Air pollution

  Air Pollution – An undesirable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air is known as air pollution. The substances that pollute the air are called pollutants. The pollution of air may be caused by natural processes or by human activities.

Causes of Air Pollution

 ①Air Pollution due to Natural Processes Some of the natural causes of air pollution such as smoke from forest fires and fog, gases, and particulate matter released along with lava from volcanic eruptions, the dust raised from the ground during strong winds and storms. Apart from these, methane gas is produced by bogs (marshy areas), the decomposition of plant and animal remains, and the pollen grains also contribute to air pollution. The contribution of these natural pollutants to the pollution of air is very small and within the tolerance limit of human beings. Therefore, the effects of air pollution produced by natural processes on human beings are negligible.

②Air Pollution due to Human Activities – Man burns fuel such as coal and petroleum products to obtain heat and electric power and run to transport vehicles. The burning of these fuels produces a lot of smoke. The main cause of air pollution is the smoke emitted by various sources. The smoke is emitted into the air by the kitchen, automobiles, airplanes, factories, thermal power stations, and railway engines due to which the air gets filled with carbon monoxide, dust, and carbon dioxide. In some places, pollutants like oxides of sulfur, chlorine, ammonia, benzene, lead particles, oxides of nitrogen, and chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFCs) are also present in the air (Chloro-fluoro-carbons are used in refrigerators).

 

Effects of Air Pollution

 Air pollution affects all things. It is harmful to our health, and it impacts the environment by reducing visibility blocking sunlight, causing acid rain, and harming forests, wildlife, and agriculture. Greenhouse gas pollution, the cause of climate change, affects the entire planet.

①Harming Human Health

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated seven million people die each year from air pollution. More than 4,000 people died in just a few months due to a severe smog event that occurred in London in 1952. Ground-level ozone causes muscles in the lungs to contract, making it difficult to breathe. Exposure to high ozone levels can cause sore throat, coughing, lung inflammation, and permanent lung damage.

 Short-term exposure to air pollution can cause:

• Coughing
• Wheezing/difficulty breathing
• Irritation to eyes, nose, and throat
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fatigue

 

Long-term exposure to air pollution can cause:

• Respiratory diseases (asthma, emphysema)
• Cardiovascular damage
• Harm to liver, spleen, and blood
• Nervous system damage
• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Death

②Harming Animals and Plants

Wildlife can experience many of the same negative health effects of air pollution that humans do. Damage to respiratory systems is the most common effect on animals, but neurological problems and skin irritations are also common.

Plants and crops grow less when exposed to long-term air pollution. Ozone pollution harms plants by damaging structures called stomata, which are tiny pores on the underside of leaves that allow the plant to "breathe." Some types of plants can protect themselves by temporarily closing their stomata or producing antioxidants, but others are particularly sensitive to damage. Between 1980 and 2011, nine billion dollars worth of soybeans and corn were lost in the US as a result of ozone pollution. When acid rain, lead toxicity, and exposure to nitrogen oxides change the chemical nature of the soil, plants are robbed of the nutrients that they need to grow and survive. This impacts agriculture, forests, and grasslands.

There are many other ways that air pollution affects living things, such as damaging the habitat, water, and food sources that plants and animals need to survive.

• Causing Acid Rain
• Reducing Sunlight
• Making a Hole in the Ozone Layer
• Adding Too Much Nitrogen to the Land
• Effects of Greenhouse Gas Pollution