Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, & plants. It also damages buildings.
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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, & plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases, solid particles, or liquid droplets.Sources of Air PollutionPollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people, taking the khung of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans. Second-h& cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources.Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes, occur naturally. These are called natural sources.Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated. Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prsự kiện air pollution from spreading out. This air pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog. The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and "fog."Large cities in poor & developing nations tend to have sầu more air pollution than cities in developed nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), some of the worlds most polluted cities are Karađưa ra, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Cairo, Egypt. However, many developed nations also have air pollution problems. Los Angeles, California, is nicknamed Smog City.Indoor Air PollutionAir pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But there are many types of indoor air pollution as well.Heating a house by burning substances such as kerosene, wood, & coal can contaminate the air inside the house. Ash & smoke make breathing difficult, and they can stiông chồng to lớn walls, food, & clothing.Naturally-occurring radon gas, a cancer-causing material, can also build up in homes. Radon is released through the surface of the Earth. Inexpensive sầu systems installed by professionals can reduce radon levels.Some construction materials, including insulation, are also dangerous to lớn people's health. In addition, ventilation, or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold. A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become siông xã from breathing in the spores.Effects On HumansPeople experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed lớn air pollution. Effects can be broken down inlớn short-term effects and long-term effects.Short-term effects, which are temporary, include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis. They also include discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, & nausea. Bad smells made by factories, garbage, or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant.Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead khổng lồ a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease, lung cancer, & respiratory diseases such as emphysema. Air pollution can also cause long-term damage khổng lồ people's nerves, brain, kidneys, liver, & other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects. Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from the effects of outdoor or indoor air pollution.People react differently to lớn different types of air pollution. Young children và older adults, whose immune systems tkết thúc to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma, heart disease, & lung disease can be made worse by exposure to lớn air pollution. The length of exposure & amount & type of pollutants are also factors.
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Effects On The EnvironmentLike people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze, like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes và colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds.Air pollution particles eventually fall baông chồng to lớn Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water và soil. This can kill crops or reduce their yield. It can kill young trees and other plants.Sulfur dioxide & nitroren oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain when they mix with water & oxygene in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants & motor vehicles. When acid rain falls khổng lồ Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition; degrades water quality in rivers, lakes và streams; damages crops; và can cause buildings & monuments to decay.Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects, diseases, và lower reproductive sầu rates have all been attributed lớn air pollution.Global WarmingGlobal warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution. It refers to rising air và ocean temperatures around the world. This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earths atmosphere. (Usually, more of Earths heat escapes into space.)Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. Carbon dioxide is emitted inlớn the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, and natural gas). Humans have sầu come khổng lồ rely on fossil fuels khổng lồ power cars và planes, heat homes, and run factories. Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide.Other greenhouse gases emitted by natural và artificial sources also include methane, nitrous oxide, và fluorinated gases. Methane is a major emission from coal plants & agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons, are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gases are often used instead of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer.Worldwide, many countries have sầu taken steps to lớn reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions lớn combat global warming. The Kyoto lớn Protocol, first adopted in Kyoto lớn, nhật bản, in 1997, is an agreement between 183 countries that they will work to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The United States has not signed that treaty.RegulationIn addition to the international Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations have adopted laws to lớn regulate emissions & reduce air pollution. In the United States, debate is under way about a system called cap and trade to lớn limit emissions. This system would cap, or place a limit, on the amount of pollution a company is allowed. Companies that exceeded their cap would have sầu khổng lồ pay. Companies that polluted less than their cap could trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance lớn other companies. Cap & trade would essentially pay companies lớn limit pollution.In 2006 the World Health Organization issued new Air Quality Guidelines. The WHOs guidelines are tougher than most individual countries existing guidelines. The WHO guidelines aim to reduce air pollution-related deaths by 15 percent a year.ReductionAnybody can take steps to lớn reduce air pollution. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives lớn bởi this. Taking public transportation instead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others.