What is the Definition of Air Pollutants?

Question

What are air pollutans

Answer 1

Air pollution is a broad term applied to any chemical, physical (e.g. particulate matter), or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere. The atmosphere is a complex, dynamic natural system that is essential to support life on planet earth. Stratospheric ozone depletion due to air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the earth's ecosystems.

Air pollutants are classified as either directly released or formed by subsequent chemical reactions. A direct release air pollutant is one that is emitted directly from a given source, such as the carbon monoxide or sulfur dioxide, all of which are byproducts of combustion; whereas, a subsequent air pollutant is formed in the atmosphere through chemical reactions involving direct release pollutants. The formation of ozone in photochemical smog is the most important example of a subsequent air pollutant.

Anthropogenic sources (human activity) related to burning different kinds of fuel


Dust storm approaching Stratford, Texas
Using a controlled burn on a field in South Georgia in preparation for spring planting.Combustion-fired power plants.
Controlled burn practices used in agriculture and forestry management
Motor vehicles generating air pollution emissions.
Marine vessels, such as container ships or cruise ships, and related port air emissions
Wood, coal, fuel oil or natural gas burning fireplaces, stoves, furnaces and incinerators,
Other anthropogenic sources

Oil refining, power plant operation and industrial activity in general.
Chemicals, dust and crop waste burning in farming, (see Dust Bowl).
Fumes from paint, varnish, aerosol sprays and other solvents.
Waste deposition in landfills, which generate methane
Military uses, as nuclear weapons, toxic gases, germ warfare and rocketry.
Natural Sources

Dust from natural sources, usually large areas of land with little or no vegetation.
Methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals, for example cattle.
Pine trees, which emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth's crust.
Smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires.
Volcanic activity, which produce sulfur, chlorine, and ash particulates.

Answer 2

A pollutant is any contamination brought up to hazardous levels. Contamination is anything added to a system that would not occur there naturally, or would not naturally increase in levels. Thus an air pollutant is any contamination of the air at levels that pose a threat to health.

Some general examples: Anything can be a pollutant. Millions of years ago, oxygen would be considered a pollutant because the atmosphere consisted almost entirely of CO2. But then came along cyanobacteria and now CO2 is the culprit.

A specific example: Smoke stack emmissions from factories cause air pollution near the stack, but as you go further away it will trapse down to mere air contamination. Now, this is all relative to what is being burned in the factory. Metal air-borne particles are especially dangerous near factories.

Answer 3

The REAL ISSUE is that the gov't and media are making CO2 out to be a major pollutant or toxin (a "Bad Guy"), when it clearly is not. A pollutant, legitimately, is a chemical substance which is harmful to living systems, something like sulfar dioxide or carbon monoxide or benzene... generally man-made, though there are exceptions...such as sulfur dioxide from volcanoes and rotting vegetation. As it happens, CO2 is a natural subtance, expelled by animals and plants, and absorbed by photosynthetic plants during one half of their respiratory cycle. It is not toxic, and were one able to push a button and destroy all of this chemical compount in minute, we would be in a "world of hurt," as our supply of oxygen would soon disappear, and all life on the planet would succumb. Those who rant about AGW (and ACC) are either untutored in science or have some hidden agenda. They are rightly labled Alarmits. Not withstanding the general need for respect of ecological requirements (and a switch away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, and the need for rapid development of alternative means of propulsion), these people know not of what they speak. There are about a dozen reasons why the "Global Warming" hypothesis is not supported by science. Unfortunately, nearly everyone has "drunk the Kool-Aid." Just a few of the problems with this hypothesis: 1. Warming leads CO2 increase. 2. The biggest "greenhouse gas" is water vapor. 3. Solar activity is the leading "driver" of temperature change. 4. The statistics have been cherry-picked and manipulated in a significant way to produce the apparently cataclysmic scenario...which has not materialized. 5. The models used are complicated, involve major assumptions, and are flawed. 6. When the dire predictions are not fulfilled, the alarmists hem and haw and come up with silly excuses. Like religIous cult-members, they INSIST on their points, in the fact of contradiction. 7. The Antarctic ice-pack has grown thicker over recent years, except for one small area.

Answer 4

Absolutely anything the 'Tree huggers' want to call air pollution!
Breathing out is a good example! Breathing in seems to be acceptable (so far) but this of course could change!!
What a complete waste of time and BS!!
Hope this helps??

Answer 5

The harmful materials that contaminate the air and pollute it are called air pollutants.

Answer 6

Anything that alters the natural balance of the atmosphere from it's static level. This can be from man made changes such as industrial, dense population and agricultural imbalances or naturally occurring pollutants such as volcano. That is definitely not a text book or remotely scientific answer, just my opinion.

Answer 7

the substances present in airwhich are present other than its original composition are called air pollutants.

Answer 8

Vegetarians

Answer 9

Particulates suspended in the air. Dust, dirt, chemical, etc particals.

Answer 10

anything that doesn't belong in the air.
ie... aerosols, petrol and diesel fumes exhaust fumes from cars,planes etc.cfc's, the list goes on and on.