final research air pollution

8/12/2019 Final Research Air Pollution

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SEAT NO. 2ALESNA, HEALTHENE JOY F.

ECOL 87909:00-10:30

1. What is air pollution?

Air pollutionis a mixture of natural and man-made substances in the air we

breathe such as fine particles produced by the burning of fossil fuels, ground-level

ozone, which is a reactive form of oxygen that is a primary component of urban smog,

and noxious gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and

chemical vapors. The health effects of air pollution have been reported in research

studies over the past 30 years. These effects include respiratory diseases such as

asthma, cardiovascular diseases, changes in lung function, and death. There is

mounting evidence that exposure to air pollution has long-term effects on lung

development in children.

2.

How do you measure air pollution?

Three main methods are available to measure air pollution:

Passive Sampling:This refers to Diffusion tubes or badges that provide a simple and inexpensive

indication of average pollution levels over a period of weeks or months. Plastic

tubes or discs, open at one end to the atmosphere and with a chemical absorbent at

the other, collect a sample for subsequent analysis in the laboratory. The low cost

per tube allows sampling at a number of points and is useful in highlighting

"hotspots" where more detailed study may be needed.


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Active Sampling:This involves the collection of samples, by physical or chemical means, for

subsequent laboratory analysis. Typically, a known volume of air is pumped

through a filter or chemical collector for a known period of time - the collector then

subjected to laboratory analysis.

Automatic Sampling:

This is the most sophisticated method producing high-resolution measurements of a

range of pollutants at a single point. The sample is measured on-line and in real-

time, typically with 15-minute averages or better, with data being collected from

individual monitoring sites by telemetry. Instruments using physical scientific

measurement techniques, such as chemiluminescence, UV fluorescence, IR

absorption and Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS), are used.

3. What is the prevalent form of Air Pollution?By far the biggest source of air pollution is the burning offossil fuels. Oil, gas,

andcoal are burned on a huge scale, releasing a variety of pollutants into the air,

includingcarbon dioxide (CO2),sulfur dioxide (SO2),nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon

monoxide (CO), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulates, such as smoke

and soot.

Fossil fuels consist mainly of hydrocarbons compounds of carbon

andhydrogen.When they burn, the carbon combines withoxygen to produce CO2.

Often, however, the combustion is not complete: some of the carbon forms carbon

monoxide (CO), and some remains as carbon, forming smoke and soot particles.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-fossil.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.com/which-country-is-most-dependent-on-coal.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-carbon.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sulfur.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-nitrogen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-hydrogen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-oxygen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-oxygen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-hydrogen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-nitrogen.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-sulfur.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-carbon.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.com/which-country-is-most-dependent-on-coal.htmhttp://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-fossil.htm


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ECOL 87909:00-10:30

4. In what area (globally, nationally, locally) is Air Pollution prevalent?

Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from the

exhaust pipes of large trucks or factories, for example. More often, however, air

pollution is invisible. Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly.

Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults. Some cities

that suffer from extreme smog issue air pollution warnings. The government of Hong

Kong, for example, will warn people not to go outside or engage in strenuous physical

activity (such as running or swimming) when smog is very thick.

The most air polluted city as of today in the whole world is Ahwaz, Iran. Well

this city of Iran has crossed all its limits, the pollution levels are all time high. The

major reason is multitude of oil and gas industries in this region, the air is polluted.

Grave consequences are being seen with some bird species getting extinct to infinite

cases of lung cancer on increase. The administration of Iran blamed US for Uranium

used in the Iraq war, with the American government in its denial mode. All this blame

game makes the life difficult for the denizens of this city.

Here in the Philippines, Baguio City has topped a list of Philippine cities with

the most polluted air, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) study. A

report on "24 Oras" cited data from the WHO study setting the guideline limit at 10

micrograms of particulate matter per cubic meter.

Of the Philippine cities included in the study, Baguio City was the most pollution-

prone with 49 micrograms per cubic meter of air (Locsin, J. /TJD, GMA News, 2014).


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3. Cut back on the amount of packaging you purchase and the amount of household

waste you produce. The process of manufacturing packaging releases harmful

emissions into the atmosphere, so patronize brands that use as little packaging as

possible. Recycle everything you can: aluminum, paper, glass, plastic and cardboard

are usually easy to recycle. When you are disposing of chemical-based substances like

paint, batteries, pesticides or solvents, check with your local waste management office

for a safe, eco-friendly method.

4. Reduce the amount of time you spend in the car. Carpool or use public

transportation whenever you can. For shorter distances, walk or ride your bike to do

errands. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, changing to carpooling

can save a person over $1,000 per year. If you avoid driving alone only one day every

week for a year, you can save hundreds of dollars in expenses, not to mention the wear

and tear on your car. When you must drive, refill your gas tank during colder times of

the day and avoid spilling gas to prevent evaporation into the atmosphere.

5. Improve your fuel economy. According to the EPA, a 1 percent increase in fuel

economy equals a 1 percent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. Avoid accelerating

quickly, braking hard and driving at high speeds, particularly when in heavy traffic.

Remove excess weight from your car and remove unused roof racks or bike carriers,

which cause drag.


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final research air pollution

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