Air Pollution
So, quite obviously, we’ve been studying the atmosphere in the 7th grade. We’ve learned about the layers and composition of the atmosphere, pressure and temperature changes throughout the atmosphere, and methods of heating in the atmosphere (convection, conduction, radiation). Most importantly, we’ve spent time discussing the value of the atmosphere: it provides a blanket of stable gases which allow us to breath, provides us with moisture, shields us from harmful radiation from the sun, and protects us from severe shifts in temperature.
Unfortunately (at times) for us humans, changes can be caused to the atmosphere, and the general conditions of the world as a consequence, by pollution.
Air pollution is: the contamination of the atmosphere by the introduction of foreign substances by human and natural sources.
There are two main types of air pollution:
- Primary Pollutants
- Secondary Pollutants
Primary Pollutants
These are pollutants that are directly put into the air by human or natural sources.
They can include gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, dust, sea salt, smoke from forest fires, volcanic ash and gas, and chemicals from human activity.
Secondary Pollutants
Secondary Pollutants occur when primary pollutants react with atmospheric gases to make new, hazardous substances.
For example – when the car exhaust produced by vehicles reacts with sunlight in the atmosphere, it produces smog, which can be hazardous to breath, etc.
Effects of Pollution
There are myriad effects of air pollution.
Just a few of them are:
Acid Precipitation
Air Pollution can mix with water in the air to create acid rain.
Acid rain can damage plants, animals and ecosystems around the world.
Damage to the Ozone Layer
As air pollutants (such as CFCs) are added to the atmosphere, they may damage the ozone layer. As the ozone layer is damaged, and begins to be perforated, it can let in excess UV radiation, which itself can be damaging to life on earth.
We will discuss the effects of air pollution on human health, and global climate change in future classes.
Tags: Atmosphere, Climate, Climate Change
Posted in Earth Science, Weather and Climate
