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Causes & Effects of Poor Air Quality

Air quality, both indoor and outdoor, is caused by a wide variety of human activities and has been linked to serious issues affecting human health. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution worldwide results in 2 million premature deaths annually. In addition to premature deaths, poor air quality is believed to cause or aggravate a wide variety of ailments in humans.

  1. Pollution

    • Factories, the use of chemicals and other activities have led to the presence of 188 pollutants known to be hazardous to human health including methane, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air. This pollution is intensified by warm weather, as evaporation enables pollutants to rise into the air. The greatest single source of pollutants are automobile emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a typical passenger car emits 5.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

    Indoor Air Quality

    • According to the Environmental Protection Agency, air quality is frequently worse indoors than it is outdoors. In many poor countries the burning of coal and other fuels for cooking contributes to indoor pollution, but even in wealthier countries smoking, wood fires and household chemicals cause pollution indoors. Indoor environments do not have as many plants to absorb carbon dioxide and other pollutants and do not have adequate ventilation to disburse pollution into the atmosphere, so it remains indoors and becomes concentrated.

    Health Impact

    • The health effects of air pollution can be very minor, such as irritation of the eyes and sinuses. However, many of the pollutants in the air are known to cause cancer, and poor air quality can aggravate health conditions including lung disease and infections, asthma, lung cancer and heart disease. In addition to the pain, suffering and premature deaths this causes individuals and families, it leads to billions of dollars in increased medical expenses.

    Environmental Impact

    • Some pollution rises into the atmosphere, where it has been building up for decades. Some of these, predominantly carbon dioxide (CO2), are known as greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses trap heat inside the Earth's atmosphere which has caused the Earth's temperature to rise. This is known as global warming, or climate change. Other elements of pollution do not stay in the air. When sulfur dioxide mixes with water vapor and creates what is known as acid rain. Acid rain is dangerous to wildlife and water supplies and causes deterioration of public infrastructure such as roads, bridges and buildings. Other pollutants sink down and find their way into the soil and waterways.

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