Air pollution
Air pollution appears when the air has gases, dust, fumes or harmful amounts which could be harmful to the health of humans and animals or which could destroy the plants and materials.(epa.Victoria,2006)
The substances that cause air pollution are called pollutans. And there are two kinds of them. Pollutants which are available in the atmosphere and directly pollute the air are called primary pollutants. Primary pollutant examples include carbon monoxide from car exhausts and sulfur dioxide from the burning of coal. The other kinds of pollutants are called secondary pollutants .” Photochemical smog is an example of this.”(Nicole.L.2007).
The most dangerous pollutants are carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide:
The gas carbon monoxide is considered highly toxic to humans, animals and plants; also it has an effect on metals. And it is colorless and odorless.
The dangers of this gas occur in the closed places like garages or the narrow places like tunnels. At the busy traffic lights the recent studies show that more than 350 million tons of this gas is coming from the car’s exhausts and the non- burning petrol in the engine of the car. Also it comes from the burning of the coal in the closed rooms or houses in winter season. The carbon dioxide percentage in the air stands at 0.03 percent, which causes choking if the presence in the air is high. The studies show terrifying expectations about the increasing proportion of its concentration in the atmosphere which may affect the climate in the future like increasing the temperature in the atmosphere.
Sulfur Dioxide is also another cause of the air pollution. It is coming from the accumulation of industrial waste, especially the oil industry, which causes lung and respiratory disease to the humans .In addition to this the soil is also affected by it; it can cause the lack of the crops production and decrease the fertility of the soil. Moreover the seas, rivers, lakes and oceans and its creatures are also affected by the air pollution. And it also affects buildings, where there is erosion in the wall
Hydrocarbons are another participant in the air pollution. “As a result of incomplete combustion in fireplaces and some of the factories and motor vehicles and they affect the respiratory system and cause heart diseases and cancer in humans”( familydoctor)
The smoke which is small, hard, soft particles resulting from combustion sources, particularly the different open coal stoves, affects the climate and obscures vision and reduces the permeability of the sun to the earth. Smoke also causes pneumonia, and many other respiratory diseases, suffocation and death.
Here are some ways that may help in solving the problem of the air pollution. First of all avoid secondhand smoke that is produced by smokers but can harm non-smokers as well. Try to avoid areas that are filled with smoke and ask smokers to smoke outdoors. Secondly, don’t smoke – when you smoke, you not only harm yourself but also create problems for other people's health. Thirdly, don't use wood stoves – wood stoves emit large amounts of CO indoors. This can build up in your home and create a dangerous health risk. Fourthly, drive less – cars are one of the largest sources of air pollution. You should carpool or take public transportation whenever possible. Fifthly, have plants – plants can absorb some dangerous chemicals that are polluting your air. In doing so, they reduce your risk of getting sick. Sixthly, minimize air conditioning – if you can avoid air-conditioning, do so. By keeping windows closed, you may be able to avoid needing air conditioning, which will mean using less energy.
In my opinion ,the best solution is to adapt to the problem because everything is changed in our world and the technology is a weapon with two edges .Sometimes it is useful and makes our life easier and it is also harmful because this will need more and more items to manufacture which leads us to the main problem that is the air pollution. The second solution in my point of view is that OPEC should work with one of the natural organizations to decrease the percentage of air pollution worldwide .The governments should put lows to stop the old cars from going into the streets. Also nowadays there are electrical cars which are nature friendly. The thing is to raise the awareness of the people to the causes of the fatal problem.
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