The Science Behind Air Pollution

Air is a necessity for all living creatures on planet Earth. Without it planet Earth would be a lifeless mass containing dirty waters and dry rocky ground. Air is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and inert gases.

There are several different types known as smog, acid rain, greenhouse effect, and finally holes in the ozone layer. Smog is one of the most common types, it is the chemical reaction of chemicals in the pollution given off by industrial factories and car exhausts. This effect of smog varies depending on the city it happens in. This is because winds, temperatures and location can and will affect the smog and or disperse it. If this dispersal does not occur then temperature inversions occur which is very bad and the seasons change the outcome of the pollution. In the winter it cause carbon monoxide pollution and the summer causes smog. Photochemical smog started appearing in the tropics and subtropics and this is causing the savanna grasses to burn. Smog's properties cause irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons, this happens because of unburned gasoline from automobiles. The outcomes of photochemical reactions are organic particles, ozone, aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, organic acids, and other oxidants. Ozone is a gas made by nitrogen dioxide or nitric oxide is exposed to the sun. Ozone may cause eye irritation, impaired lung function, and damage to trees and crops. Acid rain is another type and this is when sulfuric acid combines with water precipitation. This makes the water acidified, this then destroys plant leaves and it poisons soil and changes the chemistry of bodies of water. Next, Greenhouse effect and or global warming are another type. This is the buildup of carbon dioxide in the air. Even though plants turn it into oxygen, the amount being produced by humans is uncontrollable for plants to reuse. This is made even worse by the destruction of forests and deforestation. The carbon monoxide then build up and traps heat close to the earth changing the temperature only by a few degrees but this change vastly affects us. This is because the change will soon cause the polar ice caps to melt because it will not be cold enough to keep it frozen. These will create a loss in animal life there and also even flooding.

We are even faced with air pollution inside buildings and homes. This is caused by tobacco smoke, cooking appliances, vapor from building materials, and heating appliances along with many more causes. In many basements there is a radioactive gas called Radon. Radon is released from the earth and is found in all rocks. It is the decay of radium which is in soils, and radium is from the decay of uranium found in rocks. This is extremely detrimental to your health.