Diseases caused by air pollution have led to 600,000 deaths per year among children under age five and one out of eight deaths per year among adults across the globe. While we are aware of the consequences brought about by outdoor air pollution, not many of us are aware of how dangerous indoor air pollution also is.
In fact, it can be worse since there are twice or five times as many pollutants inside the house than found outdoors. About 96 percent of homes have at least one air quality problem, so women who work from home have a 54 percent higher risk of dying from cancer than those who work outside of their homes.
Basic Types of Air Pollution
All-Natural Sources
All-natural sources of air pollution are not those that are manufactured in a company, but those that are found in naturally occurring situations. They include products such as:
- Cigarette smoke. Although excellent measures have been taken to separate people who smoke from those who don’t, cigarette smoke is still a very dangerous product, and it goes a long way to increasing the odds of a person getting lung cancer. In fact, there are 10 times more deadly chemicals in a cigarette than there are in exhaust fumes from diesel engines, so if you are a smoker, you should either quit or drastically cut down. They are bad for the smoker and bad for the environment, so the fewer of them there are on the planet, the better.
- Dust and dust mites. These can be found anywhere, and they always have a high amount of pollen in them, which can also be described as dust. Dust is made mostly with things like minerals in fine quantities, carbon particles that are unburnt, hair, thin fibers, particles from the soil, skin cells, and of course, pollen grains. Because of all of these ingredients, dust is considered a very serious health risk to everyone.
- Firecrackers. This is one that few, if any, people think about, but because of everything that is contained inside of a firecracker, they are extremely damaging to the environment. Depending on the firecracker itself, it can contain a lot of very unhealthy ingredients, and since you inhale most of these ingredients after they’re set off, this is usually where the damages start.
- Natural gas. Natural gas has become increasingly dangerous to the condition of the air, and with each passing year it gets worse. It causes extreme changes to the environment, and not in a positive way.
Ammonia
Most of the ammonia found in the air is the result of agriculture, and since everyone wants to eat, it is unlikely that there is a lot that can be done to eliminate it entirely.
Over 93% of the ammonia found in the air comes from agriculture, and the rest of it, those composed of very small parts, result from things such as industrial processes such as manufacturing plants, waste management issues, and even the distribution and production of energy.
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Ammonia is a very damaging substance, and to make matters worse, it has a very bad odor that makes it both dangerous and unpleasant. It is a pungent odor that automatically turns people’s stomach, because it is very strong and pungent.
However, this is the least of your worries when you’re fighting with ammonia in the air that causes horrible air pollution.
Basic, Standard Air Pollution
This is what a lot of people think of when they think of very common forms of air pollution, and it can come from things that include nitrogen dioxide, pollution from particulates, ozone found at ground level, organic compounds that are considered volatile, Sulphur dioxide, and, of course, carbon monoxide.
In other words, the sources of pollution found in this article are the most common types of pollutants found in the air today. Unfortunately, the simple operations and activities that people need to perform for other people to live, work, and breathe in society these days almost always contribute to air pollution.
Because of this, it is unlikely that it is possible for all pollutants to ever be eliminated from the air. Let’s face it, people will always have to drive their vehicles, take jobs that manufacture items which contribute to the problem of pollution, and operate other types of vehicles that spew chemicals into the air.
Therefore, it would be more beneficial for society as a whole to concentrate on reducing the amount of pollution in the air, instead of eliminating it altogether.
Greenhouse Gases and Chemicals
Highly dangerous to society, greenhouse gases and chemicals have two basic sources. The first is a natural greenhouse effect, which is caused from naturally occurring activities that no one can control.
The second source comes from things humans are doing to cause the gases and chemicals, including destroying the ozone layer through the use of certain products which contain CFCs.
When fossil fuels are burned, it contributes greatly to the greenhouse gases found in the atmosphere, and these gases include methane and carbon dioxide, among others. Of course, another negative result of all this is that the earth is getting a lot warmer, a phenomenon known as climate change or global warming.
Although many people think all of this makes the entire climate warmer, the truth is that it can also produce extreme changes in temperature, which means if it gets colder than usual during the winter months, this could possibly be caused by climate change.
Organic Compounds: Volatile
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, consist of five major components:
- Industrial and chemical processes
- Non-road pieces of equipment
- The use of solvents
- Vehicles found on the road
- Other types of compounds that are not as common as the other four
Put simply, VOCs are greenhouse gases that are extremely dangerous to the environment, and many of the most common diseases and illnesses caused by air pollution are a direct result of these gases.
VOCs are dangerous and include a lot of miscellaneous chemicals that are small but lethal and which cannot be classified in other categories.
Pollution from Particles
According to many experts, pollution that comes from particles is the most common type of air pollution nowadays. This usually means that the very small, sometimes almost invisible particles in the air can amass into dangerous particles and pollute the air.
The way people live their lives contributes to these particles developing, so, according to some people, there is little anyone can do about them. The particles can come from anywhere, and they are made up of items such as:
- Fires that are started and kept in the outdoors
- Fireplaces and wood stoves in both homes and businesses
- Miscellaneous particles from things like dust and other items
- Particles being released from the operation of cars and trucks
- Particles from industrial companies, such as chemical plants and warehouses
Particles from these and other sources can be many different sizes, but most of them are quite minute. Because of this, many people often don’t realize that they exist, and, since they don’t realize that the items exist, it is easy for many people to ignore the problem and pretend it doesn’t exist.
Oddly enough, the biggest source of particles that cause air pollution is the second item listed above: the use of fireplaces and wood stoves.
Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide is produced when burning sulfur in the air, and although it is a colorless product, it has a very pungent, unpleasant odor and is very toxic. It can also be produced by volcanic eruptions, and even by the burning of fossil fuels, and it is dangerous to the environment and to people.
Unpleasant Odors
Bad odors are not just unpleasant, they are potentially dangerous as well. After all, everyone is used to experiencing some type of unpleasant odors throughout the day, but if you are constantly sick, especially with upper respiratory problems, it could be the odors are getting into your lungs and wreaking havoc on your body.
These odors can result in everything from minor coughing to headaches and even damage to unborn children. Neighborhoods that keep their premises clean and sanitary have fewer problems with illnesses due to these odors, but unfortunately, those living below the poverty line are usually the most affected with these types of problems.
