Environmental Issues: A Report on Air Pollution & Deforestation

This report delves into two significant environmental challenges: air pollution and deforestation. It begins with an introduction highlighting the problems caused by overpopulation, increased vehicle use, and forest removal. The report explores the short-term and long-term effects of air pollution on human health, including respiratory issues, and its impact on ecosystems. It also identifies human contributions to air pollution, such as factory emissions and fossil fuel use, while proposing prevention measures like electric vehicles and renewable energy. Similarly, the report examines the short-term and long-term consequences of deforestation, including flooding, soil erosion, and climate change impacts, as well as its effects on biodiversity and human health. It identifies human activities driving deforestation, such as agriculture and timber extraction, and suggests solutions like recycling and reduced firewood use. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of addressing both issues to protect the environment and human well-being.

Running head: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Environmental issues
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Table of Contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
Potential effects of air pollution..........................................................................................2
Short term........................................................................................................................2
Long term.........................................................................................................................2
Impact on ecosystem........................................................................................................3
Impact on human health...................................................................................................3
Contribution of humans...................................................................................................4
Prevention measures........................................................................................................4
Potential effects of Deforestation........................................................................................4
Short term........................................................................................................................4
Long term.........................................................................................................................4
Impact on ecosystem........................................................................................................5
Impact on human health...................................................................................................5
Contribution of humans...................................................................................................5
Prevention measures........................................................................................................6
Conclusion...........................................................................................................................6
Reference List......................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Owing to overpopulation a lot of problems are being faced by the Earth. With the
increasing number of vehicles around the world air pollution is one of the major problem and the
condition of the air is slowly depleting around the world. For making space for the population of
the Earth, the forest covers are slowly being removed which is having adverse effect on the
environment of the Earth. A lot of remedies have been invented to avoid these effects on the
environment but things are taking turn for the worse and with the rate in which the environment
is being depleted there will be major environment problems in the future.
Potential effects of air pollution
Short term
The short term effects which air pollution have on the health of human beings are
Pneumonia and Bronchitis. These short term effects of air pollution on the human beings are
temporary and they will probably be cured later. Some discomfort are also caused by air
pollution which includes irritation to the skin, nose, eyes and throat. Some of the adverse effects
of air pollution are nausea, dizziness and even mild headaches (Arroyo et al., 2016). The garages
which are left out in the open also contributes to air pollution and the smells are unpleasant. The
bad odors might be less harmful but are not pleasant.
Long term
The long term effects which are done by air pollution can last in the human being for an
entire lifetime and in severe cases can lead to death. The main long term effects which are caused
by air pollution are diseases related to heart, lung cancer and major respiratory diseases are also

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caused by air pollution like emphysema. An approximate number of 2.5 million people have
been reported to die every year form air pollution.
Impact on ecosystem
Excessive amount of air pollution have adverse effects on the ecosystem of the Earth.
The Sulfur which is present in the pollutants of air may lead to the presence do massive amount
of acids in water bodies which affects both the water and the marine life which is residing in it
(Mabahwi, Leh and Omar 2014).
Impact on human health
Figure 1: Causes of death by air pollution
Source: (Nowak, Hirabayashi, Bodine and Greenfield 2014)

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From figure 1 it can be clearly seen that Air pollution is one of the major reason for the
death of people all around the world and if proper steps are not taken then the effects will be
increasing in the near future. A lot diseases relating to lungs are caused by air pollution and the
air condition is slowly depleting in many countries.
Contribution of humans
The various factories and power plants which are present are major causes of air pollution
along with vehicles, aero planes and chemicals. One of the major process by the help of which
air pollution is caused by human beings is by burning fossil fuels (Dearden and Mitchell 2016).
Prevention measures
Man-made air filters have been presented to the world which are used for the prevention
of air pollution. Vehicles which uses electric energy are being products to curb out the effects of
air pollution. More usage of natural energy are dine to avoid the effect of air pollution such as
usage of solar energy and hydropower (Ghorani-Azam, Riahi-Zanjani and Balali-Mood 2016).
Potential effects of Deforestation
Short term
With the removal of forest cover flooding will be caused in many areas and there will be
loss of soil quality. Erosion of soil will be caused by huge margin and there will be major
consequences of it on the production of crops and the nutrients of the soil will be lost after the
plant covers are removed (Bogena et al., 2015).
Long term
The long term effects which can be faced by the deforestation is that there will be major
changes in the climate change and there will be major loss of biodiversity. The amount of carbon

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dioxide in the air will slowly increase the oxygen will be slowly decreasing which will make it
hard for the human being to survive on Earth.
Impact on ecosystem
Desertification and flooding are the two major effects which can be seen due to
deforestation. There are increased levels of greenhouse gas in the air with the removal of tree
covers and the quality of the air is also slowly decreasing (Zemp, Schleussner, Barbosa and
Rammig 2017). With the increase in the practices of deforestation, the amount of oxygen in the
air is also depleting leading to major health issues among living things. There are major losses in
the biodiversity of an ecosystem with the increase in the deforestation.
Impact on human health
The spread of certain diseases are increased when the process of deforestation is carried
out in huge numbers. Deforestation destroys the certain plants and animals which are the key to
solving the diseases which are caused by environmental pollution.

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Contribution of humans
Figure 2: deforestation in various countries
Source: (Olsoy et al., 2016)
The main human activities which are causing deforestation are expansion in the
agriculture, extraction of the timber and various other activities such as mining, infrastructure
development and oil extraction. In figure it can be clearly seen that most of the countries in the
world are facing the problems of deforestation to meet the need of the increasing population.
Prevention measures
Introduction of recycling paper have been done so that less plants are removed for the
production of papers. Excessive burn of firewood has been stopped so that less and less trees are
cut off and usage of recycled products are also used.

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Conclusion
To conclude it can be said that both deforestation and air pollution are major problems of
the earth and if special care is not taken then there will be huge consequences in the future. If the
human beings do not become extra conscious then the effect of air pollution and deforestation
will be having adverse effect on the animals as well as plants.

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Reference List
Arroyo, V., Díaz, J., Ortiz, C., Carmona, R., Sáez, M. and Linares, C., 2016. Short term effect of
air pollution, noise and heat waves on preterm births in Madrid (Spain). Environmental research,
145, pp.162-168.
Bogena, H.R., Bol, R., Borchard, N., Brüggemann, N., Diekkrüger, B., Drüe, C., Groh, J.,
Gottselig, N., Huisman, J.A., Lücke, A. and Missong, A., 2015. A terrestrial observatory
approach to the integrated investigation of the effects of deforestation on water, energy, and
matter fluxes. Science China Earth Sciences, 58(1), pp.61-75.
Dearden, P. and Mitchell, B., 2016. Environmental change & challenge.
Ghorani-Azam, A., Riahi-Zanjani, B. and Balali-Mood, M., 2016. Effects of air pollution on
human health and practical measures for prevention in Iran. Journal of research in medical
sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 21.
Mabahwi, N.A.B., Leh, O.L.H. and Omar, D., 2014. Human health and wellbeing: Human health
effect of air pollution. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, pp.221-229.
Nowak, D.J., Hirabayashi, S., Bodine, A. and Greenfield, E., 2014. Tree and forest effects on air
quality and human health in the United States. Environmental pollution, 193, pp.119-129.
Olsoy, P.J., Zeller, K.A., Hicke, J.A., Quigley, H.B., Rabinowitz, A.R. and Thornton, D.H.,
2016. Quantifying the effects of deforestation and fragmentation on a range-wide conservation
plan for jaguars. Biological Conservation, 203, pp.8-16.
Zemp, D.C., Schleussner, C.F., Barbosa, H.D.M.J. and Rammig, A., 2017. Deforestation effects
on Amazon forest resilience. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(12), pp.6182-6190.