Causes Of Air Pollution

How much pollution we breathe in is dependent on many factors, such as access to

clean energy for cooking and heating, the time of day and the weather. Rush hour is an
obvious source of local pollution, but air pollution can travel long distances, sometimes
across continents on international weather patterns.

Nobody is safe from this pollution, which comes from five main human sources. These
sources spew out a range of substances including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide,
nitrogen oxide, ground-level ozone, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons,
and lead–all of which are harmful to human health.

Household

The main source of household air pollution is the indoor burning of fossil fuels, wood
and other biomass-based fuels to cook, heat and light homes. Around 3.8 million
premature deaths are caused by indoor air pollution each year, the vast majority of
them in the developing world.

Out of 193 countries, 97 countries have increased the percentage of households that
have access to cleaner burning fuels to over 85 percent. However, 3 billion
people continue to use solid fuels and open fires for cooking, heating, and lighting. The
adoption of cleaner, more modern stoves and fuels can reduce the risks of illness and
save lives.

Industry

In many countries, power generation is a leading source of air pollution. Coal-burning

power plants are a major contributor, while diesel generators are a growing concern in
off-grid areas. Industrial processes and solvent use, in the chemical and mining
industries, also pollute the air.
Policies and programmes aimed at increasing
energy efficiency and production from renewable
sources have a direct impact on a country’s air
quality. At the moment, 82 countries out of 193
have incentives that promote investment in
renewable energy production, cleaner production,
energy efficiency and pollution control.

Transport

The global transport sector accounts for almost one-quarter of energy-related carbon
dioxide emissions and this proportion is rising. Air pollution emissions from transport
have been linked to nearly 400,000 premature deaths. Almost half of all deaths by air
pollution from transport are caused by diesel emissions, while those living closest to
major traffic arteries are up to 12 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia.

Reducing vehicle emissions is an important intervention to improve air quality,

especially in urban areas. Policies and standards that require the use of cleaner fuels
and advanced vehicle emissions standards can reduce vehicle emissions by 90 percent
or more.

Agriculture

The major sources of air pollution from agriculture include livestock, which produces
methane and ammonia, rice paddies, which produce methane, and the burning of
agricultural waste. Methane emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level
ozone, which causes asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Methane is also a more
potent global warming gas than
carbon dioxide – its impact is 34
times greater over a 100-year
period. Around 24 percent of all
greenhouse gases emitted
worldwide come agriculture,
forestry and other land-use.

There are many ways to reduce

air pollution from agriculture.
People can move to a plant-based
diet and/or reduce food waste,
while farmers can reduce methane
from livestock by optimizing feed digestibility and improving grazing and grassland
management.

Waste

Open waste burning and organic waste in

landfills release harmful dioxins, furans,
methane, and fine particulate matter like
black carbon into the atmosphere.
Globally, an estimated 40 percent of waste
is openly burned. The problem is most
severe in urbanizing regions and
developing countries. Open burning of
agricultural and municipal waste is
practiced in 166 out of 193 countries.

Improving the collection, separation, and disposal of solid waste reduces the amount
of waste that is burned or landfilled. Separating organic waste and turning it into
compost or bioenergy improves soil fertility and provides an alternative energy source.
Reducing the estimated one-third of all food that is lost or wasted can also improve air
quality.

Other sources

Not all air pollution comes from human activity. Volcanic eruptions, dust storms and
other natural processes also cause problems. Sand and dust storms are particularly
concerning. Fine particles of dust can travel thousands of miles on the back of these
storms, which may also carry pathogens and harmful substances, causing acute and
chronic respiratory problems.
Centro Escolar “República De Venezuela”

Teacher: Cecilia Argueta.

Matter: English.

Topic: Air Pollution.

Members: Jennifer Portillo. Nº1

Katherine Valencia.Nº33

Stephanie Menjivar .Nº1

Grade: 9º

Section: “A”

2019
 Introduction

The pollution is one, the problem, the weather, the environment, the cause of the
adverse effects on man, animals, plants and materials. Define a dose exceeding the
acceptable levels in nature. Pollution can arise from certain manifestations of nature
or, due to the different productive processes of man that make up the activities of
daily life. The sources that generate the contaminations of the most important human
origins are: industrial, commercial, agricultural, domiciliary and mobile sources.
The technological progress and the accelerated demographic growth, produce the
alteration of the environment, reaching in some cases to attempt against the biological
balance of the Earth. It is not that there is an absolute incompatibility between
technological development, the advance of civilization and the maintenance of
ecological balance, but it is important that man know how to harmonize them. To do
this, it is necessary to protect renewable and non-renewable resources and to be
aware that sanitation of the environment is fundamental for life on the planet.