Side Effects Of Air Pollution

Air pollution

science

2/13/2017

Mahek Nanji

Air pollution is the presence of harmful or poisonous substance into the air causing serious side effects. There are two types of pollutants; primary pollutants and secondary pollutants. Primary pollutants are gases or particles which are introduced into the air to make it polluted. Example is carbon monoxide from car exhaust fumes and sulphur dioxide from burning of coal. Secondary pollutants are when chemicals in the air mix to form a more dangerous chemical. An example of a secondary pollutant is smog that covers the cities.

Both natural and human actions can cause air pollution. Natural events that pollute the air are forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal,

Household and farming chemicals: Spraying fertilizers and pesticides on plants and agricultural farms, fumigating homes, household cleaning products or painting supplies and normal insect/pest killers release harmful chemicals into the air and cause pollution. Most of the times, when we use these chemicals at home or at our offices and there is no or little ventilation, we end up falling sick when we breathe these poisonous chemicals.

The effects of air pollution

The effects of air pollution are acidification and eutrophication.

Acidification is a chemical reaction involving air pollutants that can create acidic compounds which can harm vegetation and buildings. Sometimes, when an air pollutant, such as sulphuric acid combine with the water droplets that make up clouds, the water droplets become acidic, forming acid rain. When acid rain falls over an area, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish, and other wildlife.

Eutrophication: Rain can carry and deposit the Nitrogen in some pollutants on rivers and soils. This will adversely affect the nutrients in the soil and water bodies. This can result in algae growth in lakes and water bodies, and make conditions for other living organism

 It is estimated that you breathe 20,000 liters of air each day. This means the more polluted the air is, the more we breathe into our lungs dangerous chemicals.

 Air can be polluted both indoors and outdoors. Tobacco and other kinds of smoking are examples of indoor air pollution.

 Sick Building Syndrome is a health condition related to pesticides, insecticides and chemicals we use at home and offices.

 In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.

 More hazardous pollutants are discharged into the air each year than are released to surface water, ground water, and land, combined.

 Motor vehicles produce more air pollution than any other single human activity. One full commuter bus can mean 40 less cars going through your neighbourhood.

 Air pollution could be killing 712,000 people a year in Kenya (https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000221065/air-pollution-the-invisible-silent-killer-in-africa)

 In America, vehicle exhaust contributes roughly 60% of all carbon monoxide emissions nationwide, and up to 95% in