Air pollution is one of the world’s most widespread environmental issues. It is a problem that continues to grow unchecked. It poses a threat to the environment as well as to health and lives. Air pollution is mainly caused by the human activities that create the toxic gases or pollutants in the air, such as vehicle exhaust, factory emissions, fuel burning, pesticides, and others. On the other hand, there are natural occurrences that also cause air pollution, such as climatic conditions, volcanoes, tornadoes, hurricanes, forest fires and others.
These pollutants can be damaging to the environment as well as human health. For more than four decades, federal and state governments have regulated the emission of airborne pollutants by requiring emission permits and have monitored and tested air pollution levels in the air, to ensure compliance. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the government bodies that set the standards for most air pollutants. They provide information on air pollution causes, the monitoring and evaluation of air pollution, and provide rules and regulations for controlling the emissions of pollutants in the atmosphere.
Although the major impacts of air pollution are visible, they are of particular concern to the environment and human health. Impacts of air pollution include ozone layer depletion resulting from increased ultraviolet radiation, disruption of the food chain, adverse effects on ecosystems, and the degradation of the environment’s natural balance. These harmful effects not only have global implications, they also have specific impacts to individual areas or regions, affecting natural habitats such as forests and crops. Below are some of the major environmental and health impacts of air pollution.
Human health Impacts include adverse effects on physical health, with increased risk of acute respiratory symptoms and asthma attacks in highly polluted places. In the US, chronic bronchitis and emphysema are increasing cases of acute respiratory disease. Pupils in heavily polluted cities are more likely to experience shortness of breath, asthma attacks, and other health conditions. Lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are also expected to increase in response to air pollution. All of these increases have significant personal and societal health impacts.
Global warming, the effects of air pollution on climate change are also becoming more apparent. Increased concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases are exerting warming effects on the planet. Additionally, changes in precipitation patterns and global temperature have a direct link to air pollution, increasing the likelihood that global warming will become a problem in the near future. While greenhouse gases may not be the main cause of climate change, they are one of the most potent contributors to climate change.
Consumer health Consumers who is exposed to air pollution in their daily lives have negative impacts on their health. Air pollutants can cause respiratory illnesses and symptoms such as asthma. It has also been shown that exposure to air pollutants increases the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Also, most people recognize the link between air pollution and climate change and are changing their daily actions to avoid putting their health in danger.
Information about air pollution comes from a number of different sources. One of the primary sources include governmental sources, like the EPA. Another is the news, which highlights the worst cases of air pollution from various cities and nations around the world. Also, the EPA produces a weekly report on the weekly environmental performance of each nation. On the government level, there are efforts being made to increase information about the effects of air pollution on public health and the environment.
Control The EPA is part of a number of organizations trying to improve air quality in the United States. Two of these groups are working towards developing guidelines for controlling the levels of air pollution in different areas of the country. Another is educating communities on how climate change is affecting human health and ecosystems. There are a number of different strategies being developed, with one currently being implemented in New York. This includes building more efficient heating systems, vehicles that use electricity rather than gas or coal, and creating more energy efficient buildings.