10 Serious Effects of Air Pollution on the Environment

 The constant pollution of the air has very negative effects on nature and on human health. Those long-term and medium-term effects have become problems that are difficult to solve.

In this article, we are listing the main 10 negative effects that air pollution is causing worldwide:

Global Warming

Probably global warming is one of the most worrying effects for scientists and environmentalists. Global warming is a direct consequence of the greenhouse effect, which is produced by the high emission of CO₂ and methane into the atmosphere. Most of these emissions are produced by the industry, so this can be remedied by social responsibility and action by companies and factories.

Climate Change

Climate Change is another consequence of global warming. When the temperature of the planet increases, there is a disturbance in the usual climatic cycles, accelerating the changes of these cycles in an evident way.

Due to climate change, the mass of the poles is melting, and this is leading to flooding and the rising of sea levels.

Acid Rain

The gases emitted by industries, power plants, boilers, heating and transport are very toxic. Those gases include sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) issued into the atmosphere that come from fossil fuels burning. When those substances accumulate in the atmosphere and react with water, they form dilute solutions of nitric and sulphuric acid, and  when those concentrations become rain, both the environment and surfaces suffer.

Smog effect

The smog effect or beret effect happens when there is a kind of dark fog concentrated over the cities and fields. That fog is a load of pollutants and can be of 2 types: sulphurous smog and photochemical smog, both dangerous and harmful to health. Both types of smog are a consequence of industrial and urban action. However, sulphurous smog has its origin mainly in the use of coal in many industrial processes. That has been reduced in the most advanced countries – nevertheless, there are still many developing countries that do not have treatment protocols for pollutants.

Deterioration of fields 

Acid rain, climate change and smog all damage the Earth surface. Contaminated water and gases seep into the earth, changing the composition of soils. That directly affects agriculture, changing crop cycles and the composition of the food we all eat.

Extinction of animal species

As the ice masses of the poles melt and sea levels rise, many animal species, whose survival depends on oceans and rivers, are threatened. Currents change, ocean temperatures change and migratory cycles change, and many animals are forced to seek food in environments unknown to them. Deforestation and poor soil quality also mean the disappearance of ecosystems and habitats. And definitively, an imbalance in the behavior of many wild species.

Respiratory health problems

It is probably one of the most obvious and worrying effects for human beings. Pollutants can cause respiratory illnesses and allergies ranging from coughs to asthma, cancer or emphysema.

Inhalation of toxic agents directly affects the lungs and other organs that make up the respiratory system. Also, poor oxygenation can lead to cardiovascular problems.

Deterioration in building materials

Air pollutants also deteriorate and change the constitution of building materials, so many buildings and infrastructure are weakened, eroded or destroyed at an accelerated rate over time.

Chemical Sensitivity

People develop intolerances and allergies to many agents present in the atmosphere and to other external agents that can go through due to the holes in the ozone layer. This is because there is a high concentration of chlorofluorocarbons that alter the thickness of the ozone layer.

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are released using aerosols, industrial refrigerants, solvents and other very harmful chemicals.

Skin Damage

Many of the chemical intolerances directly affect people’s skin. However, one of the worst damage is skin cancer. That disease in many cases develops from the direct incidence of ultraviolet light rays on the skin.

The ozone layer acts as a filter for those rays. If the ozone layer is thinner, the effectiveness of the filter decreases, letting rays pass, which are very harmful to humans.

 

All those important effects can increase if their causes are not rapidly acted upon. Most of them are the result of very intense, polluting and uncontrolled industrial activity.

Companies around the world have the responsibility to manage, treat and control the pollutants they emit into the atmosphere. Our health and avoiding the destruction of the environment depend on their response.