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Types of air pollution

The air quality of many cities on the planet has been affected as a result of the emission of polluting gases. World capitals with exorbitant population and industrial growth are the main sources of air pollution. Among the main consequences of air or atmospheric pollution are the multiple respiratory disorders suffered by people who are most sensitive to exposure to polluting gases, as well as severe environmental problems derived from said air pollution.

Continue reading this AgroCorrn article if you want to know what the main types of air pollution are , as well as many of the effects and causes of air pollution.

You may also be interested in: Health problems due to air pollution
Index
  1. Types of air pollution – summary
  2. Industries, the main causes of air pollution
  3. Air pollution from transportation
  4. Atmosphere polluted by agriculture and livestock
  5. Types of air pollution: household pollutants
  6. Air pollution produced by our waste

Types of air pollution – summary

The concentration of pollutants in the atmosphere is directly related to the increase in the activity of certain human actions, such as industries, transportation, agriculture, the generation of waste and the emission of atmospheric pollutants from our own homes.

Either through energy consumption, using cars, or through the other emission sources mentioned above, the main air pollutants that are emitted most frequently are:

  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO)
  • Hydrocarbons (HC)
  • Hidrofluorocarbonos (HFC)
  • Methane (CH4)
  • Ozone (O3)
  • Nitric oxide (NO)
  • Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)
  • Ammonia (NH3)
  • Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
  • Lead (Pl)
  • Particulate matter

We recommend that you expand this information with these other articles on What are air pollutants and What is an air pollutant . Now that we know the main types of atmospheric pollutants , let’s go on to know in detail in the next sections each of the most important causes of air pollution .

Industries, the main causes of air pollution

According to data issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that around 600 million people are frequently exposed to concentrations of polluting gases from industries in Latin America. This fact can easily be extrapolated to other corners of the world, where people live with levels of polluting gases in the atmosphere much higher than those that could be considered harmless for our health and optimal development, as in China or India.

Industries related to the combustion of natural gases, as well as mining and other industrial processes for the extraction of natural resources, are guilty of emitting abundant and dangerous chemical products into the atmosphere in the form of gases that pollute both the atmosphere of the most close to the place where the industry is located, such as neighboring areas, due to the action of winds and rainfall.

Air pollution from transportation

More and more news, national and international, alert us to the high concentrations of polluting gases present in the atmosphere of urban centers , as a consequence of the excessive use of cars and other means of transport. The emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) exceed the maximum allowable concentrations (CMP) in many cities around the world, mainly in those that have capitalist development systems and not very sustainable.

Opting for the use of bicycles and public transport to move around the city in our day-to-day life must be accompanied by government measures linked to the supply of sustainable and quality public transport, which avoid the total emission of polluting gases into the atmosphere. .

You can learn more about this topic by entering this link to an article on vehicular pollution: what it is, types, causes and consequences .

Atmosphere polluted by agriculture and livestock

The agriculture and livestock sectors are one of the most important in the economic, environmental and cultural development of many parts of the world, they also involve the emission of certain polluting gases. Include mainly methane and ammonia , as natural products of gases cattle and natural nitrogen cycle plants, respectively.

Methane is really harmful, being considered one of the most harmful greenhouse gases , worse even than carbon dioxide. For this reason, when various scientific studies and UN reports advise reducing the consumption of meat products, the reduction of methane emissions into the atmosphere is also included, since livestock should reduce their number of individuals. On the other hand, pesticides and insecticides used in intensive agriculture lead to the drastic emission of nitric oxide, which also contributes to the deterioration of the ozone layer.

Types of air pollution: household pollutants

The domestic use of insecticides and air fresheners leads to the release into the atmosphere of different polluting gases, among which hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) stand out . Although they are emitted in smaller quantities than the other polluting gases that we have seen so far, they are also highly harmful, since once they are in the atmosphere, they come into contact with other reactive molecules, becoming very harmful gases, both for the health of people and the environment.

On the other hand, the use of air conditioning and heating , as well as fire extinguishers, fireplaces and fluorescent tubes, are responsible for the direct or indirect elimination of refrigerant gases and carbon derivatives, which accumulate in a harmful way in the atmosphere.

However, the greater emission of polluting gases from our homes is due to the consumption of non-renewable energies , which emit huge amounts of polluting gases into the atmosphere, as a result of the burning of fossil fuels. If you are interested in learning more about it, in this post you will learn about renewable and non-renewable energies with examples . And if you are thinking of improving your home and your negative footprint on the environment with the use of renewable energies, we suggest you learn about the current legislation with this other article on renewable energies in Spain .

Air pollution produced by our waste

When generating and managing our waste, we must be aware of the environmental consequences that they entail. The existence of huge landfills in which the garbage we generate accumulates is really harmful to the environment, due, among other reasons, to the polluting gases that are generated in them.

We must bear in mind that the life of our waste does not end once we deposit it in the appropriate container, but that it will later accumulate, making recovery impossible in many cases, thus leading to very negative effects, such as the combustion of organic matter. or the burning of certain materials, such as tires.

Expand this interesting information on the types of air pollution with this other complete article on Air Pollution: causes, consequences and solutions .

If you want to read more articles similar to Types of air pollution , we recommend that you enter our Pollution category .

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Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.

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