Air Pollution

Air pollution is a serious problem in many of the worlds large cities. Heavy
concentrations of air pollutants, which are often in the form of smog, settle over a city,
creating a health hazard for its people. Air pollution occurs when wastes dirty the air.
People produce most of the wastes that cause air pollution. Such wastes are usually in
the form of gases. These substances result chiefly from burning fuel to power motor
vehicles and to heat buildings. Industrial processes and the burning of garbage also
contribute to air pollution. Natural pollutants include dust, pollen, soil particles, (100
Words) and naturally occurring gases. (Encyclopedia)
The rapid growth of population and industry, and the increased use of automobiles
and airplanes, have made air pollution a serious problem. The air we breathe has become
so filled with pollutants that it can cause health problems. Polluted air also harms plants,
animals, building materials, and fabrics. In addition, it causes damage by altering the
earths atmosphere. In and article published by THE NEWS in New Mexico they warned
If current environmental protection policies are no unforced, pollutants in city air will
increase one million tons annually by year 2010. (Encyclopedia, The News)
Air pollution (100 Words) can have a huge effect on health. When people breathe
polluted air, the impurities can irritate their air passages and their lungs. Particles often
stay in the lungs and can worsen symptoms such as asthma and bronchitis. Radon can
cause lung cancer in inhaled in large quantities. Certain chemical compounds can cause
cancer and birth defects also. Air pollution has also been linked to heart attacks claims
an article in the Health Scout News. The study adds to the evidence linking particles from
automobile exhausts, power plants, and refineries to heart problems.
(Encyclopedia, Health Scout News)
The United States does (100 Words) try to control air pollution. All levels of
government federal, state, and local have passed laws designed to control pollution.
Congress passed the Air Quality Act in 1967. Under this act, the federal government sets
goals called air quality standards for achieving cleaner air. The states must enforce air
pollution controls to meet the goals. When states fail to enforce the regulations, the
federal government can act against the polluters by imposing fines. However the lack of
funding to enforce these regulations has allowed some polluters to continue releasing
harmful pollutants for years. (Encyclopedia)
There are many ways we can decrease (100 Words) air pollution here are just a few
from the California Air Resources Board:
- Carpool
- Walk or ride a bike
- Use public transit
- Try to make your home more energy efficient
- Use EPA approved appliances
If everybody can use more energy efficient ways of doing things it will be better for all
of us in the long run.
MLA Citation:
"air pollution." 123HelpMe.com. 29 Aug 2014
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What is Air Pollution
Air Pollution contamination of the atmosphere by gaseous, liquid, or solid wastes
that can endanger the health of human beings, plants, and animals, or that can damage
materials, reduce visibility, or produce undesirable odors.
Air Pollution Statistics

Every year, more than sixty-six million tons of poisonous gas is emptied into the air,
twelve million tons of hydrocarbons1, six million tons of nitrogen oxides, one hundred fifty
thousand tons of aldehydes2, and five hundred thousand tons of sulfur compunds.
Approximately 80% of our air pollution comes from hydrocarbons released by vegetation.

What Causes Air Pollution

Air pollution is caused by many things such as car fumes, burning of fossil fuels,
furnaces. By letting all these gases release into the air, it makes it harder to breathe.
Ozone can cause part of your lungs to close off and make it harder to breathe.
The tall smokestacks used by industries and utilities do not remove pollutants but
simply boost them higher into the atmosphere. These pollutants may then be transported
over great distances, causing adverse effects such as acid rain in areas far from the
emission site. The worldwide increase in the burning of coal and oil since the late 1940s
has led to increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide. The resulting greenhouse effect
has
reduced the escape of infrared radiation from the earth, causing a possible global
warming
trend.

The Prevention of Air Pollution

To cut down on all the pollution being released into the air, we have removed the
pollutant before materials are used, removed the pollutant after it is formed, or altered the
process to lower pollutant levels produced.
In the United States, the Clean Air Act of 1967 is the legal basis for air-pollution
control. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for enforcing the act.
Internationally, 49 countries agreed in 1985 on a United Nations convention to protect the
ozone layer. This agreement, which was renegotiated in 1990, calls for the phaseout of
certain ozone-destroying chemicals by the year 2000.

MLA Citation:
"Air Pollution." 123HelpMe.com. 29 Aug 2014
<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=51516>.



Pollution is when the land, the air, water, or anywhere on earth gets contaminated.
Contamination means that something is dirty, grimy, and impure. All the different types
of pollution on our earth that are caused by humans are contaminating the environment
and not making it fit for use or at least they are decreasing the efficiency of it. Pollution
can be found everywhere on the globe, even in the Polar Regions. Pollution destroys and
harms not only the air, the water, and the environment, but also humans, animals, and
plants. Pollution affects us all.

There are many different types of pollution, though not all types of pollution can be seen.
However, they all harm our ecosystem. An ecosystem includes all living organisms and
how they interact together and with their environment. The types of pollution that affect
us can be classified into four main types. They are:

1. Air Pollution: is anything that contaminates the natural composition of the
chemistry of the air. This means that anything that disturbs the natural state of
our atmosphere is considered air pollution. Examples of things that might
contaminate the air is if there are too many gases or smoke or other vapors that
cannot through a natural process be removed and cleared away.

exhaust pipe in cars; deforestation and forest fires because this destroys a
main source of oxygen; smoke and gases from factories and industries

decrease in crops because of decrease in oxygen, lung problems

2. Water Pollution: is when the water is no longer pure and contains bacteria or
chemical impurities. All these impurities decrease and lower the quality of the
water and can have serious effects on the marine life. Water pollution happens in
oceans, rivers, lakes, and even in fresh water and water reservoirs.

away in waters, thus affecting the marine life; oil spills from tankers and
ships in waters; chemicals reaching or washing away in waters or water
supplies.
ects: decrease in drinking water; decrease in quality of water; serious
harm to marine life

3. Land or Soil Pollution: is when something happens to the soil or land that it no
longer can keep its growth rate or if something disturbs the natural balance of
growth in that land. The balance can be in terms of planting crops, or preserving
the animals and wildlife, or just making sure that the natural environment is kept
pure as it is without anything contaminating it.

waste, which is garbage; deforestations; pesticides and use of other
chemicals; deforestation as that reduces the amount of oxygen produced...

into deserts; a decrease in crops; wildlife becoming extinct or dying

4. Noise Pollution: is when humans make and produce high levels of noise, which
are beyond the regular.

demolition

5. Toxic pollution includes chemicals that poison and kill organisms in
and near streams, rivers, lakes, and the Bay. When a body of water
has a high level of toxic pollution, fishing for the purpose of human
consumption is banned. Even low levels of toxicity can be lethal when
chemicals accumulate in predators that consume large amounts of
slightly poisoned organisms. Examples of toxic pollution include
pesticides and herbicides; gasoline, oil, and other automotive
products; household cleaning products; paints and solvents; battery
acid; industrial waste chemicals; and toxic substances in car exhaust
and solid waste incinerator smoke.
6. Sediment pollution is dirt, minerals, sand, and silt eroded from the
land and washed into the water. It comes from areas where there is
inadequate vegetation to slow runoff. Sediment causes several
problems for aquatic organisms. First, particles of sediment are
suspended in the water. The resulting cloudiness decreases the amount
of sunlight that can reach underwater plants that provide food and
oxygen for underwater animals. Second, as sediment particles settle,
they fill spaces between rocks, destroying the habitat needed by many
underwater insects and other macro invertebrates.
Sediment also clogs the gills of fish, crabs, and
other underwater organisms. Sediment can bury
fish and insect eggs, preventing them from
hatching, and when it covers an oyster bed, it
smothers the oysters.
7. Nutrient pollution results from an overabundance
of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus.
Living things cannot survive without nutrients, but
too much can be detrimental to watershed
organisms. An overabundance of nutrients leads to
escalation in plant growth, particularly of algae and
vascular plants. This causes two problems. First,
water clouded with too much alga growth does not
allow enough sunlight to reach the plants below.
Second, when those plants die, the bacteria that
decompose them use inordinate amounts of
dissolved oxygen. This deprives underwater
animals of the oxygen they need to survive.
Sources of nutrient pollution include overflow
from sewage treatment plants, leakage from
improperly maintained septic systems, discharge
from factories, and automobile exhaust. Examples
of nutrient pollutants include fertilizers, animal
manure, discharge from boat toilets, and household
detergents.
8. Bacterial pollution occurs when there is an excess
of harmful bacteria. There are many beneficial
bacteria in the water. Even harmful bacteria in
small amounts are safe. In larger concentrations,
however, certain types of bacteria can be deadly to
fish and animals (including humans) that drink or
accidentally ingest the water. Certain bacteria can
cause illness if they come in contact with an open
wound. Interestingly, most of these harmful
bacteria do not affect aquatic insects. Some sources
of bacterial pollution include overflow from
sewage treatment plants, leakage from improperly
maintained septic systems, animal manure, and
discharge from boat toilets.