Health Problems: The respiratory and heart problems are the first ones which are associated with the air which is not clean. There are also others such as the various types of cancer caused by the air pollution. Small children suffer from asthma in areas where the quantities of chemicals and other harmful substances is too much. Millions of people die on an annual basis due to the deteriorated ambient condition.- Global Warming: It is related to the climate change which has brought about increased temperatures which, in turn, have led to melting of the ice caps and rising the level of the seas. This is an alarming trend as many animals are struggling for their survival in conditions which are far from promoting normal existence. In the last several there has been an increased awareness about this particular problem and most of the governments worldwide have taken measures aimed at tackling i- the Kyoto Protocol is an example of such. It is basically an agreement between different countries which have promised to reduce their emissions of CO2 and various gases promoting the greenhouse effect. Another step in the process of dealing with the global warming issue is putting higher taxes or imposing penalties which may motivate both ordinary people and industries to cut down on using fuels.
- Acid Rains: When petroleum or other fossil fuels are burned, the amount of Nitrogen or Sulphur Oxides in the atmosphere is enormously rising. They are known to cause the so-called acid rains. When it is raining outside, these substances mix with the droplets, turns acidic and falls on the ground. There it leads to the contamination of the soil which can affect the quality of the underground water. Due to this people, as well as animals and crops, are severely influenced
- Eutrophication: The excessive amounts of nitrogen lead to various other problems. One of them is the eutrophication which is the reason why there are algal blooms in different aquatic basins. These blooms do a lot of harm as they consume a lot of oxygen and deprive the water plants and animals of it thus endangering their survival.
- Wildlife: Every living creature on Earth is affected by the air pollution. The wildlife representative are not an exception. When there are larger quantities of chemicals in the atmosphere in a certain area, the animals living there may migrate to different locations. This is the best thing these creatures may do as the other option is simply dying.
- Ozone Layer Depletion: The ozone is the gas which prevents the dangerous ultraviolet rays from harming us and causing numerous negative health conditions. If it was not there to protect us, we would be suffering from various types of cancer, other malignancies and problems. However, in the course of our activities we have caused its enormous depletion thus directly exposing ourselves at risk. The thinner ozone layer will not only endanger our health directly, but it will also affect the crops because the harmful UV rays will reach them unimpeded.
All of the problems listed so far can be attributed to two main causes – nature and man air pollution
The natural contributors to the air pollution are represented mainly by the dust which is blown by the wind and comes from locations without significant vegetation. What is more, different gases appear in the air after biological processes such as breathing when CO2 is released or cattle digestion after which Methane is produced. Other factors leading to the worsening of the quality of the ambience are the forest fires or the volcanic eruptions.
The man has caused much more damage than nature when it comes to air pollution. Once again, the smoke is the most significant factor. It is released from factories, vehicles or landfills. Landfills are a methane depot as it is generated from the waste dumped there. All of the chemicals present in the atmosphere are capable of having a detrimental effect on the health of the entire ecosystem and its representatives.