Top 10 Causes of Air Pollution 

The word ‘Air Pollution’ itself is not a very pleasing one. The word air pollution is surrounded by pangs of concern and clouds of worry. The health of humans, well being of other animals and the natural balance in the ecosystem, everything its and bits of life is threatened by air pollution.

It initiates acid rain, creates smog, causes cancer, triggers allergies, intensifies symptoms of asthma, leads to respiratory diseases, causes phenomenons like global warming, endangers the flora and fauna and the list thus goes on.

Going into the depth of air pollution the major factors contributing towards the causes of air pollution in points are listed below i

Particulate Matter

Air pollution is characterised by the presence of particulate matter in the air of the atmosphere.

Poisonous Gas

Air is also said to be polluted when there is a presence of poisonous gases in the air we breathe.

Emission from Vehicles

• The vehicle exhaust fumes in cities form the largest source of air pollution.
• Carbon monoxide which is the principle bearer of air pollution is emitted from the exhaust of the vehicles.

Combustion of Fossil Fuels

• Burning of fossil fuel leads to the formation of these poisonous odourless colourless gas called carbon monoxide.
• Carbon monoxide is an extremely harmful gas.

Pollution From Air Conditioners

• The filters in air conditioners when not changed regularly combines with air along with its dirt and pollutants leading to the pollution inside house.
• This makes us breathe disease causing air inside our houses too.

Dust & Dirt

• Air Pollution from dust and dirt is also a popular form of air pollution.
• Every day labour in agricultural and construction industry lifts up dirt and dust that  goes airborne in the atmosphere leading to air pollution.
• Dust lifted from tractors in fields and also land clearing and general demolition in the construction field.

Household Pollution

• Household chemicals that is being used without proper ventilation is also a major source of indoor air pollution.
• And this type of indoor air pollution is very harmful for babies and infants.

Pollution from Natural Events

• Natural events like volcanic eruption, dust storms and forest fires are natural causes of air pollution.

Deforestation

• Trees are responsible for absorption of many harmful gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide etc and returning oxygen in exchange.
• Cutting down of these trees leads to lack of absorption of these gases.
• Abundance of these gases causes global warming

Pollution from Factories

• The end products of certain factories are harmful gases like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide.
• These factories carelessly excrete these gases in the atmosphere  contributing to air pollution.

Results Of Air Pollution

Depletion of Ozone Layer and Global Warming

• Increased emission of chlorofluorocarbons lead to the depletion of ozone layer which in turn is causing global warming.
  The main job of the ozone layer is to keep the earth’s temperature regulated by trapping the sunlight from the sun’s radiation.
• The other objective is to protect us from the harmful radiations of the sun. But these increased emission of CFCs, bromine, chlorine led to the depletion of ozone layer.
• CFC’s, bromine, chlorine are the main end products of industries and factories. Thus the result is global warming, change in climatic conditions, melting of glaciers, increase in sea level etc.
• It has also heightened the risk of skin cancer caused by the harmful emission of sunlight.

Acid Rain

• Sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon dioxide and other chemicals and pollutants react with water molecules in atmosphere to generate the highly harmful rain called acid rain.
• These pollutants are end product of the various factories, automobiles and many industrial or manufacturing plants.
• Pollutants which are the harmful end products of various factories, industries, plants and other establishments are carelessly discharged into the atmosphere leading to pollution of air.
• Acid rain thus falling in ground also causes water pollution affecting the water species and land pollution affecting the natural balance of the soil thus degrading the quality of the crops grown.

The causes are numerous and so are the solutions. We need to adopt them soon for coming out of these alarming situation.