Emissions from motor vehicles, dust particles, pollen matter and mold spores are recognized as some of the most common forms of air pollution. In the context of cities, research has shown that fog is the major air pollutant, and the matter is a gas (Cesaroni et al., 2013). Currently, there are calls from various governmental and non-governmental agencies around the globe for organizations, such as factories, and individuals to reduce the amount of matter that they introduce to the atmosphere to cause air pollution (Correia, Pope III, Dockery, Wang, Ezzati & Dominici, 2013). This essay discusses the causes of air pollution, their consequences, and how the atmosphere could be made pollution-free.
Air pollutants are substances whose introduction into the air results in negative impacts on man and the entire ecosystem (Correia et al., 2013). The substances could either be naturally occurring, such as harmful gases produced by volcanic eruptions, or synthetic, for example, carbon monoxide that is released from factories. It has been shown that sulfur oxides are common air pollutants that are produced from industrial systems or natural processes. Notably, plants that burn coal and petroleum release the harmful sulfur oxides to the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides, mainly nitrogen dioxide have been shown to be emitted when combustion occurs at elevated temperatures, and also during thunderstorms.
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"The Impact Of Air Pollution".
Since the beginning of the motor industry, there have been concerns that carbon monoxide is the chief pollutant produced from exhaust pipes of vehicles; it is a poisonous gas although it does not irritate. The other category of air pollutants is comprised of volatile organic materials that are major outdoor harmful matter. For example, research has established that methane, a greenhouse gas, significantly leads to global warming (Zhang, He & Huo, 2012). Other air pollutants include regular free radicals, toxic metals, for example, mercury, ammonia and odors from sewage systems and industrial processes.
One of the effects of this type of pollution is acidification, which is characterized by chemical reactions that result in acidic products that harm plants and buildings. Besides, the acidic compounds lead to changes in the chemical composition of rivers and other water systems, such as lakes and oceans. The health of human beings as wells as statuses of plants and animals are affected by ozone, which is commonly known as harmful greenhouse emission (Coleman, Martin, Varghese, Jennings & O’Dowd, 2013). Particulate matter also harmful the health of man in addition to harming plants and animals, but the degree of the negative impacts is based on the dose and period of exposure (Cesaroni et al., 2013; Hoe et al., 2013).
Research has indicated that prevention is the best approach to dealing with air pollution; the measures could be executed by governments or individuals (Cesaroni et al., 2013). Monitoring equipment to assess the amounts of pollutants released into the atmosphere is one of the prevention interventions. Governments are addressing the problems associated with air pollution by adopting green energy that does not harm the surroundings. Besides, some company policies and laws require organizations to adopt manufacturing activities that do not lead to air pollution (Zhang, He & Huo, 2012)
In conclusion, air pollution is a major problem in the 21st century that has made governments and citizens recognize and utilize systems that do not pollute the environment. This essay has recommended that the best way to deal with air pollution is the creation and utilization of prevention interventions that are sustainable.
- Cesaroni, G., Badaloni, C., Gariazzo, C., Stafoggia, M., Sozzi, R., Davoli, M., & Forastiere, F. (2013). Long-term exposure to urban air pollution and mortality in a cohort of more than a million adults in Rome. Environmental Health Perspectives (Online), 121(3), 324.
- Coleman, L., Martin, D., Varghese, S., Jennings, S. G., & O’Dowd, C. D. (2013). Assessment of changing meteorology and emissions on air quality using a regional climate model: Impact on ozone. Atmospheric Environment, 69, 198-210.
- Correia, A. W., Pope III, C. A., Dockery, D. W., Wang, Y., Ezzati, M., & Dominici, F. (2013). The effect of air pollution control on life expectancy in the United States: an analysis of 545 US counties for the period 2000 to 2007. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 24(1), 23.
- Hoek, G., Krishnan, R. M., Beelen, R., Peters, A., Ostro, B., Brunekreef, B., & Kaufman, J. D. (2013). Long-term air pollution exposure and cardio-respiratory mortality: a review. Environ Health, 12(1), 43.
- Zhang, Q., He, K., & Huo, H. (2012). Policy: cleaning China’s air. Nature, 484(7393), 161-162.
