Air Pollution

When chemicals, particulate matter or biological materials are released into the atmosphere, this can be harmful to living organisms and the environment. The impact of methane and carbon dioxide emissions has given rise to heated debates about regulating emissions. In recent years, several actions were taken to reduce air pollution, especially in large cities.

There are a number of chemicals that can become problematic when released into the atmosphere, some are of natural origin while others are caused by human activities. Generally speaking, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides, toxic metals, ammonia, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds including methane are among the most dangerous chemicals connected to air pollution.

The primary sources of human induced air pollution include power plants, motor vehicles, chemicals and burning used in agriculture, solvent fumes released by the use of hairsprays or paints, and waste in landfills which produces methane. Natural causes for air pollution are animals which produce methane during digestion, radioactive decay, wildfires emitting smoke and carbon monoxide, volcanic activities, and vegetation which emits a high amount of volatile organic compounds due to hot climate.

The effects of air pollution are harmful to living organisms as well as natural and built environments. In humans, respiratory infections, lung cancer or heart diseases may be provoked by polluted air. Moreover, people who already suffer from cardiac or respiratory problems may experience a deterioration of these problems. Some studies also show an increased risk of cancer attributed to pollutants in the atmosphere. How problematic air pollution can be for human health depends largely on personal reaction, the kind of pollutant the person is exposed to, to what extent they are exposed to air pollution, their general health and genetic factors.

Regulations on air pollution depend on state laws; the general intention is to reduce the chemical emissions that are caused by humans. For example, several initiatives support a change in transport vehicles, encouraging citizens to use their bikes or buses powered by alternative energies instead of motor vehicles. Different air quality indexes are used to monitor the development of air pollution.