and the environment. What are some solutions for reducing poor water quality?  

• Identify the types of air and water pollutants that occurred because of this oil spill. Are these primary or secondary pollutants? Explain.

• What are the short- and long-term effects of this spill on the environment and wildlife?

• Describe how the different layers of the atmosphere interact with different pollutants. Will the identified pollutants from this disaster affect the atmosphere? Why or why not?

• In the face of such disasters, what are the different cleaning procedures, including bioremediation, that can be undertaken?

• What are some of the new regulations and safety measures for oil drilling?

• As the world is running out of oil, what are some other technologies or alternative energy sources? What would be your first plan of action if you were to identify possible solutions to this crisis?