What is air pollution?

Air pollution (say: po-loo-shun) occurs when gases, dust particles, fumes (or smoke) or odour are introduced into the atmosphere in
a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals and plant. This is because the air becomes dirty (contaminated or unclean). 

The Earth is surrounded by a blanket of air (made up of various gases) called the atmosphere. The atmosphere helps protect the Earth and allow life
to exist. Without it, we would be burned by the intense heat of the sun during the day or frozen by the very low temperatures at night.

Any additional gas, particles or odours that are introduced into the air (either by nature or human activity) to distort this natural balance and cause
harm to living things can be called air pollution.

Things that pollute the air are called pollutants. Examples of pollutants include nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxides, hydrocarbons, sulphur oxides
(usually from factories), sand or dust particles, and organic compounds that can evaporate and enter the atmosphere.

There are two types of pollutants:

Primary pollutants are those gases or particles that are pumped into the air to make it unclean. They include carbon monoxide from automobile
(cars) exhausts and sulfur dioxide from the combustion of coal.

Secondary pollutants: When pollutants in the air mix up in a chemical reaction, they form an even more dangerous chemical. Photochemical smog
is an example of this, and is a secondary pollutant.

Why is air pollution such an important issue today?

When pollution occurs in the air, it can easily travel and spread, and because we breathe in air, we cannot easily avoid it.

What causes air pollution?

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

Consider a typical manufacturing plant: 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 exhausts 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. Click here to see the
effects
  

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 cases, when we use these chemicals at home or offices with no or little ventilation, we may fall ill
if we breathe them.

What are the common air pollutants around?

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Fuel combustion from vehicles and engines.
Reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s organs and tissues; aggravates heart disease, resulting in chest pain and other symptoms.
Ground-level Ozone (O3)
Secondary pollutant formed by chemical reaction of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and NOx in the presence of sunlight.
Decreases lung function and causes respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath, and also makes asthma and other lung
diseases get worse. More on Ground Level Ozone Here

Lead (Pb)
Smelters (metal refineries) and other metal industries; combustion of leaded gasoline in piston engine aircraft; waste incinerators (waste
burners), and battery manufacturing.
Damages the developing nervous system, resulting in IQ loss and impacts on learning, memory, and behavior in children. Cardiovascular and
renal effects in adults and early effects related to anaemia.

Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)

Fuel combustion (electric utilities, big industrial boilers, vehicles) and wood burning.
Worsens lung diseases leading to respiratory symptoms, increased susceptibility to respiratory infection.

Particulate Matter (PM)

This is formed through chemical reactions, fuel combustion (e.g., burning coal, wood, diesel), industrial processes, farming (plowing, field
burning), and unpaved roads or during road constructions.
Short-term exposures can worsen heart or lung diseases and cause respiratory problems. Long-term exposures can cause heart or lung disease
and sometimes premature deaths.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

SO2 comes from fuel combustion (especially high-sulfur coal); electric utilities and industrial processes as well as natural occurences like
volcanoes.
Aggravates asthma and makes breathing difficult. It also contributes to particle formation with associated health effects.

Indoor Air Pollution 

‘Indoor air’ is air within a building such as your home, classroom, office, shopping center, hospital or gym. We say ‘Indoor Air Pollution’ if indoor
air is contaminated by smoke, chemicals, smells or particles.

Unlike outdoor air pollution, the effect of indoor air pollution is health related and less of an environmental issue. In colder regions, building and
heating methods make use of airtight spaces, less ventilation and energy efficient heating. Sometimes synthetic building materials, smells from
household care and furnishing chemicals can all be trapped indoors. As less fresh air gets indoors, the concentration of pollutants such as pollen,
tobacco smoke, mold, pesticides, radon, asbestos and carbon monoxide trapped inside the building increases and people breathe that in.
Did you know: 
Around 3 billion people cook and heat their homes using open fires and leaky stoves, and burning biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste)
and coal.
Nearly 2 million people die prematurely from illness attributable to indoor air pollution from household solid fuel use.
Nearly 50% of pneumonia deaths among children under five are due to particulate matter inhaled from indoor air pollution.
More than 1 million people a year die from chronic obstructive respiratory disease (COPD) that develop due to exposure to such indoor air
pollution.
Both women and men exposed to heavy indoor smoke are 2-3 times more likely to develop COPD
Source: WHO: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs292/en/

Common indoor air pollutants include:

Tobacco smoke: 
This is smoke burning cigarettes or exhaled smoke by people smoking.
Biological Pollutants: 
These include allergens such as pollen from plants, hair from pets, fungi and some bacteria.
Radon: 
This is a gas that is naturally emitted from the ground. Radon can be trapped in basements of building and homes. The gas is known to cause cancer
after exposure over a period.
Carbon Monoxide: 
This is a poisonous gas with no color or smell. Carbon monoxide is produced when fuels such as gas, oil, coal or wood do not burn fully.

You need to breathe to stay alive. But how clean is the air you breathe? If you breathe dirty air, you are more likely to develop health problems and become ill.
Plants and animals need clean air too. A lot of the things that make our lives more comfortable such as cars, electricity and heating, create bad gases which make the
air dirty. The problem of air pollution started with the burning of coal in homes and factories. Dirty air is called 'polluted air'.

'Air pollution' is what we say to describe all bad gases in the air that we breathe and that are dangerous for us. But do not worry! Not all
gases are bad!

WHY IS BREATHING SO IMPORTANT?

Take a few deep breaths. Can you feel your rib cage moving in and out? This opens up your lungs so that air is sucked
in.

In the lungs, a gas called oxygen passes from the air into your blood. The oxygen is carried in the blood all round your
body. You need oxygen so that you can use the energy in the food you eat. It is the oxygen in the air that helps keep
you alive.
BACK TO THE PAST

500 years ago in Britain, the burning of coal was increasing in cities like London. Coal was used in factories and also
used to heat homes.

Coal, when burnt makes a lot of smoke, which makes the air very dirty.

About 200 years ago, theIndustrial Revolution began in Britain. Factories were built, and even more coal
was burnt. Air pollution was becoming a really big problem, especially when the weather was foggy. With
foggy conditions and light winds the smoke or air pollution covered the whole city, and would not move.

Smoke and fog together create smog.

Smog was a big problem in the winter. Because of the cold weather, more coal was burnt to warm houses and this
made more smoke.

When smog was stuck over a city, it became really hard to breathe and see clearly. In 1952, the Great London
Smogoccurred and more than 4000 people died because of the smog!

New laws were created from this catastrophe in 1956 and 1968, so that it would not happen again. These laws are
called the 'Clean Air Acts'.

These laws were made so that air would become cleaner. The laws encouraged people to use less coal or use cleaner coal in their
homes and switch to other fuels such as gas. Factories started using tall chimneys so that the smoke would go high up in the sky and
no longer cover cities, and new factories were built outside cities in the countryside. Smog occurred less often and the air became
cleaner.
WHAT IS TODAY'S AIR POLLUTION LIKE?

Have you ever noticed that the air in a city smells different from air in the country? One of the reasons is that
exhausts from vehicles give off fumes, or gases, which can poison you.

Today, when we think of air pollution, we should think of transport, especially cars. Today there are
about 23 million vehicles on the road in Britain, and 20 million of them are cars! The fuel they use -
petrol and diesel - releases a lot of pollution in the air.

The car exhausts eject a lot of bad gases, which create air pollution. These gases can be very dangerous for
children. Although the fuels are becoming cleaner, it will not be making that much difference because there are
more and more cars.

There is less pollution from coal, but today's modern world still creates air pollution. Today, air pollution has not
really fallen, because new bad gases are released in the air, and there are a lot of them.

Transport is not the only reason why we have air pollution. Factories also release bad gases
in the air, even with the 'Clean Air Acts', it still causes a lot of air pollution. This air pollution that they
make is the main cause of acid rain (see Acid Rain).

WHAT ARE THESE BAD GASES?

Gases from vehicles:

 Carbon monoxide 
Carbon monoxide is a gas that pollutes the air, and is mainly released by cars and other vehicles. It has no colour or
smell.
 Nitrogen oxides 
Nitrogen oxides are emitted from vehicles, like cars and trucks. During rush hour periods, a lot more is released in
the air. Nitrogen oxides are also emitted from power stations. These gases also make acid rain.
 Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are produced when petrol is not fully burnt. They are one of the causes of modern-day smog.
 Particulates
Particulates are very small particles, like soot, dust and fumes that are released in the air. They are caused by vehicles,
factories and smoke from homes burning coal for heating.

Gases from factories:

 Nitrogen Oxides (see above)

 Sulphur dioxide
Sulphur dioxide has no colour. Most of it is released by power stations. It causes acid rain when mixing with water in the air.

AIR POLLUTION INSIDE HOMES

We spend a large part of our lives at home and it does not often cross our mind that the air we are breathing may
be polluted. Pollution inside homes is called 'indoor air pollution'.
 Indoor air pollution is usually very low. But a lot of things can increase it.

Fresh paint is a cause of indoor air pollution and so is the burning of fuels such as coal and gas, in heaters, stoves and
ovens.

But one of the main causes of indoor air pollution is smoking. Smoking cigarettes and tobacco can be very
dangerous for health. The poison in the smoke can cause heart problems, lung cancer and other lung diseases. If a
woman smokes when she is pregnant, her baby will probably be smaller and become ill.

Cigarette smoke is dangerous for people smoking but also for those who do not! Breathing in air, which contains other people's smoke,
can cause you the same health problems, for example lung cancer.

To reduce 'indoor air pollution', make sure the room is well ventilated while painting. Try ventilating your home
often, you can open windows or use a fan. And if your parents or friends smoke, ask them to smoke outside. And best of
all NEVER START SMOKING!!!

Go to the next sheet on the Greenhouse Effect & Global Warming.......

Anda perlu bernapas untuk tetap hidup. Tapi bagaimana bersih adalah udara yang Anda hirup? Jika Anda menghirup udara kotor, Anda lebih mungkin untuk
mengembangkan masalah kesehatan dan menjadi sakit. Tumbuhan dan hewan perlu udara bersih juga. Banyak hal yang membuat hidup kita lebih nyaman seperti
mobil, listrik dan pemanas, membuat gas buruk yang membuat kotor udara. Masalah polusi udara dimulai dengan pembakaran batubara di rumah dan pabrik-
pabrik. udara kotor yang disebut 'udara tercemar'.

'Polusi udara' adalah apa yang kita katakan untuk menggambarkan semua gas yang buruk di udara yang kita hirup dan yang berbahaya bagi
kita. Tapi jangan khawatir!Tidak semua gas yang buruk!
 MENGAPA PERNAFASAN SO PENTING?

Ambil napas dalam-dalam. Dapatkah Anda merasakan tulang rusuk Anda bergerak masuk dan keluar? Hal ini membuka
paru-paru sehingga udara tersedot.

Di paru-paru, gas yang disebut oksigen melewati dari udara ke dalam darah Anda. Oksigen dibawa dalam darah
sepanjang tubuh Anda. Anda membutuhkan oksigen sehingga Anda dapat menggunakan energi dalam makanan yang
Anda makan. Ini adalah oksigen di udara yang membantu membuat Anda hidup.

KEMBALI KE MASA LALU

500 tahun yang lalu di Inggris, pembakaran batubara meningkat di kota-kota seperti London. Batubara digunakan di
pabrik-pabrik dan juga digunakan untuk memanaskan rumah.

Batubara, ketika dibakar membuat banyak asap, yang membuat udara sangat kotor.

Sekitar 200 tahun yang lalu,Revolusi Industri dimulai di Inggris. Pabrik dibangun, dan bahkan lebih batubara
dibakar. Polusi udara telah menjadi masalah yang sangat besar, terutama ketika cuaca berkabut. Dengan
kondisi berkabut dan angin cahaya asap atau polusi udara menutupi seluruh kota, dan tidak akan bergerak.

Asap dan kabut bersama-sama menciptakan kabut asap .

Asap adalah masalah besar di musim dingin. Karena cuaca dingin, batubara dibakar untuk rumah yang hangat dan ini
membuat lebih banyak asap.
Ketika kabut asap terjebak di atas kota, itu menjadi sangat sulit untuk bernapas dan melihat dengan jelas. Pada tahun 1952, besar London
Smog terjadi dan lebih dari 4000 orang meninggal karena kabut asap!

undang-undang baru diciptakan dari bencana ini pada tahun 1956 dan 1968, sehingga tidak akan terjadi lagi. Hukum-
hukum ini disebut 'Clean Air Kisah'.

Undang-undang ini dibuat agar udara akan menjadi lebih bersih. Hukum mendorong orang untuk menggunakan lebih
sedikit batubara atau menggunakan batubara bersih di rumah mereka dan beralih ke bahan bakar lain seperti gas. Pabrik
mulai menggunakan cerobong asap yang tinggi sehingga asap akan pergi tinggi di langit dan tidak lagi menutupi kota, dan
pabrik-pabrik baru dibangun di luar kota di pedesaan. Kabut asap terjadi kurang sering dan udara menjadi lebih bersih.

APAKAH HARI INI PENCEMARAN UDARA seperti?

Pernahkah Anda memperhatikan bahwa udara di sebuah kota bau yang berbeda dari udara di negara ini? Salah satu
alasan adalah bahwa knalpot dari kendaraan mengeluarkan asap, atau gas, yang dapat meracuni Anda.

Hari ini, ketika kita berpikir tentang polusi udara, kita harus memikirkan transportasi, khususnya
mobil. Saat ini ada sekitar 23 juta kendaraan di jalan di Inggris, dan 20 juta di antaranya adalah
mobil! Bahan bakar yang mereka gunakan - bensin dan diesel - melepaskan banyak polusi di udara.

Knalpot mobil mengeluarkan banyak gas yang buruk, yang membuat polusi udara. Gas-gas ini bisa sangat berbahaya
bagi anak-anak.Meskipun bahan bakar menjadi lebih bersih, itu tidak akan membuat banyak perbedaan karena ada
lebih dan lebih banyak mobil.

Ada kurang polusi dari batubara, tetapi dunia modern sekarang ini masih menciptakan polusi udara. Hari ini, polusi
udara belum benar-benar jatuh, karena gas yang buruk baru yang dirilis di udara, dan ada banyak dari mereka.
Transportasi bukan satu-satunya alasan mengapa kita memiliki polusi udara. Pabrik juga melepaskan gas buruk di udara,
bahkan dengan 'Clean Air Kisah', masih menyebabkan banyak polusi udara. polusi udara ini bahwa mereka membuat
adalah penyebab utama hujan asam (lihat Hujan Asam).

APA INI GAS BAD?

Gas dari kendaraan:

 Karbon monoksida 
Karbon monoksida adalah gas yang mencemari udara, dan terutama dirilis oleh mobil dan kendaraan
memiliki warna atau bau.
 Nitrogen oksida
oksida nitrogen yang dipancarkan dari kendaraan, seperti mobil dan truk.Selama periode jam sibuk,
dilepaskan di udara. Oksida nitrogen juga dipancarkan dari pembangkit listrik. Gas-gas ini juga membuat hujan asam.
 Hidrokarbon
Hidrokarbon diproduksi ketika bensin tidak sepenuhnya terbakar. Mereka adalah salah satu penyebab modern
 Partikulat
partikulat adalah partikel yang sangat kecil, seperti jelaga, debu dan asap yang dilepaskan di udara. Mereka
oleh kendaraan, pabrik dan asap dari rumah pembakaran batu bara untuk pemanasan.

Gas dari pabrik:

 Nitrogen Oksida (lihat di atas)

 Sulfur dioksida
Sulfur dioksida tidak memiliki warna. Sebagian besar dilepaskan oleh pembangkit listrik. Hal ini menyebabkan hujan asam saat pencampuran
dengan air di udara.

PENCEMARAN UDARA DI DALAM RUMAH

Kita menghabiskan sebagian besar hidup kita di rumah dan tidak sering terlintas dalam pikiran kita bahwa udara
yang kita hirup dapat tercemar. Polusi di dalam rumah yang disebut 'polusi udara dalam ruangan.

polusi udara dalam ruangan biasanya sangat rendah. Tapi banyak hal yang bisa meningkatkannya.

cat baru merupakan penyebab polusi udara dalam ruangan dan begitu adalah pembakaran bahan
bakar seperti batu bara dan gas, di pemanas, kompor dan oven.

Tapi salah satu penyebab utama polusi udara dalam ruangan adalah merokok. Merokok rokok dan tembakau bisa sangat
berbahaya bagi kesehatan. Racun di dalam asap dapat menyebabkan masalah jantung, kanker paru-paru dan penyakit
paru-paru lainnya. Jika seorang wanita merokok ketika dia hamil, bayinya mungkin akan lebih kecil dan menjadi sakit.

Asap rokok berbahaya bagi orang-orang merokok tapi juga bagi mereka yang tidak! Menghirup udara yang mengandung asap rokok orang
lain, dapat menyebabkan masalah kesehatan yang sama, untuk kanker misalnya paru-paru.

Untuk mengurangi 'polusi udara dalam ruangan, pastikan ruangan berventilasi sementara lukisan. Coba sering
ventilasi rumah Anda, Anda dapat membuka jendela atau menggunakan kipas angin. Dan jika orang tua Anda atau
teman-teman merokok, minta mereka untuk merokok di luar. Dan terbaik dari semua PERNAH MULAI MEROKOK !!!
Pergi ke lembar berikutnya pada Efek Rumah Kaca & Global Warming .......