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The Environment Air Pollution
Air is all around us and we need it to survive. In this video we will learn about air pollution, what causes it, some of the bad effects air pollution can have on us and the atmosphere, and how we can all do things to help keep our air clean. It's important to understand the importance of keeping our air quality clean and there are many ways we can do that.
What is air pollution?
Air pollution is the presence of harmful substances ( unwanted chemicals, gasses, and particles ) in the air that can be harmful to human health, plants, and animals. These substances can come from a variety of sources, such as cars, factories, power plants, and burning of wood.
Natural Causes of Air Pollution
Some sources of air pollution come from nature. These include eruptions of volcanoes, dust storms, and forest fires.
Volcanic ash
Dust storm
Forest fire
Human Causes of Air Pollution
Human activity is a major cause of air pollution, especially in large cities. Human air pollution is caused by things such as factories, power plants, cars, airplanes, chemicals, fumes from spray cans, and methane gas from landfills.
Factory smokestack
Car Exhaust
Power plant
Oil refinery
Construction site
Garbage dump
Burning of waste
Deforestation
Burning Fossil Fuels
One of the ways that humans cause the most air pollution is by burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas. When we burn fossil fuels this releases all sorts of gasses into the air causing air pollution such as smog.
Natural gas power plant
Chemical plant & Oil refinery
Coal-fired power plant
Airplane & Car exhaust
The actual gas or substance that causes air pollution is called a pollutant.
There are many different types of air pollutants.
Particulate matter (PM): This is a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets in the air. PM can be made up of dust, smoke, soot, and other materials.They are linked to different diseases that affect our health.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2): This gas is formed when fossil fuels are burned. It can irritate the lungs and worsen respiratory problems.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2): One of the more dangerous pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO2) can be generated by burning coal or oil. It can cause acid rain as well as respiratory illnesses like asthma.This gas is also formed when fossil fuels are burned. It can also be harmful to plants.
Ozone (O3): This gas is formed when pollutants from cars, factories, and other sources react in the atmosphere. Ozone can irritate the lungs and worsen respiratory problems.
Carbon monoxide (CO): This gas is produced when fuels are burned incompletely. It can reduce the amount of oxygen that the blood can carry, leading to headaches, dizziness, and other health problems. This gas is very dangerous. It is odorless and is produced by cars. You can die if you breathe too much of this gas. This is one reason why you should never leave your car running in the garage.
Carbon dioxide - Humans and animals breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2). It is also released when fossil fuels are burned. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.
Chlorofluorocarbons - These chemicals are also called CFCs. They were used in many devices from refrigerators to spray cans. They are not used as much today, but caused significant damage to ozone layer during the time they were heavily used.
Air quality index
The Air Quality Index is a way for the government to alert people to the quality of the air and how bad the air pollution is in an area or city. They use colors to help you determine if you should go outside.
Environment Effects
Air pollution and the release of gasses into the atmosphere can have many negative effects on the environment.
Global warming - One type of air pollution is the addition of carbon dioxide gas into the air. Some scientists believe that releasing too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is one of the causes of global warming. This upsets the balance of the carbon cycle.
Acid Rain
Acid Rain - Acid rain is created when gasses such as sulfur dioxide get high into the atmosphere. The wind can blow these gasses for miles and then they get washed out of the air when it rains. This rain is called acid rain and can damage forests and kill fish.
Ozone hole (Antarctica)
Ozone layer depletion
UV radiation on Earth
The ozone layer - The ozone layer helps protect us from harmful rays from the sun. It is getting damaged from air pollution such as methane gas from livestock and CFCs from spray cans.
Health Effects
According to the World Health Organization, 2.4 million people die each year from air pollution. Air pollution can be especially dangerous to children living in big cities with bad smog.
Air pollution can have a number of harmful health effects, including:
Stroke: Air pollution can increase the risk of stroke by increasing blood pressure and clotting.
Cancer: Some air pollutants have been linked to cancer, including lung cancer and bladder cancer.
Premature death: Air pollution is estimated to cause millions of premature deaths each year worldwide.
Respiratory problems: Air pollution can irritate the lungs and worsen respiratory problems such as asthma and bronchitis.
Heart disease: Air pollution can increase the risk of heart disease by damaging the lining of the arteries.
Driving less: One of the best ways to reduce air pollution is to drive less. If you can, walk, bike, or take public transportation instead of driving.
Using public transportation: Public transportation helps to reduce air pollution by taking cars off the road.
Using energy-efficient appliances: Energy-efficient appliances use less energy, which means they produce less pollution.
Recycling and composting: Recycling and composting help to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfills, which produces methane, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Planting trees: Trees help to clean the air by absorbing pollutants.
Supporting clean energy policies: Governments can help to reduce air pollution by investing in clean energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
What can you do to help?
Anytime you can use less energy, like electricity or gasoline, it can help reduce air pollution. You can help by turning off the lights when leaving your room and not leaving the TV or computer on when you're not using it.
Driving less helps a lot too. Be sure to encourage carpooling with friends and planning errands so that you can get them all done in a single trip.
This saves money on gas as well, which everyone likes!
Facts About Air Pollution
A thick smog formed in London during the late 1800s. It was called the London Fog or the Pea Soup Fog.
The biggest single air polluter is road transport such as cars.
The city with the worst air pollution in the United States is Los Angeles.
Air pollution can cause your eyes to burn and make it difficult to breathe.
Indoor air pollution can be much worse than the pollution outdoors.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Air pollution is a serious problem that can have a number of harmful health effects. There are many things that can be done to reduce air pollution, and everyone can play a role. By making small changes in our daily lives, we can all help to make the air cleaner and healthier for ourselves and future generations.
Here are some additional images that you can use for your educational website:
A car exhaust pipe emitting smoke
A factory smokestack emitting fumes
A power plant emitting steam
A forest fire
A person wearing a face mask to protect themselves from air pollution
A tree absorbing pollutants from the air
A solar panel generating electricity
A wind turbine generating electricity
I hope this report is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions
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