Stop Breathing... or Die (Air Pollution Research Paper) Essay Example

Stop Breathing… or Die The earth’s atmosphere is a constantly moving body of gases that encircle our planet. This body of gases known as air is a mixture, not a chemical combination, of a number of gases; that is, each gas retains its own characteristic properties. It consists of about 78 percent nitrogen; 21 percent oxygen, and carries along with it water vapor, clouds, dust, smoke, soot, and a variety of chemical compounds. The remaining one percent contains all the other gases including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, and ammonia that contribute to harmful pollutants that are released into the air. Millions of tons of harmful gases are released into the air each year. According to The World Health Organization, 2.4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million of these deaths attributable to in-door air pollution (World Health Organization, www.who.int). For the past several decades’ air pollution has become more of a health risk factor. What is air pollution? Air pollution is air that enters our atmosphere that contains undesirable substances such as gases, dust, chemicals, particulate matter, biological materials, fumes or odor in harmful amounts. That is, amounts which could be harmful to the health or comfort or humans and animals or which could cause damage to plants and materials. The use and release of certain chemicals can be of serious concern if they have significant impacts on human health or the environment. The substances that cause air pollution are called pollutants. An air pollutant is known as a substance in the air that can cause harm to humans and the environment. Pollutants can be in the form of solid particles, liquid droplets, or gases. In addition, they may be natural or man-made. Pollutants that are pumped into our atmosphere and directly pollute the air are called primary pollutants. Pollutants can be classified as primary or secondary. Primary pollutants are directly