Health effects

žThe World Health Organization states that 2.4 million people die each year from causes directly attributable to air pollution

žStudies suggest that there are more deaths per year worldwide that are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents.

Ozone depletion

žOzone depletion is another result of pollution. The ozone layer in the stratosphere protects the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) removes some of the ozone, causing "holes" to open up in this layer and allowing the radiation to reach the earth.

žUltraviolet radiation is known to cause skin cancer and has damaging effects on plants and wildlife.

Smog, Acid Rain, Greenhouse Effect

•Smog is a type of large-scale outdoor pollution. It is caused by chemical reactions between pollutants derived from different sources, primarily automobile exhaust and industrial emissions.

•Smog is especially harmful for senior citizens, children, and people with heart and lung conditions such as emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma. It can inflame breathing passages, decrease the lungs' working capacity, cause shortness of breath, pain when inhaling deeply, wheezing, and coughing. It can cause eye and nose irritation and it dries out the protective membranes of the nose and throat and interferes with the body's ability to fight infection, increasing susceptibility to illness.

žAnother consequence of air pollution is acid rain. When a pollutant combines with droplets of water in the air, the water (or snow) can become acidified. It damages plants by destroying their leaves, it poisons the soil, and it changes the chemistry of lakes and streams. Damage due to acid rain kills trees and harms animals, fish, and other wildlife.

The Greenhouse Effect, also referred to as global warming, is generally the build up of carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere. This buildup acts like a blanket and traps heat close to the surface of our earth. Changes of even a few degrees will affect us all through changes in the climate and even the possibility that the polar ice caps may melt. One of the consequences of polar ice cap melting would be a rise in global sea level, resulting in widespread coastal flooding.

Effects of air pollution

These include acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and "holes" in the ozone layer.

Major primary air pollutants

žSulfur oxides (SOx) - sulfur dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula SO2. SO2 is produced by volcanoes and in various industrial processes.

žNitrogen oxides (NOx) - nitrogen dioxide is emitted from high temperature combustion. It can be seen as the brown haze dome above or plume downwind of cities. NO2 is one of the most prominent air pollutants.

žCarbon monoxide - is a colourless, odourless, non-irritating but very poisonous gas. It is a product by incomplete combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal or wood. Vehicular exhaust is a major source of carbon monoxide.

Types of pollution

Indoor pollution:ž

Indoor pollution is pollution that occurs inside a building.

žExamples of indoor pollution include tobacco smoke, cooking and heating appliances, and vapors from building materials, paints, furniture, etc.

Outdoor pollution:ž

Outdoor pollution is the pollution that occurs outdoors.

žThere are many sources of outdoor pollution, like power plants, factories, chemicals, dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and forestry management.

Secondary air pollutants

žSecondary pollutants are not emitted directly. Rather, they form in the air when primary pollutants react or interact.

žAn important example of a secondary pollutant is ground level ozone — one of the many secondary pollutants that make up photochemical smog.