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Sources of Smog

Smog is made up of pollutants in the air that give it the appearance of a smoky or foggy appearance, hence the term "smog." Smog is usually found in highly populated areas, and pollutants in the air give smog either the hazy appearance or an odor. Smog often comes from vehicles and utility factories, and it's most prominent in warmer months because the warmth in the atmosphere reacts with the pollutants in the ozone.

  1. Particle Pollution

    • Also known as particulate matter, this source of smog is often the result of pollutants derived from aerosols, coal soot and dust. Liquid drops--such as the ones found in aerosol hairsprays or spray paints--are also released into the atmosphere; they cause smog when mixed with the ozone. Other sources of particle pollution include exhaust from transportation, burning of wood, construction exhaust and activity and pollutants set off by the agriculture industry. These pollutants can cause smog to occur at any point during the day, since they mix with the ground-level ozone layer.

    Nitrogen Oxides

    • Nitrogen oxides are man-made sources of smog. The predominant cause of this smog is found within Industrial facilities from boilers and coal power plants, but it's also derived from fuel combustion found in automobiles and gas engines from gardening equipment. This source of smog occurs because 80 percent of the air features nitrogen gas, which burns when there are fuels burning in the atmosphere.

    Volatile Organic Compounds

    • VOCs or volatile organic compounds are sources of smog that consist of vapors that reach the ground level ozone layer. VOCs come from locations that give off fumes like auto body shoes, print shops, paint shops, dry cleaners, gas stations, chemicals derived from landscaping, and combustion engines like locomotives that run off of diesel, trucks, cars and boats. The federal Clean Air Act is setting the standard to reduce smog pollution through cleaning up coal plants, reducing pollution with vehicles, and encouraging the use of public transportation to reduce overall pollution.

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