Now we are going to discuss 10 major causes of air pollution which will help us to understand the reason for air pollution and how we can prevent air pollution and we have already discussed different types of pollution and their prevention methods.
Table of Contents
Causes of Air Pollution:
Industrial Exhaust:
In industrial areas, large amounts of harmful oxides like oxides of nitrogen, oxides of sulfur, oxides of carbon, different particles exist and directly mix with atmospheric air which changes the physical and chemical properties of normal air.
Different gaseous material emissions cause global climate change by disturbing the atmospheric composition and some chemicals are very serious for human health like metal dust particles cause different types of respiratory system diseases because of their deposition in lungs.
Agricultural Activities:
In agriculture we use different chemicals to decrease different damage and increase the yield of our crops, for example, we use chemical fertilizers to meet the nutrients requirements in crops, we use chemical pesticides to prevent damage caused by pests, chemical herbicides to restrict the growth of unnecessary weeds, chemical fungicide for controlling various disease-causing fungus.
But the chemical is not good for our environment and human health because the chemicals when they come into the air damage the balance among different compositions of the atmosphere which causes air pollution.
Burning of Fossil Fuels:
When we use fossil fuels for domestic purposes, industrial purposes, production of thermoelectric, use in transportation causes emissions of large amounts of carbon monoxide which is responsible for causing air pollution and it causes different types of respiratory difficulty.
Indoor Air Pollution:
We most of the time think about outdoor air pollution but we do not give special attention to various causes which make our indoor air quality bad where we live comfortably without any fear. Smoking, burning of plastic, poor ventilation, burning of wood during cold season without proper ventilation release very harmful gaseous substances which pollute our indoor air.
Exhaust of Transportation:
In large cities, the population is very busy and due to this large population a large number of vehicles are used for transportation but the exhaust emitted from the vehicle contains carbon particles and some harmful gas which mix with air and make the air unsuitable for the environment.
Some old engines which have reduced efficiency emit more exhaust so we have to be aware of it and take care about the exhaust of vehicles to prevent air pollution.
Microbial Activity:
Different types of soil microorganisms help in recycling different elements in our earth by different biogeochemical cycles but sometimes excess microbial activity causes the production of harmful gas in large amounts which may cause serious health issues.
For example, some microorganisms like some archaebacteria can produce methane but when methanogen bacteria grow at a very high rate then they cause mass emissions of methane gas which sometimes can cause death.
Burning of Garbage:
In some cities, the population is very high so large amounts of garbage gather on a regular basis and they need proper management to prevent environmental pollution. But sometimes garbage is burnt in open public areas which causes air pollution and the gases produced during burning different garbage cause emissions of some chemicals which can cause cancer like serious disease in humans.
Mining Industry:
In the mining industry, large amounts of dust particles are produced which are present in air suspended form, and some dust particles like some metal dust like copper dust can cause serious disease in human beings.
Synthetic Products:
Different chemicals we use in our daily life sometimes cause air pollution in our home which is sometimes more harmful than outdoor air pollution, for example, the deodorant and perfumes we use sometimes contain some harmful chemicals which can cause different health issues in humans.
Wildfire:
Human activity or change in climatic conditions cause sudden wildfire which can release large amounts of harmful gaseous substances and when they mix with air it damages the balance of components of air and causes air pollution.
| Causes of Noise Pollution |
| 11 Causes of Soil Pollution |
| 10 Causes of Water Pollution |
| Air Pollution Causes and its Control |
| Biodegradable vs Non-Biodegradable Substances |
How Oxides of Nitrogen Cause Air Pollution?
In our atmosphere, there are a certain proportion of different gaseous components but if any gaseous substances disturb the balance then it causes air pollution. Different oxides of nitrogen are responsible for acid rain, oxides of nitrogen cause different types of disorders in the human respiratory tract, if the nitrogen oxides are dissolved in the ocean in a much higher amount then it causes algal bloom.
How Metal Dust Particles Can Cause Air Pollution?
Metal dust particles come from different industries if directly mix with air, especially cadmium, mercury, lead cause air pollution, and if we inhale them in higher amounts then it can cause different types of respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis. Those heavy metal dust particles are not only harmful to humans they also harm plants by blocking their leaves stomata which are used for gaseous exchange in plants.
What is Indoor Air Pollution?
Most of the time when we are in our room we think we are safe from all types of air pollution but always we are not right in such case because sometimes we can face air pollution in our room also. Suppose in the cold season when sometimes wood is burnt for heat but ventilation in the room is not proper then is it safe for us so it is an example of indoor air pollution.
Why Inefficient Old Engines Cause More Air Pollution?
If we think about air pollution caused due to exhaust of vehicles then the most harmful vehicles are those which produces much exhaust and whose engines are not efficient and we should restrict those old inefficient engines to prevent air pollution.
How Chemicals used in Agriculture Can Cause Air Pollution?
In agriculture, to improve the yield we use different types of chemicals like chemical fertilizers for soil fertility, chemicals herbicides and weedicide for controlling unwanted weeds on field, chemical fungicides to controlling fungal infections but those chemicals if used in excessive amounts then it can mix with air and can cause air pollution.
How Mining Industry Can Cause Air Pollution?
In the mining industry during the mining of minerals mineral dust are produced and some of them are of fine size and can suspend into the air and disturb the balance of atmospheric composition and when they enter our respiratory systems it deposits in the lungs and cause damage to our lungs and some of the lung damages are not curable.
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