We notice the term pollution being used more and more often in different

contexts and we read more and more often in the media about the various
types of pollution and the effects that this phenomenon has on the
environment as well as on our health - but we all really know what
catastrophic effects does air pollution have and what preventive measures can
we take to limit it?
Air pollution is one of the forms of pollution with major, disastrous effects
on the environment. From a technical point of view, any physical, biological
or chemical change in the atmosphere can be called air pollution and occurs
when any harmful gas, dust or smoke enters the atmosphere and affects
plants, animals as well as human beings.
Implicitly, air pollution implies pollution of the atmosphere and thus
any gas or substance entering the atmosphere can create unwanted
imbalances in the medium and long term. That is why the thinning of the
ozone layer in the atmosphere (the one that protects us from the negative
effects of ultraviolet radiation) caused by air pollution represents a major
threat to the existence of ecosystems on the planet and represents the supreme
challenge that humanity must overcome despite political differences from the
international scene.
 
Contents:
 1. Types of air pollutants
 2. Causes of air pollution
 3. Effects of air pollution
 4. Measures to prevent and reduce air pollution
1. Types of air pollutants
In order to better understand the causes of air pollution , we must know that
the pollutants that enter the atmosphere can be divided
into primary pollutants and secondary pollutants . Thus, primary
pollutants are the direct result of an industrial process (such as sulfur dioxide
emitted by factories, for example) while secondary pollutants are caused by
the reactions of primary pollutants.
 

2. Causes of air pollution

Among the causes of air pollution are a number of activities such as:
 Combustion of fossil fuels - sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion
of fossil fuels (such as coal or oil) is one of the main causes of air
pollution ; at the same time, cars with internal combustion engines, the
 ones we use every day, represent major polluting sources with harmful
effects on air quality because they release tens of thousands of tons of
harmful gases into the atmosphere every day;
 Agricultural activities - ammonia, for example, is a product often used in
activities specific to the agricultural sector, at the same time being one of
the most dangerous gases present in the atmosphere. Moreover, the large-
scale use of insecticides and pesticides contributes to the pollution of the
environment, including the atmosphere.
 Mining activities - Mining is a field in which large equipment is
used. During the process, dust and chemicals are released into the air
causing massive air pollution. This is one of the reasons why this activity
is responsible for the deterioration of the health of workers and residents
near mining operations.
 Household activities : household cleaning products or paint products emit
toxic substances into the air that cause environmental pollution. Have you
noticed that when you paint inside, even with the windows open, the air
becomes unbreathable? Although it seems like a minor pollution,
thousands of such "minor pollution" of the air are produced daily, but
looking at it as a whole we will find that they all contribute to the constant
and almost irreversible deterioration (in the absence of appropriate
measures) of the air quality that we all I was breathing.

3. Effects of air pollution

Among the effects of air pollution, the most serious are:
 Respiratory and cardio-respiratory problems - the effects of air
pollution on our health are alarming. They cause respiratory and cardiac
diseases, these being the most common medical conditions in these
cases. Studies have shown that residents of areas with large amounts
of atmospheric pollutants in the composition of the air are prone to
diseases such as pneumonia or asthma, among many others.
 Global warming - high temperatures worldwide, rising sea levels and
melting glaciers are alarming signals that tell us that, if urgent measures
are not taken to stop air pollution, the environment will suffer
irreversibly. Unfortunately, the leaders of the planet do not seem to
understand each other and do not reach a consensus when it comes to
limiting or preventing the irreversible...
 Acid rains – gases entering the atmosphere, such as nitrogen oxides and
sulfur oxides, mix in the atmosphere with water droplets, resulting in acid
rains, with harmful effects on the soil and plants.
 Eutrophication of water - eutrophication occurs when a large amount of
nitrogen is deposited on the surface of the seas, favoring the growth of
algae that negatively affects underwater flora and fauna. The green algae
 that are present on lakes and ponds appear due to the presence of nitrogen
in the air, above a certain limit amount.
 The effect of pollution on wild animals - just like humans, animals face
the devastating effects of atmospheric pollution . Chemical substances
present in the air can cause wild species of animals to change their habitat,
can cause diseases among animals and even cause their death in certain
circumstances.
 Thinning of the ozone layer - ozone exists in the Earth's stratosphere and
protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. The presence of
chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere
causes a sharp thinning of the ozone layer. As the ozone layer thins, major
imbalances appear following the penetration of a much larger amount of
UV rays into the atmosphere, with some of the most serious effects on
human health, even in the short term.
 

4. Measures to prevent and reduce air pollution

We all have the obligation to contribute to the protection of the
environment and to ensure, for us and for the generations to come,
better air quality . Here are some of the measures that prevent air
pollution:
 Using public transport - using public transport considerably reduces air
pollution and at the same time decongests traffic; exercise your
imagination - put the 60 occupants of a trolleybus or bus into 60 cars. You
will already have a full road for a length of at least 200 m (compared to the
maximum 7 meters of a trolleybus), congested traffic and unbreathable air
in the immediate vicinity of the "motorized procession". So try, from time
to time, to use the trolleybus or the metro - you will know that on that day
you did a little more to protect the environment!
 Saving energy - turn off the lights and any energy-consuming device
when you leave home or when you stop using it. Electric energy seems like
a "green" or non-polluting source when we compare it with gasoline, for
example, if we are talking about fuels for cars, but we forget that this is
also produced following processes that generate pollution, as happens
during the process of combustion of hydrocarbons to obtain electricity.
 Reusing and recycling materials - by reusing objects or recycling, you
indirectly save the resources necessary for their production, but at the same
time you also contribute to better air quality by eliminating all gases with a
harmful effect that would have been produced as a result of the
technological manufacturing processes.
 The use of green energy - solar, wind and geothermal energy contributes
to the reduction of air pollution; eliminating as much as possible the
combustion of fossil fuels for the production of thermal or electrical energy
indirectly leads to the reduction of gases resulting from combustion, thus
contributing to the preservation of less polluted air.
 Modernization of installations or closure of non-performing ones
 Using the best techniques available in each type of industry
Of course, everyone, in their home or workplace, on the street or wherever
they are, can contribute a little bit to increasing the quality of the air we all
breathe - but all these small efforts put together can generate major changes
in what regarding the prevention of air pollution.

But today's world does not understand that

pollution actions, first of all, kill us, and then
the planet, so as they say "what you give is
what you get back"