Air is a basic component of the natural
environment, the other two basic components are land and water. Another way to
look at air is that it is one of the five basic spheres of the natural
environment. In terms of spheres it is known as atmosphere, the other four
spheres are lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and anthrosphere. There is yet
another way to look at air. In this instance the natural environment is divided
into two basic parts, the biotic and the abiotic. The biotic is composed of
living things and the abiotic is composed of nonliving things. Air is
classified as abiotic.
Air is of key important to the
sustenance of life in humans. You as a human breathe in air. The air which
enters your body is used in a vitally important process called respiration. In
simple terms air taken in during respiration is used in breaking down
(oxidization) the food we eat to provide energy for life. This is the energy
you and I need for growth, development, beating of the heart, breathing,
functioning of the kidney, eliminating waste from the body etc. In respiration
there is exchange of gases between the human body and the atmosphere. The human
body takes in oxygen from the air, and releases carbon dioxide into the air.
Given the importance of air, it
stands to reason that you and I ought to concern ourselves with the quality of air
we take in. Due to activities of us humans who are supposed to manage planet
Earth, the quality of air has been compromised or polluted- yet another example
of the invasive attitude of the anthrosphere. In this post I am going to look
at the sources humans trigger to pollute the air to once again alert us to the
growing urgent need for a clean and balanced natural environment in a
sustainable way.
An end product of the pollution
is particulate matter or particle pollution. Particulate matter (PM) or
particle pollution is a mixture of very small solid particles and small liquid
droplets in the air.
There are two types of particulate
matter in terms of size. One type is not visible to the naked eye and is of a diameter
2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) and lesser. The second type is of a diameter of 10
micrometers (PM10) and lesser. A micrometer is one millionth of a meter. A
meter is a little over 3 feet. A synonym for micrometer is micron. A nanometer
is one billionth of a meter, and it relates nanotechnology.
Examples
of particulate matter are soot, dust, dirt and smoke. These get deep into lungs
and cardiovascular system as threat to human health. Other pollutants are
sulfate, nitrate and black carbon.
TRANSPORTATIONOME SOURCES OF POLLUTION:
TRRANSPORTAANSPORTATION
Some means
of transportation that pollute the air during usage are cars, buses, motor
bikes, articulators and jeeps. For these facilities to function as means of
transport they need petrol or gasoline and lubricants. Some of the pollutants
released into the air by motor vehicles are carbon dioxide (burning of fuel), carbon
monoxide, benzene and oxides of nitrogen. Some diseases associated with people
living near busy roads are asthma, lung ailments, heart problems, low birth
weight in children etc. Traffic activity, speed of wind and direction of wind
are some of the conditions that determine level of pollution.
HOUSEHOLD
HOUSEHOLD
Some materials used in cooking and warming homes
are wood, charcoal, coal and animal waste. In Ghana for example, at cottage
industries, like palm oil industries and gin (akpeteshie- a popular local gin)
industries run near or in homes, a lot
of solid fuel is used in the processing of products. As a result of using solid
fuel in cooking in the house, children suffer from pneumonia from inhaling
soot, a particulate matter. Other diseases resulting from exposure to household
air pollution are lung cancer, stroke, heart problems, reduction in the ability
of the blood to carry oxygen etc.
WASTE BURNING
WASTE BURNING
Open air
burning as a means of disposing of trash has been around for a long time. In
our part of the world it takes place on household level as well as community
level. In some cases the burning takes place continually, perhaps continuously.
The burning of such trash sometimes take place at places people have designated
as refuse dump. Those whose health are at risk are those who live nearby, those
who tend the disposal of the trash as such and those who deposit their trash
there regularly. Some pollutants from the constant burning of the trash are
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and dioxin. Some health problems this air
pollution poses are irritation to the eye, nose and throat. Other more serious
health problems are respiratory problems, headaches, lung cancer etc.
COAL PLANTS
COAL PLANTS
Coal plants
are used by industries in China and United States, for example. China and
United States are the top two carbon dioxide emitters in the world. Coal is a relatively
cheap source of coal. The amount of carbon dioxide released by a typical coal
plant, annually, is 3.5 million tons. Coal plants with emission control
technology reduce pollutants released into the air. Some pollutants coal plants
release into the air are carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, soot, carbon monoxide
and mercury. The health implications due to coal generated air pollution are bronchitis,
asthma, brain damage, heart ailments
DUST AND SAND STORM
Generally,
all over the world, dust and sand are blown into the atmosphere by wind. In
deserts sand storms are experienced. When dust is blown into the air or there
is a sand storm, it is not a pleasant thing. When dust or sand is blown into
the air, air pollution does occur. Some pollutants that result from dust and
sand storm are grains of sand and dust and particulates. Grains of sand and
dust can be lodged in the nose and throat. Particulates can be inhaled into
lungs, causing respiratory health ailments.
PARTING SHOT
I have tried briefly to profile the sources of
air pollution which are the designs and applications of humans. Even in
apparently natural sources like dust and sand storms, humans have a hand in it
because deforestation, a handiwork of man can cause desertification. Air
pollution, particulate or otherwise, is dangerous to human health. Throughout
the sources I have profiled common pollutants run through almost all of them.
The common pollutants are carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.
The health problems range from nasal or throat inhalation to cancer. The
epicenter of the serious air pollution diseases are the lungs and the heart.
The way out is to shift to environmentally friendly methodologies and technology to reduce, and possibly
eradicate air pollution, and thereby the diseases that come with it.
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