Air pollution affects everything from agriculture and ecosystems to human health, on a global scale. The five major air pollutants are ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide (Donnatelle, 2010). A majority of these pollutants are the result of human action. One example being coal power plants. These plants release greenhouse gas emissions and particle air pollution. The burning of the coal creates pollutant byproducts. Other forms of industrial pollution, exhaust fumes, burning wood, and several forms of indoor air pollutants result in air contamination. The combination of various air contaminates can be extremely toxic. The pollutants irritate the lungs and may even cause respiratory diseases and cancer in humans (Donnatelle, 2010).…
Air pollution is the initiation of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damages the natural environment into the atmosphere. Air pollution occurs when the air contains gases, fumes, dust, or other harmful agents. According to Morgan (2003), air pollution was not a problem until the 19th century and Industrial Revolution because pollution was readily diluted in the atmosphere (Morgan, Environmental Health, 2003, p. 247). Air pollution occurs in many forms but can generally be thought of as gaseous and particulate contaminants that are present in the earth 's atmosphere (Air Pollution - Its Nature, Sources, and Effects, 2013). Natural sources of air pollution include forest fires, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions (Morgan, Environmental Health, 2003, p. 249).…
Hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide from vehicle exhausts are irradiated by sunlight in the presence of oxygen gas. The resulting reactions produce a potentially dangerous mixture, including other nitrogen oxides, ozone, and irritating organic compounds, as well as carbon dioxide and water vapor.…
Sources of air pollution refer to the various locations, activities or factors which are responsible for the releasing of pollutants in the atmosphere. These sources can be classified into two major categories which are:…
Choose one of the following atmospheric issues: air pollution, global warming, ozone depletion, and acid deposition. Then, respond to the following:…
Ohio is one of the many states that suffer from air pollution. Numbers are rising, deaths are occurring and many health risks are involved because of air pollution. Different toxins that are being released into our air cause a great deal of concern because this causes many frequent weather changes as well as population issues. People tend to move away from certain areas located near factories which release massive amounts of pollutants daily. There are land issues as well as waterways where contaminants are being released in our natural water resources.…
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic, meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals and infrastructure. Acid rain is caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Governments have made efforts since the 1970s to reduce the release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere with positive results. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally by lightningstrikes and sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in acid rain can cause paint to peel,corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues.…
Chemical reactions involving air pollutants create a poisonous gas ozone (O3). Gas Ozone can affect people’s health and can damage vegetation types and some animal life too.…
Normal rainfall is slightly acidic because carbon dioxide in the atmosphere dissolves in the raindrops to produce hydrogen ions. Yet, normal rainfall is not considered acid rain. Acid rain is a form of air pollution in which airborne acids produced by electric utility plants and other sources fall to Earth in distant regions. The corrosive nature of acid rain causes widespread damage to the environment. The problem begins with the production of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, natural gas, and oil, and from certain kinds of manufacturing. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides react with water and other chemicals in the air to form sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and other pollutants. These acid pollutants reach high into the atmosphere, travel with the wind for hundreds of miles, and eventually return to the ground by way of rain, snow, or fog, and as invisible "dry" forms. Damage from acid rain has been widespread in eastern North America and throughout Europe, and in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Acid rain leaches nutrients from soils, slows the growth of trees, and makes lakes uninhabitable for fish and other wildlife. In cities, acid pollutants corrode almost everything they touch, accelerating natural wear and tear on structures such as buildings and statues. Acids combine with other chemicals to form urban smog, which attacks the lungs, causing illness and premature deaths.…
The problem of air pollution in our society is best understood within the context of Sean Lynn-Jones' and Steven Miller's book Global Dangers: Changing Dimensions of International Security. (Lynn-Jones and Miller) In this collection of essays, it becomes clear that the threat to the environment poses the greatest danger to the international community today. This is precisely why environmental security must now become the most important objective of all nations. Global Dangers reveals that, with the end of the East-West confrontation, new threats have begun to put the international system into jeopardy. These threats are intertwined with the phenomenon ofThe problem of air pollution in our society is best understood within the context of Sean Lynn-Jones' and Steven Miller's book Global Dangers: Changing Dimensions of International Security. (Lynn-Jones and Miller) In this collection of essays, it becomes clear that the threat to the environment poses the greatest danger to the international community today. This is precisely why environmental security must now become the most important objective of all nations. Global Dangers reveals that, with the end of the East-West confrontation, new threats have begun to put the international system into jeopardy. These threats are intertwined with the phenomenon ofThe problem of air pollution in our society is best understood within the context of Sean Lynn-Jones' and Steven Miller's book Global Dangers: Changing Dimensions of International Security. (Lynn-Jones and Miller) In this collection of essays, it becomes clear that the threat to the environment poses the greatest danger to the international community today. This is precisely why environmental security must now become the most important objective of all nations. Global Dangers reveals that, with the end of the East-West confrontation, new threats have begun to put the international system into jeopardy. These threats are intertwined with the phenomenon ofThe problem…
ice caps. Up until the industrial era, the air was fairly clean. The use of…
the sky or the colored sun. Is this world giving us the privilege of seeing the…
Secondly, air pollution also causes acid rain. Acid rain can have serious damaging effects on aquatic, forest and wildlife ecosystems. This is because aquatic and terrestrial organisms cannot survive in acidic water and soil. So, the ecosystem in the area will be damaged severely. Besides, acid rain can also damage man- made materials and structures like metals, paints, limestone and others. It helps speed up the process of deterioration of the buildings. As a result, governments need to spend a lot of money to repair the buildings.…
Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment. The composition of air are nitrogen, oxygen, inert gases and others and carbon dioxide. There are few major air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, hydrocarbons and photochemical oxidants. The major effects of air pollutions are greenhouse effect, ozone depletion and also acid rain. All these occur when there are harmful substances in the air.…
Air pollutants consist of gaseous pollutants, odours, and SPM, (suspended particulate matter) such as dust, fumes, mist, and smoke. The concentration of these in and near the urban areas causes severe pollution to the surroundings. The largest sources of human-created air pollution are energy generation, transportation, and industries that use a great deal of energy sources.…