Effects Of Air Pollution On Health And Environment

Air pollution can harm us when it accumulates in the air in sufficient quantities. Millions of Americans live in areas where urban smoke, particulate matter and toxic pollutants cause serious health problems. People exposed to substantial amounts of certain air pollutants may experience the following symptoms:

§ Irritation in eyes, nose and throat
§ Wheezing, cough, chest tightness and difficulty breathing
§ Worsening of existing lung and heart problems such as asthma
§ Increased risk of heart attack

Additionally, long-term exposure to air pollution can cause cancer and damage the immune, nervous, reproductive and respiratory systems. In extreme cases, it can even cause death.

Who Is Most At Risk?

Air pollution is a problem for all of us. But some people are particularly sensitive to air pollutants such as fine dust and ground-level ozone. Vulnerable populations include children, the elderly, people who frequently exercise outdoors, and people with heart or lung disease such as asthma. If you are sensitive to air pollution, you should know what steps you can take to protect your health.

Environmental Impact

Air pollution not only harms human health, but can also have many other environmental impacts.

Acid rain is rain that contains harmful levels of nitric and sulfuric acids. These acids are formed primarily by nitrogen and sulfur oxides and are released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. These acids fall to Earth as wet precipitation (rain, snow, fog) or dry precipitation (gases and particles). These can also be carried hundreds of kilometers away by wind. In the environment, acid rain damages trees, causes acidification of soil and water, making the water unsuitable for some fish and other wildlife, and accelerates the decay of buildings, statues, and sculptures that mark our national heritage. Are part of the heritage. Acid rain is damaging Massachusetts’ lakes, ponds, rivers and soils, harming wildlife and forests.

Eutrophication is a condition in water bodies where high concentrations of nutrients (such as nitrogen) promote the growth of algae, which can result in fish kills and loss of plant and animal diversity. Although eutrophication is a natural process in pristine lakes and some river estuaries, human activities can increase the rate at which nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems and greatly accelerate eutrophication. Emissions of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere from power plants, cars, trucks, and other sources contribute to the amount of nitrogen entering aquatic ecosystems.

Haze occurs when sunlight hits tiny dust particles in the air. Haze obscures the clarity, color, texture, and shape of what we see. Some smog-causing pollutants (primarily particulate matter) are released directly into the atmosphere from sources such as power plants, industrial facilities, trucks and passenger cars, and construction activities. Others occur when gases released into the air (such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) are carried by the wind and form particles.

Effects on Wildlife: Toxic pollutants in the air, soil and surface water can affect wildlife in many ways. Like humans, animals can suffer health problems when exposed to sufficient concentrations of airborne toxins over long periods of time. Studies have shown that air pollutants cause birth defects, reproductive problems, and disease in animals. Persistent toxic air pollutants (which decompose slowly in the environment) are of particular concern in aquatic ecosystems. These pollutants can accumulate in sediments and in the tissues of animals at the top of the food chain in concentrations many times higher than in water and air.

Ozone depletion: Ozone is a gas found both near the ground and in the Earth’s upper atmosphere, called the stratosphere. On Earth, ozone is a pollutant that can be harmful to human health. But in the stratosphere, ozone forms a layer that protects life on Earth from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. But this “good” ozone is slowly being destroyed by man-made chemicals called ozone depleters, such as chlorofluorocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons, and halons.

These substances were previously used in coolants, foams, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, aerosol propellants and more, and are still used today. A thinning protective ozone layer could allow more UV rays to reach Earth, leading to an increase in skin cancer, cataracts and weakened immunity. UV radiation can also damage sensitive crops such as soybeans, reducing crop yields.

Damage to agricultural crops and forests: Air pollution can harm crops and trees in many ways. Ground-level ozone can lead to reduced yields in agricultural crops and commercial forests, reduced growth and survival of tree seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to disease, pests, and other environmental stresses (such as harsh weather). As mentioned above, increased UV radiation due to acid rain and ozone depletion can also harm crops and forests.

Global Climate Change: Earth’s atmosphere contains a delicate balance of naturally occurring gases that trap some of the Sun’s heat near the surface. This “greenhouse effect” keeps the Earth’s temperature stable. Unfortunately, there is increasing evidence that humans have upset this natural balance by producing large amounts of certain greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane. As a result, Earth’s atmosphere begins to trap more of the Sun’s heat, causing an increase in Earth’s average temperature, known as global warming. Many scientists believe that global warming could have significant impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas.

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