What causes air pollution?

Question

give everything you've got.

Answer 1

Air pollution has unhealthy effects on people, animals and plant-life across the globe. Every time we inhale, we carry dangerous air pollutants into our bodies. These pollutants can cause short-term effects such as eye and throat irritation. More alarming, however, are the long-term effects such as cancer and damage to the body's immune, neurological, reproductive and respiratory systems.

Children, due to their size and the fact that they are in the process of developing, are at greater health related risk.

Air pollution is not just a "city problem." Many air pollutants are dispersed over areas hundreds of miles from their source where they affect many different ecosystems. These pollutants often remain toxic in the environment for a very long time where they continue to affect ponds, streams, fields and forests.

Most air pollution is the result of energy consumption. Specifically, the burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity or to power transportation vehicles is the main cause this serious, but preventable, environmental hazard.

Acid Rain is a significant air pollution problem that affects rural, suburban and urban areas that are down-wind of major industrial areas. Acid rain is caused when sulfur and nitrogen pollution from industrial smokestacks is combined with moisture in the atmosphere. The resulting rain is acidic which destroys natural ecosystems ands buildings.

Global Warming is happening now and affects everyone. As pollution gathers in the Earth's atmosphere, it traps heat and causes average temperatures to rise. It is hard to predict exactly how climate change will affect a particular area. Here are a few likely results (according to the Union of Concerned Scientists):


a rise in sea level between 3.5 and 34.6 in. (9-88cm) leading to more coastal erosion, flooding during storms and permanent inundation


severe stress on many forests, wetlands, alpine regions, and other natural ecosystems


greater threats to human health as mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects and rodents spread diseases over larger geographical regions


disruption of agriculture in some parts of the world due to increased temperature, water stress and sea-level rise in low-lying areas such as Bangladesh or the Mississippi River delta.

There are many ways that you can take personal action to help eliminate air pollution. Your participation in the IwantCleanAir website is one way to have a positive impact. Using energy more efficiently and switching to alternative energy sources (such as solar and wind) are ways that you can lessen the burden that you place on the environment. Writing letters and making your voice heard can change the way government and business approach air pollution problems. Find out more in Your Role.
Electric Utilities and Air Pollution
Depending on where you live, your utility will use some amount of non-renewable fossil fuels to generate electricity. These fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, emit pollution when burned at power generation facilities.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, "burning fossil fuels for electricity generation is the single greatest source of air pollution in the United States." The electricity generation process produces many dangerous pollutants including nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, dust, soot, smoke, and other suspended matter. These pollutants can cause serious health problems, including early death.

A sane energy plan, that moves America toward renewable energy will benefit the entire planet. Support federal legislation currently under consideration.

Transportation and Air Pollution
Motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution. Emissions from cars and trucks contribute to global warming as well as causing acute health problems.

Extracting, transporting and storing transportation fues (gasoline) also pollutes the land and seas.

To reduce our direct impact upon the planet, we can choose alternative modes of transportation. If we must drive a gasoline-powered motor vehicle, there are some simple things that will minimize our impact on the environment.

One significant source of pollution in urban, suburban and rural areas is the diesel engine. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, off-road diesel powered vehicles, such as tractors and bulldozers, typically emit as much pollution as 26 automobiles.

Diesel school buses are a particularly vexing problem because they are operated in the vicinity of children. Generally, children are at greater risk of health effects from pollution due to their relatively lower body weight and the fact that their biological systems are still developing.



Clean Energy
Lower your utility bills with products that reduce air pollution.

Answer 2

From the simplest:
1. Human exhalation
2. Animal exhalations
(these are 'natural' and easily absorbed in the atmosphere)
3. Stoves (gas, wood, coal burning)
4. Aerosol cans (paint, hairspray, deodorants)
5. Personal automobiles
6. Commercial vehicles (big trucks)
7. Factories (also power plants)
8. Air planes
I'm not sure which of the last-mentioned are the greatest contributors, but I do know that personal vehicles are charged with anti-pollution equipment that is not imposed to the same degree on factories, air planes or commercial trucks.

Answer 3

Well, as you are probably aware, air pollution takes many different forms and arises from a variety of sources. In terms of overall range and extents of impacts, however, it is my opinion that burning of fossil fuels (coal, gasoline, etc..) is the single largest source of air pollutants. These fuels cause smog, acid rain, soot and particulates increases, greenhouse gas emissions, and dispersal of some heavy metal contaminants.
Fossil fuels are widely used for heating, transportaion, electricity generation, manufacturing and other industries. Thus, they are used pervasively in our society and their use is difficult (but not impossible) to curtail. Also, various measures can be taken to help make fossil fuel buring both cleaner and more efficiently but this comes at some monetary cost. Until we find cleaner alternatives to the present fossil fuels buring methods, most air pollutants plaguing the world today will continue to be a problem in the future.

Answer 4

Air pollution might result from both human and natural actions. Natural events that pollute the air include forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, evaporation of organic compounds and natural radioactivity. Pollution from natural occurrences is not very often.

Answer 5

The vehicles we drive...they give off deadly gases, factories, mills, power plants...hmm...i think its mostly vehicles that causes air pollution. everyone should walk or ride a bike to there destination, then air pollution wouldn't be so high. Fresher air for us to breath in. :)

Answer 6

Life

Answer 7

Just about everything you would want to know is located on http://www.epa.gov/ebtpages/air.html

there are a myriad of links and subsequent links to follow from there. You can spend days absorbing the data.

Answer 8

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