AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, that pose serious health and
environmental threats. But what causes air pollution? And what does it mean for our planet?

Some air pollution comes from natural sources, like volcanic eruptions, wild fires, or allergens. But
most air pollution results from human activities, such as energy used in agriculture. There are
different types of human-made air pollution.

When we burn fossil fuels to produce energy they release greenhouse gasses into the air. This
emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gasses trap heat from the
sun in earth's atmosphere leading to a rise in global temperatures. This creates a cycle where air
pollution contributes to climate change and climate change creates higher temperatures. In turn,
higher temperatures intensifies some types of air pollution. For example, climate change increases
smog, because it forms in the presence of high heat and increased levels of ultraviolet radiation.
More frequent extreme weather, such as flooding, contributes to damp conditions and therefore a
rise in mold. Warmer weather also leads to longer pollen seasons, and therefore more pollen
production.

Smog, is a type of air pollution, that reduces visibility and has serious health effects. Smog can be
divided into two categories: sulfurous and photochemical. Sulfurous smog is made up of chemical
compounds called sulfur oxides. It occurs when burning sulfur baring fossil fuels, such as coal.

Photochemical smog, also called ground level ozone, is a result of the reaction between sunlight,
and nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds. Nitrogen oxides come from car exhaust, coal
power plants, and factory emissions. Volatile organic compounds are released from gasoline, paints,
and many cleaning solvents. Smog not only creates a brown haze that reduces visibility, but also
harms plants, irritates the eyes, and causes respiratory distress.

Another category of air pollution is toxic pollutants. These are chemicals such as mercury, lead,
dioxins, and benzine that are released during gas or coal combustion, waste incineration, or burning
of gasoline. In addition to adverse environmental effects, toxic air pollution can cause serious health
problems. Such as cancer, reproductive complications, and birth defects.

While air pollution has many consequences for our planet, there are solutions. We can limit toxic
pollutes, smog and greenhouse gases, by decreasing the use of fossil fuels such as in transportation,
manufacturing, and electricity generation. Reducing air pollution, not only contributes to a cleaner
environment, and better human health, but can also slow the rate of global warming.
LEXICAL RESOURCE:

1. Pose a threat /θret/: to cause trouble and danger to someone or something.

 Nuclear weapons pose a threat to everyone.
2. Intensify (verb) /ɪnˈtensɪfaɪ/: to make something increase in degree or strength
SYNONYM heighten
 Violence intensified during the night.
3. Radiation (noun) /ˌreɪdiˈeɪʃn/: heat, energy, etc. that is sent out in the form of rays
 The ozone layer absorbs solar radiation.
4. Contribute (verb) /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/: to be one of the causes of something
 It is well known that UV radiation contributes to the development of skin cancer.
5. Visibility (noun) /ˌvɪzəˈbɪləti/: how far or well you can see, especially as affected by the light or the
weather
 Visibility was down to about 100 metres in the fog.
6. Volatile (adj) /ˈvɑːlətl/: (of a substance) that changes easily into a gas
 Petrol is a volatile substance.
7. Irritate (verb) /ˈɪrɪteɪt/: to make your skin or a part of your body painful
 At first my contact lenses irritated my eyes.
8. Respiratory (adj) /ˈrespərətɔːri/: relating to breathing
 Smoking can cause respiratory diseases.
9. Distress (noun) /dɪˈstres/: (medical) a state of physical pain and effort, especially difficulty in
breathing
 The patient was suffering serious respiratory distress.
10. Combustion (noun) /kəmˈbʌstʃən/: the process of burning
 Poisonous gases are produced during fossil fuel combustion.
11. Incineration (noun) /ɪnˌsɪnəˈreɪʃn/: the act of burning something, especially waste material, until it is
completely destroyed
 The energy generated from waste incineration could be used to heat homes.
12. Birth defect /bɜːrθ//ˈdiːfekt/: structural changes present at birth that can affect almost any part or
parts of the body (e.g., heart, brain, foot). They may affect how the body looks, works, or both.
13. Consequence (noun) /ˈkɑːnsɪkwens/: a result of something that has happened, especially an
unpleasant result
 Two hundred people lost their jobs as a direct consequence of the quarantine.
14. Category (noun) /ˈkætəɡɔːri/: a group of people or things with particular features in common
SYNONYM kind, type, class
 The film doesn't fit into any specific category.