Air Pollution

Chandra Clark

“Studies show that transportation sources such as cars, trucks, buses, ships and trains account for 90% of the cancer risk associated with air pollution” (europa.eu). Air pollution is the introduction into the atmosphere of chemicals, particulates, or biological materials that cause discomfort, disease, or death to humans, damage other living organisms such as food crops, or damage the natural environment or built environment. The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of air that’s polluted with gases from the atmosphere such as the industries, agriculture and traffic, as well as energy generation. However, some of these substances are not damaging to air quality, but will form harmful air pollutants by reactions with other substances that are present in air. For example, the air humans breathe cause severe damage to liver, lungs causing heart cancer all over the world. What causes air pollution, what are the effects, and how can it be prevented is the primary focus of air pollution. First, air pollution is caused mainly by natural events that pollute the air including carbon dioxide, gasoline burning engines, and power plants. In particular Carbon dioxide, and power plants are pollutants to some but to other it’s life. For example, pumping gas at a gas station pollutes the air while giving someone transportation needed to function in life. As a result this cause major problems that are very difficult to manage when transportation is used in everyday life. Humans mainly rely heavily on vehicles and engines for transporting people, good and services. “Reports find that over 13,000 deaths each year are attributable to fine particle pollution from U.S. power plants” (catf.us). Second, the effects of air pollution are global warming, change in weather and Sulfur dioxide. The three main effects of polluted air is an unpleasant feeling that creates respiratory diseases like cough, cold, asthma. However, global warming is one important effect in the world where high temperatures cause people to dehydrate throughout the day. Change in weather causes different masses in air to change based on temperatures from global warming. For example, rising sea level due to thermal expansion of the ocean. Sulfur dioxide is a component build from smog, and closely related chemicals are known primarily as a cause of acid rain. The effects of air pollution have a variety of air pollutants known or suspected harmful effects on human health and the environment. Third, the solution to prevent air pollution will be very complicated. Prevention interventions are always the best solution to prevent air pollution based on all the effects going on. Encouraging family, peers and friends to use the bus, and ride bikes, and walk will prevent less fumes on the streets. Hence, walking to the store will cause less fumes from gas and electricity on the street. Recycle paper, plastic, glass bottles, cardboard, and aluminum cans, this conserves energy and reduces production emissions. On the other hand, a power plant is an electric generating plant that produce electricity using magnetic conduction. This plant can be prevented by using low sulfur fuels such as electricity, and carbon dioxide. The cost it will take to prevent air pollution will be hard but if people all can minimize the use of gas, cars, and power plants this problem can be resolved. In conclusion air pollution is caused by a multitude of different things in today’s world. “Some of the pollutant such as, gases and particles from volcanic eruptions, and smoke from forest fires caused by natural processes (lightning strikes” (Zannetti 1).