Power point presentation about one aspect related to environmental problems: °°ThE PoLLuTiOn Of ThE AiR…°°

What is air pollution? -Air supplies us with essential oxygen for our bodies to live. - Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, that are harmful to humans and other living things into the atmosphere. -The main types of air pollution include: smog, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, and the "hole" in the ozone layer. Air pollution can also occur inside our homes, offices, and schools. -Air pollution is is a very dangerous enviromental issue. - According to the WHO about 2 million premature deaths are caused each year by air pollution across the world.

Outdoor Air Pollution Smog -Smog is a type of air pollution caused by vehicles emissions, and industrial fumes that react with sunlight in the atmosphere, to form secondary pollutants, which cause smog. - Smog can cause many serious lung conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. - Smog can kill. For example The Great Smog of 1952 killed around 4,000 people in London, England. Another 8,000 people died from long term effects of the Great Smog in the following weeks and months.

Acid rains - Acid rain is caused by emissions of nitrogen, ammonium, carbon and sulfur reacting with water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids. -Even though acid rain was discovered in 1852 , it was not until the 1960’s that scientists began to observe acid rain in our environment -Acid rain can collect in bodies of water, causing slow growth of animals and plant life that live and eat near the water - Acid rain can leach nutrients from soil. Therefore plants are unable to collect nutrients, causing them to die.

Greenhouse Effect -The greenhouse effect is a process where certain gases ( water vapour, methane , nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide) trap energy from the sun, causing the Earth’s temperature to increase over time. If we did not have the greenhouse effect, the Earth’s temperature would be about 15.5 degrees colder . -Some of the changes that greenhouse effect causes include the ice caps melting and the ocean level rising. These changes could cause serious flooding or severe storms and could change the delicate balance of the Earth.

Hole in the Ozone Layer -Ozone depletion is the destruction of the stratospheric ozone layer which shields the Earth from ultraviolet radiation and is harmful to humans and wildlife. -Ozone depletion is caused by high levels of chlorine and bromine compounds in the stratosphere. These compounds come from things such as CFCs in paint, refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosol cans. - Since our ozone layer is depleting, it is allowing harmful UV radiation to come to Earth causing an increase in many types of cancer such as skin cancer.

Indoor air pollution - Indoor air pollution is more dangerous than the outdoor pollution, because we live and work in enclosed environments where the air circulation may be restricted. There are many sources of indoor air pollution: tobacco smoke, cooking and heating appliances, and vapors from building materials. - Indoor air pollution can cause serious lung cancer and lung disease. According to the American Allergy College 50 % of all illness is caused by indoor polluted air. - Ways to stop indoor air pollution are to not smoke in your house, use an oven hood fan, and to get your house inspected each year for hazardous vapors.

Prevention -Air pollution prevention efforts of companies have generally focused on waste reduction, reuse and recycling. -Carpooling, vehicle care, better public transit and the use of bicycles can all reduce the amount of greenhouse gases we produce daily. -The reduction of the amount of energy we use on a daily basis can help reduce the amount of air pollution we create. For example replacing old fridges, stoves and dishwasher can stop the depletion of the ozone layer. -Overall if people are more conscious about how much energy they use and the products they use, then the less we will pollute our air.