Examples of Air Pollution
Miscellanea / / July 04, 2021
The contamination is the presence in the environment of chemical, physical or biological agents that are harmful to living beings. Air pollution, also called atmospheric pollution, is produced as a consequence of the emissions of toxic gases, like carbon dioxide. For example: fossil fuels, deforestation, pesticides.
Pollution makes environments unsafe, and can affect the Water, the I usually, the air, or even convert the food in contaminated products. The contamination of a sector of the ecosystem it can be extended to the others. For example, acid rain is a consequence of air pollution. When harmful gases from the air fall to the ground pushed by rain, water and soil are in turn polluted.
While all ecosystems can be altered, pollution is considered a negative alteration in the middle. The most common is that it is a consequence of human activity. It has had very serious consequences such as the extinction of species of animals Y vegetables, as well as various diseases (some fatal) in humans.
The World Health Organization warns that approximately 2 million people can die from causes associated with air pollution. The different types of pollution are concentrated to a greater extent in the undeveloped countries.
Causes and sources of air pollution
Its sources can be:
Examples of air pollution
- Transport. Cars, trucks and buses, as well as airplanes, generate large amounts of harmful gases. This is because its fuel is the hydrocarbons (Petroleum derivatives). Although these are concentrated in urban spaces, they are dispersed throughout the atmosphere, affecting various ecosystems.
- Fossil fuels. There are several ways to obtain energy. Some are clean, meaning they cause the least amount of contamination during their operation. consumption, as the wind power, solar or hydroelectric. However, much of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, causing not only air pollution, but also water and I usually.
- Deforestation. Deforestation is not directly a form of pollution. However, the woods They consume carbon dioxide (a harmful gas) and produce oxygen, which is essential for our existence and that of other living beings. The fewer green areas there are on the planet, the greater the pollution and the lower the oxygen production.
- Pesticides. Pesticides mainly pollute the soil, and in some cases even the food they are trying to protect. However, when applied they can spread through the air, especially if light aircraft are used to do so. This is why populations near plantations, where harmful pesticides are used, suffer from diseases associated with pollution.
- Industries "chimney". Some industries they depend on the manufacture of products in factories. They often use ovens that pollute the air. This type of contamination is diminished by the use of electric power instead of coal or oil.
- Chemical industries. The main pollution problems associated with chemical industries are found in soil and water. However, they can also produce gases that pollute the air.
- CFC. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were used in the manufacture of refrigerants, aerosols, insulators and other products. This gas disperses through the atmosphere and reaches the ozone layer, degrading it. For a few decades, many aerosols stopped being manufactured with CFCs. When buying a deodorant, a hair product or an aerosol cleaning product, we can look on the label for the legend "does not contain CFCs" or "does not harm the ozone layer."
- Fires. Home, plantation or forest fires concern us for many reasons. However, it is important to note that smoke from fires is also a form of pollution. Therefore, it is not advisable to deliberately burn garbage or any other object, mainly industrial products that contain many polluting substances in themselves.
- Tobacco. In addition to pollution in open spaces, the air can be polluted in closed spaces. Breathing someone else's tobacco smoke has been found to be just as harmful as smoking, hence the term "secondhand smoker" was developed. Therefore, tobacco smoke is a form of pollution.
- Volcanic eruptions. This is a kind of natural pollution, meaning it is not man-made. The volcanoes They not only expel lava when they erupt, but also gases and ash that spread through the air, affecting nearby populations, animals and plants. When the wind carries these volcanic products, the consequences of pollution can be greater.
- Stoves. Forms of heating that use gas, wood, or charcoal emit poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other particulates. These gases are so harmful that when the stove installation is faulty and the gases remain inside buildings, the poisoning can cause death. 4 million people die annually from this cause. That is why it is vitally important to ensure that fireplaces, stoves and any type of combustion that is carried out at home has an adequate exit to the outside However, this does not prevent pollution that occurs in the atmosphere.
- Mold and mildew. This is another type of natural pollution. The mushrooms They grow naturally in nature and, like all living things, they emit gases as a product of their metabolism. However, when grown indoors these gases become concentrated and are harmful to health. That is why it is important to avoid the growth of fungi by keeping the spaces ventilated and dry.
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