• What is air pollution?
• What are air pollutants?
• Causes of air pollution
• Consequences of air pollution
• How to avoid air pollution?

We explain what air pollution is, what are its pollutants and causes. Also, its consequences and how to avoid it.

Industry, among others, releases large amounts of harmful gases into the atmosphere.

What is air pollution?

When we speak of air pollution or atmospheric pollution, we refer to the presence in the various strata ofair that make up the earth's atmosphere, of materials and forms of Energy that are not part of its natural composition and that represent a potential source of harm and inconvenience to life, by causing chemical reactions unpredictable and inconvenient.

The atmosphere is a homogeneous mass of gases that we know as air, and that the gravity of planet holds together your surface, fulfilling defense functions against space events such as meteors, solar radiation (through ozone layer) and cosmic rays, but also conserving the heat, allowing the water cycle, circulating different gaseous elements, etc.

In it some chemical elements predominate over others, mainly nitrogen, oxygen (and ozone), argon, carbon dioxide and steam from Water (hydrogen and oxygen). These elements can be adulterated with unpredictable results when they come into contact with gaseous substances resulting from industrial activities, volcanic catastrophes and other events that lead to air pollution.

Much of the responsibility for known air pollution is due to the presence of human being. Not only because industry and other daily activities release large amounts of harmful gases into the atmosphere, but also because it releases other toxic elements into the water, and the water fulfills its natural cycle (evaporation, condensation and precipitation) spreads them in the air and on the ground.

In both cases it does it much faster than the nature offset its harmful effects.

What are air pollutants?

Carbon monoxide is particularly toxic and harmful to life.

The main responsible for air pollution are, in general:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2). And other gases from greenhouse effect, such as methane (CH4).
• Carbon monoxide (CO). Particularly toxic and harmful to life.
• Sulfur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen (NOx). That upon reaching the atmosphere combine with the water steam and produce sulfuric acid, generating the calls acid rains.
• CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons). Gases that were widely used in aerosols or as refrigerants, destroyed the balance of the ozone layer in the atmosphere.
• Ozone (O3). That although it is naturally found in a specific layer of the atmosphere, by increasing its presence in other layers, it decomposes in the face of solar radiation and releases enormous amounts of energy, artificially heating the atmosphere.

Causes of air pollution

Although phenomena such as volcano eruption or the fall of meteorites (by raising dust) can have a massive polluting effect on the atmosphere, we must recognize that they are not so recurrent events in the current geological time of our planet, so their responsibility in air pollution it is not as much as we humans have.

From the Industrial Revolution humanity has industrially transformed materials and dumped their waste into water and into the air, thus contributing to the adulteration of the content of the earth's atmosphere. The heavy industries, power plants burning fossil fuels and automobile traffic are a huge source of environmental pollution.

For example, the use of CFC aerosols, for example, caused serious damage to the ozone layer in the atmosphere during the late twentieth century, and the tragedy of the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor threw into the air thousands of particles radioactive that the wind blew towards populations nearby rural areas, destroying the quality of air, water and I usually.

Consequences of air pollution

Polluted air deteriorates the health of people, animals and plants.

The breakdown of the chemical and energy balance of the atmosphere has the following possible consequences:

• Respiratory problems. Polluted air can deteriorate the Health of the persons and the animals and even the plants, by containing carcinogenic or poisonous substances.
• Acid rains. Certain chemical elements react in the atmosphere with water vapor and form acids or mixtures corrosive, which then fall to the ground with the rain.
• Deterioration of water. Air pollution affects water pollution, as it evaporates and precipitates, it comes into contact with atmospheric pollutants.
• Damage to the ozone layer. In the upper layers of the atmosphere is the ozone layer that protects us from the direct impact of the sun's rays. Certain gases react with it and "pierce" the protective layer.
• The greenhouse effect. The presence of certain heavy gases in the atmosphere constitutes an artificial chemical barrier, which prevents a portion of the Earth's heat from radiating out into space, increasing the temperature world.

How to avoid air pollution?

Some simple measures to reduce environmental pollution would be:

• Use filters in chimneys and conduct a responsible industrial activity.
• Fomentalternative energies to the burning of fossil fuels.
• Eliminate the use ofproducts with CFC.
• Use gasoline without lead and without polluting additives.