| Body | Gases | Pollution problems | Solutions | Conserving Energy | Conclusion |
Air pollution occurs when the atmosphere is contaminated by gasses, liquids, or solid wastes or by products that can endanger human health, and the health of plants and animals. Air pollution can attack materials, reduce visibility, or produce undesirable odors. Pollution can make us sick and may even cause death. Children, older people, pregnant women, and people who already have heart or lung diseases suffer the most when air around them is dirty.
Perhaps the biggest negative of air pollution is the money that it costs us. Every time we pay doctor bills for our health problems caused by air pollution we lose time at work and therefore lose money. We will have to spend money to replace the materials that air pollution destroys. If we lose our crops due to air pollution we will have to pay higher prices for food. If air pollution damages our land or building, or pollutes our water, the property that we own will be almost worthless.
Of all the air pollutants emitted by natural resources, only the radioactive gas by the name of radon is recognized as a major health threat. Radon is a byproduct of radioactive decay of uranium minerals in certain kinds of rock. Radon seeps into the basements of homes built on these rocks. According to recent estimates, 20% of the homes in the U.S. harbor, radon concentrations are high enough to pose risk of lung cancer.
As you can see air pollution comes from many sources and can cause us real big problems. Some of air pollution is cause by people and some are made naturally. Humans cause about half of the air pollution that may hurt us.
Particulate matter is a major reason for air pollution. There are many kinds of particulates in the air. Some are there naturally like pollen and spores from plants, wind-blown sand, bits of rock and earth from volcanoes, and soot from forest fires. Than there are some particulates that humans are responsible for putting into the air. They include soot from smokestacks, dirt kicked up by cars on gravel and dirt roads and dust from bulldozing, mining, and storage piles of cinders and ash.
Small particulates can get stuck in our lungs and cause difficulty in breathing. They could also cause permanent damage and carry other harmful particulates into out lungs. Big particulates usually bother our eyes, nose and throat. They are not as harmful as small particulates but we notice them more.
Chemicals that hang in the air are called gasses. Many gasses are invisible. Oxygen, which we need to live, is among the gasses we breath. Most of the oxygen is given off by plants. Other gasses which are in the air come from volcanoes, lightning, and decaying plants. Humans also put many gasses into the air. Some of these gasses are harmful. They come from cars, power plants, and other sources. The 6 most commons ones are: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides, ozone, volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants.
Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. It is left over when wood, gasoline, coal, and other fossil fuels are not burned down properly. Two-thirds of the man made carbon monoxide comes from cars. High levels of carbon monoxide are found in big cities where there are lots of cars.
Sulfur comes from fossil fuels like coal and oil. Most of sulfur dioxide comes from power plants which use coal or oil as fuel, oil refineries, and steel mills. A natural source of sulfur dioxide includes volcanoes. Sulfur dioxide can make the airway to our lungs to narrow worsening the conditions of the people who already have a cold.
Nitrogen Oxides are made when fossil fuels are burned in cars, factories, and power plants. They also create in nature as forests burn, plants decay, and lightning strikes. Nitrogen oxides can make children susceptible to respiratory infections in the winter.
The atmosphere contains 2 layers of ozone. From the ground to about 10 miles above the earth is the troposphere. Breathing in this ozone layer for athletes, children, and those with lung disease could be very hard. The stratosphere is high in the sky, about 10 to 30 miles above the earth. Ozone in this layer is too high to hurt our health.
The high level ozone in the sky is there naturally. It protects us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet light. Without this ozone layer our chances of getting sunburned or developing skin disease would greatly increase. The ozone in this layer gets made and destroyed naturally all the time but with some chemicals that humans have created is permanently damaged the high-level ozone. These chemicals are used to make foamed plastics and air conditioner cooling fluids.
Nitrogen oxides and some unburned hydrocarbons are produces when we burn fossil fuels. These gases react with each other to produce ozone. This ozone near the ground can damage our lungs. It makes our eyes burn, itch, and water. It also lowers our resistance to colds and pneumonia. Ozone is the main pollutant that damages plants and weakens such materials as plastic.
There are many Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in nature. Two natural VOCs include the sharp smell of a pine tree and the smell of a skunk. We produce VOCs when we burn fossil fuels in cars, power plants, and factories. VOCs are also produced when chemicals mix with leftover carbon from the fuel and oxygen Other hazardous air pollutants include asbestos and lead. Fortunately there are now laws that protect you against asbestos and most fuels today are lead-free.
The three biggest air pollution problems include:
Indoor Air Pollution
There are harmful gasses in our homes. One of these gases is radon. After entering the building through cracks on the foundation in goes deep into out lungs when inhaled. Soon after the radon goes under radioactive decay and causes damage to the lung tissue. This increases the chances of lung cancer. Other harmful gases come from the materials and furniture in the building.
Another reason why indoor air pollution is a problem is that today's buildings are built to save energy. Therefore they don't let fresh air circulate. The pollution air inside cant get out and the fresh air outside cant get in. This is because the walls and roofs have a lot of insulation, the windows are sealed, and the buildings are tightly built.
The final reason why indoor air may harm our health is because we spend so much time indoors. The more time we spend indoors the more we are exposed to these hazards.
Acid Rain
Acid rain is rain, fog, or snow mixed with sulfuric or nitric acid. Acid rain is produced when three things occur:
1. When fossil fuels are burned, sulfur and nitrogen oxides are created.
2. In the atmosphere sulfur and nitrogen oxides mix with water drops and produce sulfuric and nitric acid.
3. These acids fall to earth as acid rain or snow.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are usually released in one place and travel many miles before they fall to the ground as acid rain. For example acid rain that is damaging Canadian forests can originate in the industrial areas of the United States. The sulfur dioxide released when Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 could have formed acid rain that fell in other countries. Some acid rain is made by nature which humans can not change. But we are constantly adding to the problem.
Acid rain is very harmful to our health. Sulfuric acid in the air may damage the lungs of infants, children, and adults. Acid rain may contaminate drinking water if it dissolves minerals from the pipe and soil into the water.
When there is acid rain, lakes and streams gain a lot of acid. This can be very harmful to the animals and the new fish egg which are about to be born.
Global Climate Change
When sunlight pours in through the glass walls and roofs it warms up the inside of the greenhouse. The greenhouse stays warms because the glass walls do not let the hear out. With the increase of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) the greenhouse effect occurs. These gases trap the sun's heat close to the earth. Carbon dioxide and other gases come from the fossil fuels we burn. Methane comes from fields, decaying plants, and rotting wastes in landfills. CFC's are chemicals that are used in spray cans. They are still used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners.
When we cut down trees in the tropical rain forest we keep adding to this problem. When trees are cut they release carbon dioxide. They also release CO2 when they burn or decay. Trees and plant's use up a lot of our excess carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. They take in the CO2 and release oxygen; a gas which we need to live.
Some scientists think that the earth's temperature has risen by 1 degree Fahrenheit because of the greenhouse effect. By the middle of the next century it may go up by 2-5 degrees. This may not sound like much but with the earth warming up, most of the ice caps will melt and water to the oceans. With the increase in water, some coastlines will be under water. Another result of the earth warming up would be that it would upset the balance among plants, animals, and weather.
There has been much done to reduce air pollution since the 1940s. Many engineers, scientists, and decision makers have spent their whole lives trying to figure out ways to reduce air pollution. Smokestacks and cars are now equipped with air pollution controls. Unfortunately this in not enough to keep the environment clean. We have to find ways to make less pollution and cleaning up dirty air before it is released. The biggest way to make less pollution is to conserve energy. In the future we will have to use less polluting energy sources like using solar energy to run our cars instead of gasoline. Power plants will have to use low sulfur coal. Catalytic converters (devices that help burn exhaust gas) can be installed on cars. Electrostatic precipitators factories can put an electric charge on dusts and mists and catch these pollutants on plates. Scrubbers can spray water into the exhaust streams of power plants to remove sulfur dioxide.
Researchers are always looking for better air pollution control devices for factories, power plants, cars, and other items that emit pollutants. Local and national laws are being passed to clean and protect our air.
Today local and national laws are being passed in many countries to clean and protect our air. Sulfur dioxide and acid rain are also expected to drop because of new controls on industries that burn fossil fuels. Car makers are also improving the gas mileage of cars. Although this is a good start, laws and controls are not enough. If we truly want clean air and want a healthy environment everybody will have to pitch in.
In your car:
At home:
As you can see air pollution is a major environmental issue and it effects all of us. It is very important for all of us to conserve energy and try to pollute as little as possible. If we want the next generation of humans to have a happy and clean life we should do our best to keep the air and the earth clean. Remember, we are all in this together. The earth is all of our homes and we have to treat it like we would treat each other.