Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, that are harmful or hazardous to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment into the atmosphere. [1]
Do you know that air pollution is divided into two? Air pollution is divided to outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution. Both outdoor and indoor air pollution are hazardous and cause serious effects to both humans and living organisms around us.
In reality, indoor pollution caused by people smoking in indoor areas is far more dangerous than outdoor pollution. Why is it so? Cigarettes smoke contains dangerous gases like carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde and many more. Humans cannot choose which air to breathe in and breathe out. So, in indoor areas, we are still exposing to these harmful gases when we breathe. This is called second hand smoking or passive smoking. [3]
We are living in an urban city. Our houses are usually located next to highways or roads. It is inevitable that outdoor pollutants enter our house. Even if you close the windows and doors, the pollutants can easily find their way inside the house. Outdoor air will move in the house through small avenues and even small cracks in walls, floors and ceilings. Fans and other ventilation systems stir up the air, which moves from room to room as well as from the outside in. This worries many people as people spend almost 90% of their time staying indoor. [2]
Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution could very well affect our health and wellbeing. But how great is the impact on us? Depending on the gravity of the air pollution our health can be affected on short-term and also on a long term basis.
The Short-Term effects are considered milder, example irritation to the eyes, nose and throat and exposure to upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. However, short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. [4]
More serious and chronic effects are grouped as the Long-Term effects. It includes chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, heart diseases, and even damage to the brain and other human organs. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. [4]
Over the years, the natural ecosystems are slowly affected by the air pollution which causes the acid rain, thinning of ozone layers, tropospheric ozone and global warming.
All these effects indirectly harm the living things. Acid rain slowly kills the trees and harms animals and marine life. It also changes the chemistry of water in lakes and seas, harming the aquatic life. [5]
Parts of the ozone layer are destroyed by the air pollutant, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC). This causes the thinning of ozone layers and emits Ultraviolet radiation that damages plants and wildlife. [5]
So, to save the earth and humankind let us reduce the effects by taking steps to:
• Reduce the harmful emissions of vehicles by carpooling or driving less.
• Turn off appliances and lights when not in so as to conserve energy.
• Recycle to reduce harmful emission produced in the production of plastics, glasses and paper.
• Buy smartly by choosing air saving products.
• Plant more greens to remove carbon monoxide from the air. [6]
Water Pollution
Soaps and detergents can be harmful to the water supply when they are washed into the rivers and streams as a result of washing a car. A better place to wash a car is a commercial car wash where they have a system in place to deal with the watershed and detergents.
Oil, antifreeze and gasoline leaking from cars contribute to water pollution when it rains and the rainwater picks up the chemicals and it runs into the nearby streams and river. Fertilizers and pesticides leak into the water system through the ground water. When it gets washed into storm sewers and drains into the rivers and streams.
Livestock waste will pollute the streams and river. Livestock waste is full of bacteria and it is harmful to humans and cause many diseases, therefore it is better to bag up animal wastes and throw it in the trash. [7]
Effects of Water Pollution
The flora and fauna found in a particular water body tend to adapt themselves to the prevailing conditions - such as temperature, acidity, etc. Pollution affects the physical and chemical properties of water, which in turn has hazardous effects on life forms dependent on it as most of these properties of water also double up as abiotic factors for these life forms, and when there is sudden change in these conditions as a result of pollution, it tends to result in some hazardous effects on them.
All the members being dependent on each other in an ecosystem, the loss of one species can result in a domino effect on various other species dependent on it. At the same time, the organic matter which is dumped into it also results in rapid multiplication of aerobic algae which brings down the oxygen levels of water and results in death of aquatic life forms. Similarly, the suspended particles in the water can hamper sunlight penetration in the water and sound the death knell for aquatic plants and animals which are dumped into the water bodies hamper the marine life. [8]
