Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Air Pollution

Good Essays
492 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Air Pollution
Sources of air pollution
Air pollution caused by vehicles has been identified as the largest contributor to air pollution in the world. Air pollution caused by vehicles is when the burning of fossil fuels to power our vehicles gives off CO2 emission. This pollution by vehicles also produces toxic substances such as sulfur dioxide and carbon which can be fatal to humans.
Air pollution also comes from industry as this source of pollution spews particulate matter and chemicals into the atmosphere. The output from factories includes sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and dioxide. Almost all of Earth’s atmosphere or ecosystem has been altered by the long-term effects of pollution by industries.
Power plants are also another reason to blame for air pollution. They spread gases that thickens the atmosphere, causing the heat to be blocked from exiting to space. The gases are heavy, and comes down to the ground causing pollution One of the power plants that gives out the most pollution is the power plant that is fired by coal. Coal burning is a leading cause of smog, acid rain, and toxic air pollution. Not only that, it also causes the greenhouse effect and holes in the ozone layer.
Health Effects
Air pollution can affect our health in many ways with both short-term and long-term effects. Some individuals are much more sensitive to pollutants than are others. Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution.
Examples of short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema.
Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.
Air pollution also effects the human cardiovascular system as the inhalation of air pollutants eventually leads to their absorption into the bloodstream and transport to the heart. Some pollutants may also directly cause functional alterations that affect the rhythmicity and contractility of the heart.
Causes of water pollution.
Factories play a major role in pollution the water. Wastes from factories include toxins, such as lead, mercury and other contaminants. These chemicals are very harmful and can lead to serious health hazards.
Fertilizers and pesticides used in agricultural farms, homeowners lawns and roadsides are a threat to the natural water source. When the pollutants runoff into local streams or rivers or drained down into groundwater, they contaminate the water completely.
Mining is also another reason for water pollution. Heavy metals and sulphur components which are buried in the earth are exposed during mining and during rainfall these toxic chemicals are exposed, which results in acid rain.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Air Pollution in Windsor

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Air pollution is extremely dangerous and can cause eye and nose irritation. This dries the membrane of the nose and throat. Air pollution can also affect the body’s ability to fight infections, increasing susceptibility to illness.…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    | It cause cancer, birth defects, brain, and nerve damage. Air pollution damages the ozone layer that protects us from the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun.…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Atmospheric Issues 1

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Health problems that are caused by air pollution vary depending on the individual. The most common being respiratory problems where a person may have a difficult time breathing, much like people with asthma. Respiratory problems could very well be issues with the lungs or even disease or cancer. Another health issue could very well be allergies for an individual due to air pollution.…

    • 370 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bhe 314

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Air pollutants can cause a number of health concerns both short-term and long-term issues. These health problems can be caused by both indoor and outdoor pollutants in an urban setting. Such as, secondhand smoke, mold, and nitrogen dioxide to name a few indoor pollutants and ozone, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and lead as outdoor pollutants. All these can cause a number of significant issues. Some short term effects are irritation to eyes, nose and throat, upper respiratory infections (bronchitis and pneumonia), headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Extended exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. Another health risk caused by air pollution is the effects these pollutants make to our ozone layer. This causes the ozone layer to thin out and allow more harmful radiation from the sun effect our skin causing increases in skin cancer and cataracts. Pollution can also affect the environment around us; ultimately…

    • 915 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Asthma and Air Pollution

    • 1925 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Air pollution can affect an individual’s health in many different ways; from short–term exacerbations of illness to long-term effects. Individuals are affected by air pollution in different ways. Short-term effects include ear, nose and throat irritation, and upper respiratory infections. Long-term effects include respiratory disease, lung disease, and heart disease. People who have asthma can experience complications when the air is polluted. In the great "Smog Disaster" in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution (How can air pollution hurt my health?).…

    • 1925 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When it comes to human health related to air pollution there are increasing mortality rates within large cities across the United States. One notice cause within the increase of air pollution is asthma. Asthma is an ongoing problem within the United States directly affecting children. Many epidemiological studies have been conducted in an attempt to pinpoint the cause of asthma. Asthma is considered a long term effect of air pollution as it can deal with either indoor or outside pollution. Another health effect of air pollution is coronary heart disease. Those who have a preexisting heart condition such as coronary heart disease are more susceptible to different forms of air pollution. Different forms of air pollution could cause those with…

    • 210 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Air pollution can harm animals, plants and bodies of water. There is a substantial amount of pollution that comes from man-made sources such as from factories, cars, planes and trains that have an effect on the quality of air we breathe. These conditions can reduce life spans and cause chronic respiratory issues in animals and humans. Some of the chemicals that are associated with air pollution have been known to contribute to birth defects, cancer and other damages to the human body. According to Ferrell, Fraedrich and…

    • 1067 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Air pollution affects everything from agriculture and ecosystems to human health, on a global scale. The five major air pollutants are ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide (Donnatelle, 2010). A majority of these pollutants are the result of human action. One example being coal power plants. These plants release greenhouse gas emissions and particle air pollution. The burning of the coal creates pollutant byproducts. Other forms of industrial pollution, exhaust fumes, burning wood, and several forms of indoor air pollutants result in air contamination. The combination of various air contaminates can be extremely toxic. The pollutants irritate the lungs and may even cause respiratory diseases and cancer in humans (Donnatelle, 2010).…

    • 1424 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Air pollution has direct impacts on our health. It can lead to things such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, lung disease, and also shortened lives. The environment suffers as does local economies. Water pollution also has harmful effects. It can lead to poisoned drinking water, which can lead to people developing liver or kidney illnesses. It can also lead to diseases in fish and birds.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Air Pollution in China

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Air pollution has a huge affect on the people of China with their health, both short and long term effects. The indoor environments are caused by, tobacco smoke and combustion of solid fuels for cooking and heating are the most significant sources The outdoor environments is created by the industries, automobiles, and power generation. There are different groups that are affected by air pollution in different ways. Some people are more sensitive to the chemical substances than others. Some of these health problems involve with asthma, heart and lung disease, which the elderly and young children often get. Examples of shirt-term effects include irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and you could also get bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms are headaches, and allergic reactions. Long-tern effects include lung cancer, heart disease and even possible damage to the brain, nerves, liver and kidneys. Exposure to the pollution in the air affects the lungs of growing children.…

    • 736 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Air Pollution

    • 6304 Words
    • 17 Pages

    Air lets our living planet breathe—it's the mixture of gases that fills the atmosphere, giving life to the plants and animals that make Earth such a vibrant place. Broadly speaking, air is almost entirely made up of two gases (78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen), with a few other gases (such as carbon dioxide and argon) present in absolutely minute quantities. We can breathe ordinary air all day long with no ill effects, so let's use that simple fact to define air pollution, something like this:…

    • 6304 Words
    • 17 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Air pollution is linked to asthma, allergies and other respiratory illnesses. You can more about how the environment affects human health here.…

    • 740 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    These emissions not only pollute the environment, but also pose variety of health risks for people. Pollution is the main reason behind skin cancers, asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disorders. Even newborn children can get affected.…

    • 342 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Air Pollution

    • 1697 Words
    • 7 Pages

    * Industrial plants and factories also pump large amount of carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere.…

    • 1697 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Environmental Pollution

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages

    ➢ Air pollution is the release of chemicals and particles into the atmosphere. Motor vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air pollution. can cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion…

    • 644 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays