Preventing Air Pollution for a Sustainable Future

The assignment focuses on raising awareness about the severe consequences of air pollution on human health. It highlights the importance of implementing preventive measures to mitigate pollution and promote a healthier, more sustainable future. The text emphasizes individual responsibility in adhering to regulations and contributing to cleaner air quality for everyone.

Running head: AIR POLLUTION
Air Pollution
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author’s Note:

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Executive Summary:
The aim of the report is to discuss about the issue of air pollution which is pervading our society.
The causes of air pollution in the present world are discussed in detail. The report analyses the
problems that are faced by the people due to air pollution. It can be seen that impacts of pollution
and the instances of harm to the people are also discussed. The report concludes with the
possible solutions to the problem.

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Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................4
Causes of air pollution:....................................................................................................................4
Burning of fossil fuels:................................................................................................................5
Agricultural activities:.................................................................................................................5
Exhaust from factories and industries:........................................................................................5
Mining operations:.......................................................................................................................6
Indoor air pollution:.....................................................................................................................6
Impact of Air pollution:...................................................................................................................6
Effects of air pollution:....................................................................................................................6
Respiratory and heart problems:..................................................................................................7
Global warming:..........................................................................................................................7
Acid Rain:....................................................................................................................................7
Eutrophication:............................................................................................................................7
Effect of wildlife:.........................................................................................................................7
Depletion of Ozone Layer:..........................................................................................................8
Solutions for air pollution:...............................................................................................................8
Use of public mode of transport:.................................................................................................8

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Conserve energy:.........................................................................................................................8
Understanding the concept of reduce reuse and recycle:.............................................................8
Emphasize on clean energy resources:........................................................................................9
Use energy efficient devices:.......................................................................................................9
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................9
References:....................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction:
Air pollution is basically defined as the state where the presence of toxic substances in
surroundings generated by several human activities and normal phenomenon result in the
detrimental impacts on the wellbeing of the human beings and also in case of the living
environment. World Health Organisation states that air pollution outside is caused by that of
“particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide” and sulphur dioxide. Air pollution is also caused
pollutants of different kinds. There needs to be a sense of responsibility among all the members
of the society to look into the matter so that the air pollution can be reduced and people can
breathe fresh air. Sources of air pollution can include several factors but are not limited to the
industrial factories, automobile exhaust, construction and natural disasters like that of forest fires
and volcanic eruptions. The particulate air pollution has an unlimited number of sources. The
particulate air pollution has an unlimited number of sources. Several health problems are caused
due to the outdoor air pollution including that of respiratory, cardio-vascular, immunological,
haematological, reproductive as well as neurological problems (Kennes and Veiga 2013).
Causes of air pollution:
The materials which cause air pollution are known as pollutants. Several categories of
pollutants are responsible for the problem of air pollution. There are several pollutants the most
important of which is that of carbon dioxide (Zlatev 2012). The environmental statistics reveal
for the last several years, the percentage of carbon dioxide has increased considerably in the
present times compared to the situation in the last ten years or so. Another highly dangerous
source of pollution is that of methane. This green house gas is harmful. Several sources like
animal waste, swamps and chlorofluorocarbons also emit methane (Anderson, Thundiyil and

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Stolbach 2012). Aerosol propellants and refrigerants have been stopped due to their negative
impacts on the surroundings. Another major pollutant is that of sulfur dioxide. It is a cause of
smog and consists of sulfur dioxide (Boubel et al. 2013). It causes the weakening and lining of
the nerves and stimulation of the throat. Thus it can be said that the major causes of air pollution
are summarized as follows:
Burning of fossil fuels:
Sulfur dioxide is one of the most significant causes of pollution. It is emitted from the
combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and other combustibles in relation to the factories.
The tremendous amount of pollution is due to harmful and polluted air that is emitted by the
vehicles like trucks, jeeps, cars, trains, airplanes cause (Royston 2013). These vehicles have been
useful in fulfilling the needs of the people in terms of transportation. The overuse of these
vehicles however is polluting the environment. Carbon Mono-oxide is increased due to the
improper or incomplete amount of combustion and vehicles concerned, which is one of the major
pollutants of the atmosphere (Kennes and Veiga 2013).
Agricultural activities:
Ammonia is a very common byproduct of the activities that are related to agriculture. It is
one of the most harfukl atmospheric gases. The utilities of insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers
in the activities have grown in a considerable manner. Pollution is caused due to the emission of
these harmful substaces (Dalsoren et al. 2013).
Exhaust from factories and industries:
The industries of manufacturing nature can be seen in different corners of the world.
Hydrocarbons, CO, organic compounds are emitted from the manufacturing industries.

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Hydrocarbons are also released by petroleum refineries and other chemicals which cause harm to
the surrounding air and cause massive air pollution (Seinfeld and Pandis 2016).
Mining operations:
The extraction process and mining process utilizing large equipments and the dust and air
is polluted by chemicals. These chemicals also cause deteriorating health conditions (Smith
2012).
Indoor air pollution:
Household products for cleaning, painting supplies and others emit toxic chemical in the
air thus polluting the surroundings. The utilities in the houses also cause pollution.
Impact of Air pollution:
The impact of the pollution of the surroundings and environment has been severely high
and in certain cases even life taking. Several people suffer from problem and diseases due to the
polluted air. The complete exposure to the pollutants is responsible for diseases of respiratory
and cardiac nature. The environment is also significantly impacted due increasing pollution rate
(Flagan and Seinfeld 2012).
Acid rain is another phenomenon which is caused due to the mixing of sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen dioxide. This leads to the formation of several acids. In polluted countries during
monsoon the rain impacts negatively. Microorganisms as well as plants die due to this acid rain
(Loomis et al. 2013).
Effects of air pollution:
The possible effects are discussed as follows:

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Respiratory and heart problems:
There are alarming effects of air pollution and is known to cause several respiratory and
heart conditions and also cancer. Children in the areas also suffer from asthma and other
respiratory diseases. Millions are affected and have lost their lives due to the effects of pollution.
Global warming:
The increasing temperatures worldwide and the increase in the sea levels and the melting
of ice in regions which are severely cold and also the loss of habitats cause the impending
disaster in case the preservation and normalization are not looked into as early as possible
(Seinfeld and Pandis 2016).
Acid Rain:
The gases which are harmful like the oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are released into the
atmosphere at the time of burning of fossil fuels. At the time of rain the combination of water
droplets and air pollutants and after becoming acidic cause damage to humans and crops.
Eutrophication:
It is the condition at the time where high nitrogen levels is present in case of some
pollutants formed on the surface of the sea affects the fish plants and animals. The green algae
occurs due to these particular chemicals.
Effect of wildlife:
The severe and devastating effects are also faced due to the air pollution and its effects.
The dangerous chemicals of the air cause different types of wild animals to change their habitat.

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Depletion of Ozone Layer:
Humans are protected from the ultra violet rays by the ozone layer. The ozone layer on
the earth is depleting due to chlorofluorocarbons. The ozone layer can emit harmful rays back on
the earth and is responsible for the skin and eye related issues.
Solutions for air pollution:
The increased air pollution all around the world need to be reduced at all costs. The
possible solutions are discussed as below:
Use of public mode of transport:
The people should utilize increased public modes of transport. The concept of car pool
can also be applied. The same locality people can go in the same car.
Conserve energy:
The fans and lights need to be switched off at the time of going out. Electricity is
produced by the fossil fuels and this needs to be reduced.
Understanding the concept of reduce reuse and recycle:
The items which are not usable should not be thrown away and need to be reused. These
should be utilized for a different purpose if possible.
Emphasize on clean energy resources:
Clear energy technologies are considerably high. The governments give grants to the
consumers who are eager for the installation of solar panels. This might curb air pollution to a
large extent.

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Utilize devices with energy efficiency:
The devices which absorb less electricity in comparison to others need to be used, like
CFL lights. These lower the electricity bills and help in the reduction of pollution by the
consumption of lesser amount of energy.
Conclusion:
Several efforts have been made to reduce the amount of air pollution. Despite this, Air
pollution and global warming are still an existent challenge in the present world scenario. The
green house gases like methane and carbon are still being emitted as a result of the burning of
fossil fuels. The resultant global warming is responsible for the rise of water levels and the
melting of polar ice caps. The main cause of this is the usage of non-renewable fossil fuel.
Proper amount of research needs to be made on the ways in which air pollution can be prevented
as much as possible. The effects of pollution are extremely severe therefore it is necessary for the
individuals inhabiting the earth to implement preventive measures as soon as possible. In case
the pollution is prevented as much as possible the people can have a much more sustainable and
efficient environment. It is the duty of the people to ensure the safe and suitable air quality to
maintain the health and safety. The proper preventive measures need to be implemented and the
individuals should follow the rules at all times.

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References:
Anderson, J.O., Thundiyil, J.G. and Stolbach, A., 2012. Clearing the air: a review of the effects
of particulate matter air pollution on human health. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 8(2), pp.166-
175.
Boubel, R.W., Vallero, D., Fox, D.L., Turner, B. and Stern, A.C., 2013. Fundamentals of air
pollution. Elsevier.
Flagan, R.C. and Seinfeld, J.H., 2012. Fundamentals of air pollution engineering. Courier
Corporation.
Kennes, C. and Veiga, M.C., 2013. Air pollution prevention and control. Wiley-
Blackwell, 101625(628.536), p.549.
Leighton, P., 2012. Photochemistry of air pollution. Elsevier.
Loomis, D., Grosse, Y., Lauby-Secretan, B., El Ghissassi, F., Bouvard, V., Benbrahim-Tallaa,
L., Guha, N., Baan, R., Mattock, H. and Straif, K., 2013. The carcinogenicity of outdoor air
pollution. The lancet oncology, 14(13), pp.1262-1263.
Mudd, J.B. ed., 2012. Responses of plants to air pollution. Elsevier.
Raaschou-Nielsen, O., Andersen, Z.J., Beelen, R., Samoli, E., Stafoggia, M., Weinmayr, G.,
Hoffmann, B., Fischer, P., Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J., Brunekreef, B. and Xun, W.W., 2013. Air
pollution and lung cancer incidence in 17 European cohorts: prospective analyses from the
European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE). The lancet oncology, 14(9),
pp.813-822.

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Royston, M.G., 2013. Pollution prevention pays. Elsevier.
Seinfeld, J.H. and Pandis, S.N., 2016. Atmospheric chemistry and physics: from air pollution to
climate change. John Wiley & Sons.
Silva, R.A., West, J.J., Zhang, Y., Anenberg, S.C., Lamarque, J.F., Shindell, D.T., Collins, W.J.,
Dalsoren, S., Faluvegi, G., Folberth, G. and Horowitz, L.W., 2013. Global premature mortality
due to anthropogenic outdoor air pollution and the contribution of past climate
change. Environmental Research Letters, 8(3), p.034005.
Smith, W.H., 2012. Air pollution and forests: interactions between air contaminants and forest
ecosystems. Springer Science & Business Media.
Zlatev, Z., 2012. Computer treatment of large air pollution models (Vol. 2). Springer Science &
Business Media.