Pollution and Society

Pollution and Society *By Osanyinpeju* Aisha We all know that pollution in our world effects two essential aspects of our planet: air and water. Although their pollutants are emitted in completely different ways, they both harm living organisms. Air pollution is predominately emitted though the exhaust of motor vehicles and the combustion of fossil fuels, whereas water pollution is the result of industrial waste and environmental accidents. Our society knows that pollution is harmful and a serious problem for Earth but generally people dont care. Nevertheless everybody needs to contribute to prevention and pay attention to government control in the amount of material large industries can emit into the air and/or water. Industry gives off a good share of the waste that is polluting our planet, but its every person is contributes as well. Government involvement is key to regulating toxins, building waste systems and protecting air and waters. Air Pollutants {draw:frame} The earths atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide (the major components) as well as neon, krypton, helium and methane (the most predominate of the minor components) it is these gases which make up the 5.6*1015 ton "shell" that surrounds our planet. However, humans, animals and vegetation in the Unites States alone emit 264 million tons of substances into the atmosphere each year. On a worldwide scale that turns out to be approximately 6.6 billion tons. These substances, which arent naturally part of the atmosphere, are called pollutants. Over ninety percent of all air pollutants can be divided up into five categories: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, sulfur oxides and suspended particulate matter. Mass is only one way of categorizing pollutants. Substances can also be looked at from an effect stand point. For example, carbon monoxide (CO) comprises 56% of all air pollutants when looked at in terms of total mass. However, when looked at in