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The Effects of Air Pollution on the Environment & People

Air pollution includes anything introduced by humans into the atmosphere with a damaging effect. The main cause of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuels in cars, in planes and for the production of electricity. Pollutants in the air include carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and small particles that are a result of burning different materials, especially coal. These pollutants not only harm individuals by causing disease, but also harm the environment by adding to global warming.

  1. Global Warming

    • The main cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, especially petroleum, in automobile and plane engines, and coal, in the manufacturing of electricity and as an industrial fuel source. The resulting gases, called greenhouse gases, rise into the atmosphere, where they trap the sun's heat. Carbon dioxide makes up 72 percent of all greenhouse gasses produced. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, coal is the largest producer of CO2; petroleum is second.

    Acid Rain

    • Acid rain is any precipitation that contains high levels of nitric and sulfuric acid. Volcanoes and rotting vegetation can cause acid rain, but the main culprits, by far, are fossil fuels, especially coal and petroleum. When these are burned, they release sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere. Winds can spread these acids hundreds of miles. When they fall as precipitation, they increase the acidity of lakes, rivers, streams and soil. Many marine animals cannot live in acidic conditions, which affects the entire food chain. On land, soils are affected, in turn affecting trees and plants, making it harder for them to take up water and withstand cold, disease and insects.

    Smog

    • "Smog" comes from mixing the words smoke and fog. It is that darkish, lingering cloud that can be seen in big cities, especially in summer. It is a mixture of ozone from burnt fossil fuels, water vapor and airborne particles. Smog forms when these chemicals mix with heat and sunlight. In winter, the smog is thicker, as the cooler winter air holds the particles and gases lower to the ground. This type of smog killed 4,000 people in a five-day period in London in 1952.

    Effects on Humans

    • Pollution affects all humans, children more so than adults because children spend more time outside and take in more air, and air pollution, when breathing, especially when exerting themselves. The main air pollutants affect the lungs most. Sulphur dioxide, which irritates the eyes, nose and throat, can, when inhaled, cause severe lung problems, such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer. Nitrogen dioxide damages lung tissue and can restrict airways and cause emphysema. It also leads to formation of ozone, which can eat holes in lung tissue, aggravate asthma and leave people susceptible to respiratory disease. Carbon monoxide, which is invisible and odorless, can lead to damage of the heart and central nervous system, headaches, dizziness, convulsions and death.

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