Here is a compilation of term papers on ‘Air Pollution’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short term papers on ‘Air Pollution’ especially written for school and college students.
Term Paper on Air Pollution
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Term Paper Contents:
- Term Paper on the Introduction to Air Pollution
- Term Paper on the Basic Air Pollution Facts
- Term Paper on the Causes of Air Pollution
- Term Paper on the Effects of Air Pollution
- Term Paper on the Sources of Air Pollution
- Term Paper on the Types of Air Pollutants
- Term Paper on the Environmental Effects of Air Pollution
- Term Paper on Air Pollution and Its Impact on Human Health
- Term Paper on Air Pollution – Facts and Statistics
- Term Paper on the Clean Air Act
- Term Paper on the Awareness about Air Pollution
- Term Paper on Ground-Level Ozone and Air Pollution
- Term Paper on the Prevention of Air Pollution
Term Paper # 1. Introduction to Air Pollution:
Pollution is now a common place term that our ears are attuned to. We hear about the various forms of pollution and read about it through the mass media. Air pollution is one such form that refers to the contamination of the air, irrespective of indoors or outside.
A physical, biological or chemical alteration to the air in the atmosphere can be termed as pollution. It occurs when any harmful gases, dust, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and humans to survive as the air becomes dirty.
Air pollution can further be classified into two sections visible air pollution and invisible air pollution. Another way of looking at air pollution could be any substance that holds the potential to hinder the atmosphere or the well-being of the living beings surviving in it. The sustainment of all things living is due to a combination of gases that collectively form the atmosphere; the imbalance caused by the increase or decrease of the percentage of these gases can be harmful for survival.
The ozone layer considered crucial for the existence of the ecosystems on the planet is depleting due to increased pollution. Global warning, a direct result of the increased imbalance of gases in the atmosphere has come to be known as the biggest threat and challenge that the contemporary world has to overcome in a bid for survival.
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Term Paper # 2. Basic Air Pollution Facts:
Below are some random facts and information on environmental pollution:
i. Air pollutants (dangerous things that make the air unclean) come in the form of gases or particles.
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ii. In March 2011, a very powerful earthquake in the sea (tsunami) hit the Japan coast. The sea level rose and water came into the land, damaging 4 of the 6 reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
iii. World Health Organisation (WHO) experts confirm that there is slight increased risk of some cancer types for some people who were exposed to the radiation. These included people living in that area and some workers at the plant.
Below is a piece of the information given on BBC website:
“The biggest lifetime risks were seen in those exposed as infants, compared with children or adults. iv. For girls exposed to radiation from the accident as infants, the report found a 4 per cent increase above the lifetime expected risk of solid tumours and a 6 per cent increase above that expected for breast cancer. Boys exposed as infants are expected to have a 7 per cent increased risk of leukaemia above that expected in the normal population. The biggest risk was seen in thyroid cancer, which for infant girls could be up to 70 per cent higher than expected over their lifetime.”
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v. It is estimated that you breathe 20,000 liters of air each day. This means the more polluted the air is, the more we breathe into our lungs dangerous chemicals.
vi. Air can be polluted both indoors and outdoors. Tobacco and other kinds of smoking are examples of indoor air pollution.
vii. Sick Building Syndrome is a health condition related to pesticides, insecticides and chemicals we use at home and offices.
viii. In the great “Smog Disaster” in London in 1952, four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.
ix. Air pollution affects kids more than adults because, for their body size, kids breathe more air and spend more time playing outside.
x. More hazardous pollutants are discharged into the air each year than are released to surface water, ground water, and land, combined.
xi. Motor vehicles produce more air pollution than any other single human activity. One full commuter bus can mean 40 less cars going through your neighbourhood.
xii. In America, vehicle exhaust contributes roughly 60 per cent of all carbon monoxide emissions nationwide, and up to 95 per cent in cities.
Term Paper # 3. Causes of Air Pollution:
i. Air pollution is caused when air in the atmosphere is filled with particulate matter.
ii. The largest source of air pollution in cities is from vehicle exhaust fumes.
iii. Carbon monoxide is the largest air pollutant in the United States, and it’s number one source is from vehicle exhausts.
iv. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous, odourless, colourless gas that is formed when burning fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas.
v. Filters that are not changed regularly in your air conditioning units will accumulate dirt and cause the spread of pollutants in the air you breathe inside your home.
vi. Chemicals and toxic pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide react with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acid rain. These pollutants come from factories, automobiles and any industrial or manufacturing plants.
vii. Another source of air pollution is from dust and dirt that goes airborne due to every day labour in the agricultural and construction industry. Dust is lifted from tractors working on fields, and from land clearing and general demolition in the construction industry.
viii. Using household chemicals without adequate ventilation is a major source of indoor air pollution.
ix. Volcanoes, dust storms, and forest fires are causes of natural air pollution.
Term Paper # 4. Effects of Air Pollution:
i. Air pollution causes irritation in the throat, nose, lungs and eyes. It causes breathing problems and aggravates existing health conditions such as emphysema and asthma.
ii. Contaminated air reduces the body’s defenses and decreases the body’s capacity to fight other infections in the respiratory system.
iii. Frequent exposure to polluted air increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Breathing air that is filled with fine particulate matter can induce hardening of the arteries, triggering cardiac arrhythmia or even a heart attack.
iv. People who exercise outdoors are susceptible to the adverse effects of air pollution because it involves deeper and faster breathing.
v. Acid rain contains hydrogen ions, which can damage trees, crops, harm marine animals and induce corrosion in metals.
vi. Smog causes harmful health effects in humans and animals. Studies have shown signs of black lung disease in dolphins of due to high concentrations of carbon particles in the air.
vii. People afflicted with heart disease, children and older people are more sensitive to air pollution.
Term Paper # 5. Sources of Air Pollution:
The sources of man-made air pollution (or emission sources) are of basically two types:
i. Stationary, which can be subdivided into area sources such as agricultural production, mining and quarrying, industrial, point and area sources such as manufacturing of chemicals, non-metallic mineral products, basic metal industries, power generation and community sources (e.g., heating of homes and buildings, municipal waste and sewage sludge incinerators, fireplaces, cooking facilities, laundry services and cleaning plants)
ii. Mobile, comprising any form of combustion-engine vehicles (e.g., light-duty gasoline powered cars, light- and heavy-duty diesel powered vehicles, motorcycles, aircraft, including line sources with emissions of gases and particulate matter from vehicle traffic).
In addition, there are also natural sources of pollution (e.g., eroded areas, volcanoes, certain plants which release great amounts of pollen, sources of bacteria, spores and viruses). Natural sources are not discussed in this article.
Term Paper # 6. Types of Air Pollutants:
Air pollutants are usually classified into suspended particulate matter (dusts, fumes, mists, smokes), gaseous pollutants (gases and vapours) and odours.
Some examples of usual pollutants are presented below:
i. Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM, PM-10) includes diesel exhaust, coal fly-ash, mineral dusts (e.g., coal, asbestos, limestone, cement), metal dusts and fumes (e.g., zinc, copper, iron, lead) and acid mists (e.g., sulphuric acid), fluorides, paint pigments, pesticide mists, carbon black and oil smoke.
Suspended particulate pollutants, besides their effects of provoking respiratory diseases, cancers, corrosion, destruction of plant life and so on, can also constitute a nuisance (e.g., accumulation of dirt), interfere with sunlight (e.g., formation of smog and haze due to light scattering) and act as catalytic surfaces for reaction of adsorbed chemicals.
ii. Gaseous pollutants include sulphur compounds [e.g., sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3)], carbon monoxide, nitrogen compounds [e.g., nitric oxide (NO)], nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia], organic compounds (e.g., hydrocarbons (HC), volatile organic compounds (VOC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), aldehydes), halogen compounds and halogen derivatives (e.g., HF and HCl), hydrogen sulphide, carbon disulphide and mercaptans (odours).
Secondary pollutants may be formed by thermal, chemical or photochemical reactions. For example, by thermal action sulphur dioxide can oxidize to sulphur trioxide which, dissolved in water, gives rise to the formation of sulphuric acid mist (catalysed by manganese and iron oxides). Photochemical reactions between nitrogen oxides and reactive hydrocarbons can produce ozone (CO3), formaldehyde and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN); reactions between HCl and formaldehyde can form bis-chloromethyl ether.
While some odours are known to be caused by specific chemical agents such as hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon disulphide (CS2) and mercaptans (R-SH or RI-S-R2) others are difficult to define chemically.
Examples of the main pollutants associated with some industrial air pollution sources are presented in Table 3.1:
Term Paper # 7. Environmental Effects of Air Pollution:
Here, we will sum up and briefly explain the main environmental effects of air pollution:
1. Acid Deposition:
Acid deposition is not merely characterized as acid rain; it can also be snow and fog or gas and dust. Acid deposition mainly forms during fossil fuel combustion. When emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides come in contact with water, they will become sulphuric acid and nitric acid.
When acidifying agents, such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia, end up in plants, surface water and soils, this has a number of consequences:
i. Availability of nutrients and metal spores is likely to decrease.
ii.. When acidity is high more metals will dissolve in water. This can cause surface water to become polluted, which has serious health effects on aquatic plants and animals. For example, high aluminum (Al) concentrations can complicate nutrients uptake by plants.
This makes aluminum one of the prior causes of forest decay. Mercury can be dispersed by transport through surface water, causing it to accumulate in fish. Mercury can bio magnify up the food chain, to be taken up by humans eventually.
iii. Buildings and monuments may be damaged through erosion. Sulphur dioxide breaks down limestone by reacting with calcium carbonate, causing limestone to absorb water during rainfall. Limestone will than fragment.
2. Eutrophication:
Eutrophication is caused by an increase in plant nutrients in water. The higher availability of nutrients causes certain water plants, such as algae and duckweed, to grow so extensively. This blocks sunlight supplies to water.
The plants also use all available oxygen supplies, which will not be renewed because heterotrophic plants and bacteria need light to perform photosynthesis. Eutrophication causes ecosystem disruption. Nitrogen pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and ammonia contribute to this problem.
3. Smog:
Smog is a combination of the words smoke and fog. We can distinguish two separate types of smog, summer smog and winter smog.
Photochemical smog, or summer smog, mainly consists of ozone. It is a brown, oxidising fog. The causes of photochemical smog are nitrogen oxides and VOC, which stem from traffic and industries.
Ozone is formed according to the following chemical reactions:
NO2 + uv à NO + O
O + O2 -> O3
The reverse reaction is:
NO + O3 à NO2 + O2
The best circumstances for the creation of high ozone concentrations are summer temperatures, direct sunlight and standing air layer, which enable dilution of contaminants. Humans cannot adapt to smog. Health effects of smog greatly depend upon the concentrations of ozone and other photochemical oxidants. These contaminants cause eye and respiratory irritations. Plants are extremely vulnerable to ozone. Even in low concentrations it can cause serious damage.
Winter smog is also referred to as acid smog; it mainly consists of foggy elements. Winter smog is found in areas where vertical dispersion of air pollutants is not possible. Usually temperatures decrease during the day in high air layers.
Heated air layers near the earths’ surface rise, causing the air pollutants to be dispersed vertically, and to be diluted. In winter ground temperatures are sometimes lower than those of the upper atmospheric layers, causing the air to stay near the ground, so that pollutants will not spread. This causes winter smog.
Winter smog can form when temperatures are low and sulphur dioxide concentrations increase consequential to central heater emissions from houses. The cold outside air will cause moist to condensate into fog. Aerosols in air play a part in this process, because they serve as condensation cores for water vapour. Humidity aids the transfer of sulphur dioxide to sulphuric acid, causing the smog to be acid. Acid smog causes breathing problems and eye irritations.
4. Ozone Loss:
Ozone is created everywhere in the atmosphere through chemical reactions under the influence of UV-light. Ozone is decomposed under the influence of visible light and UV-A light. During ozone decomposition an oxygen-poor molecule is released, which aids the breakdown of ozone. There are a number of compounds that catalyse ozone decomposition.
Examples are hydroxide (OH), nitrogen oxides, chlorine (CI) and bromine (Br). Chlorine mainly aids the decomposition of ozone when it is a part of CFC-bonds (Chloro-Fluor- Carbohydrates). These compounds are not lost during the chemical reaction, causing them to decompose ozone multiple times.
The decomposition and production of ozone is a natural process. However, human activities have caused large concentrations of ozone-decomposing chemicals to enter the atmosphere, causing the natural balance to be disrupted.
Ozone is very important for all life on earth, because it absorbs harmful UV-B radiation from the sun. The highest concentrations of ozone are located in the atmospheric layer between twenty and forty kilometres above the earth. When the ozone concentrations in this layer decrease, UV-B radiation may reach the earth.
This radiation damages DNA and causes skin cancer. The radiation can also damage the human immune system, causing humans to become more susceptible to infections. UV-B radiation also causes cataract and nearsightedness.
Term Paper # 8. Air Pollution and Its Impact on Human Health:
Impact on Human Respiratory System:
The health of our lungs and entire respiratory system is affected by the quality of the air we breathe. In addition to oxygen, this air contains other substances such as pollutants, which can be harmful. Exposure to chemicals by inhalation can negatively affect our lungs and other organs in the body.
The respiratory system is particularly sensitive to air pollutants because much of it is made up of exposed membrane. Lungs are anatomically structured to bring large quantities of air (on average, 400 million litres in a lifetime) into intimate contact with the blood system, to facilitate the delivery of oxygen.
Lung tissue cells can be injured directly by air pollutants such as ozone, metals and free radicals. Ozone can damage the alveoli—the individual air sacs in the lung where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged. More specifically, airway tissues which are rich in bio-activation enzymes can transform organic pollutants into reactive metabolites and cause secondary lung injury.
Lung tissue has an abundant blood supply that can carry toxic substances and their metabolites to distant organs. In response to toxic insult, lung cells also release a variety of potent chemical mediators that may critically affect the function of other organs such as those of the cardiovascular system. This response may also cause lung inflammation and impair lung function.
Impact on Human Cardiovascular System:
The cardiovascular system has two major components: the heart and a network of blood vessels.
The cardiovascular system supplies the tissues and cells of the body with nutrients, respiratory gases, hormones, and metabolites and removes the waste products of cellular metabolism as well as foreign matter. It is also responsible for maintaining the optimal internal homeostasis of the body and the critical regulation of body temperature and pH.
The inhalation of air pollutants eventually leads to their absorption into the bloodstream and transport to the heart. A wide spectrum of chemical and biological substances may interact directly with the cardiovascular system to cause structural changes, such as degenerative necrosis and inflammatory reactions.
Some pollutants may also directly cause functional alterations that affect the rhythmicity and contractility of the heart. If severe enough, functional changes may lead to lethal arrhythmias without major evidence of structural damage to the myocardium.
There also may be indirect actions secondary to changes in other organ systems, especially the central and autonomic nervous systems and selective actions of the endocrine system. Some cytokines released from other inflamed organs may also produce adverse cardiovascular effects, such as reducing the mechanical performance and metabolic efficiency of the heart and blood vessels.
Many chemical substances may cause the formation of reactive oxygen. This oxidative metabolism is considered to be critical to the preservation of cardiovascular function. For example, oxygen free radicals oxidize low-density lipoproteins, and this reaction is thought to be involved in the formation of the atherosclerotic plaques.
Oxidized low-density lipoproteins can injure blood vessel cells and increase adherence and the migration of inflammatory cells to the injured area. The production of oxygen free radicals in heart tissues has been associated with arrhythmias, and heart cell death.
Impact on Heart and Lungs:
Heart and lung illnesses and diseases are common in Canada, and there are many factors that can increase the chances of contracting them such as smoking and genetic predisposition. The role of air pollution as the underlying cause remains unclear but is the subject of considerable research. However, it is clear that air pollution, infections and allergies can exacerbate these conditions.
An early diagnosis can lead to appropriate treatment and ensure a normal or close to normal quality of life. In many cases however, there is no cure and those affected may die prematurely.
The following are the most prevalent diseases:
i. Minor Lung Illnesses- The common cold is the most familiar of these, with symptoms including sore throat, stuffy or runny nose, coughing and sometimes irritation of the eyes.
ii. Lung Infections-croup, bronchitis, and pneumonia are caused by viruses or bacteria and are very common. Symptoms may include cough, fever, chills and shortness of breath.
iii. Asthma is an increasingly common chronic disease among children and adults. It causes shortness of breath, coughing or wheezing or whistling in the chest. Asthma attacks can be triggered by a variety of factors including exercise, infection, pollen, allergies and stress. It can also be triggered by sensitivity to non-allergic types of pollutants present in the air such as smog.
iv. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)-is also known as chronic obstructive lung disease and encompasses two major disorders: emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is a chronic disorder in which the walls and elasticity of the alveoli are damaged.
Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the cells lining the inside of bronchi, which increases the risk of infection and obstructs airflow in and out of the lung. Smoking is responsible for approximately 80% of COPD cases while other forms of air pollution may also influence the development of these diseases.
Symptoms include cough, production of mucous and shortness of breath. It is important to note that no cure exists for people suffering from COPD although healthy lifestyle and appropriate medication can help.
v. Lung Cancer-is the most common cause of death due to cancer in women and men. Cigarette smoke contains various carcinogens and is responsible for most cases of this often fatal disease. The symptoms of lung cancer begin silently and then progress to chronic cough, wheezing and chest pain. Air pollution has been linked somewhat weakly to lung cancer.
vi. Coronary Artery Disease – refers to the narrowing or blocking of the arteries or blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. This disease includes angina and heart attack which share similar symptoms of pain or pressure in the chest.
Unlike angina, the symptoms caused by heart attack do not subside with rest and may cause permanent damage to the heart. Smoking, lack of exercise, excess weight, high cholesterol levels in the blood, family history and high blood pressure are some of the factors that may contribute to this disease.
vii. Heart Failure – is a condition in which the heart is unable to cope with its work load of pumping blood to the lungs and the rest of the body. The most common cause is severe coronary artery disease. The main symptoms are shortness of breath and swelling of the ankles and feet.
viii. Heart-Rhythm Problems – are irregular or abnormal rhythms of the heartbeat. In some cases heart-rhythm problems are caused by coronary artery disease. Symptoms of heart-rhythm problems in fluttering in the chest (palpitation) and feeling light-headed. Some heart-rhythm problems are life-threatening and need emergency treatment.
Impact of Air Pollution on Human Brain:
No one likes breathing polluted air. Exhaust fumes and particulate matter hanging in the air can make you cough and give you a headache. As Natural News has reported previously, it can harm your health in ways that aren’t so obvious, as well.
Now comes information from another Ohio State University study that long-term exposure to air pollution can literally change your brain. And as you might expect, these physical changes in the brain are not beneficial. They are associated with learning and memory problems and even depression.
The new study, just published online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry is the first long-term research to show the negative impact of air pollution on the brain, according to Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.
“The results suggest prolonged exposure to polluted air can have visible, negative effects on the brain, which can lead to a variety of health problems,” Fonken said in a statement to the media.
In earlier studies in mice, researchers in Ohio State University’s Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (who also collaborated with Fonken and colleagues on the new research project) found that fine air particulate matter causes widespread inflammation in the body leading to a heightened risk for diabetes and obesity, as well as hypertension. Their extended research on air pollution’s impact on the brain adds more disturbing evidence that bad air is bad for thinking, too.
“The more we learn about the health effects of prolonged exposure to air pollution, the more reasons there are to be concerned,” stated Randy Nelson, co-author of the study and professor of neuroscience and psychology at Ohio State, in the press statement.
For the new study, lab mice were exposed five days a week to either filtered air or polluted air for six hours a day. The polluted air contained the same type of pollution created by cars, factories and natural dust and included very fine particulate matter—particles so minute they are only about 1 /30th of the average width of a human hair. Because of their small size, these particles can be inhaled deeply into the lungs and end up in other organs of the body.
The mice were exposed to an amount of polluted air equivalent to what people are exposed to in some polluted urban areas, according to the researchers. Then various behavioral tests were performed on the rodents after the animals spent 10 months regularly breathing either filtered or polluted air.
The results showed severe impairments in memory and learning in the pollution exposed animals. And mice exposed to the polluted air exhibited more depressive-like behaviors than did the mice that breathed the clean air. In addition, the polluted-air breathing mice showed signs of higher levels of anxiety-like behaviours in one specific test, but not in another.
So how could air pollution trigger changes in learning, memory and mood? To find out, the scientists focused on the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with learning, memory and depression.
The results? The researchers found undeniable physical differences in the hippocampi of the mice who were exposed to polluted air compared to the animals who breathed clean air. Specifically, neurons (nerve cells) known as dendrites were clearly changed.
Normally, dendrites have small projections growing off them, dubbed spines, which transmit signals from one neuron to another. But in the mice exposed to polluted air, there were shorter dendrites, fewer dendrite spikes and, overall, a reduction in the complexity of brain cells. And earlier research has shown that these types of changes are linked to decreased learning and memory abilities.
The research team found evidence that low-grade inflammation was evident in the hippocampus in the pollution exposed mice. That could have caused the brain changes. Inflammation-causing chemical messengers in the immune system known as cytokines were found to be more active in the hippocampus in the animals who breathed the polluted air.
“The hippocampus is particularly sensitive to damage caused by inflammation,” Fonken said in the media statement. “We suspect that the systemic inflammation caused by breathing polluted air is being communicated to the central nervous system.”
Although the new study involved mice and not humans, the scientists think the findings have profound implications for people exposed regularly to air pollution. This could have important.
Where can we come in Contact with Air Pollutants:
Air is one of the most important substances for humans, together with water. To survive, humans need oxygen. We breathe air every day and consequentially it is very important that the air around us is clean. Air pollutants can cause health problems when we breathe them in.
In the past century we have performed very extensive research to bring to light the health and environmental effects of air pollutants. This research has provided us with a lot of information. We now know, for example, that people that live near highways or industrial areas are more susceptible to diseases such as cancer and asthma. This may increase their chances to an earlier death.
People may not only come in contact with air pollutants when they are outside, in the workplace environment, people may come in contact with air pollutants as well. This is likely to happen to people that work with dangerous chemicals, but it can also happen to people in offices. In the office the air that is circulated through the ventilation system may be contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms.
At home the air can be contaminated with all kinds of chemicals that may be damaging to our health. These contaminants can come from household equipment, such as carpets and curtains. Carpets and curtains can cause bromines to end up in indoor air, which is a ‘carcinogen’. Carcinogens are contaminants that can cause cancer.
Indoor air may also be contaminated with microorganisms, which are known to cause all kinds of rashes and allergies. When a house is not properly aerated, contaminants may accumulate in the indoor air.
Health Effects of Air Pollutants on Humans:
Air pollutants usually act upon the respiratory tract, first. Air pollutants can enter a human body through several entranceways, such as the skin, mouth and lungs. Gaseous pollutants can deeply penetrate the respiratory system and absorb on wet body tissues on the way. This may cause the pH of the body fluids to change, causing irritations. Organic solvents can easily be absorbed by blood, transporting them through the entire body rapidly.
The chances of penetration of a human body by contaminants mainly depend upon the size of the particles. Larger particles stay behind in the nose or are swallowed, but smaller particles can penetrate the lungs. Smaller particles absorb more toxic material, which they can take deeper into the body. When contaminants are water-soluble, they can immediately be absorbed by human blood.
Health Effects do Air Pollutants have on Animals:
The health effects that pollutants cause with animals are similar to the health effects they cause with humans. However, there are some effects that do not occur with humans. For example, acid rain can cause serious health effects for water organisms, such as reproduction failure, or even death.
Health Effects do Air Pollutants have on Plants:
Plants are much more susceptible for gaseous air pollutants than humans and animals. Examples of gaseous air pollutants are hydrogen fluoride (HF), ozone (O3) and ethane. Air pollutants mainly penetrate a plant through skin pores. These are in connection with the intercellular spaces in the leaves of a plant. Through the skin pores gasses can penetrate cell walls, to be absorbed by the cell fluids.
Some of the gaseous air pollutants directly damage plant leaves when they penetrate plant cells. This can cause the leaves of plants and trees to lose their colour, or even die off. It can also cause plant growth to stagnate. The leaves and stems may slacken and curl up.
In some cases however, a plant can restore itself after fresh air is added to its location.
Specific Health Effects of Air Pollutants:
Health effects of air pollutants do not occur until a certain dose has penetrated a plant, animal or human body. This dose differs for each air pollutant. When the concentrations of air pollutants increase, the risk of health effects will be higher.
Air pollutants can cause acute effects, such as coughing and throat pains, but there are air pollutants that only cause chronic effects, such as asbestos.
Commonly Known Air Pollutants:
Here, we will sum up some commonly known air pollutants and give a brief description of their health effects:
1. Carbon Monoxide (CO):
Carbon monoxide is a gas that is absorbed by haemoglobin in the blood after it has entered a human body, causing the blood to be less able to transport oxygen.
When carbon monoxide is absorbed in low concentrations, people will experience tiredness. People that have heart conditions often experience chest pains. Higher concentrations of carbon monoxide cause bad vision, decreases in concentration, headaches, dizziness, nausea and confusion. When carbon monoxide concentrations are very high, it can be mortal.
Carbon monoxide is likely to fashion during incomplete combustion. To prevent the fashioning of carbon monoxide in your house, you may want to clean your chimneys and heaters once a year. It is also recommended to have water heaters checked out.
2. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2):
The effects of sulphur dioxide mainly take place when it is converted to sulphuric acids. This acid has some negative effects on the respiratory tract. Sulphur dioxide is fashioned during fossil fuel combustion.
3. Ozone (O3):
Ozone causes mucous membrane irritation, respiratory infections and lung infections. Ozone consists during thunderstorms, through electrolysis of oxygen. Ozone is generated through the same principle. Ozone is also shaped in traffic. It exists naturally in the atmosphere, under the influence of UV-radiation.
4. Nitrogen Oxides (NO3):
The health effects of nitrogen oxides are similar to those caused by ozone. However, health effects of nitrogen oxides only occur when higher concentrations are absorbed. Nitrogen oxides are fashioned during high-temperature combustion.
5. Asbestos:
Asbestos has no acute health effects. Long-term exposure to asbestos can cause breast, peritoneum and lung cancer, along with various lung infections. Asbestos is a very persistent contaminant, it is hardly biologically degradable and it can withstand heat, acids and basics. This makes asbestos suitable for many different applications. Due to the fact that asbestos is a carcinogen, it is now banned from all applications in many countries.
6. Lead (Pb):
Cars that use lead-containing gasoline, will emit lead. High lead concentrations in air can cause disturbances in physical and mental development of children. Lead is commonly known to cause a decrease in coordination and mental capacities, as well as kidney damage, damage to the nervous system and a lack in red blood cells.
7. Benzene:
Benzene is a carcinogenic contaminant. It causes leukaemia.
8. PAH’s (Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons):
PAH’s are potentially carcinogenic contaminants’. They are fashioned during several industrial processes and they are emitted by traffic.
9. Cigarette Smoke:
Cigarette smoke can cause mucous membrane irritation, eye, nose and respiratory infections, bronchitis and lung cancer.
10. Hydrocarbons:
Hydrocarbons cause mucous membrane irritations, headaches, a loss of coordination, nausea and liver damage. Some hydrocarbons are potentially carcinogenic to humans, as well as animals.
Term Paper # 9. Air Pollution – Facts and Statistics:
i. Air pollution affects kids more than adults due to higher concentrations of polluted air in their systems per body size.
ii. India is the country with the worst air quality in the world.
iii. The European Union would save 161 billion Euros a year if deaths caused by air pollution were diminished.
iv. In large cities, over 80 per cent of fatal pollutants that cause lung damage come from cars, buses, motorcycles and other vehicles on the road.
v. According to the World Health Organization, there are as many deaths (1.3 million per year) in the world due to air pollution as there are deaths due to car accidents.
vi. The average adult breathes 3,000 gallons of air every day.
vii. Each weekend, more than 800 million gallons of gas per year are used in lawn mowers in the United States, producing up to 5 per cent of total air pollution.
viii. Vehicle exhaust contributes 60 per cent of all carbon monoxide emissions in the United States and can go to over 90 per cent for large cities.
ix. The Great Smog of London in 1952 was one of the worst air pollution events in history with over 8,000 deaths.
x. The largest cause of air pollution in Europe is road transportation with over 5,000 people dying each year from lung cancer and heart attacks caused by vehicle exhaust fumes.
Term Paper # 10. Clean Air Act:
There are several ways you can tell how well the Clean Air Act is working. Over time, the Clean Air Act will continue to reduce air pollution, but it will take time for some of the Act’s provisions to have their full impact.
In general, when EPA or state, local, and tribal governments require sources of pollution to adopt control measures, you will see results right away. For instance, when large industrial facilities are required to install pollution control equipment, releases of pollutants should drop when the equipment is installed. On the other hand, in the case of cars and trucks, it may take several years for old vehicles to be retired from the road before the full effects of cleaning up cars and trucks will be seen.
You can also check on how individual facilities are meeting their clean-up requirements. Air pollutant releases at individual facilities such as power plants are set out in the facility’s permit, which you can review. This document provides information on state, local, or tribal air pollution control agencies that can give you more information on how to get access to permits.
Monitoring air quality is the best way to tell if the air is getting cleaner, because the monitors accurately report how much of a pollutant is in the air. You can request EPA, state, local, or tribal monitoring reports that show changes over time. It is updated frequently, so you can get recent information on what’s happening to the air in your community.
The “Air Quality Index” (AQI) is a “public-friendly” way of using actual monitoring data to help us assess how clean our air is. Americans are familiar with many radio, TV, and newspaper weather forecasters talking about the AQI- telling you that the air is so polluted that a “Code Orange” or “Code Red” air quality condition is in effect. The AQI tracks pollution for your local area.
The colour codes, which range from green to purple, correspond to specific pollution levels. As clean-up programs are implemented for the air pollutants tracked by the AQI, we hope to see a reduction in the number of Code Orange and Code Red air quality days.
Term Paper # 11. Awareness about Air Pollution:
You could go days without food and hours without water, but you would last only a few minutes without air. On average, each of us breathes over 3,000 gallons of air each day. You must have air to live. However, did you know that breathing polluted air can make you sick?
Air pollution can damage trees, crops, other plants, lakes, and animals. In addition to damaging the natural environment, air pollution also damages buildings, monuments, and statues. It not only reduces how far you can see in national parks and cities, it even interferes with aviation.
In 1970, Congress created the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and passed the Clean Air Act, giving the federal government authority to clean up air pollution in this country. Since then, EPA and states, tribes, local governments, industry, and environmental groups have worked to establish a variety of programs to reduce air pollution levels across America.
The Clean Air Act has helped change the way many of us work or do business. In some cases, it has even changed the way we live. This guide provides a brief introduction to the programs, philosophies, and policies in the Clean Air Act.
Air Pollution and your Health:
Breathing polluted air can make your eyes and nose burn. It can irritate your throat and make breathing difficult. In fact, pollutants like tiny airborne particles and ground level ozone can trigger respiratory problems, especially for people with asthma.
Today, nearly 30 million adults and children in the United States have been diagnosed with asthma. Asthma sufferers can be severely affected by air pollution. Air pollution can also aggravate health problems for the elderly and others with heart or respiratory diseases.
Some toxic chemicals released in the air such as benzene or vinyl chloride are highly toxic and can cause cancer, birth defects, long-term injury to the lungs, as well as brain and nerve damage. And in some cases, breathing these chemicals can even cause death.
Other pollutants make their way up into the upper atmosphere, causing a thinning of the protective ozone layer. This has led to changes in the environment and dramatic increases in skin cancers and cataracts (eye damage).
Air Pollution and the Environment:
Air pollution isn’t just a threat to our health, it also damages our environment. Toxic air pollutants and the chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can damage trees, crops, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life.
Air Pollution and the Economy:
The health, environmental, and economic impacts of air pollution are significant. Each day, air pollution causes thousands of illnesses leading to lost days at work and school. Air pollution also reduces agricultural crop and commercial forest yields by billions of dollars each year.
Term Paper # 12. Ground-Level Ozone and Air Pollution:
Ground-level ozone is a primary component of smog. Ground- level ozone can cause human health problems and damage forests and agricultural crops. Repeated exposure to ozone can make people more susceptible to respiratory infections and lung inflammation. It also can aggravate pre-existing respiratory diseases, such as asthma.
Children are at risk from ozone pollution because they are outside, playing and exercising, during the summer days when ozone levels are at their highest. They also can be more susceptible because their lungs are still developing.
People with asthma and even active healthy adults, such as construction workers, can experience a reduction in lung function and an increase in respiratory symptoms (chest pain and coughing) when exposed to low levels of ozone during periods of moderate exertion.
The two types of chemicals that are the main ingredients in forming ground-level ozone are called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). VOCs are released by cars burning gasoline, petroleum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, and other industrial facilities. The solvents used in paints and other consumer and business products contain VOCs.
The 1990 Clean Air Act has resulted in changes in product formulas to reduce the VOC content of those products. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are produced when cars and other sources like power plants and industrial boilers burn fuels such as gasoline, coal, or oil. The reddish-brown color you sometimes see when it is smoggy comes from the nitrogen oxides.
The pollutants that react to form ground-level ozone literally cook in the sky during the hot summer time season. It takes time for smog to form-several hours from the time pollutants get into the air until the ground-level ozone reaches unhealthy levels. For more information on days when air quality is expected to be unhealthy.
Weather and the lay of the land (for example, hills around a valley, high mountains between a big industrial city and suburban or rural areas) help determine where ground-level ozone goes and how bad it gets.
When temperature inversions occur (warm air stays trapped near the ground by a layer of cooler air) and winds are calm, high concentrations of ground level ozone may persist for days at a time. As traffic and other sources add more ozone-forming pollutants to the air, the ground-level ozone gets worse.
How the Clean Air Act Reduces Air Pollution Such as Particle Pollution and Ground-Level Ozone:
First, EPA works with state governors and tribal government leaders to identify “non-attainment” areas where the air does not meet allowable limits for a common air pollutant. States and tribes usually do much of the planning for cleaning up common air pollutants.
They develop plans, called State/Tribal Implementation Plans, to reduce air pollutants to allowable levels. Then they use a permit system as part of their plan to make sure power plants, factories, and other pollution sources meet their goals to clean up the air.
The Clean Air Act requirements are comprehensive and cover many different pollution sources and a variety of cleanup methods to reduce common air pollutants. Many of the clean-up requirements for particle pollution and ground-level ozone involve large industrial sources (power plants, chemical producers, and petroleum refineries), as well as motor vehicles (cars, trucks, and buses). Also, in non-attainment areas, controls are generally required for smaller pollution sources, such as gasoline stations and paint shops.
Term Paper # 13. Prevention of Air Pollution:
Drive Less, Drive Smart About half of the air pollution conies from cars and trucks. Two important ways to reduce air pollution are to drive less—even a little less—and to drive smart. Taking fewer trips in your car or truck helps cut air pollution. And adopting smart driving habits reduces your car’s emissions.
Driving less doesn’t mean you have to stay home.
Try combining driving with alternative modes of transportation:
1. Carpool.
2. Walk or ride a bicycle.
3. Shop by phone or mail.
4. Ride public transit.
5. Telecommunate.
Driving smart keeps pollution at a minimum:
1. Accelerate gradually.
2. Use cruise control on the highway.
3. Obey the speed limit.
4. Combine your errands into one trip.
5. Keep your car tuned and support the smog check program.
6. Don’t top off at the gas pumps.
7. Replace your car’s air filter.
8. Keep your tires properly inflated.
9. What about smoking vehicles?
10. Look for the most efficient, lowest polluting model or even use either a non-polluting car or zero emission vehicle.
If you must drive on days with unhealthy air, drive your newest car. Newer cars generally pollute less than older models.
Choose Air-Friendly Products:
Many products you use in your home, in the yard, or at the office are made with smog-forming chemicals that escape into the air.
Here are a few ways to put a lid on products that pollute:
1. Select products that are water-based or have low amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
2. Use water-based paints. Look for paints labelled “zero- VOC.”
3. Paint with a brush, not a sprayer.
4. Store solvents in air-tight containers.
5. Use a push or electric lawn mower.
6. Start your barbecue briquettes with an electric probe, or use a propane or natural gas barbecue.
Save Energy:
Saving energy helps reduce air pollution. Whenever you burn fossil fuel, you pollute the air.
Use less gasoline, natural gas, and electricity (power plants burn fossil fuels to generate electricity):
1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
2. Replace energy hungry incandescent lights with fluorescent lighting.
3. Check with your utility company for energy conservation tips, like purchasing energy saving appliances.
4. Use a thermostat that automatically turns off the air conditioner or heater when you don’t need them.
5. Add insulation to your home.
6. Use a fan instead of air conditioning.
7. Use an EPA-approved wood burning stove or fireplace insert.
8. Heat small meals in a microwave oven.
9. Insulate your water heater.
10. Install low flow showerheads.
11. Dry your clothes on a clothesline.
Waste Not:
It takes energy to make and sell the products we use. Here are ways to cut energy use, reduce air pollution, and save money.
1. Choose recycled products.
2. Choose products with recyclable packaging.
3. Reuse paper bags.
4. Recycle paper, plastics, and metals.
5. Print and photocopy on both sides of the paper.
Watch out for the Small Stuff:
When you breathe, very small particles—such as dust, soot, and acid droplets—can slip past your lung’s natural defense system. These particles get stuck deep in your lungs and may cause problems—more asthma attacks, bronchitis and other lung diseases, decreased resistance to infections, and even premature death for the elderly or sick.
Here are a few things you can do to reduce particulate matter pollution and protect yourself:
1. Don’t use your wood stove or fireplace on days with unhealthy air.
2. Avoid using leaf blowers and other types of equipment that raise a lot of dust. Use a rake or broom instead.
3. Drive slowly on unpaved roads.
4. Drive less, particularly on days with unhealthy air.
5. Avoid vigorous physical activity on days with unhealthy air.
Know the Inside Story:
Air pollution is a problem indoors and out. Most people spend at least 80 per cent of their lives indoors.
Here are some ways you can reduce pollution in your home, office or school:
1. Don’t smoke. Send smokers outside.
2. Products such as cleaning agents, paints, and glues often contain harmful chemicals. Use them outdoors or with plenty of ventilation indoors.
3. Use safer products, such as baking soda instead of harsher chemical cleaners.
4. Don’t heat your home with a gas cooking stove.
5. Have your gas appliances and heater regularly inspected and maintained.
6. Clean frequently to remove dust and molds.
Speak Up for Clean Air:
Do what you can to reduce air pollution. It will make a difference.
Use your civic influence to improve regional and national air pollution standards:
1. Write to your local newspaper. Support action for healthy air.
2. Let your elected representative know you support action for clean air.