Causes and Effects of Air Pollution

EXAMINE THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION.

Air pollution is the unwanted chemical, biological and particulate substances in the atmosphere that contaminates the air which causes harm to lives, properties, vegetations, environmental disorder and makes us uncomfortable. The substances which are used in polluting the air are known as pollutant. Air pollution has different impact on our society of which this essay is going to identify the causes of air pollution (Carbon monoxide and the effects on environment). This essay will also identify the effects of air pollution to our everyday lives, i.e. how air pollution has affected the world we live in and the people in it.

Means of transportation which are cars, trucks, trains, buses etc. has caused harm in our environment because they burn out carbon monoxide which pollutes the air. According to Socha (2007), diesel school bus, tractors, and bulldozers emit carbon monoxide 25 times more than motor vehicles. Children are at higher risk because diesel school bus carries children around from one location to another. State of Nevada (2008) claims that emission of gas from cars and trucks are one of the agents of global warming and also, extracting, transporting and storing transportation fuels (gasoline) also pollutes the land and seas.

The burning of fossil fuels e.g. coal, fuel, oil, gas by industries in production of our everyday needs has a negative effect on the atmosphere and also burning of forest has a negative impact on atmosphere. Socha (2007) states that, the burning of heavy oil and coal by industries causes smog on the atmosphere. Smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in power plants, industrial plants, etc. The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in industrialized cities like London and Chicago. According to Socha (2007), the burning of rain forest emits more and more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. A 115 year old Beech tree exposes about 200,000 leaves with a total surface to 1200 square meters. During the course of one sunny day such a tree inhales 9,400 liters of carbon dioxide to produce 12 kilograms of carbohydrate, thus liberating 9,400 liters of oxygen. Through this mechanism about 45,000 liters of air are regenerated which is sufficient for the respiration of 2 to 3 people. Trees play a very important role in producing oxygen into the atmosphere.

Air pollution has lots of effects, the first effect this essay is going to identify is the unhealthy effects of air pollution on human, plants, and animals across the globe and how it may even lead to death. According to State of Nevada (2008), pollution of the air causes great harm to human health because air pollutants may range from subtle biochemical and physiological change to difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac conditions. These effects can result in increased medication use, more hospital admissions and even