Know -Air Pollution Definition, Causes, Sources, Types & Effects on Health For 2020

Want to know-Air Pollution Definition?

Taking action on a problem as widespread as Air Pollution isn’t easy, but aren’t we’re morally obligated to try?

Talking about the problem and then going back to our destructive habits isn’t enough.

In Healthy-myself you can know about- Air Pollution, Air Pollution Causes, Sources, Types, and Effects on Health.

“You want to cut down air pollution?

Cut down the original source… Breathin!”

–Walt Kelly.

Before telling something else, first, we have to know what is the Definition of Air Pollution?

1.Air Pollution Definition?

Air pollution means the presence of chemicals and harmful compounds in the air and which is usually damaging the ozone layer or causing global warming.

Air pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic and harmful chemicals & compounds including those of biological origin in the air and, at levels that pose a health risk.

Air pollution is probably one of the most important environmental problems and confronting our civilization today.

2.Air Pollutions Type

However, Air pollution divided into two types, given as bellows-

1. Indoor pollution

It is the pollution of air caused by the materials from smoking and burning fossil fuels such as- kerosene, petroleum & coal indoors.

Fuels are burned indoors for cooking and cooling or heating purposes.

Chemicals from a lot of cleaning products, wall paints, pesticides, and air fresheners also contribute to indoor air pollution.

One half of the population in the world or 80% of the population in South Asia and Africa is affected by indoor air pollution from the burning of coal and biomass.

2. Outdoor pollution

The levels of outdoor air pollution slowly reach their peak in developing countries and most of them from Asia.

The air outside also polluted mainly from vehicle exhaust and emissions from chemical industries.

Several pollutants are mixed in the air surroundings and a large portion of the world population are exposed to harmful air quality.

According to the American Lung Association, the two major types of air pollution which harm human health are-

2.1. Smog-

Smog can cause several health problems like breathing problems, decrease in resistance to colds and infections, irritation of eyes and throat, asthma, etc.

2.2. Particle pollution-

Particle pollution is also a serious pollution issue in the world.

It is widespread in cities and urban areas.

This kind of pollution is caused due to the exhaust from burning diesel fuels in heavy transportation, burning of fuels in power plants and burning wood.

It has been known to increase problems of heart diseases, cancer of the lungs, coughs, and asthma.

Other types of air pollution are

Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse gases are responsible for the trapping of heat in the earth atmosphere which results in the warming of the planet.

These gases are increased significantly day by day because of human activities, such as- exhaust from vehicles and various industries, agriculture & generation of electricity.

Rise in greenhouse gas emissions help in the increase of global temperature.

Natural air pollution

It is the air pollution caused by natural causes.

Sometimes nature is also responsible for polluting the air itself.

Volcanic eruptions, radioactive decay, and forest fires are natural causes.

Smog is a mixture of two components – smoke & fog.

The term was introduced first in the mid-20^th century in London.

Its primary component and is harmful ozone found at ground level.

Smog is formed as a result of complex photochemical reactions that involve nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds.

smog-causing pollutants are found in sources like exhaust from vehicles, fumes from power plants and solvents.

3.Cause Of Air Pollution

A closer look that causes Air Pollution are as bellows:

Air pollution may be caused by various processes, either natural or man-made.

Sources can be localized, such as industrial complexes, or come from multiple producers, such as cars. They can be indoor or outdoor.

1.Emissions From Industrial Plants and Manufacturing Activities:

With the increasing rate of industrialization and increased manufacturing factories.

High levels of smoke, sulfur dioxide, and various matter are emitted into the air.

Industrial plants that refine petroleum, manufacture cement and, produce metals.

Such as steel, aluminum, process plastics and manufacture chemical products.

They are among the industries and manufacturing activities that release lots of foreign harmful materials into the air.

Petroleum refineries, for example, emit high levels of hydrocarbons into the air.

Most manufacturing plants release the pollutants in small amounts, but continuously over extended time periods that eventually leads to cumulative negative effects.

In some cases, manufacturing plants have accidentally emitted high scores of air pollution in a very short time span that has lead to massive harm to human and animal health and destroyed plant life.

2.Transportation Emissions:

• Common forms of transportation are emits polluted gas.
• They are like -cars, planes, and ships generally use combustion to harness energy from fossil fuels.
• The combustion process releases pollutants into the air, like- particles and carbon monoxide.

3.Agriculture Side-Effects:

Farmers use machinery and it’s smoke driven by fossil fuels to plow fields and harvest produce.

Methane is a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect that allows global warming; it arises from intestinal gas released by livestock.

Agriculture –

pollute the air usually through emissions of ammonia gas and the application of pesticides that contain toxic volatile organic compounds.

In some regions, waste is incinerated instead of being land-filled or recycled and as such and, it substantially contributes to air pollution.

Some agricultural practices like burning agricultural land after harvest or burning as a mechanism for clearing land cover is also a significant cause of air pollution.

4.The burning of charcoal/wood /waste:

• The majority of developing countries are using – charcoal, wood, and crop waste to produce fuel used for cooking and heating.
• Traditional practice like- wood and charcoal burning is usually the main contributor to indoor air pollution in developing countries.

5.Tobacco Smoke:

In the developed world, tobacco smoke is the most common air pollution inside the house.

Both types of indoor smoke are linked to respiratory diseases also.

4.Air Pollution  Effects :

It causes harm to organisms living in water also and can also harm people’s health.

In extreme cases, it may cause diseases like cancer also.

Air pollution has serious effects on human health.

It Depends on the level of exposure and the type of pollutant we inhaled.

These effects can vary, ranging from simple symptoms like coughing to

chronic lung diseases.

Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function

Damaged cells in the respiratory system

Breathing polluted air puts you at a higher risk of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Coughing and wheezing are common symptoms observed in city folks.

When exposed to ground ozone for 6 to 7 hours, scientific evidence show Breathing polluted air puts you at a higher risk for asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Damages the immune system:

It damages the Immune system, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

Pollution Gives Effect On:

Pregnant women-

Outdoor workers

Older adults and the elderly

Children under age 14

Athletes who exercise vigorously outdoors.

5.Air Pollution Sources:

1. Manufacturing Industry Creates Smoke-

There are many harmful gas and solid particles in the smoke that coming from the factories which enter the atmosphere and spread air pollution slowly.

We Found continuous mixing of-

• nitrogen,
• sulfur
•  carbon monoxide
•  carbon dioxide gases
•  other chemical waste

are mixing in the air and thus air quality is getting worse quality everywhere.

2.Smoke coming out from vehicles-

With a large amount of smoke coming from vehicles, air pollution is spreading huge amounts of pollutants worldwide.

The effects of air pollution due to vehicles can be clearly seen in every city. In vehicles, combustion of petroleum and other fossil fuels, resulting in toxic gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide release and pollute the air.

Transport is an important part of our life which we cannot ignore.

Running of Following Vehicles-

• cars
• heavy trucks
• trains
• Motorcycles
• water vessels
•  aircraft

Necessitate combustion of fossil fuels, which emits large amounts of polluted fumes.

Carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and solid particles present in the smoke emitting from the vehicles are all dangerous air pollutants.

3. Generating electricity by Coal-

Coal and other fossil fuels are used extensively to run power plants.

Due to the combustion of fossil fuels for generating electricity in these plants, there is a large scale production of various pollutants

•  sulfur dioxide,
• carbon dioxide
•  nitrogen oxides

that pollute the air.

4.Emissions through Chimneys By the Manufacturing Plant-

In the manufacturing plants, fossil fuels continue to be emitted by long chimneys.

•  
  • In this smoke we found-
  • carbon monoxide,

biological compounds various

• chemical gases

in the air and spread air pollution.

5.Agricultural work-

To increase the yield of crops, farmers use ammonia-based fertilizer, which is a harmful air pollutant.

Apart from this, farmers also use many toxic insecticides in the fields to keep their crops safe.

These insecticides emit many unwanted and harmful chemicals in the atmosphere and, causing air pollution.

One more thing nowadays found that they are firing Paroles which creates air pollution in huge.

6.Decomposition of garbage wastes and non-cleaning of drains-

People often throw garbage in the street or out of the drains in their houses, which spread bad odor and the same also develop due to poor drainage facilities.

Which causes viruses of various diseases and affects human health.

6.Air Pollution Conclusion-

Leave us your comment so that we can all learn from each other and explore the big world of preventing serious issues that are related to pollution.

You Can Also Read For Air Pollution Definition–
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution

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