Causes and Effects of Air Pollution - Essay Example

Causes and Effects of Air Pollution Many environmentalists have often discussed strategies of reducing air pollution, in their effort to combat the detrimental it causes. The concern from renowned organizations such as the World Health Organization serves to highlight the potential threat posed by air pollution to human beings and the environment. There are two categories of air pollutants, one being natural pollutants, and the second human pollution. This paper will highlight the causes and effects of air pollution.

Natural pollutants include volcanic eruptions, forest fires, wind erosion, natural radioactivity, and organic compounds evaporation, dispersal of pollen and wind erosion. Although these natural events have proved to cause a measure of air pollution, their frequency is very low. The main sources of air pollution are human activities. Industries are among the leading sources of air pollutants of numerous gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide (Krzyzanowski and Kuna-Dibbert 56).

Other pollutants from industries are organic compounds especially from petroleum refineries. The burning of fossil fuels in different locomotives is an additional cause of air pollutants with the increasing reliance of vehicles, trains, and motor cycles. These pollutants include gases such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulates. Household and farming chemicals form the third source of air pollutants. These pollutants emanate from activities such as fumigating homes, dusting crops, and pesticide spraying.

Air pollution has multiple detrimental effects on the environment and humans. Gases such as sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen usually mix with rainwater forming acid that destroys vegetation and pollutes water. Moreover, some pollutants find their way into the soil through rain, and cause eutrophication. Other pollutants have led to the formation of ground level ozone that has affected people’s health adversely (Krzyzanowski and Kuna-Dibbert 45). Air pollution also involves particulate matter such as lead, and presents multiple effects.

Such particulate matter may cause respiratory disorders and long-term effects such as cancer, heart disease, and kidney disorders. Evidently, air pollution is highly dangerous, and there is need for intervention from governments to combat the detrimental effects.Work CitedKrzyzanowski, Michal, and Birgit Kuna-Dibbert. Health Effects of Transport-Related Air Pollution. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2005. Internet resource.