Air pollution occurs when air contains dust, gases and fumes in harmful amounts that are harmful to human health, animals and damage to plants and other materials.” Air pollution is the main environmental problem that effects environment in many ways leading to destruction of environment and its solution is not easy to solve in any way. So that is why, I choose air pollution as a major environmental problem to solve. Air pollution can damage crops and trees. Ground-level ozone can lead to damage in crops and forest yields, reduced growth and survival of tree seedlings, and increased plant resistance to disease, pests and other environmental stresses (such as harsh weather conditions).
Health & Environmental Effects of Air Pollution:
Health Effects of Air Pollution:
Air pollution is harmful to us when toxins accumulate in the air in high concentrations. Millions of peoples live in that areas of urban smog, particle pollution, and toxic pollutants cause serious health effects. People exposed to high enough levels of certain air pollutants may experience:
Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
Breathing difficulties, chest tightness and cough
Increased risks of lungs such as asthma
Increased risks of heart attack
Sometimes, long-term exposure to toxins of air pollution can cause cancer, damage to human body systems leading to death.
Environmental Effects of Air Pollution:
Acid Rain:
“Acid rain is a precipitation of nitric and sulfuric acids released to atmosphere by fossil fuels burning and fall to the earth either as wet precipitation or dry precipitation.” Some are carried by the wind to hundreds of miles. Acid rain damages trees and causes soils and water bodies to acidify, making the water unsuitable for fishes and other wildlife. It also speeds the decay of buildings, statues and sculptures. Acid rain has damaged lakes, ponds, rivers and soils, leading to damage of wildlife and forests.
Global Warming:
“Global warming is gradual increase in temperature of earth surface.” Global warming is caused by variation in intensity of sun light, industrial activity, agricultural activity, deforestation and green house gases. The effects of global warming are climate change, temperature increase, melting of polar ice caps and glaciers, rising of sea level, floods, desertification and different health diseases like cancer etc.
Ozone Depletion:
“Ozone depletion is damage of ozone layer in stratosphere by man-made chemicals including chlorofluorocarbons, hydro-chlorofluorocarbons and halons.” These chemicals were formerly and still used in coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides and aerosol propellants. Thinning of the protective ozone layer causes increase in UV radiation to reach the earth leading to most cases of skin cancer, cataracts and impaired immune systems. UV radiations can also damage crops and trees reducing their yields.
Eutrophication:
“Eutrophication is a condition in water body where high concentrations of the nutrients stimulate blooms of algae leading to death of fishes and loss of plant and animal diversity.” It is natural process in aging of water bodies but human activities like emission of nitrogen oxides from power plants, cars, trucks and other sources greatly accelerate eutrophication by increasing rate of nutrients entering the water bodies.
Haze:
“Haze is caused when sunlight encounters the tiny pollution particles and obscures structure and clarity what we see.” Haze is mostly caused by smoke and gases emission from industries, power plants and automobiles. Long term exposure of haze causes eye diseases, bronchitis and lung cancer etc.
Crop and Forest Damage:
Air pollution can damage crops and trees in many ways. Ground-level ozone lead to damage of agricultural crops and commercial forest yields, reduced growth and survival of tree seedlings, and increased plant resistance to disease, pests and other environmental stresses. Crop and forest damage can also result from acid rain and from increased UV radiation due to ozone depletion.
Effects on wildlife:
Toxic pollutants in air, soil and in water impact on wildlife in different ways. Like humans, air toxins cause damage to animals including birth defects, reproductive failure and other diseases in animals. Persistent air pollutants cause damage to aquatic ecosystems. These pollutants accumulate in sediments and may biomagnify in animal tissues.
Solution in Every Aspect:
Outdoor Air Quality Improvement:
Always use public transport instead of your own.
Walk, ride on bicycle and less drive only in critical conditions.
Use reusable things like water bottles, not disposable.
Recycle newspaper, aluminum and others.
Avoid purchase and use of products producing air pollutants like CFCs.
Never wash your car in driveway, wash it on the lawn.
Reduce, reuse and recycle useable products.
Grow your own food like vegetables at home gardens and less eat meat.
Use renewable energy, save energy and use energy efficient devices.
Reduce gas emission and use filters over chimneys.
Grow plants and forest as more as you can.
Raise awareness to public to reduce air pollution.
Indoor Air Quality Improvement:
Keep air-purifying indoor plants.
Open windows for fresh air into rooms.
Use natural products instead of artificial.
Test your homes for radon gas.
Do not smoke indoors and avoid indoor fires.
Keep indoor humidity low.
Vacuum clean with a HEPA filter.
Use air purifiers to purify indoor air quality.
Turn off lights when not in use at every place.
Clean dust properly from every place.
Use exhaust fans to remove fumes and steam.
Less use carpets and use dry flooring objects.
Store chemicals safely if needed and mostly use home made products.
My Opinion:
Air pollution is not easy to recover and will take many decades of years to recover in any way. To recover air pollution, it is necessary to take serious steps to improve air quality in any possible way. Otherwise, air pollution can cause complete end of life on the earth in coming decades of years. Never show your wealth by buying your own transports and energy consuming devices. Never shy to walk, use of public transport and planting trees. Always work in sunlight instead at night. The governments should aware the public to improve air quality and follow the rules to reduce air pollution.
References:
https://thebluegreenjourney.com/blog/10-major-current-environmental-problems/
https://www.mass.gov/doc/health-environmental-effects-of-air-pollution/download#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20can%20damage%20crops,(such%20as%20harsh%20weather).
https://greentumble.com/10-ways-to-prevent-air-pollution/
https://www.aqi.in/blog/10-best-ways-to-reduce-air-pollution/
https://innotechtoday.com/how-students-can-help-reduce-environmental-pollution/
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