Photochemical smog: what is it, causes and consequences

To fully understand everything about this type of environmental pollution, we will first give the definition of smog and its types :

What is smog and how is it produced?

The simplest definition of smog is that it is air pollution that occurs when smog is combined with smoke and other polluting particles that float in the atmosphere, in areas with high levels of pollution. Thus, it can occur when there is fog or mist and the aspect that it has is that the environment is full of smoke, usually with a strange smell and colors that can range from gray to orange or reddish.

If you are also wondering how smog is formed, keep in mind that it occurs when various air pollutants , which affect both the environment and our health, mix with sunlight and various chemical reactions occur and in chain and, furthermore, it is more frequent in industrial areas with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions .

Types of smog

There are basically two types of smog:

• Industrial or classic smog, which is also known as gray smog or sulfur smog, and is produced mainly by industrial activity.
• Photochemical smog.

Thus, when faced with the question of what photochemical smog is, we can define it as the result of the production of secondary pollutants, such as tropospheric ozone or bad ozone , which is what remains on the planet’s surface and does not go out into the stratosphere. Photochemical smog occurs when there are photochemical reactions, that is, chemicals like some gases react to exposure to sunlight.

Some of these chemicals that react with light to produce smog are volatile hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, such as nitrogen monoxide or nitric oxide, and in this case the result is tropospheric ozone, which continues to undergo photochemical reactions producing smog. .

Regarding the main causes of photochemical smog , we indicate that we must focus on the causes of polluting gases in the atmosphere, as well as the causes of acid rain , which are really linked. In summary, the causes of smog or photochemical fog are:

• Industrial activity that emits fumes with greenhouse gases and other environmental pollutants, both to the air, to the soil and to the water, since these also end up in the air.
• Gas emissions from vehicles that use fossil fuels.
• The poor management of polluting waste, both urban and rural.

Ultimately, the reason for photochemical smog is that there are too many harmful chemicals in the environment that react to sunlight , therefore the basic problem is the increase in emissions of gases and other atmospheric pollutants in recent decades.

As we have noted, photochemical fog is a very serious air pollution problem that is increasing daily. The serious and negative consequences of this environmental problem are diverse, but to summarize and explain them in a simple way, we can indicate that the main consequences of photochemical smog , both for the environment and for us, are the following:

Consequences of photochemical smog on the environment

• The environment is modified both chemically and visually. So there is environmental, that is, air, and visual pollution that affects the landscape and drastically reduces visibility. It becomes impossible to see a few meters away, which affects us, even leads to traffic accidents, and also affects the animals in the area and plants, since sunlight does not reach well.
• The presence of this photochemical fog prevents the formation of clouds with precipitation, so that the few days of having this smog there is no rain.
• This layer of pollution causes temperatures to increase due to the excessive accumulation of greenhouse gases.

Health consequences of photochemical smog

Surely you have thought that the most affected part of our health is breathing because we inhale concentrated chemicals and this is correct. But how does smog affect the respiratory system? How else does it affect our health?

• It produces inflammation of the airways, both high and low in cases of high smog density.
• Coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness appear.
• Breathing problems like asthma get worse.
• It favors the appearance of heart diseases and aggravates them.
• In cases where the environmental problem is prolonged, it produces stress, general malaise, loss of quality of life, the appearance of different types of cancer and, finally, premature death.

Expand this information by reading this other AgroCorrn article in which we show you an Infographic about air pollution and health problems .

Fortunately, there are certain measures that can be taken to reduce this environmental problem, but it is really necessary to address the pressing need to implement them globally. Among the possible solutions of photochemical smog we find:

• Improve the green areas of cities and their surroundings, both in public areas and private gardens.
• Restrict the use of private vehicles.
• Encourage the use of public transport and that it uses renewable energy and not fossil fuels.
• Laying new asphalt, with more ecological and / or special materials to absorb air pollution.
• Place special towers that purify the air and eliminate smog.
• Improve environmental education in classrooms and that directed to the general public, through environmental campaigns.
• Individually reduce polluting gas emissions and promote projects that are responsible for finding and applying these solutions, as well as contacting the government or the municipality indicated for this in each situation.
• Make use of the 3Rs of ecology in all daily aspects.
• Help educate others in a constructive way.

Here you can learn more about Air Pollution Solutions .

As curious and interesting data we want to comment on which are the cities with the highest level of smog in the world. These are mainly places where a lot of pollution occurs directly, but also places that due to their geographical location have little ventilation, that is, they have few winds that renew the air in the area.

• London
• Beijing
• Mexico City
• New York
• The Angels
• Lahore
• New Delhi
• Riad
• Cairo
• Moscow

If you want to read more articles similar to Photochemical Smog: what it is, causes and consequences , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .