INTRODUCTION

AIR POLLUTION is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological

materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or
damages the natural environment, into the atmosphere. It is also defined as any
contamination of the atmosphere that disturbs the natural composition of chemistry of
the air. This can be in the form of particulate matter such as dust or excessive gases
like carbon dioxide or other vapors that cannot be effectively removed through natural
cycles, such as the carbon cycle or the nitrogen cycle. Air pollution is also accumulation
in the atmosphere of substances that, in sufficient concentrations, endanger the human
health or produce other measured effects on living matter and other materials. Among
the major sources of pollution are power and heat generation, the burning of solid
wastes, industrial processes, and, especially, transportation. The six major types of
pollutants are carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulates, sulfur
dioxide, and photochemical oxidants. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless,
and tasteless gas that is slightly less dense than air. It is toxic to humans and animals
when encountered in higher concentrations, although it is also produced in normal
animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal biological
functions. In the atmosphere it is spatially variable, short lived, having a role in the
formation of ground-level ozone. A hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting
entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Nitrogen oxide can refer to a binary
compound of oxygen and nitrogen, or a mixture of such compounds.
Particulates or particulate matter are tiny pieces of solid or liquid matter associated with
the Earth's atmosphere. They are suspended in the atmosphere
as atmospheric aerosol, a term which refers to the particulate/air mixture, as opposed to
the particulate matter alone. However, it is common to use the term aerosol to refer to
the particulate component alone. Sulfur dioxide is the chemical compound with the
formula SO2. At standard atmosphere it is a toxic gas with a pungent, irritating smell.
Photochemical oxidant is any chemicals which enters oxidation reactions in the
presence of light or other radiant energy.
Air pollution can result from both human and natural actions. Natural events that
pollute the air include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal,
evaporation of organic compounds and natural radioactivity. Pollution from natural
occurrences is not very often. Human activities that result in air pollution include: 1.
Emissions from industries and manufacturing activities have you seen a manufacturing
company before? You will notice that there are long tubes (called chimneys) erected
high into the air, with lots of smoke and fumes coming out of it. Waste incinerators,
manufacturing industries and power plants emit high levels of carbon monoxide, organic
compounds, and chemicals into the air. This happens almost everywhere that people
live. Petroleum refineries also release lots of hydrocarbons into the air. 2. Burning Fossil
Fuels after the industrial age, transportation has become a key part of our lives. Cars
and heavy duty trucks, trains, shipping vessels and airplanes all burn lots of fossil fuels
to work. Emissions from automobile engines contain both primary and secondary
pollutants. This is a major cause of pollution, and one that is very difficult to manage.
This is because humans rely heavily on vehicles and engines for transporting people,
good and services. Fumes from car exhaust contain dangerous gases such as carbon
monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulates. On their own, they cause
great harm to people who breathe them. Additionally, they react with environmental
gases to create further toxic gases. 3. Household and Farming Chemicals Crop dusting,
fumigating homes, household cleaning products or painting supplies, over the counter
insect/pest killers, fertilizer dust emit harmful chemicals into the air and cause pollution.
In many case, when we use these chemicals at home or offices with no or little
ventilation, we may fall ill if we breathe them. Air pollution is a significant risk factor for
multiple health conditions including respiratory infections, heart disease, and lung
cancer, according to the WHO.
The health effects caused by air pollution may include difficulty in breathing,
wheezing, coughing, asthma and aggravation of existing respiratory and cardiac
conditions. These effects can result in increased medication use, increased doctor or
emergency room visits, more hospital admissions and premature death. The human
health effects of poor air quality are far reaching, but principally affect the body's
respiratory system and the cardiovascular system. Individual reactions to air pollutants
depend on the type of pollutant a person is exposed to, the degree of exposure, the
individual's health status and genetics. The most common sources of air pollution
include particulates, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulfur dioxide. Both indoor and
outdoor air pollution have caused approximately 3.3 million deaths worldwide. Children
aged less than five years that live in developing countries are the most vulnerable
population in terms of total deaths attributable to indoor and outdoor air pollution. The
World Health Organization states that 2.4 million people die each year from causes
directly attributable to air pollution, with 1.5 million of these deaths attributable to indoor
air pollution.

"Epidemiological studies suggest that more than 500,000 Americans die
each year from cardiopulmonary disease linked to breathing fine particle air pollution. .
." A study by the University of Birmingham has shown a strong correlation
between pneumonia related deaths and air pollution from motor vehicles. Worldwide
more deaths per year are linked to air pollution than to automobile accidents. A 2005
study by the European Commission calculated that air pollution reduces life expectancy
by an average of almost nine months across the European Union. Causes of deaths
include aggravated asthma, emphysema, lung and heart diseases, and respiratory
allergies. The US EPA estimates that a proposed set of changes in diesel engine
technology (Tier 2) could result in 12,000 fewer premature mortalities, 15,000
fewer heart attacks, 6,000 fewer emergency room visits by children with asthma, and
8,900 fewer respiratory-related hospital admissions each year in the United States. The
US EPA estimates allowing a ground-level ozone concentration of 65 parts per billion,
would avert 1,700 to 5,100 premature deaths nationwide in 2020 compared with the
current 75-ppb standard. The agency projects the stricter standard would also prevent
an additional 26,000 cases of aggravated asthma and more than a million cases of
missed work or school. The worst short term civilian pollution crisis in India was the
1984 Bhopal Disaster. Leaked industrial vapors from the Union Carbide factory,
belonging to Union Carbide, Inc., U.S.A., killed more than 25,000 people outright and
injured anywhere from 150,000 to 600,000. The United Kingdom suffered its worst air
pollution event when the December 4 Great Smog of 1952 formed over London. In six
days more than 4,000 died, and 8,000 more died within the following months.

An
accidental leak of anthrax spores from a biological warfare laboratory in the former
USSR in 1979 near Sverdlovsk is believed to have been the cause of hundreds of
civilian deaths. The worst single incident of air pollution to occur in the US occurred
in Donora, Pennsylvania in late October, 1948, when 20 people died and over 7,000
were injured. A new economic study of the health impacts and associated costs of air
pollution in the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley of Southern California shows
that more than 3800 people die prematurely (approximately 14 years earlier than
normal) each year because air pollution levels violate federal standards. The number of
annual premature deaths is considerably higher than the fatalities related to auto
collisions in the same area, which average fewer than 2,000 per year. Diesel exhaust
(DE) is a major contributor to combustion derived particulate matter air pollution. In
several human experimental studies, using a well validated exposure chamber setup,
DE has been linked to acute vascular dysfunction and increased thrombus
formation. This serves as a plausible mechanistic link between the previously described
association between particulates air pollution and increased cardiovascular morbidity
and mortality.
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic,
meaning that it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It can have
harmful effects on plants, aquatic animals, humans and infrastructure. Acid rain is
caused by emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which react with
the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. Governments have made
efforts since the 1970s to reduce the release of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere with
positive results. Nitrogen oxides can also be produced naturally by lightning strikes and
sulfur dioxide is produced by volcanic eruptions. The chemicals in acid rain can cause
paint to peel, corrosion of steel structures such as bridges, and erosion of stone statues.
Sources of Acid Rain: Acid rain is caused by a chemical reaction that begins
when compounds like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are released into the air. These
substances can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with
water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.
Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides dissolve very easily in water and can be carried very
far by the wind. As a result, the two compounds can travel long distances where they
become part of the rain, sleet, snow, and fog that we experience on certain days.
Human activities are the main cause of acid rain. Over the past few decades, humans
have released so many different chemicals into the air that they have changed the mix
of gases in the atmosphere. Power plants release the majority of sulfur dioxide and
much of the nitrogen oxides when they burn fossil fuels, such as coal, to produce
electricity. In addition, the exhaust from cars, trucks, and buses releases nitrogen
oxides and sulfur dioxide into the air. These pollutants cause acid rain. Acid rain is also
caused by reactions in the environment, Nature depends on balance, and although
some rain is naturally acidic, with a pH level of around 5.0, human activities have made
it worse. Normal precipitation such as rain, sleet, or snow reacts with alkaline
chemicals, or non-acidic materials, that can be found in air, soils, bedrock, lakes, and
streams. These reactions usually neutralize natural acids. However, if precipitation
becomes too acidic, these materials may not be able to neutralize all of the acids. Over
time, these neutralizing materials can be washed away by acid rain. Damage to crops,
trees, lakes, rivers, and animals can result.
Acid rain has many ecological effects, but none is greater than its impact on
lakes, streams, wetlands, and other aquatic environments. Acid rain makes waters
acidic and causes them to absorb the aluminum that makes its way from soil into lakes
and streams. This combination makes waters toxic to crayfish, clams, fish, and other
aquatic animals. Some species can tolerate acidic waters better than others. However,
in an interconnected ecosystem, what impacts some species eventually impacts many
more throughout the food chain including non-aquatic species such as birds. Acid rain
also damages forests, especially those at higher elevations. It robs the soil of essential
nutrients and releases aluminum in the soil, which makes it hard for trees to take up
water. Trees' leaves and needles are also harmed by acids. The effects of acid rain,
combined with other environmental stressors, leave trees and plants less able to
withstand cold temperatures, insects, and disease. The pollutants may also inhibit trees'
ability to reproduce. Some soils are better able to neutralize acids than others. In areas
where the soil's "buffering capacity" is low, the harmful effects of acid rain are much
greater. The only way to fight acid rain is by curbing the release of the pollutants that
cause it. This means burning fewer fossil fuels. Many governments have tried to curb
emissions by cleaning up industry smokestacks and promoting alternative fuel sources.
These efforts have met with mixed results. But even if acid rain could be stopped today,
it would still take many years for its harmful effects to disappear. Individuals can also
help prevent acid rain by conserving energy. The less electricity people use in their
homes, the fewer chemicals power plants will emit. Vehicles are also major fossil fuel
users, so drivers can reduce emissions by using public transportation, carpooling,
biking, or simply walking wherever possible.
As we know that there are different components which are responsible for
polluting the air and are harmful for the living organisms such as humans, plants or
animals. But at the same time where such components are present to polluting the air,
there are many ways to prevent or avoid the air from pollution.
One way to help prevent air pollution is to drive less. This act can greatly
contribute to a cleaner air considering that half of the percentage of air pollution comes
from trucks and cars. Also, observing smart habits of driving lessens your trucks
emissions. It doesnt mean also that if you have to drive less, you just have to stay
home the whole day without doing anything. You always have the option to use a
substitute or alternative means of transportation. You can ride a bicycle or walk,
telecommute, shop by mail or phone, carpool or ride a public transit.
Driving smartly can also lessen air pollution. So, be smart every time you drive by
keeping a properly inflated tires, replacing the air filter of your car, obeying the speed
limit, accelerating gradually, have your car tuned, support program on smog check and
if possible, try to combine all your errands into a single trip. And if you get stuck in traffic
for a long period of time and not driving at all, always consider turning off your engine.




REFERENCES

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrocarbon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide
http://green.wikia.com/wiki/Photochemical_Oxidants
http://eschooltoday.com/pollution/air-pollution/causes-of-air-pollution.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rain
http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/education/site_students/whatcauses.html
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/acid-rain-
overview/






AIR POLLUTION
Acid Rain


Nikki John P. Magallones
12:30 pm 2:00 pm TTH