Professional Documents
Culture Documents
on Air Pollution
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the condition in which air is contaminated by foreign
substances, or the substances themselves. Air pollution consists of
gaseous, liquid, or solid substances that, when present in sufficient
concentration, for a sufficient time, and under certain conditions, tend
to interfere with human comfort, health, and cause environmental
damage.
Air Pollution
Smog hanging over cities is the most familiar and obvious form of air
pollution. But there are different kinds of pollution—some visible,
some invisible—that contribute to global warming. Generally any
substance that people introduce into the atmosphere that has
damaging effects on living things and the environment is considered
air pollution.
1.
Causes of Air Pollution
Causes of air pollution
1. Burning of Fossil Fuels
2. Agricultural Activities
3. Exhaust from factories and industries
4. Mining operations
5. Indoor air pollution
1. Burning of Fossil Fuels
Sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal,
petroleum and other factory combustibles is one of the major cause of
air pollution. Pollution emitting from vehicles including trucks, jeeps,
cars, trains, airplanes cause immense amount of pollution. We rely on
them to fulfill our daily basic needs of transportation. But, there
overuse is killing our environment as dangerous. Carbon monoxide
caused by improper or incomplete combustion and generally emitted
from vehicles is another major pollutant.
2. Agricultural activities
Ammonia is a very common by product from agriculture related
activities and is one of the most hazardous gases in the atmosphere.
Use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers in agricultural activites
has grown quite a lot. They emit harmful chemicals into the air and
can also cause water pollution.
3. Exhaust from factories
and industries
Manufacturing industries release a large amount of carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and chemicals into the air thereby
depleting the quality of air. Manufacturing industries can be found at
every corner of the earth and there is no area that has not been
affected by it. Petroleum refineries also release hydrocarbons and
various other chemicals that pollute the air and also cause land
pollution.
4. Mining operations
Mining is a process wherein minerals below the earth are extracted
using a large equipments. During the process dust and chemicals are
released in the air causing massive air pollution. This is one of the
reason which is responsivle for the deteriorating health conditions of
workers and nearby residents.
5. Indoor air pollution
Household cleaning products, painting supplies emit toxic chemicals
in the air and caise air pollution. Have you ever noticed that once you
paint walls of your house, it creates som sort of smell which makes it
literally impossible for you to breathe.
Plant trees
Conserve energy
Use public transportation
Choose sustainable products
Use eco-friendly products in your home
2.
Effects of Air Pollution
Effects of air pollution
• Smog and soot - Smog can irritate the eyes and throat and also
damage the lungs.
• Acid rain – is precipitation containing a harmful amounts of nitric
and sulfuric acids. These acids are formed primarily by nitrogen
oxides and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere when fossil
fuels are burned. These acids fall to the Earth either as wet
precipitation (rain, snow, or fog) or dry precipitation (gas and
particulates).
Effects of air pollution
• Global Climate Change – The Earth’s atmosphere contains a
delicate balance of naturally occurring gases that trap some of the
sun’s heat near the Earth’s surface. This “greenhouse effect” keeps
the Earth’s temperature stable. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting
that humans have distributed this natural balance by producing
large amounts of some of these greenhouse gases, including
carbon dioxide and methane.
3.
Global Warming and
Climate Change
Global Warming
Global warming is the current increase in temperature of the Earth’s
surface as well as it’s atmosphere. Average temperatures around the
world have risen by 0.75˚C over the last 100 years about two thirds of
this increase has occurred since 1975. In the past, when the Earth
experienced increases in temperature it was the result of natural causes
but today it is being caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in
the atmosphere produced by human activities.
Climate Change
A change in global or regional climate patterns, in particular a change
apparent from the mid to late 20th century onwards and attributed largely
to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the
use of fossil fuels.
A climate change unlike any
other
The planet has experienced climate change before: the Earth’s
average temperature has fluctuated throughout the planet’s 4.54
billion-year history. The planet has experienced long cold periods (ice
ages) and warm periods (interglacial) on 100,000-year cycles for at
least the last million years.
Global warming vs Climate
Change
Global warming only refers only to the Earth’s rising surface
temperature, while climate change includes warming and the “side
effects” of warming—like melting glaciers, heavier rainstorms, or more
frequent drought. Said another way, global warming is one symptom of
the much larger problem of human-cause climate change.
Causes of climate change
• Water vapor: The most abundant greenhouse gas, but importantly,
it acts as a feedback to the climate. Water vapor increases as the
Earth’s atmosphere warms, but so does the possibility of clouds and
precipitation, making these some of the most important feedback
mechanisms to the greenhouse effect.
• Carbon dioxide: A minor but very important component of the
atmosphere, CO2 is released through natural processes such as
respiration and volcano eruptions and through human activities such
as deforestation, land use changes, and burning fossil fuels.
Causes of climate change
• Nitrous oxide: A powerful greenhouse gas produced by soil
cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic
fertilizers, fossil fuel combustion, nitric acid production, and biomass
burning.
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs): Synthetic compounds entirely of
industrial origin used in a number of applications, but now largely
regulated in production and release to the atmosphere by
international agreement for their ability to contribute to destruction of
the ozone layer. They are also greenhouse gases.
Effects of Climate Change
1. Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on
average.
2. The sea level has been rising more quickly over the last century.
3. Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north
or to higher, cooler areas.
4. Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This
includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and
Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.
Fun Facts!
Did you know?
Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease –
Beijing cough.
- US EPA
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Thanks!
Any questions?
Credits
1. IPCC Fifth Assessment Report, 2014