Environmental Hazards: Air Pollution

Introduction

Table of Contents

Every time an individual breathes, he risks inhaling thousands of chemicals that are all over the atmosphere. In this text, I look at the environmental hazard of air pollution and its consequences in the environment. I also look at what is being done to address this hazard as well as the effect of politics on reducing their risk.

Air pollution

All contaminants that find their way into the atmosphere are regarded as air pollution. These contaminants could be either gaseous or particles. Although sources of air pollution can be natural, human beings have been cited to be the main contributors to air pollution (Melas et al. 2003).Air pollution has become a global concern with its leading causes being nitrogen oxides, organic compounds as well as carbon monoxides. In the U.S alone, more than 90% of air pollution has been attributed to automobiles combusting fuels as well as power plants burning fossil fuel.Effects of air pollution to the environment are serious and have the capability of affecting future generations. Their harmful effects on natural ecosystems can result on destruction of plant’s leaves hence killing plants as well as trees. Pollution of rivers has also resulted to the death of fish and other water creatures.With these adverse effects of air pollution in mind, policy makers, governments as well as scientists have come up with various approaches to try and remedy the situation. In the U.S this has lead to enactment of air pollution control laws that require industries to shift to production methods which will minimize emissions (Melas 2003). It should however be noted that a lot needs to be done to fully mitigate the effects of air pollution.Melas et al.(2003) argues that the answer to air pollution issues should not be left to the political leadership alone this is because once in office, political leadership tends to take a look warm approach to the issue of air pollution.

Conclusion

It should be noted that to fully deal with the issue of air pollution, more innovative and responsive measures need to be taken. These efforts should not be left only to those countries experiencing the effects of air pollution. Rather it should be a joint effort bringing along various stakeholders.

References

Melas, D. & Syrakov D. (2003). Air pollution processes in regional scale. Springer

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