Gases are emitted from fossil fuel burning. Nitrogen dioxide is an example of a harmful gas. In the UK the largest sources of nitrogen dioxide are from vehicle exhausts and household gas combustion. Chemicals come from vehicle exhausts, evaporation from petrol stations, paint and chemical plants, solid fuel burning, cleaning and personal care products.
One common type of harmful chemicals are called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Several construction sites and raw materials such as bricks and concrete cause haze and foul air which is hazardous for the people especially, children and elderly citizens.
Agricultural activities have had a serious impact on the decreasing air quality. To begin with pesticides and fertilizers are the main source to contaminate the surrounding air. Nowadays, pesticides and fertilizers are mixed with new invasive species which are not found in nature, for quick growth of the crops and vegetation.
Once they are sprayed over, the smell and the effect of the pesticides are left in the air. Some mix with water and some seeps into the ground which not only destroys the crops but also causes numerous health-related issues. Talking about air pollution, we always consider outdoor air pollution dangerous for our lives but never talk about indoor air pollution. Household products cause indoor air pollution which is 10 times more harmful than outdoor air pollution. Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs found in paints, cleaners and personal care products such as perfume and deodorants are a reason for common heath issues.
Risks like asthma or other respiratory issues and lung disease are other issues cause by inhaling poor house air quality. In the United States, people of color are 1. Historically, racist zoning policies and the discriminatory lending practices known as redlining have combined to keep polluting industries and car-choked highways away from white neighborhoods and have turned communities of color—especially poor and working-class communities of color—into sacrifice zones where residents are forced to breathe dirty air and suffer the many health problems associated with it.
In addition to the increased health risks that come from living in such places, members of these communities experience economic harm in the form of missed workdays, higher medical costs, and local underinvestment.
Environmental racism isn't limited to cities and industrial areas. Outdoor laborers, including the estimated three million migrant and seasonal farmworkers in the United States, are among the most vulnerable to air pollution—and also among the least equipped, politically, to pressure employers and lawmakers to affirm their right to breathe clean air.
Recently, c umulative impact mapping , which uses data on environmental conditions and demographics, has been able to show how some communities are overburdened with layers of issues, like high levels of poverty, unemployment, and pollution. In the United States, the Clean Air Act has been a crucial tool for reducing air pollution since its passage in , although fossil-fuel interests aided by industry-friendly lawmakers have frequently attempted to weaken its many protections.
Ensuring that this bedrock environmental law remains intact and properly enforced will always be key to maintaining and improving our air quality. But the best, most effective way to control air pollution is to speed up our transition to cleaner fuels and industrial processes. By switching over to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power , maximizing fuel efficiency in our vehicles, and replacing more and more of our gasoline-powered cars and trucks with electric versions, we'll be limiting air pollution at its source while also curbing the global warming that heightens so many of its worst health impacts.
And what about the economic costs of controlling air pollution? According to a report on the Clean Air Act commissioned by NRDC, the annual benefits of cleaner air are up to 32 times greater than the cost of clean-air regulations.
When you can, walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation. For driving, choose a car that gets better miles per gallon of gas, or choose an electric car. Buying your food locally cuts down on the fossil fuels burned in trucking or flying food in from across the country. This story was originally published on November 1, , and has been updated with new information and links. The global toll of premature deaths attributed to the burning of coal, gasoline, and diesel is breathtakingly high, with new research doubling previous estimates.
For 50 years the Clean Air Act has proved that health and prosperity go hand in hand. The landmark law is now under threat. The Trump administration failed to monitor air pollution in the toxic aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
The air in southwestern Indiana is bad enough without the emissions from yet another proposed polluter. Ten years after the disaster at a Tennessee power plant, the cleanup crew is seeking justice. Provided by Universe Today.
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