Air pollution

is when chemicals or materials that have the ability to cause harm to living

organisms or to the environment, in general. It occurs most often in cities, where it manifests itself as smog, as well as gases that are not visible to the human eye. In fact, urban air quality and pollution found indoors are the two main pollution problems that the world faces today. Due to the fact that the atmosphere is made of of a delicate and complex balance of natural gases that support all living things and the ecosystems of the planet, the addition of pollution can lead to devastating effects in the long term. There are, essentially, two types of air pollution: particles and noxious gases. Particles are usually released by burning fuel and, in some cases, wood or charcoal. These particles are typically the result of automobiles and homes utilizing fuel as an energy source. Noxious gases, however, are the source of acid rain and smog. These gases consist of carbons dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and chemical vapors, amongst other things. Often, these are emitted by older, unregulated vehicles and factories. These two harmful types of pollution can also be found in our homes and places of work, as smoking, fumes from certain hair care and beauty products, and cooking can release these pollutants, as well.

Industrial Emissions
Manufacturing facilities, power plants, and waste incinerators are all industries that emit high levels of carbon monoxide, organic compounds, and chemicals into the atmosphere, just to name a few. There are also a number of other culprits. Petroleum refineries release a variety of particulates and hydrocarbons into the Earths atmosphere. Also, though a bit more rare, radioactive fallout from nuclear facilities is also one of the causes of air pollution.

Burning of fossil fuels

Fossil fuels are emitted from our cars, and has become a big part of our everyday lives. Fossil fuel is even used to extract greater amounts of fossil fuel from the earth, where it is naturally occurring, and is also used to break it down into its individual components. Without using fossil fuels, factories would not produce goods and we would not experience the ease of travel that we do today

Chemicals

This cause encompasses a number of chemicals, such as those commonly used household cleaning products or painting supplies. However, it can be argued that the main chemical that most associate with pollution are pesticides. Crop dusting, fumigating homes, and over the counter insect/pest killers emit harmful chemicals into the environment, to contribute to the overall poor air quality that most regions experience today. Another pollutant found in the this category is fertilizer dust, which is released into the air from agricultural grade fertilizers. A health condition is even directly related to this particular group of pollutants, known as Sick Building Syndrome, whereby the toxic fumes we use daily in our homes and offices, as well as mold, can cause us to become ill if the area is not properly ventilated.

The Earth itself

There are a number of air pollutants which come directly from the earth itself, which seems a bit ironic. Methane emitted by animals simply digesting their food or carbon monoxide from wild fires are all contributing factors to the worlds pollution problem. On warmer days, there are even some regions where the vegetation can produce great amounts of VOCs, and volcanic activity has the capability to disperse sulfur and chlorine into the air we breathe. Also, the radioactive decay occurring within the Earths crust emits radon. Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is the bi-product of radium. It can then collect in buildings and tight spaces that have little or ventilation, causing a radon build up, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer, smoking being the first. Surprisingly, even dust found in areas with minimal vegetation is considered a source of air pollution.

Air Pollution Facts

There are a number of effects of air pollution, some which effect the planets living organisms, and others which have a great impact on the environment, as a whole. Here are a few facts about the effects of air pollution:

According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is a leading cause of heart disease, respiratory infections, as well as lung cancer, among others. It has the capability to complicate breathing, aggravate cardiac conditions, and incude coughing and wheezing.

Approximately 2.4 million people die each year due to pollution, with 1.5 million of those deaths caused by indoor air pollution.

Air pollution has contribute to the greenhouse effect, whereby gases being release into the upper atmosphere, mainly carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, create a trapping of heat. This results in increased surface temperature and lowered tropospheric temperatures.

Acid rain, which is also a result of air pollution, is a form of precipitation that is unusually acidic. This acid rain erodes stone, corrodes steel, and damages the paint on structures.

Children who are exposed to relatively high levels of air pollution have been found to develop such conditions as: asthma, pneumonia, and a barrage of other respiratory infections. Due to the fact that children are typically outside more than adults are, they are more susceptible to the harmful effects of environmental pollutants.

In a recent study carried out in Southern California, it was determined that approximately 3800 people die prematurely each year due to air pollution. That means that nearly 4000 people, in that region alone, die 14 years earlier than they would have had the pollutant level not been above federal standards.

What is known as the Asian Brown Cloud is directly due to air pollution. It is a large collection of pollutants that hangs over a good part of South Asia and the Indian Ocean, and it is estimated that around 2 million people in India die each year as a result of the brown cloud. CONTROL OF AIR POLLUTION There are many factors which regulate the air pollution. It states that there should always be a distance between the industrial and residential area. The chimneys must be tall in size so that the emissions must be released higher up in the environment. The filters and precipitators must be used in the chimneys. The scrubber or spray collector must be used to remove the poisonous gases. The ash production must be reduced by the high temperature incinerators. The sulphur must be removed after the combustion. The non combustive sources of energy are the nuclear power, geothermal power, solar, tidal and wind power. The gasoline must have anti knocking agents. The railway track must be electrified. The mining area must be rich in trees. The gas fuel must be used instead of the coal fuel. The emission control system must be present in the automobiles. The wastes must be removed and recycled in the industrial plants and refineries. The automobiles must be pollution free by making the fuel alcohol based and using the battery power. There are certain plants which have the ability to fix the carbon monoxide. These should be grown in the larger numbers. It includes the ficus and coleus. There are certain plants which have the ability to metabolize the nitrogen oxides and other pollutants. It includes the pinus and ribes.