Air Pollution
CFish Mr. Nollen
Biology 2B
8 May, 1996
The Problem
Contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes or by-products that can endanger human health and the health and welfare of plants and animals, or can attack materials, reduce visibility, or produce undesirable odors. Among air pollutants emitted by natural sources, only the radioactive gas radon is recognized as a major health threat. A byproduct of the 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 by the U.S. government, 20 percent of the homes in the U.S. harbor radon concentrations that are high enough to pose a risk of lung cancer.
Each year industrially developed countries generate billions of tons of pollutants. The level is usually given in terms of atmospheric concentrations or, for gases in terms of parts per million, that is, number of pollutant molecules per million air molecules. Many come from directly identifiable sources; sulfur dioxide, for example, comes from electric power plants burning coal or oil. Others are formed through the action of sunlight on previously emitted reactive materials. For example, ozone, a dangerous pollutant in smog, is produced by the interaction of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides under the influence of sunlight. Ozone has also caused serious crop damage. On the other hand, the discovery in the 1980s that air pollutants such as fluorocarbons are causing a loss of ozone from the earth's protective ozone layer has caused the phasing out of these materials.
Current information about the problem
The tall smokestacks used by industries an utilities do not remove pollutants but simply boost them higher into the atmosphere, thereby reducing their concentration at the site. These pollutants may then be transported over large distances and produce adverse effects in areas far from the site of the original emission. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from the central and eastern U.S. are causing acid rain in New York State, New England, and eastern Canada. The pH level, or relative acidity, of many freshwater lakes in that region has been altered so dramatically by this rain that entire fish populations have been destroyed. Similar effects have been observed in Europe.
Sulfur dioxide emissions and the subsequent formation of sulfuric acid can also be responsible for the attack on limestone and marble at large distances from the source.
The worldwide increase in the burning of coal and oil since the late
1940s has led to ever increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide. The resulting "greenhouse effect", which allows solar energy to enter the atmosphere but reduces the remission of infrared radiation from the earth, could
Retrieved from: Air Pollution Conflict Article Regulations have helped tremendously however, there has been an issue with the coal burning plants that were exempted from the Clean Air Act laws because they were grandfathered in. Factory plants that were built before the 1970s were exempted from the new Clean Air Act standards because there was an expectation that since they were already old they would retire soon. Unfortunately, this was not the case and many of the plants grandfathered in are the
Air pollution results from high concentrations of chemicals and particulate matter that pose a threat to human health, ecosystems, and manmade materials. Pollutants can be solid particles, liquids, or gases and are produced by human sources along with natural sources. Pollution from natural sources tend to become diluted and dispersed without causing major harm, whereas pollutants resulting from human sources tend to be more localized and a more serious problem. Scientists categorize air contaminants
Air pollution is one of the most dangerous substances to our environment, causing damage to the atmosphere, human and animal health, and air quality. Recently, there has been an increase in death rates resulting from diseases caused by air pollution, such as asthma, respiratory problems, and lung cancer (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences). As a result, air pollution not only affects human life but also damages our ecological system as a whole, including plants and animals. Air pollution
The detriment of air pollution is that it has far reaching consequences and most often is misplaced long distances by the wind. Polluted air shows up in places where you wouldn’t expect or desire it, like in the most remote parts of beloved national parks or barren wilderness. This can be attributed to higher power plant pipes that transport pollutants above a local community contribute to carrying pollutants sometimes thousands of miles away by wind. This can be particularly true in downwind states
Research shows that every year 2.4 to 4.6 million people die from causes directly related to air pollution. Many of these fatalities are linked to indoor air pollution as well. Air pollution is expanding at such a fast pace that there are more deaths per year linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents. As the world continues to increase in the amount of people, air pollution will continue to rise as well. With an all time high, seven million deaths in 2012, countries such as China, and
suffered from pollution issues, such as air and water pollution, for a long time. On Thursday Nov. 5th, 2013, the China’s National Meteorological Center renewed a yellow alert for heavy smog and fog continued to hit many parts of east and north China, causing traffic disruptions and school closures (Mu 2013). This essay will mainly focus on discussing the effectiveness of agencies and policies with respect to the air pollution. It will reveal the main causes of heavy air pollution along with the
Polluted air in general contains one or more hazardous substances that create hazards for the health of living individuals. Pollutants within the air are measured in terms of particulate matter (PM); or the number of particles of potentially hazardous substances as a percentage of air. Outdoor air pollutants can create acid rain, which affects the environment and depletion of the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), which increases the risk of skin cancer and cataracts in human individuals
Introduction The air pollutants in the air exist generally in the form of particles and gas contaminates available in the earth's surface. In addition, air pollution is categorized in two parts indoor and outdoor air pollution. The indoor air pollution includes household products, gasses, lead, formaldehyde, asbestos, etc. Similarly, outdoor air pollution involves carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, tobacco smoke, etc. Moreover, there are different sources of air pollution such as "Stationary
Air Pollution and its Potential Solutions Solving this problem requires a three-pronged approach, as different solutions are required to eliminate, or at least decrease, air pollution from electricity generation, transportation, and industry. All solutions demand cooperation between the government and the public—no solution will succeed without the dedicated effort of the population as a whole . The Clean Air Act, which was passed in 2008 but only went into effect in 2011 , is the government’s main
Abstract This assignment presents one of the major environmental issues in Japan, air pollution. The major causes and impacts of Japan air pollution will be addressed and highlighted in details; air pollution have its significant health implication on humans, as well as the environment, the effects and damages may extend beyond any measure of tolerance. Numerous sustainable solutions were proposed by the government or the individuals. This assignment discussed these different solution along with
The quality of the air that we breathe, has always been important matter. No matter what season it is, the air that we breathe is, essentially, what keeps us alive. Air pollution, is something that has been a problem in the United States, for some time now. Throughout the last few years, there have reportedly been huge population increases in majority of the major cities. Those cities include: Atlanta, Ga., Los Angeles, Ca., Salt Lake City, Ut., and many others. Ironically these same cities are
identified and advertised effects of global warming. The obvious climate change, the pollution of air, the destruction of ecosystems, and plenty more. But those all impact the planet. And many ask “why does that matter to me?” True, those are huge effects on the planet, however they can have disastrous consequences on humans as well. If we continue to destroy our planet through global warming,
premature deaths caused each year due to air pollution in cities across the world” (Air Pollution). Every day the average person inhales about 20,000 liters of contaminated air, Such as carbon dioxide and smog (Brimblecombe). These pollutants are released throughout the world’s atmosphere in concentrations that are high enough to cause health problems, which leads to one of the main problems today, and that would be air pollution (Socha). The main cause of air pollution is all of the toxic chemicals that
County is air pollution. So many chemicals are released from cars, factories, power plants, and other industrial buildings. In 2002, Philadelphia County was ranked among the dirtiest ten percent of all countries in the United States due to toxic air pollution (ScoreCard, 2011). This becomes a problem for the people inhabiting the county inhaling the dirty air. Certain chemicals can cause diseases in humans. Also breathing in the dirty air can be detrimental to the lungs. Air pollution is a serious
The effects and causes of Air Pollution Introduction Air is vital to the human body, it provides us with oxygen, which is necessary for our bodies to function, but the question that rises is what if this air is contaminated. Subsequently, breathing may become difficult which in turn can lead to many health problems. Clearly, air pollution is a significant subject of matter that has been around for hundreds of years. There are numerous explanations to why air pollution occurs, but it is mainly a