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Effects Of Air Pollution: Is It Safe To Take A Deep Breath?
from:Since the days of cavemen building fires in poor ventilated caves, the effects of air pollution have been a fact of life. Unfortunately, that fact of life has become a major pollution issue that needs to be dealt with. Increased industrialization, building, and population have caused the levels of air pollution to go soaring. The effects of air pollution are not good and have harmed many species and continue to be the main reason for many diseases and even death.
Reasons for Pollution
Air pollutants stem from many sources and are made up of many types of molecules. A few contributing components include:
• Carbon Dioxide – Burning fossil fuels, such as gasoline
• Nitrogen Dioxide – Burning biomasses and fossil fuels
• Nitrous Oxide – From nitrogen based fertilizers
• Sulfur Dioxide – Combustion of sulfur-based fuels, such as oil
• Chlorofluorocarbons – Or Freon come from refrigerants, aerosol cans, and the burning of plastics
• Smog – A combination of gases that are released with the burning of fuels from industries, transportation devices, and fires
Indoors And Out
There is no escaping the effects air pollution and they are all negative. It is true that those who live in and around cities are increasingly exposed, due to the amount of industry, autos on the roadways, and population. However, those who live on farms are subjected to exhaust from farm equipment, fertilizers, and animal waste that contain chemicals. Some may think that they are safe if they are in the confines of their own home but that is not true. There are air pollutants inside that are just as dangerous. Poor ventilation of heating and cooling systems, household chemicals, fibers, and more contribute to air pollutants.
What Happens As The Result
The damage done by air pollution touches many organisms and many are not directly exposed. The effects of air pollution can travel in the atmosphere for days, therefore spreading across the miles from its original source. The results can vary, but some examples include:
• Plant life – Plants clean the air of carbon dioxide, but with deforestation comes fewer plants to do so. Plants will also absorb the toxic levels of carbon dioxide, which will lessen their protective waxy coating. This coating is vital for water and food storage, so without this then disease and pests are more likely to attack and the plant will die.
• Health – The lungs need oxygen to survive and that oxygen is carried through the blood stream to the heart and then pumped to the other organs throughout the body. Many illness are linked to air pollution, such as: common cold, croup, asthma, bronchitis, COPD, lung cancer, heart failure, coronary disease, and much more.
The effects of air pollution are not a new problem, but it seems to get worse and not better. The governments have gotten better regulating and fining the big industries, but it is hard to regulate air pollution on the personal level. It is our responsibility to regulate and decrease our use of air pollutants or else we will not live in our world as we have grown accustomed to.
Sea Pollution Specific links
Sea Pollution News
NZ Sea Pollution Disaster Captain Is Jailed
The captain and second officer of a ship that caused New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster when it ploughed into an offshore reef have both been jailed for seven months.
Read more...Robotic 'fish' take to seas to catch pollution sooner
In a bid to track sea pollution by mimicking how fish navigate and work together, scientists on Tuesday moved their robotic fish from the lab to the sea.
Read more...Pollution-hunting robot fish take to the sea
LONDON (May 22): Robot "fish" developed by European scientists to improve pollution monitoring moved from the lab to the sea in a test at the northern Spanish port of Gijon on Tuesday.
Read more...Ship's captain jailed over New Zealand oil spill
The captain and second officer of a ship that caused New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster when it ploughed into an offshore reef were both jailed for seven months on Friday.
Read more...Robofish Detects Sea Pollution and Protects Real Marine Life, Is a Freaking Robot
Check out this robot, made to fish out (get it?) pollution in the ocean or ports. It also gives bloggers an excuse to make really bad puns.
Read more...