Who Air Pollution Impacts

Leah Foss

 

Who Air Pollution Impacts

Air pollution is the presence of chemicals in the air we breathe that is high enough to cause harm to all living things and entire ecosystems. It is a serious problem that the world will continue to face in the future that needs to be properly understood in order to combat it. This is an issue that is estimated to cause the death of 2.4 million people yearly, according to the World Health Organization. According to the EPA, the United States loses between 150,000 to 350,000 people each year due to air pollution.  Because it impacts so many people, this is a serious issue that needs to be discussed. Part of preventing air pollution is by better understanding just exactly what causes harmful air pollution. Some activities that contribute to air pollution are burning coal and oil in order to produce steel, cement, and electricity, the burning of forests and grasslands, and car emissions. Some of the most dangerous sources of air pollution indoors include tobacco smoke, radioactive radon, and formaldehyde. All of these practices can and should be reduced in order to help our environment.

Air pollution has many adverse effects to the world. One example of this is acid deposition, better known as acid rain. This is when acidic particles fall from the air by precipitation and then are washed into aquatic systems and onto land. This acid rain is said to contribute to respiratory diseases, and the irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat in both humans and animals alike. One other effect that is caused from acid rain is that it removes toxic metals like lead from the soil. This then transfers down the streams and rivers and can get into fish that pick them up, thereby contaminating their ecosystem. This can later cause humans harm if they consume the fish. Acid rain is a serious issue that can impact everyone even if they do not immediately realize it.

Another problem that arises from air pollution is that higher rates of pollution are often linked with birth defects and lower reproductive rates. This causes populations to decrease, obviously, and could lead to extinction for some species of animals if the pollution amounts continue to increase. This is not only a problem for humans and animals, but also a problem that has been arising in crops. Air pollution can directly affect crops by contaminating the soil and water supply, thereby reducing crop yield.

Since air pollution can be harmful to all living things, it is something that everyone should be educated on to better understand the effects it has on the environment. Air pollution does not just effect heavily industrialized countries such as China, but it also impacts the rest of the world even if they aren’t contributing to air pollution. It can contaminate ecosystems, destroying the wildlife, and can even slip into your food. Because it has such a wide scale impact on the environment, it is important that people are better educated on just what exactly air pollution is and what can be done to prevent it.

 

Sources:

https://www.who.int/airpollution/en/

https://www.epa.gov/clean-air-act-overview/air-pollution-current-and-future-challenges

One thought on “Who Air Pollution Impacts

  1. I’m definitely shocked with a number of deaths! When I read that 2.4 million people die every year, I thought I couldn’t be true! But the fact is that air pollution really causes many deaths and other problems. And people with lung diseases, such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema are always at a higher risk. Moreover, like it was stated in the report. Children and older adults are also at risk. The first usually play outdoors when the weather is warm and ozone levels are higher. The second ones are are more likely to have pre-existing lung disease. Under the Clean Air Act, EPA implements regulatory programs that helps to protect human health and the global environment. Government and health organizations should take actions and implement practices in order to reduce such activities as burning coal and oil that are harmful for the air. And, without any doubts, we should take care of forests and grasslands

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