10 CONSEQUENCES OF AIR POLLUTION - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

Among the most damaging consequences of air pollution are acid rain, the smog effect, the extinction of species, the greenhouse effect, among others. Pollution is the deterioration of the conditions and elements of the environment that is caused by the presence of polluting elements in the water, the soil and the atmosphere, the vast majority of which are generated by man.

The improper disposal of solid waste, excreta and toxic products, together with factories and industries, fires, smoking habits, motor vehicles, household appliances, machinery, tools and much more, generate irreversible damage to the environment, producing diseases in beings. humans, animals and all living beings that coexist in different ecosystems.

Air pollution is produced by the mixture of solid particles and gases in the air, altering the natural proportion of this element that we all breathe.

Many of the elements (if not all) that pollute the air are toxic for human beings, generating adverse effects on their material goods, animals and plants.

Consequences derived from air pollution

1- Acid rain

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The accumulation of vapors and toxic gases in the air produce the formation of acids that fall with the rainwater damaging crops, eroding soils, buildings, sculptures and natural monuments, altering the animal and plant population, and of course man.

The primary pollutants that cause acid rain tend to travel long distances, traveling on the wind for thousands of kilometers before falling in the form of rain, hail or drizzle, deteriorating the environment in its various systems.

2- Harmful effects for respiratory health

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined in the Air Quality Index, that pollutants have a direct impact on lung function and increase the statistics of heart attacks causing serious respiratory diseases and fatal diseases such as lung cancer.

Undoubtedly, this means a deterioration in the physical and mental health of people, since the suffering of chronic respiratory diseases affects the respiratory capacity of people and the oxygen levels in the blood.

This results in an impoverishment of intellectual capacity, evidenced by a decrease in memory, problems to coordinate and generate ideas, as well as a decrease in physical performance.

3- Greenhouse effect

Greenhouse effect scheme. Source: Robert A. Rohde (Dragons flight at English Wikipedia), Translation into Spanish felix, adaptation layout Basquetteur

It is the phenomenon by which the gases present in the atmospheric layer retain the heat emitted by the Earth. This accumulation of temperature comes from solar radiation and when it bounces off the earth's surface it is trapped in the wall of gases.

The gases responsible for this phenomenon are precisely the two most toxic agents in the air: carbon dioxide and methane. Scientific evidence has shown that the greenhouse effect is the cause of global warming.

4- Irreversible damage to the skin

Air pollution has been shown to have contributed to the increase in skin cancer in recent years, especially in regions where the ozone layer is depleted, allowing direct access to ultraviolet rays with greater intensity on Earth, increasing sun damage to people's skin.

5- Smog effect

Photochemical smog in Salt Lake City, USA. Source: Eltiempo10, from Wikimedia Commons

Translated into Spanish as the beret effect, this phenomenon produced by polluted air generates an inversion in the temperature of the planet, that is, the high pressures create a barrier and the cold air remains trapped in the lower layers, while the upper layer is at high temperatures.

The allergic cocktail that is formed with the smog effect is composed of pollen and toxic gases, increasing on a large scale the number of allergic people who develop irritation in the lung tissues by inhaling these pollutants.

6- Damages in the fields

Air pollution directly affects agriculture because plants develop a high sensitivity to pollutants that float in the air that deteriorate the quality of crops.

Ironically, agriculture and livestock contribute 40% of the ammonia gases that pollute the air. These emissions are caused by livestock, fertilizers and indiscriminate deforestation.

7- Deterioration of materials

The combination of toxic gases that every day deteriorate the quality of the air we breathe affects at the same time the materials used in construction and other surfaces, reducing their resistance.

8- Multiple chemical sensitivity

Chlorofluorocarbons are used indiscriminately in air conditioners, cleaning solvents, domestic and industrial refrigerators, and aerosols.

These generate environmental degradation because they reduce the ozone layer, developing diseases in the individual that affect the quality of life in the family and society, giving rise to new infectious processes that are difficult to diagnose and treat.

9- Extinction of animal species

Air pollution generates alterations in the balance of ecosystems, producing a variation in the number of species of flora and fauna, increasing some species and radically decreasing others, thus altering the delicate balance of nature.

10- Poor air quality in closed spaces

Numerous air pollutants present in the atmosphere can contaminate, in the same way, the indoor environment, that is, the air we breathe inside our homes.

Although atmospheric air quality is divided equally among community members, indoor air pollution largely depends on the socioeconomic level of the family and the habits they possess.

If there are active smokers among family members who smoke indoors, the air quality will be quite poor; Likewise, activities such as the combustion of kerosene, propane gas, among others, can cause different effects on the health of family members.

What causes pollution?

The main air pollutants are divided into toxic gases and solid particles. In the first group is the carbon monoxide produced by the combustion of gasoline in motor vehicles. The sulfur and nitrogen oxide generated by the combustion of coal, oil and other fuels.

The smoke produced by the indiscriminate burning of solid waste, garbage and the consumption of cigarettes are other toxic gases that alter the composition of the air, as well as the lead compounds that are released from gasoline, the use in battery manufacturing and the telephone industry.

Mercury vapors, used in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps, and cadmium whose gases are released from the manufacture of rubbers, paints and batteries, are highly toxic gases that are found daily in the atmosphere, especially in industrial areas where the air quality is getting poorer.

On the other hand, the solid particles that pollute the air come from the textile factories as organic dust. At the same time, from the pulverization of rocks, the cement, glass and brick industry, silica particles are released that are highly toxic to the atmosphere.

Preventive measures

Among the consequences listed, it is evident that there are numerous negative effects that air pollution has on people's health and the balance of the natural ecosystem and the planet's biodiversity.

However, there are a series of actions that we can all carry out in order to reduce or prevent diseases caused by air pollution and which we summarize below:

• Properly dispose of solid waste, that is, garbage, in sanitary landfills, avoiding indiscriminate incineration in the open air.
• Monitor refrigeration systems and air conditioners to avoid the abuse of chlorofluorocarbons.
• Maintain hygiene and cleanliness inside homes to avoid the accumulation of dust, as well as ensure good ventilation of spaces, avoid overcrowding, among others.
• Risk personnel who work in industries and factories of products that use or generate toxic gases must use protective clothing and masks to avoid inhaling contaminated air.
• Constantly review the state of the exhaust pipes and carburetion system of private vehicles and public transport to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide.
• Promote effective campaigns to reduce and eradicate the consumption of cigarettes in society, reporting on their harmful effects on health and the atmosphere in general.

It is important to understand that children and the elderly are the most susceptible to the health effects of air polluting toxins, and in many cases the pollution generates a cumulative effect on the human body.

Definitely, air pollution is one of the most severe problems in the world. No society is exempt from it, regardless of the economic and social development it possesses, all individuals are sensitive to the effects generated by this type of pollution.

There are specific groups of populations that are exposed to constant sources of air pollution, meanwhile epidemiological studies show that the exposure of these pollutants in the air is directly associated with an increase in asthma and lung dysfunction in children, adolescents and the elderly.

References

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