Ana Medina

Period 5

Mr.Salcedo

Science

Air pollution is the air we breathe contaminated with Smoke, Dust, dirt and

gases such as Carbon monoxide, Carbon dioxide, and Chlorofluorocarbons.

 There are many causes for Air Pollution. The most common are Ozone,

Carbon Monoxide, and Nitrogen Dioxide. The Ozone is a chemical released by

cars and trucks, gas stations and factories. When ozone comes in contact

with living tissues it can cause damage and illness. Carbon Monoxide is an

odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas. Its major cause is motor vehicles, and

cigarette smoke. Nitrogen Dioxide is an odorless and colorless gas caused by

motor vehicles, and electric utilities. Nitrogen Dioxide is formed when fuel is

burned in high temperatures. Some Air Pollution factors are Urbanization,

rapid growth of population, increasing traffic, and industrialization. Air

pollution can be measured by the air quality it has.
There are many types of air pollution. Some of them are Particulate matter,

noxious gases, Smog, Acid rain, greenhouse effect, and holes in the ozone

layer. Particulate matter is caused by the release of gas from burning fuel

into energy, an example of this is……… Noxious gases, such as sulfur

dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapors, which take

part in chemical reactions in the atmosphere, forming smog and acid rain.

Smog is caused by chemical reactions… Smog can happen when burning a

large amount of coal and is caused by smoke and sulfur dioxide. Acid Rain is

Also known as acid deposition is contaminated precipitation formed by acids

caused by sulfur and nitrogen. It is harmful to plants, animals, humans, and

buildings. Greenhouse effect has molecules that trap energy/heat and that

makes Earth warm enough for living things to live in. Since we are putting so

many gasses in the atmosphere the Greenhouse is warming up quicker. The

holes in the ozone layer are made by lightning and solar light of oxygen

molecules. The ozone layer protects earth form dangerous ultraviolet

radiation from the Sun, the release of chlorofluorocarbons cause’s holes to

form in the ozone layer letting radiation go through and causing skin cancer

and damages to the animals and plants.

Air pollution affects our environment in various ways. Some are very serious

others are severe. Air pollution has changed Earth’s Atmosphere leaving

holes in the Ozone layer causing radiation to go trough and Earth has
become a sponge for absorbing heat and causing Global warming. Global

Warming affects world food supply, sea level, weather, and the increase of

tropical disease. Global Warming is also caused by the greenhouse effect,

which its gasses admit and reflect Sun’s light, making Earth a warmer place.

With Earth becoming warmer is expected to have more extreme weather,

with more rain during wet periods, longer droughts, and more powerful

storms. It’s also predicted that polar ice caps will melt by 2100, raising the

sea level by 4 to 40 inches. Also Air pollution has caused the protective

ozone layer to become thinner, in the Antarctic region the ozone even

vanishes for a couple of weeks every year.

Air pollution has also affected a lot our health. Acid rain, an example of an air

pollutant, contains high levels of sulfuric, which contaminate drinking

water…… With the holes in the ozone layer that have been happening,

ultraviolet radiation has passed right through causing skin cancer and

cataracts. It has been said that 2.4 million people die each year in effect of

air pollution. Each year there is 300,000 premature deaths in the USA

because of the pollution caused by coal-fired power plants. Children feel

more the air quality; they get bronchitis and earaches, where the air is

polluted. In addition people with lung and heart disease tend to know when

the air quality is very poor, their condition may worsen.

There are many ways to reduce air pollution. The one that is taking place

right now is switching normal diesel/gas powered vehicles such as lawn

trimmers, chainsaws, and snowmobiles into biodiesel/ bioethanol, or using

hybrid cars that have fuel efficiency.

Air pollution is so bad, that there are laws about it; there is the Clean Air Act.

The clean Air Act was passed by Congress in 1963. It was made to reduce

smog, and air pollution. The clean Air Act was made to reduce outdoor,

concentrations of air pollutants, that cause smog, haze, acid rain, reducing

air pollutants that cause cancer, and other serious health effects, and to stop

chemicals that destroy the stratospheric ozone. In 1970 the Clean Air Act

was made a federal law, the first major environmental law in the U.S.