All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Let’s Resolve to Fight Air Pollution

All of us are very familiar with the term ‘Air Pollution’ which refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are hazardous to human beings, fauna and flora, and the planet at large. There are several factors that are causing air pollution, some of which can be controlled to a large extent by human effort.

Let us understand these causes, their effects on our lives and resolve to eradicate them, so that its intensity could be reduced. Causes of Air pollution The leading cause of air pollution is the industrial exhaust emitted by manufacturing plants and factories. They release large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and chemicals into the air thereby depleting the quality of air.

The second main cause of air pollution is the diesel and gas being used in the vehicles. Emissions from vehicles like trucks, jeeps, cars, trains, airplanes cause immense amount of pollution. In improperly maintained vehicles carbon monoxide is released into the air due to incomplete combustion. It is true that transportation is our daily basic need, but the overuse of vehicles is filling our environment with dangerous gases causing harm to the environment. The third cause is the coal-based electric power plants. Due to these power plants high amounts of hazardous carbon dioxide along with sulfur and nitrogen is discharged into the air. “Most air pollution comes from energy use and production,” says John Walke, director of the Clean Air Project, part of the Climate and Clean Air program at NRDC (USA). “Burning fossil fuels releases gases and chemicals into the air.” The fourth leading source of air pollution, especially in India, is large-scale burning of crops residue in agriculture fields. The farmers harvest the crops and burn the rest of the stems, as they have no use for them. Recently, toxic air pollution in the form of smog arose in Delhi and Haryana, due to this mass burning of unwanted stalks in the fields.

Another reason for air pollution in India is firework explosions during festivals and wedding celebrations. The gases and the tiny metallic particles that are emitted during the firework display are extremely hazardous. Fireworks are filled with mainly potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. Aluminum, magnesium, strontium, sodium, copper, and barium are used to produce silvery white flames and sparks. When the firework ignites and explodes they scatter tiny metal particles in the air, and enter our bodies through our breath. There are several other causes leading to indoor and outdoor pollution.

Household cleaning products, paints, use of wood for cooking food especially in rural areas emit toxic chemicals in the air that cause pollution of air outside as well as inside homes. Construction of high rise buildings, roads, and mining operations produce heavy dust in their surroundings. This gives rise to breathing problems to the workers as well as nearby residents. Waste and garbage used in landfills generate methane. Such lands when used to construct buildings normally create problems for the residents. Natural sources also contribute to air pollution. For example, dust carried by the wind from locations with very little or no green cover, gases released from the body processes of living beings (carbon dioxide from humans during respiration and methane from cattle during digestion), smoke from the combustion of various inflammable objects, volcanic eruptions, etc also contribute to the bad quality of air.

Effects of Air pollution According to The Lancet, a medical journal, air pollution kills more than 10 million people every year in India. Some of the most polluted cities in the world exist in India. As per a report from World Health Organization, environmental pollution is the main reason behind twenty percent of polio and nineteen percent of cancer patients. In the whole world, one fourth of the total deaths in a year have been attributed to environmental pollution. Non-infectious diseases have become the biggest threat to human life. The biggest reason for these diseases has been attributed to the air inside and outside the houses, changes in the seasons, and synthetic chemicals.

Due to changes in air, water, soil chemicals and ultra violet radiation, there is a danger of more than 100 types of diseases. Children under the age of five, and adults fifty to seventy-five years of age are at a greater risk of getting sick due to these reasons. Due to environmental reasons, children are getting respiratory diseases and diarrhea, and in adults non-infectious diseases are flourishing. According to one research study there is a direct correlation between air pollution and water pollution. Air pollution is the deadliest among all pollution. In the entire world this has emerged as the fourth biggest reason for untimely deaths. A new study has revealed that air pollution can also cause kidney damage. For a very long time, air pollution has been linked to rheumatic disease, stroke, cancer, asthma and COPD. The researchers studied for nearly eight and half years to find the effect of air pollution on the body’s immune system, and found that there is clear interrelationship between air pollution and diseases.

How to Help Reduce Air Pollution “The less gasoline we burn, the better we’re doing to reduce air pollution and harmful effects of climate change,” Walke says. “Make good choices about transportation. When you can, walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation. For driving, choose cars that get better miles per gallon of gas or choose an electric car.” You may also make use of carpooling. Learn to conserve energy; switch off fans and lights when you are going out. Use energy efficient devices like LED lights; they consume less electricity, lower electricity bills and hence save your money as well as environment. Plant trees near your residence. Apart from providing a pleasant appearance to the surroundings, trees also absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen in the air.

How to Protect Your Health? When the pollution levels are high, as far as possible stay indoors. If you go for a walk or a jog, prefer mornings, as the ozone levels tend to be lower during that time. If you do yoga, pranayama or other exercise outdoors, the chosen place should be away from heavily trafficked roads.

The intensity of ultraviolet radiation present in the sunrays increases in the weakened ozone layer. It may cause skin damage or skin cancer. Also wear sunscreen.