effects of air pollution

by kainen unser
(florida)

How are we affected?

While humans have been producing exponentially increasing amounts of pollution since antiquity and they now account for the majority of pollutants released into the air under the misguided beliefs that their actions are for the sake of their future generations, people fail to realize that by indiscriminately using natural resources they may have deprived their cherished ones of the chance to generate even more air pollution.

Most people think that air pollution is a problem that only tree-huggers or other environmentalists worry about, but the sad fact is, it is a reality that we all have to face. We cause more problems every day than we come up with solutions for in ten years.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution#Economic_effects for an elaboration on this.

Barry's Response - nice job, Kainen. Thank you very much.

When we conduct air quality dispersion modelling in Alberta, we most often deal with the concentrations of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide at ground-level in the vicinity of an industrial facility. These are the most abundant species contained in emissions. They are what the government is concerned about in most cases. They are what the public should and would focus on...and do, when they understand.

Sulphur dioxide has important impact on human and especially children's health. It makes survival tough for flora and fauna and leads to acid rain. It leads to respiratory problems and can be deadly.

Nitrogen dioxide, which comes from heaters and engines, is another poisonous gas to inhale, as it also leads to respiratory problems and perhaps Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. NO2 also reacts with other chemicals in the air to produce undesirable components, such as ozone.

Breathing in particulates is breathing in dirt. It leads to respiratory diseases, asthma, cancer, heart problems, birth defects and death in some cases. The smaller the dust particles, the bigger the problem, as they can get deeper into the system.

Keep an eye out for these three. They affect our generation and will be a problem for others well into the future.

Search this site for more air quality information now.