Understanding and Preventing Air Pollution
Air pollution is a major problem affecting the entire world. In the United States some progress has been made in reducing air pollution through the Clean Air Acts passed by the Congress. Still there is a lot to be done. To prevent air pollution it is important to understand how the air is being polluted, how it impacts on the ecosystem and what we can do about it.
Earth is surrounded by layers of gases known as atmosphere. The layer closest to the earth is called the troposphere. It extends up to ten miles above the surface of the earth. Over the troposphere is the stratosphere which extends from ten to forty miles above the earth ( Gutnick pg. 9). Ozone is a part of the stratosphere
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Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas which is emitted through the process of incomplete combustion of fossil fuel. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that, when inhaled, combines with the blood and renders them incapable of carrying oxygen. Methane occurs as a principal ingredient in natural gas, and is produced by the bacterial decomposition of plant and animal matters. Methane in the troposphere absorbs heat and causes greenhouse effect ( Gutnik pg. 15).
A sulfur based gas occurs mostly as sulfur dioxide (SO2) which is a colorless, tasteless, foul smelling , heavier-than-air gas. Besides naturally produced from activities of the volcanoes or decomposition of organic material in swamps, it also is produced by the burning of sulfur containing fossil fuels. Sulfur dioxide combines with water vapor in the air, forming sulfurous acid (H2SO3), a major component of acid rain ( Gutnik pg. 15).
Ozone is a form of oxygen (O3) and a major air pollutant in the troposphere. It is very harsh and irritant to the lungs, and can be a serious problem for people with lung disorders. Ozone in the stratosphere, on the other hand, is good and acts as a filter to the sun’s harmful rays which can reach the earth’s surface, causing skin cancer to the
Carbon dioxide is hazardous to the ozone layer and thereby weakens it. The ozone layer is what protects the earth from being over heated by the sun. The ozone layer reflects heat rays coming from the sun. Not everything, but enough so that our earth stays at a relatively cool temperature, excluding the heat generated from natural
A thin layer of gas called atmosphere surrounds the Earth. The atmosphere serves two important purposes: it is a filter for the suns dangerous ultraviolet radiation rays and keeps the heat, necessary to maintain life on earth, within the stratosphere (Vorlat 361). Ultraviolet light is incredibly dangerous to all the organisms within the Earth's ecosystem because it causes skin cancer, effects the immune system, and harms plant and animal life. For that reason the atmosphere and the ozone layer within it are crucial to a stable life on this planet. The ozone layer is in danger, however. It is facing depletion by a toxic man-made substance called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Together
Air pollution is a well-known problem throughout the world. Humans know that we are the major cause for air pollution and although we know this fact, we continue to pollute. We poison our air every day by throwing out enormous piles of garbage, burning tons of fossil fuels, and driving millions of miles each year, but do we truly know how much this affects our society and our Earth? Smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and ozone depletion are some of the effects that have resulted from air pollution. Health effects caused by filthy air are also a serious problem that has resulted from pollution.
At the first, what is air pollution? The air pollution is contamination of air by the discharge of harmful substances. We’ve got many pollutants, which cause air pollution. Like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, lead and many more. All of these pollutants can cause lot of illnesses, like cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, long-term injury to the
Air is an indispensable part of human, animal and plant lives. Without it, no organisms would be able to survive on Earth (Reference, 2017). Due to excessive human activities, air pollution has become a detrimental worldwide issue in current days (Sciencing, 2017). However, scientists have found new chemicals that can assist in improving the air quality (Phys.org, 2017). Moreover, humans are able to adopt many methods to help decrease the severity of contamination released into the earth’s atmosphere. This investigation is linked to ‘application and limitation’ in ‘science as a Human Endeavour’.
Ozone layer depletion is simply the reduction of the amount of ozone in the stratosphere. It has been determined that global stratospheric ozone levels have declined to mean that the ozone layer is changing. The ozone has a large
Regardless of sensational advancement cleaning those air since 1970, air pollution in the proceeds of the united states should damage people’s wellbeing and the surroundings. Under those clean air Act, epa keeps on working for state, neighborhood What's more tribal governments, different national agencies. furthermore, stakeholders to decrease air contamination and the harm that it reasons ((United States natural insurance Agency,2017).
Specifically, these gases, which include (in order of decreasing abundance) water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), and a variety of chlorofluorocarbons, have the property that they are nearly transparent to visible light but absorb great quantities of earth light, one example of this is the sun. Earth light, or infrared light, is emitted by the earth and can only be observed by humans with the use of special optical devices, appropriately named ''infrared'' binoculars. It is through the absorption of this light and the subsequent reemission of much of it back towards the Earth's surface that enables the atmosphere to serve as a blanket – the Greenhouse Effect.
The atmosphere which is a gaseous envelope around the earth is divided into several concentric zones. Troposphere is the lowest region of the atmosphere containing 80% of the total mass of air and almost all of the water vapors. In addition to nitrogen and oxygen which make up about 99% of the atmosphere, there are small amounts of other gases, minute droplets of various liquids and tiny particles of varieties of solids. We breathe various gases and particles in addition to nitrogen and oxygen. When due to some natural processes or human activities the concentration of substances other than oxygen is increased in the air, it causes pollution of the atmosphere. Air pollution is the degradation in the quality of air contaminants in sufficient quantity which may be injurious to human health or may damage property. The contaminants which degrade the quality of air are known as air pollutants. Air pollutants can be classified as primary and secondary pollutants. The primary air pollutants are harmful chemicals which enter directly into the air due to natural human activities. Complete burning of any carbon containing substance produces CO2, whereas carbon monoxide is produced when burned partially. Another primary air pollutant is SO2 which is emitted to the air by volcanic eruption or burning of fuels which contain sulphur impurities. A secondary air pollutant is a harmful chemical produced in the air as a result of chemical reaction between two or more components with a primary
In the nineties, scientist discovered the largest abundance of greenhouse gases in earth’s atmosphere than ever before. With the high amounts of greenhouse gases, science has drawn a direct relation to ozone depletion (Baltzer). With high amounts of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, the ozone has depleted at an alarming rate. Scientist have discovered that the ozone protects earth’s atmosphere from deadly sun rays and prevents other things inside earth’s atmosphere from exiting out to space, such as heat, that plants and animals could use to stay alive. The ozone has started depleting over the northern hemisphere causing of
To better understand the subject, we need to define the term air pollution. Air pollution is the presence in or introduction into the air of a substance which has harmful or poisonous effects. These substances linger and cause many adverse problems. Humans and other living creations rely on the atmosphere for reparation. When air quality is dampened by pollution, immediate and long-term consequences take place. Pollution has caused allergies, disease, damage to crops, and even death. It is important that we fully understand the causes, problems, and possible
Air pollution has many affects on our society, and one of the leading causes of it would be from all the contaminants that are set up into the air and is affecting our natural ecosystems. In the questionnaire I asked if they thought that cars were one of the main causes of air pollution (Chan), and about 95 percent of the people said yes. Trees in the rainforests are being destroyed and because of that carbon dioxide is being released into the air. Without trees, it cannot create enough oxygen from the carbon dioxide. All the smog and carbon dioxide that are floating in the air is created because of our supply and demands, and now we have to inhale, all of which polluted the air, until we can do something to stop it.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a toxic gas which is emitted into the atmosphere as a result of combustion processes, and is also formed by the oxidation of hydrocarbons and other organic compounds. In European urban areas, CO is produced almost entirely (90%) from road traffic emissions. It survives in the atmosphere for a period of approximately one month but is eventually oxidised to carbon dioxide (CO2). Nitrogen Dioxide. Nitrogen oxides are formed during high temperature combustion processes from the oxidation of nitrogen in the air or fuel.
This chapter presents the overview of the topic about the causes and effects of air pollution to our environment.
From my studying in this unit, I understand that air pollution transpires in various patterns, however, it can generally be thought of as gaseous and particulate contaminants that are existing in the earth’s atmosphere.