Air Pollution
Every living creature relies on clean air to survive. Air is made up of a
mixture of gases, mainly oxygen and nitrogen, with small amounts of
carbon dioxide plus water. Air has no colour or smell, except when it is
polluted. Dirty air can affect the health of humans, animals, plants and
can even damage buildings. Industry and transportation produce most of
the air pollution, releasing millions of tons of harmful substances into
.the environment each year
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The burning of fossil fuels (coal and oil) is the source of or generates
most of the world's energy. Unfortunately it also generates most of the
world's air pollution. That is because when we burn the fossil fuels to
produce energy we end up releasing waste in the form of toxic gases.
Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxides are
some of the most dangerous gases produced during the burning of fossil
.fuels
Carbon dioxide gases play a big role in the greenhouse effect by trapping
heat rather than allowing it to escape into space. It is not just what is
released into the air that causes problems; it is also how individual
,pollutants interact with each other, water and/or sunlight. For example
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are both dangerous when they combine
.with other substances to create problems such as smog and acid rain
.Gases are not the only air pollutants that we should be concerned about
Tiny bits of dust, ***- *l, soot and other materials also find their way
into the atmosphere from manufacturing plants, construction sites, wood
burning stoves and cars. These small particles reduce the quality of the
.air that we breathe
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Also, sometimes rain contains chemicals called acids that can harm the
,environment including plants and animals living on land and in the water
as well as damage buildings and other manmade structures such as
monuments, roads and vehicles. Acids cause so much harm because they can
burn into materials. Acid rain forms when sulphur dioxide and nitrogen
dioxide (produced by burning fuels) are released into the air. These two
gases mix with water to form a weak acid which falls as rain. The gases
that cause acid rain are released by power plants, factories and
transportation. Acid rain falls to the ground and is taken up by tree
roots, eventually causing the trees to die. The acid rain will also
.affect the plants and animals living in rivers and lakes