Causes of Air Pollution

Air pollution is a worldwide problem. What is air pollution? It's the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment which can occur naturally or artificially. In fact, air pollution contributes to other forms of pollution such as: water contamination, soil pollution………..etc. Air pollution is a dangerous threat caused by many different productions such as: car exhaust, Nitrogen Oxides (NO, NO2, NO3) and Sulpher Dioxide (SO2).

The first major cause of air pollution is car exhausts which lead to about 45 to 50 % of the total air pollution. It's formed due to the production of unburned fuel in the form of oxides of Nitrogen and hydrocarbons. These black gases produced by unfiltered car exhaust may cause many health problems such as asthma or in extreme causes, could eventually lead to difficulty in breathing. One of the hydrocarbons produced is Carbon monoxide (CO) which is one of the most dangerous gases resulting in many health problems. Also it affects children mostly by making them handicapped as it affects young people brains.

The second cause of air pollution is Nitrogen oxides. Basically Nitrogen oxide is one of the harmful gases which is produced into the atmosphere due to various human activities such as burning of fuel. NO is very dangerous: when combined with rain water, it forms Nitrogen trioxide (NO3) which is acidic and causes a change in the soil Ph. When acidic rains pour on soil, it increases its acidity causing the damage of crops and makes soil unsuitable for replant!!!

The last air pollutant is Sulpher dioxide (SO2). The SO2 is emitted due to the burning of Sulpher(S) containing fuels such as coal, fossil fuels…etc. Moreover, being exposed to high concentration of SO2 may result in breathing problems, while short-term exposure has been linked to three unhealthy problems as wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath. Also, it causes acid rains as Nitrogen Oxides.

Finally, the causes of air pollution can be many to name, but many of them can be reduced by human beings by reducing the activities which produce these harmful and hazardous gases as: exhaust, Nitrogen oxides and Sulpher dioxide.