Air Pollution Introduction

Any change in air's physical, chemical, or biological properties, or the release of liquids, gases, or solids that harms public health, safety, and welfare, or interferes with air resource use.

Examples include smoke, haze, dust, odors, corrosive gases, noise, and toxic compounds.

Estimated at over 3 million deaths per year globally.

Difficult to implement effective policies in developing countries, often due to weaker government oversight.

The air in the atmosphere, a thin layer around the earth.

The well-being of people in society, a key concern in air pollution.

Activities like domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, and other legitimate purposes that can be negatively affected by pollution.

Pollutants released enter the atmosphere and often return to the same area resulting in poor air.

The air that surrounds us, representing the general quality of the atmosphere in a broad area.

Pollutants released directly from a source in a harmful form.

Pollutants transformed into a harmful form after entering the air or through chemical reactions.

Pollutants that escape from a source without going through a smokestack, like dust from construction sites or leaks from refineries.

These are the six major air pollutants that were addressed first due to their high volume and health risks: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, and particulate matter.

Natural sources of sulfur in the atmosphere include evaporation of sea spray, erosion of sulfate-containing dust from arid soils, fumes from volcanoes and hot springs, and biogenic emissions of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and organic sulfur-containing compounds.

A gas released from burning fossil fuels, volcanoes, and industrial processes, contributing to acid rain and respiratory problems.

The overall level of pollution in a broad area, reflecting the average purity of the atmosphere.

Carbon monoxide (CO) binds to hemoglobin, preventing oxygen from attaching and being carried throughout the body.

Most CO comes from incomplete burning of fuels like coal, oil, and wood.

Catalytic converters in vehicles help oxidize CO into CO2, which is less harmful.

Ground-level ozone forms when sunlight reacts with pollutants like NO2 and VOCs.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that easily evaporate into the air.

Plants release large amounts of VOCs, mainly isoprene and terpenes.

Natural wetlands, rice paddies, and animals like termites produce significant methane.

A general term for substances produced from photochemical reactions, ozone being a prime example.

The release of carbon dioxide gas into the atmosphere, primarily from respiration and human activities.

Green plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, a process that converts light energy into chemical energy.

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels contribute to global warming, with serious consequences for humans and ecosystems.

A group of highly reactive elements, including chlorine, fluorine, bromine, and iodine, often used in industrial and consumer products.

Halogen compounds are powerful greenhouse gases, trapping heat in the atmosphere and contributing to global warming.

A type of halogen compound with a very long atmospheric lifetime, persisting for thousands of years.

A measure of a greenhouse gas's ability to trap heat in the atmosphere compared to carbon dioxide.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide.

Coal-burning power plants are the largest source of airborne mercury, contributing to about 70% of emissions.

Aquatic bacteria convert airborne mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that accumulates in fish.

Eating fish is the primary source of mercury exposure for humans, particularly seafood like swordfish and shrimp.

Air currents deposit airborne mercury worldwide, even from distant sources like Asian coal plants.

A devastating case of mercury poisoning in Japan, causing severe neurological damage in babies and adults.

Mercury poisoning can cause neurological impairments like deafness, blindness, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy.

Fuel combustion, ore smelting, and waste disposal release toxic metals like lead and mercury.

Mercury has been recently regulated, with policies like DAO 1997-38 in the Philippines, to prevent further contamination.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) release chlorine and fluorine atoms in the stratosphere, which destroy ozone molecules, reducing Earth's protection from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

These are particularly dangerous toxins monitored by the EPA. They include carcinogens, neurotoxins, mutagens, teratogens, endocrine disruptors, and other highly toxic compounds.

Many HAPs persist in ecosystems, accumulate in animal and human tissues, making them especially dangerous.

Most HAPs are metal compounds, chlorinated hydrocarbons, or volatile organic compounds. Examples include gasoline vapors, solvents, and plastics.

This refers to any undesirable change in the environment's physical characteristics or chemistry, such as noise, odors, and light pollution.

While not directly threatening life or health, aesthetic degradation affects our quality of life. It can increase stress and negatively impact well-being.

The EPA found that toxic air pollutants are often more concentrated indoors than outdoors, posing a greater risk to people who spend significant time inside.

Indoor air often contains high concentrations of chemicals that would be illegal outdoors or in workplaces. Sources include building materials, furniture, cleaning products, and personal care products.