descriptive essay on air pollution

Essay on Air Pollution for Students and Children

500+ words essay on air pollution.

Essay on Air Pollution – Earlier the air we breathe in use to be pure and fresh. But, due to increasing industrialization and concentration of poisonous gases in the environment the air is getting more and more toxic day by day. Also, these gases are the cause of many respiratory and other diseases . Moreover, the rapidly increasing human activities like the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation is the major cause of air pollution.

How Air Gets Polluted?

The fossil fuel , firewood, and other things that we burn produce oxides of carbons which got released into the atmosphere. Earlier there happens to be a large number of trees which can easily filter the air we breathe in. But with the increase in demand for land, the people started cutting down of trees which caused deforestation. That ultimately reduced the filtering capacity of the tree.

Moreover, during the last few decades, the numbers of fossil fuel burning vehicle increased rapidly which increased the number of pollutants in the air .

Causes Of Air Pollution

Its causes include burning of fossil fuel and firewood, smoke released from factories , volcanic eruptions, forest fires, bombardment, asteroids, CFCs (Chlorofluorocarbons), carbon oxides and many more.

Besides, there are some other air pollutants like industrial waste, agricultural waste, power plants, thermal nuclear plants, etc.

Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is also the cause of air pollution because air pollution produces the gases that greenhouse involves. Besides, it increases the temperature of earth surface so much that the polar caps are melting and most of the UV rays are easily penetrating the surface of the earth.

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Effects Of Air Pollution On Health

Moreover, it increases the rate of aging of lungs, decreases lungs function, damage cells in the respiratory system.

Ways To Reduce Air Pollution

Although the level of air pollution has reached a critical point. But, there are still ways by which we can reduce the number of air pollutants from the air.

Reforestation- The quality of air can be improved by planting more and more trees as they clean and filter the air.

Policy for industries- Strict policy for industries related to the filter of gases should be introduced in the countries. So, we can minimize the toxins released from factories.

Use of eco-friendly fuel- We have to adopt the usage of Eco-friendly fuels such as LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), bio-gas, and other eco-friendly fuels. So, we can reduce the amount of harmful toxic gases.

To sum it up, we can say that the air we breathe is getting more and more polluted day by day. The biggest contribution to the increase in air pollution is of fossil fuels which produce nitric and sulphuric oxides. But, humans have taken this problem seriously and are devotedly working to eradicate the problem that they have created.

Above all, many initiatives like plant trees, use of eco-friendly fuel are promoted worldwide.

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Air Pollution Essay

Essay on Air Pollution

Environmental changes are caused by the natural or artificial content of harmful pollutants and can cause instability, disturbance, or adverse effects on the ecosystem. Earth and its environment pose a more serious threat due to the increasing pollution of air, water, and soil. Environmental damage is caused by improper resource management or careless human activities. Therefore, any activity that violates the original nature of the environment and leads to degradation is called pollution. We need to understand the origin of these pollutants and find ways to control pollution. This can also be done by raising awareness of the effects of pollutants.

Air pollution is any physical, chemical, or biological change in the air. A certain percentage of the gas is present in the atmosphere. Increasing or decreasing the composition of these gasses is detrimental to survival. This imbalance in gas composition causes an increase in global temperature which is called global warming.

Introduction to air pollution

The Earth and its environment are facing a serious threat by the increasing pollution of the air, water, and soil—the vital life support systems of the Earth. The damage to the environment is caused by improper management of resources or by careless human activity. Hence any activity that violates the original character of nature and leads to its degradation is called pollution. We need to understand the sources of these pollutants and find ways to control pollution. This can be also done by making people aware of the effects of pollutants.

Air with 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, and 1% of all other gasses support life on Earth. Various processes take place to sustain the regular percentage of gasses and their composition in general.

Atmospheric pollution can have natural sources, for example, volcanic eruptions. The gaseous by-products of man-made processes such as energy production, waste incineration, transport, deforestation and agriculture, are the major air pollutants.

Although air is made up of mostly Oxygen and Nitrogen, mankind, through pollution, has increased the levels of many trace gasses, and in some cases, released completely new gasses to the atmosphere.

Air pollution can result in poor air quality, both in cities and in the countryside. Some air pollutants make people sick, causing breathing problems and increasing the likelihood of cancer.

Some air pollutants are harmful to plants, animals, and the ecosystems in which they live. Statues, monuments, and buildings are being corroded by the air pollutants in the form of acid rain. It also damages crops and forests, and makes lakes and streams unsuitable for fish and other plant and animal life.

Air pollution created by man-made resources is also changing the Earth’s atmosphere. It is causing the depletion of the ozone layer and letting in more harmful radiation from the Sun. The greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere prevents heat from escaping back into space and leads to a rise in global average temperatures. Global warming affects the average sea-level and increases the spread of tropical diseases.

Air pollution occurs when large amounts of gas and tiny particles are released into the air and the ecological balance is disturbed. Each year millions of tons of gasses and particulate matter are emitted into the air.

Primary air pollutants are pollutants, which are directly released into the air. They are called SPM, i.e., Suspended Particulate Matter. For example, smoke, dust, ash, sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and radioactive compounds, etc.

Secondary Pollutants are pollutants, which are formed due to chemical interactions between the atmospheric components and primary pollutants. For example, Smog (i.e. Smoke and fog), ozone, etc.

Major gaseous air pollutants include Carbon Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide and Nitrogen Oxide, etc.

Natural sources are volcanic eruptions, forest fires, dust storms, etc.

Man-made sources include gasses released from the automobiles, industries, burning of garbage and bricks kilns, etc.

Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health

Air pollution has adverse effects on human health.

Breathing polluted air puts you at higher risk of asthma.

When exposed to ground ozone for 6 to 7 hours, people suffer from respiratory inflammation.

Damages the immune system, endocrine, and reproductive systems.

A high level of air pollution has been associated with higher incidents of heart problems.

The toxic chemicals released into the air are affecting the flora and fauna immensely.

Preventive Measures to Reduce Air Pollution

We can prevent pollution by utilizing raw materials, water energy, and other resources more efficiently. When less harmful substances are substituted for hazardous ones, and when toxic substances are eliminated from the production process, human health can be protected and economic wellbeing can be strengthened.

There are several measures that can be adopted by people to reduce pollution and to save the environment.

Carpooling.

Promotion of public transport.

No smoking zone.

Restricted use of fossil fuels.

Saving energy.

Encouraging organic farming.

The government has put restrictions on the amount of fossil fuels that can be used as well as restrictions on how much carbon dioxide and other pollutants can be emitted. Although the government is attempting to save our environment from these harmful gasses, it is not sufficient. We as a society need to keep the environment clean by controlling the pollution of air.

FAQs on Air Pollution Essay

1. State the Causes of Air Pollution ?

The following are the causes of air pollution.

Vehicular pollution consisting of Carbon Monoxide causes pollution.

Emission of Nitrogen oxide by a large number of supersonic transport airplanes causes deterioration of the Ozone layer and also causes serious damage to the flora and fauna.

The release of Chlorofluorocarbons into the Stratosphere causes depletion of Ozone, which is a serious concern to animals, microscopic, and aquatic organisms.

Burning garbage causes smoke, which pollutes the atmosphere. This smoke contains harmful gases such as Carbon dioxide and Nitrogen oxides.

In India, brick kilns are used for many purposes and coal is used to burn the bricks. They give out huge quantities of Carbon dioxide and particulate matter such as smoke, dust that are very harmful to people working there and the areas surrounding it.

Many cleansing agents release poisonous gases such as Ammonia and Chlorine into the atmosphere.

Radioactive elements emit harmful rays into the air.

Decomposed animals and plants emit Methane and Ammonia gas into the air.

2. What Does Global Warming Mean?

Global warming is the gradual rising average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere due to the concentration of methane in certain toxic gasses such as carbon dioxide. This has a major impact on the world climate. The world is warming. The land and the sea are now warmer than they were at the beginning and temperatures are still rising. This rise in temperature is, in short, global warming. This temperature rise is man-made. The burning of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere which capture solar heat and raise surface and air temperatures.

3. Name the Alternative Modes of Transport. In What Way Does it Help to Reduce Air Pollution?

Public transport could be an alternative mode of transport. Public transport like trains, buses and trams, can relieve traffic congestion and reduce air pollution from road transport. The use of public transport must be encouraged in order to develop a sustainable transport policy.

4. Mention other means of transportation! How can I help reduce air pollution?

Public transportation can be another mode of transportation. Public transport such as trains, buses and trams can reduce traffic congestion and reduce air pollution from road transport. The use of public transport and to develop sustainable transport policies should be encouraged. While one passenger vehicle has the convenience factor, other modes of transportation reduce travel costs, spend less time, reduce stress, improve health, and reduce energy consumption and parking. Other trips for work include walking/cycling, public transport, hybrid travel and transport.

5. What are the effects of pollution?

Excessive air pollution can increase the risk of heart attack, wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing, as well as irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Air pollution can also cause heart problems, asthma, and other lung problems. Due to the emission of greenhouse gases, the composition of the air in the air is disturbed. This causes an increase in global temperature. The damaging ozone layer due to air pollution does not prevent harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun, which cause skin and eye problems in individuals. Air pollution has caused a number of respiratory and heart diseases among people. The incidence of lung cancer has increased in recent decades. Children living in contaminated areas are more likely to develop pneumonia and asthma. Many people die every year due to the direct or indirect effects of air pollution. When burning fossil fuels, harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released into the air. Water droplets combine with these pollutants and become acidic and fall as acid rain, which harms human, animal and plant life.

6. What is the solution to air pollution?

Production of renewable fuels and clean energy. The basic solution to air pollution is to get away from fossil fuels and replace them with other energies such as solar, wind and geothermal. The government limits the amount of fossil fuel that can be used and how much carbon dioxide and other pollutants it can emit. While the government is trying to save our environment from this harmful gas, it is not enough. We as a society need to keep the environment clean by controlling air pollution. To more in detail about air pollution and its causes. To learn more about air pollution and its impact on the environment, visit the Vedantu website.

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Essay on Air Pollution for Students: Check Samples of 100 Words to 250 Words

Updated on
Jun 2, 2024

Essay on Air Pollution : Invisible but insidious, air pollution silently infiltrates our lives, impacting health, the environment, and future generations. Through this blog, let’s explore its roots, repercussions, and remedies, which are essential in our quest for cleaner, healthier skies. Essay writing here becomes more crucial, to raise awareness about air pollution’s dire consequences and drive action for cleaner air.

Table of Contents

1 10-Line Essay on Air Pollution
2 What are the Causes of Air Pollution?
3 What are the effects of Air Pollution?
4 Essay on Air Pollution: How to Tackle Air Pollution?
5 Essay on Air Pollution Sample (100 Words)
6 Essay on Air Pollution Sample (250 Words)

Must Read: Essay On Environment

10-Line Essay on Air Pollution

Below mentioned is a 10-lined essay on air pollution:

Air pollution is caused by harmful substances known as pollutants.
The pollutant comes from various sources, like vehicle gasses, forest fires, and other human activities.
The two biggest sources of air pollution are the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation.
Air pollution is harmful to humans because it can cause skin and respiratory diseases.
Air pollution is equally harmful to plants and animals.
Air pollution can also damage non-living things, such as ancient monuments constructed from marble and limestone.
Air pollution leads to ozone layer depletion, climate change and global warming.
Air pollution can damage ecosystems in forests.
We must take effective steps to reduce air pollution.
We can reduce air pollution by planting more trees and burning less fossil fuels.

What are the Causes of Air Pollution?

Air pollution is caused by various factors, including:

Industrial Emissions: Factories and manufacturing processes release pollutants like chemicals and particulate matter into the air.
Vehicle Emissions: Combustion engines in cars, trucks, and aeroplanes emit exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.
Burning Fossil Fuels: The use of coal, oil, and natural gas for energy generation and heating releases pollutants and greenhouse gases.
Agricultural Activities: Pesticides and fertilizers release chemicals, while livestock emit methane.
Deforestation: Cutting down trees reduces the planet’s capacity to absorb pollutants.
Waste Disposal: Improper disposal of waste leads to the release of harmful substances into the air.
Natural Sources: Volcanic eruptions, dust storms, and wildfires can also contribute to air pollution.

What are the effects of Air Pollution?

Air pollution poses severe health and environmental risks. Short-term exposure can lead to respiratory issues, eye irritation, and exacerbation of pre-existing conditions. Long-term exposure is linked to chronic diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disorders.

Additionally, air pollution harms ecosystems, causing acid rain, damaging vegetation, and polluting water bodies. It also contributes to climate change by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations. Addressing air pollution is crucial to safeguard the human health and protecting the planet’s ecosystems and climate.

Essay on Air Pollution: How to Tackle Air Pollution?

Addressing air pollution is paramount for a healthier planet. By curbing emissions, adopting clean technologies, and fostering sustainable practices, we can safeguard our environment and public health. Here are some key points on how to tackle air pollution:

Reduce Vehicle Emissions
Improve Industrial Practices
Plant more trees
Reduce Indoor Air Pollution
Promote Renewable Energy
Encourage Sustainable Practices
Raise Public Awareness
Reduce Open Burning
International Cooperation

Tackling air pollution requires a multi-faceted approach involving government policies, community engagement, and individual responsibility.

Must Read: Essay On Global Warming

Essay on Air Pollution Sample (100 Words)

Air pollution is a pressing environmental issue with far-reaching consequences. It occurs when harmful substances, such as particulate matter and toxic gases, contaminate the atmosphere. These pollutants result from various sources, including industrial emissions, vehicular exhaust, and agricultural activities.

The consequences of air pollution are severe, impacting both human health and the environment. Prolonged exposure to polluted air can lead to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular issues, and even premature death. Additionally, air pollution harms ecosystems, leading to reduced crop yields and biodiversity loss.

Mitigating air pollution requires collective efforts, including stricter emission regulations, cleaner energy sources, and promoting public awareness. By addressing this issue, we can safeguard our health and preserve the environment for future generations.

Essay on Air Pollution Sample (250 Words)

Air pollution is a pressing global issue that affects the health and well-being of people and the environment. It occurs when harmful substances, such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and volatile organic compounds, are released into the atmosphere. This pollution can have dire consequences for both humans and the planet.

First and foremost, air pollution poses a significant threat to human health. Particulate matter and toxic gases can enter the respiratory system, leading to various respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis. Long-term exposure to polluted air has also been linked to cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and premature death. Vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions are at higher risk.

Additionally, air pollution has adverse effects on the environment. It contributes to climate change by increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, leading to rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events. Moreover, pollutants can harm ecosystems, contaminate water bodies, and damage crops, impacting food security.

The sources of air pollution are diverse, including industrial processes, transportation, agriculture, and energy production. To combat this problem, governments, industries, and individuals must take collective action. Implementing stricter emission standards for vehicles and industrial facilities, transitioning to cleaner energy sources, and promoting public transportation are essential steps in reducing air pollution.

In conclusion, air pollution is a critical issue that affects human health and the environment. Its detrimental effects on respiratory health and its contributions to climate change necessitate urgent action. By adopting sustainable practices and reducing emissions, we can mitigate the impact of air pollution and create a healthier and more sustainable future for all.

Ans. Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or materials.

Ans. To prevent air pollution, reduce vehicle emissions by using public transport, carpooling, or opting for electric vehicles. Promote clean energy sources like wind and solar power. Implement strict industrial emissions standards. Encourage reforestation and green spaces. Educate the public about responsible waste disposal and advocate for clean energy policies.

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Air Pollution Essay for Students in English: 100, 200 and 500 Words

Air pollution is becoming a serious issue that’s affecting human health, flora and fauna and overall well-being of Earth. As responsible citizens of the world, it’s our duty to take care of anything that’s harming the planet and leave it in better condition for future generations. Here are a few sample essays children can use to write about air pollution and learn about different ways to mitigate this crisis.

100 Words Essay on Air Pollution

200 words essay on air pollution, 500 words essay on air pollution.

Air Pollution Essay for Students in English: 100, 200 and 500 Words

Any physical, chemical, or biological alteration in the air is referred to as air pollution. The atmosphere contains a specific portion of the gas. It is harmful to survival to change the makeup of these gases. “Global warming” is the term used to describe the rise in global temperature caused by this imbalance in gas composition. Hazardous pollutants, whether present naturally or artificially, can modify the environment and have a negative impact on the ecosystem. Ineffective resource management and reckless human activity are harming the environment and therefore it is our responsibility as inhabitants of Earth to take care of it.

Pollution is any activity that tampers with the environment's fundamental characteristics and causes damage. The air we breathe is no longer clean and fresh, it has been contaminated by pollutants. The threat to Earth and its ecosystem is getting worse as a result of the contamination of the air, water, and soil. These pollutants are causing a number of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases—our immune system is getting affected negatively, and children are at a high risk of developing asthma and other breathing problems. There are numerous factors that frequently increase this air pollution. Automobiles, transportation methods, industrialization, expanding cities, etc. are the main causes of air pollution. The contamination of the entire atmosphere is brought on by the release of various toxic gases or dangerous components from such sources.

Air pollution, which has a negative impact on the environment, also has a significant impact on the ozone layer. The primary contributor to pollution is the ever-increasing demands of the human population. Daily human activities pump harmful chemicals into the atmosphere, making it more polluted than ever and accelerating climate change. The flora and fauna are also being severely impacted by the airborne harmful chemical releases. The rising contamination of the Earth's air, water, and soil—the essential life support systems of the planet—poses a major threat to the planet and its environment.

One of today's top environmental concerns is air pollution. There are numerous factors that frequently increase this air pollution. Toxic gases, particulates, paint, and batteries containing lead are released throughout the industrialization process. The ozone layer is also being destroyed and the world is being exposed to dangerous solar rays as a result of all the contaminants in touch with the atmosphere.

Ozone is a contaminant that exists at the ground level and can be harmful to human health. But the same ozone creates a layer of defence in the stratosphere. The "good" ozone, however, is being destroyed by ozone-depleting substances—such as hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons. These chemicals were once used in coolants, foaming agents, insecticides, solvents, and fire extinguishers and occasionally still are.

Primary and secondary pollutants are the two categories that have emerged as a result of the growing number of air pollutants. Primary pollutants, which include smoke, ash, dust, fumes, mist, spray, inorganic gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and radioactive substances, have a direct negative impact on fresh air. Secondary pollutants are those that interact chemically with primary pollutants, as well as other elements in the atmosphere, such as sulphate trioxide, ozone, hydrocarbons, and nitrogen dioxide.

Causes of Air Pollution

The disposal of solid wastes that release methane gas and the breakdown of trash landfills are major sources of air pollution. This problem has become a severe environmental and health issue as a result of the population's rapid development, industrialisation, and greater use of cars, planes, and other transportation.

Common Effects of Air Pollution

Pollutants in the air we breathe every minute enter our bloodstream and travel to our lungs and entire body, producing a plethora of health issues. Animals can have health issues similar to people if they are exposed to air toxics in high enough quantities over an extended period of time. Air toxics also play a role in animal sickness, infertility, and birth abnormalities. Therefore, both directly and indirectly, pollution of the environment harms both plants, animals, and people.

What Can We Do

Using public transportation is a surefire short method to reduce air pollution because it uses less gas and electricity, even carpools help with the situation. A permanent, non-polluting, and extremely secure source of energy is the sun or solar power. Solar panels, which are special in design and simple to install, are also a technical benefit to society and the planet. They take in solar energy and store it to power various equipment and electronics. Another step you can take on this path is to plant more trees and live a simplistic life. Minimalist living is not only a trendy millennial lifestyle, but it also has significant societal and environmental benefits.

Air pollution may reach one million tonnes annually in the next decades if environmental protection measures are not taken seriously and effectively enforced. We need to drastically alter our everyday routines if we want to lower the level of air pollution. By making better use of raw materials, water energy, and other resources, we can reduce pollution. Human health can be safeguarded and economic wellbeing can be increased when less harmful compounds are exchanged for hazardous ones.

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Air pollution.

Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Geography

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Air pollution consists of chemicals or particles in the air that can harm the health of humans, animals, and plants. It also damages buildings. Pollutants in the air take many forms. They can be gases , solid particles, or liquid droplets. Sources of Air Pollution Pollution enters the Earth's atmosphere in many different ways. Most air pollution is created by people, taking the form of emissions from factories, cars, planes, or aerosol cans . Second-hand cigarette smoke is also considered air pollution. These man-made sources of pollution are called anthropogenic sources . Some types of air pollution, such as smoke from wildfires or ash from volcanoes , occur naturally. These are called natural sources . Air pollution is most common in large cities where emissions from many different sources are concentrated . Sometimes, mountains or tall buildings prevent air pollution from spreading out. This air pollution often appears as a cloud making the air murky. It is called smog . The word "smog" comes from combining the words "smoke" and " fog ." Large cities in poor and developing nations tend to have more air pollution than cities in developed nations. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , some of the worlds most polluted cities are Karachi, Pakistan; New Delhi, India; Beijing, China; Lima, Peru; and Cairo, Egypt. However, many developed nations also have air pollution problems. Los Angeles, California, is nicknamed Smog City. Indoor Air Pollution Air pollution is usually thought of as smoke from large factories or exhaust from vehicles. But there are many types of indoor air pollution as well. Heating a house by burning substances such as kerosene , wood, and coal can contaminate the air inside the house. Ash and smoke make breathing difficult, and they can stick to walls, food, and clothing. Naturally-occurring radon gas, a cancer -causing material, can also build up in homes. Radon is released through the surface of the Earth. Inexpensive systems installed by professionals can reduce radon levels. Some construction materials, including insulation , are also dangerous to people's health. In addition, ventilation , or air movement, in homes and rooms can lead to the spread of toxic mold . A single colony of mold may exist in a damp, cool place in a house, such as between walls. The mold's spores enter the air and spread throughout the house. People can become sick from breathing in the spores. Effects On Humans People experience a wide range of health effects from being exposed to air pollution. Effects can be broken down into short-term effects and long-term effects . Short-term effects, which are temporary , include illnesses such as pneumonia or bronchitis . They also include discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or skin. Air pollution can also cause headaches, dizziness, and nausea . Bad smells made by factories, garbage , or sewer systems are considered air pollution, too. These odors are less serious but still unpleasant . Long-term effects of air pollution can last for years or for an entire lifetime. They can even lead to a person's death. Long-term health effects from air pollution include heart disease , lung cancer, and respiratory diseases such as emphysema . Air pollution can also cause long-term damage to people's nerves , brain, kidneys , liver , and other organs. Some scientists suspect air pollutants cause birth defects . Nearly 2.5 million people die worldwide each year from the effects of outdoor or indoor air pollution. People react differently to different types of air pollution. Young children and older adults, whose immune systems tend to be weaker, are often more sensitive to pollution. Conditions such as asthma , heart disease, and lung disease can be made worse by exposure to air pollution. The length of exposure and amount and type of pollutants are also factors. Effects On The Environment Like people, animals, and plants, entire ecosystems can suffer effects from air pollution. Haze , like smog, is a visible type of air pollution that obscures shapes and colors. Hazy air pollution can even muffle sounds. Air pollution particles eventually fall back to Earth. Air pollution can directly contaminate the surface of bodies of water and soil . This can kill crops or reduce their yield . It can kill young trees and other plants. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide particles in the air, can create acid rain when they mix with water and oxygen in the atmosphere. These air pollutants come mostly from coal-fired power plants and motor vehicles . When acid rain falls to Earth, it damages plants by changing soil composition ; degrades water quality in rivers, lakes and streams; damages crops; and can cause buildings and monuments to decay . Like humans, animals can suffer health effects from exposure to air pollution. Birth defects, diseases, and lower reproductive rates have all been attributed to air pollution. Global Warming Global warming is an environmental phenomenon caused by natural and anthropogenic air pollution. It refers to rising air and ocean temperatures around the world. This temperature rise is at least partially caused by an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases trap heat energy in the Earths atmosphere. (Usually, more of Earths heat escapes into space.) Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has had the biggest effect on global warming. Carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels (coal, gasoline , and natural gas ). Humans have come to rely on fossil fuels to power cars and planes, heat homes, and run factories. Doing these things pollutes the air with carbon dioxide. Other greenhouse gases emitted by natural and artificial sources also include methane , nitrous oxide , and fluorinated gases. Methane is a major emission from coal plants and agricultural processes. Nitrous oxide is a common emission from industrial factories, agriculture, and the burning of fossil fuels in cars. Fluorinated gases, such as hydrofluorocarbons , are emitted by industry. Fluorinated gases are often used instead of gases such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). CFCs have been outlawed in many places because they deplete the ozone layer . Worldwide, many countries have taken steps to reduce or limit greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming. The Kyoto Protocol , first adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is an agreement between 183 countries that they will work to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The United States has not signed that treaty . Regulation In addition to the international Kyoto Protocol, most developed nations have adopted laws to regulate emissions and reduce air pollution. In the United States, debate is under way about a system called cap and trade to limit emissions. This system would cap, or place a limit, on the amount of pollution a company is allowed. Companies that exceeded their cap would have to pay. Companies that polluted less than their cap could trade or sell their remaining pollution allowance to other companies. Cap and trade would essentially pay companies to limit pollution. In 2006 the World Health Organization issued new Air Quality Guidelines. The WHOs guidelines are tougher than most individual countries existing guidelines. The WHO guidelines aim to reduce air pollution-related deaths by 15 percent a year. Reduction Anybody can take steps to reduce air pollution. Millions of people every day make simple changes in their lives to do this. Taking public transportation instead of driving a car, or riding a bike instead of traveling in carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles are a couple of ways to reduce air pollution. Avoiding aerosol cans, recycling yard trimmings instead of burning them, and not smoking cigarettes are others.

Downwinders The United States conducted tests of nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site in southern Nevada in the 1950s. These tests sent invisible radioactive particles into the atmosphere. These air pollution particles traveled with wind currents, eventually falling to Earth, sometimes hundreds of miles away in states including Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Washington. These areas were considered to be "downwind" from the Nevada Test Site. Decades later, people living in those downwind areascalled "downwinders"began developing cancer at above-normal rates. In 1990, the U.S. government passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act. This law entitles some downwinders to payments of $50,000.

Greenhouse Gases There are five major greenhouse gases in Earth's atmosphere.

water vapor
carbon dioxide
nitrous oxide

London Smog What has come to be known as the London Smog of 1952, or the Great Smog of 1952, was a four-day incident that sickened 100,000 people and caused as many as 12,000 deaths. Very cold weather in December 1952 led residents of London, England, to burn more coal to keep warm. Smoke and other pollutants became trapped by a thick fog that settled over the city. The polluted fog became so thick that people could only see a few meters in front of them.

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Essay on Pollution

An essay on pollution is an essential concept for students as it reveals the consequences of human activities on the environment. Read on to explore how to write an intriguing and engaging essay on pollution.

Essay on Pollution – Important Guidelines

Please consider adopting the following suggestions when writing an essay on pollution. Moreover, these suggestions will be helpful for most other essays as well.

Begin with an introductory paragraph, preferably highlighting the history or insight of the topic.
Try to avoid jargon unless the topic demands so.
Use bulleted points to present content wherever possible
Incorporate factual data, such as dates, names and places wherever possible.
Avoid writing a large monotonous block of text. Always break up the content into easily digestible chunks
Try to conclude the essay with a closing paragraph.

Essay on Pollution – Sample 1

Pollution had existed long before humans evolved. For instance, volcanic eruptions commonly pumped massive amounts of sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere, causing acid rain. The greenhouse gas, ozone, forms from natural, photochemical reactions in the atmosphere.

However, significant levels of pollution occurred only after the Industrial Revolution, when untreated exhausts and toxic waste products were released into the environment. Air pollution was rampant, with thick, toxic smog covering most towns and cities. Water pollution affected many water bodies. Toxic substances leached into the soil, hampering the soil quality.

Today, there have been many measures to curb the effects of pollution, but its repercussions can still be observed. For instance, the land and sea ice near the poles have been decreasing at an alarming rate. This has led to the debate regarding climatic factors and their impact on our environment. There was a time when lead used to be added to motor fuel. This substance, combined with the world’s increasing demand for motor vehicles, caused a spike in air pollution. What made this air pollution more dangerous is the fact that the air had high levels of lead.

Lead is toxic and can cause a vast array of health problems. The most common illnesses are neurological in nature. Lead can also travel through the placenta, between a mother and her unborn child. Moreover, young children and infants are even more sensitive to lead. They can develop learning deficits, behavioural problems and also a low IQ.

Furthermore, some studies have arrived at a “lead-crime postulate”, where children who were exposed to high levels of lead were more likely to indulge in criminal activities. This correlation was made as to the crime rates during the 1980s, and early 1990s were rather high. Lead can also cause neurological effects on vertebrates and impair the reproductive capabilities of plants. More ominously, lead can be absorbed into the tissues of such organisms, and they can pass it on to us when we consume them.

Technological progress also brings newer forms of pollution. Radioactive pollution is one of the rarer types of pollution. This type of pollution occurs naturally as well – elements such as uranium and thorium are present in rocks and soil. Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon naturally present in all living organisms. It is created by cosmic rays. However, these natural sources of radiation are of little concern. Only anthropogenic sources of radioactivity are considered lethal sources of pollution. For instance, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster is the most publicised nuclear disaster ever to occur. The total death count was documented to be at 16,000. However, unofficial reports indicated that the death toll was much higher. Most deaths occurred due to acute radiation poisoning and many other deaths were caused due to radioactivity-induced cancer. Though it has been more than a few decades, radioactivity still persists around the site of the nuclear reactor. Efforts to contain the radioactivity included building the Shelter Structure, more popularly known as the “sarcophagus”. It was built in December 1986 and enclosed the reactor, preventing radiation from leaking through the building.

Though the levels of pollution have dropped down since the industrial revolution, we still see many repercussions to this day. Following are some extreme cases of pollution caused by anthropological activities.

The Great Smog of London was a severe case of air pollution that occurred in 1952. The event caused massive disruption by severely affecting visibility. It also caused a variety of respiratory illnesses in 1,00,000 individuals and the death of over 4,000 as a direct result of the smog.

In India, pollution is even more rampant. Delhi has recorded one of the worst cases of air pollution, with the air rated as “hazardous” in November 2017.

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Air pollution refers to the unwanted and harmful substances in the air we breathe. These substances are known as pollutants. Air pollution can be caused by natural sources or human activities and can have serious health, environmental, and economic impacts. In recent years, air pollution has become a popular debate topic due to the decreasing quality of air. The atmosphere of Earth comprises 78% of Nitrogen, 21% of Oxygen, and 0.93% of Argon.

The causes of air pollution are both natural and man-made. Natural sources of air pollution are volcanic eruptions, wildfires, and dust storms. However, human activities like transportation, industrial activities, agricultural practices, waste management, etc. have more serious and long-term impacts on the air we breathe. An essay on air pollution is a popular academic writing topic assigned to students. To help students with their essays on air pollution, we have listed some samples in 100, 200, and 300 words. These samples will discuss the causes, consequences, and steps to reduce air pollution.

Table of Content

Essays on Air Pollution in 150 Words

Essays on air pollution in 200 words, essays on air pollution in 500 words, 10 lines on air pollution.

Air pollution poses serious environmental and health risks. It is caused by the release of harmful particles and gases in the air. This deteriorates the quality of air we breathe and poses a serious threat to the existence of all living beings on Earth. Human activities, for a long, have been the majority responsible for air pollution. These include vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and agricultural practices that release harmful pollutants into the air.

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can lead to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and even premature death. Not only this, air pollution also poses a serious threat to the environment, leading to climate change. Environmentalists, international organizations, governments, and even private organizations are collectively working to reduce air pollution. They have implemented strict, cleaner technologies, and public awareness campaigns. These concerted efforts can help improve the air quality and create a healthy environment.

With rising environmental and health concerns, air pollution has become a popular debate topic. Air pollution is caused by natural and human activities, which release harmful substances, chemicals, and gases into the air we breathe. Our once-healthy environment has become a gas chamber, causing an existential threat to every species on Earth.

Since the advent of 18th-century Industrialisation, the emission of harmful gases like hydrogen chloride, benzene, and toluene has significantly increased. According to a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a total of 188 pollutants have been classified as hazardous.

Human activities like burning fossil fuels for energy production, vehicular emission, construction and industrial releases are the major causes of air pollution. There are natural sources also which are responsible for air pollution but their impact is limited to their respective regions. For example, during a volcanic eruption, harmful gases like water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2), are released into the atmosphere. However, such natural activities do not pose a global threat.

Tackling air pollution requires global cooperation and environmentally friendly approaches. One such method is relying on renewable energy sources, rather than exhausting limited natural resources, fossil fuels. World Health Organisation, along with global governments is taking steps to switch to affordable clean household energy solutions for cooking, heating and lighting.

Air pollution is a global concern. Therefore, it requires a collective approach from all countries and their respective governments. Careful implementation of environmentally friendly and sustained approaches will surely help create an air pollution-free environment.

World Health Organisation in its 2019 report stated that 99% of the world’s population was living in places where the WHO air quality guidelines levels were not met. Air pollution is known as the releaseof unwanted harmful substances and chemicals in the air. This damages the qualities of air we breath, affecting health and detoriates the environment quality. Air pollution is responsible for millions of premature deaths every year.

Causes of Air Pollution

Air pollution is caused by both natural and man-made activities. Nature causes of air pollution are volcanic erruptions, dust storms, and wildfires. During a volcanic eruption, harm gases and chemicals like water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are released. Also, a small amounts of hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen chloride are also released. However, natural causes of air pollution are limited to there regions and do not poses long term environmental threats.

Human activities causes are the major factors causing air pollution. Human activities like industrialisation, vehicular emission, combustion, energy production, construction, agricultural activities and waste management are major factors of air pollution. Human activities releases pollutants like Carbon Monoxide, (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and methane causes air pollution.

In metropolitan cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, etc. vehicular emission and construction are major causes of air pollution. Construction sites generate dust and emissions from equipment, contributing to local air pollution.

Consequences of Air Pollution

Air pollution has harmful consequences on human health, the environment, and the economy.
Air pollution contributes to a wide range of health problems, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and respiratory infections. Some of these diseases are asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to decreased lung function, aggravation of existing health conditions, and premature death, particularly among vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
Our ecosystem is the first victim of air pollution. Pollutants deposited onto soil and water bodies harm plants, animals, and aquatic life.
Acid rain, caused by sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides reacting with water vapor in the atmosphere, damages forests, soils, and freshwater ecosystem
Pollutants like carbon dioxide, methane, and black carbon are all also greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change.
The rate at which these pollutants are released in the atmosphere can lead to global warming, rising temperatures, altered weather patterns, and more frequent and intense extreme weather events.
Air pollution also affects our economy. Investments in air pollution control measures and environmental cleanup efforts entail financial expenditures for governments, businesses, and individuals.

Steps to Reduce Air Pollution

Policies and investments in air pollution control measures are necessary to reduce the content of pollutants.
Switching to environmental friendly activities can significantly help reduce air pollution. Excessive use of natural resources not only depletes them but puts a stain on the environment.
Relying on solar energy, hydro energy and wind energy can reduce them burden on coal for electricity and power generation.
On individual level, we can practice carpooling, use public transportation, cycling, walking, or electric vehicles whenever possible.
we can avoid unnecessary idling to maintain proper tire pressure, and combine errands to minimize trips.
Build a habit of turning lights and electronics off when not in use. Invest in energy-efficient appliances and adjust thermostats for optimal temperature control.
Minimize waste generation and opt for reusable products whenever possible.
Recycling reduces the need for raw materials and lowers energy consumption during production of new goods.

Here are 10 lines on air pollution. Feel free to add themto your essay on air pollution or similar writing topics.

1. Air pollution refers to the release of harmful gases and chemicals in the air we breathe.

2. Air pollution poses serious environmental and health risks.

3. It is caused by the release of harmful particles and gases in the air.

4. The causes of air pollution are both natural and man-made.

5. Human activities, for a long, have been the majority responsible for air pollution. These include vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and agricultural practices that release harmful pollutants into the air.

6. Air pollution is a global concern and it requires a collective approach.

7. Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to decreased lung function, aggravation of existing health conditions, and premature death.

8. According to a WHO report, 99% of the global population is breathing harmful air.

9. Human activities release pollutants like Carbon Monoxide, (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and methane causes air pollution.

10. Switching to environmentally friendly activities can significantly help reduce air pollution.

This was all about an essay on air pollution. We hope the essay samples listed above will help you with your essay writing practice. For more information on such informative articles, visit GeekforGeeks.

Also Read: Essay on My Father in English: 300, 500 & 800 Words Essay 500+ Words Essay on Importance of Education in English 800 Words Essay On Internet in English for Students 500+ Words Essay on Mother Teresa in English For Students 500 Words Essay on Summer Vacation For Students in English

Essay on Air Pollution- FAQs

How to write an essay on air pollution.

Air pollution poses serious environmental and health risks. It is caused by the release of harmful particles and gases in the air. This deteriorates the quality of the air we breathe and poses a serious threat to the existence of all living beings on Earth. Human activities, for a long, have been the majority responsible for air pollution. These include vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and agricultural practices that release harmful pollutants into the air.

What are the major causes of air pollution?

Air pollution has both natural and man-made causes. The natural causes of air pollution are volcanic eruptions, wildfires and dust storms. The man-made causes of air pollution are industrial wastes, domestic wastes, agricultural activities, vehicular emissions, construction dust, etc. The man-made causes have a greater impact on the air quality.

What is the government doing to reduce air pollution?

The Indian government launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to fight the air pollution problem all over India in a sustainable manner. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 lists all the central and state rules to manage air quality and monitor pollutants released by industries, constructions, and agricultural and vehicular activities. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Board manage these activities in their respective jurisdiction.

Is air pollution causes by natural sources?

Natural sources of air pollution are volcanic eruptions, forest fires, and dust storms. However, these natural sources of air pollution do not pose a serious threat to the global air quality.

What are some lines on air pollution?

Air pollution refers to the release of harmful gases and chemicals in the air we breathe. Air pollution poses serious environmental and health risks. The causes of air pollution are both natural and man-made. Human activities, for a long, have been the majority responsible for air pollution. These include vehicle emissions, industrial activities, and agricultural practices that release harmful pollutants into the air. Air pollution is a global concern and it requires a collective and systematic approach. Long-term exposure to air pollution can lead to decreased lung function, aggravation of existing health conditions, and premature death. Human activities release pollutants like Carbon Monoxide, (CO), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and methane causing air pollution.

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Essay on Air Pollution: Types, Causes & Effects of Air Pollution

March 10, 2021 by Sandeep

Air Pollution Essay: Air Pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic substances in the air in such a concentration that can be hazardous to humans and their surroundings. These toxic particles are commonly known as pollutants; out of these pollutants, oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur are particularly harmful.

Essay on Air Pollution in 500 Words

Below we have provided Air Pollution Essay in English, suitable for class 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 school students. This essay is drafted in easy and simple language.

Air Pollution is an environmental issue that poses a huge threat to billions of organisms surviving on our planet. It has been increasing at an alarming rate with an increase in the concentration of pollutants. The contamination of air by these hazardous pollutants has disrupted the natural balance in our environment. The quality of life has reduced.

Causes of Air Pollution

Two primary phenomena cause air pollution. One of them is the natural phenomenon that comprises volcanic eruptions, wildfires, radioactive elements, and volatile organic compounds. The other most crucial cause is human activity. With the increase in the number of industries, the contamination in the air automatically increases. Fuels and chemicals utilized in factories, mills, and industries release harmful chemicals to the atmosphere. These are organic compounds, gases, particulate matter, ash, and other volatile substances.

Chlorofluorocarbons, also known as CFCs, are another potent reason for air pollution. These chemicals get released from leaky refrigerants, spray tins, burning plastics and various other sources. They deplete the ozone layer and allow harmful UV rays to enter our atmosphere. This, in turn, causes serious illnesses. It is also responsible for smog in urban cities. Smog impairs visibility and can lead to accidents.

Carbon dioxide solely accounts for almost 57 percent of the air pollution. Greenhouse gases and Carbon dioxide together contribute to global warming . They also cause acid rains which are harmful to plants and man-made objects like ancient monuments.

Effects of Air Pollution

With the air quality deteriorating, our future is at stake. Increasing pollution can cause serious health hazards like cancer and cardiovascular issues. Children suffer from bronchitis and pneumonia. Irritation of the nose and throat, asthma attacks, pulmonary diseases are all outcomes of air pollution. Another significant effect of pollution is extreme climate change. Disrupting food chains, extinction of species, depleting the ozone layer are some of the grave issues we face today.

Control of Air Pollution

The Air Pollution Act forbids power sectors and high-scale industries from releasing particulate matter beyond a certain level. Chimneys, Electrostatic precipitators, and filters must be implanted to lessen the damage caused by the emissions.

People must be made aware of the grave conditions of air pollution. The government has taken a huge step to sensitize people regarding the consequences of pollution. We must do our part as well. Using the means of public transport will ensure less number of vehicles. Lesser vehicles mean lesser emission of pollutants.

Planting more and more trees can help solve this crisis. Reforestation in mining areas is also an effective step. Conservation of energy is of prime importance. Renewable energy sources like solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric power, and natural gas must be utilized. We must avoid burning dry leaves at our homes and must indulge in the habit of composting.

The implementation of Eco-friendly methods will ensure a cleaner and healthier environment. LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas), CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), and Biogas are some Eco-friendly substitutes of fuels. Together, we must strive to bring a change. Our efforts matter because they will bring in much-needed change. After all, everyone wants to live on a healthy planet.

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Air Pollution - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

Writing an essay on air pollution can be a challenging task. It is a pressing issue that affects the environment, human health, and air quality. To create a well-structured paper, you should follow a clear outline. What’s more, organize your essay into perfectly organized sections. It should consist of an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. One of the key points here is the statement of the problem, and it is important to make it strong. For example, “Air pollution poses a significant threat due to the release of harmful gases and the presence of dirty smoke particles.” You need to emphasize the importance of taking immediate action to reduce environmental risks and promote clean air for present and future generations. Begin by conducting thorough research on such a phenomenon using reliable and reputable sources. Look for academic journals, scientific publications, government reports, and environmental organizations’ websites. To gain a better understanding of how to structure and develop your paper, you can refer to an air pollution essay example. Analyze how other writers have structured their papers and incorporated studies effectively. It will provide valuable insights on research paper topics and help you organize your thoughts effectively.

While creating informative and argumentative essays about air pollution, it is essential to convey the severity of the issue. Each paragraph should address a specific aspect, presenting evidence and arguments to support the main statement. You can discuss the causes, effects, or solutions related to climate change. The conclusion and introduction for essay on air pollution should provide a concise overview. Do not forget to choose compelling titles which will engage readers. Through thoughts and words, humanity can change the situation and inspire others to take action. An essay on this topic will unite everyone and take steps towards creating a future where pure air is a reality for all!

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Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollution

Earth is surrounded by air made up of a mixture of extremely important gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen. These gases provide humans with oxygen for respiration to occur, and provides carbon dioxide to plants for photosynthesis. It is important for human health that the air we breathe is clean. Due to man-made contributions to the environment and the ecosystem such as deforestation and factories; smog, smoke and other chemical components are put out into the air causing […]

Bing Air Pollution in Beijing

Trade throughout the world has brought people great things for as long as our history books go back, and the trade routes in China date back to long forgotten old goat trails. Today, our world is becoming more and more connected with internet communications and transportation is now faster thanks to globalization. Globalization is when businesses start operating their markets on an international scale, while also developing international factories. Thanks to these technological advances in globalization, small economies across the […]

Public Transportation is the Way to Go

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How to Reduce Air Pollution

The air pollution in Pima County; large quantity is due to internal combustion vehicles, residents have to adopt conservation habits to prevent the state of Arizona from implementing more regulations in the future. Introduction Air pollution is a problem that many cities in the United States are currently dealing with. In the city of Tucson AZ, air pollution is a problem that is being controlled. It has been declared that automobiles are the dominant factor compared to other factors in […]

What is Air Pollution

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About Air, Water and Soil Pollution

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Air Pollution in Cities

Background: Air pollution is particle matter in the earth’s atmosphere, and it gradually harms humans, animals, plants, and the earth itself. Air pollution arose side to side with the industrial revolution; the rise to modern manufacturing processes. Air pollution is a problem because eventually at this rate the air is being polluted, the sky will be filled with smog and completely black in only a matter of decades. This problem ties in with the needs and wants of society because […]

Air Pollution Scrubber

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Save the Earth from the Plastic Pollution

Pollution is caused by some sort of toxic waste that is thrown into the atmosphere or land nearby. There are many types of pollution, the main are air pollution, plastic pollution, and water pollution, all three are very dangerous to the ecosystem. Pollution is the contamination of the environment in which we live in and it harms nature and living things around it. It is the biggest global killer affecting over 100 million people. That’s more than global diseases like […]

Environmental Air Pollution Monitoring System

Abstract Over the few Decades there is a rapid growth in the transportation facilities. These facilities are meant to serve the humans and make their life easier. Apart from the advantages these facilities also create serious problems to the environment. The first and the foremost is the severe environmental pollution which has caused deterioration of atmosphere, climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, loss of biodiversity, changes in hydrological systems. Using Arduino technology the concentration of pollutants in the environment at a […]

Air Pollution in Kathmandu

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The Impact of Wildfires on Air Pollution and Human Health

Climate change has many consequences. Some of the most well-known consequences include rising sea levels and increasing temperatures. However, one of the less studied consequences of climate change is the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires that are occurring due to a drier and warmer climate.8 Therefore, vegetation in those climates lose more water and the amount of dry fuel in the environment will increase. Wildfires that occur due to climate change can also spread faster as climate change has […]

How to Stop Air Pollution in Africa

Pollution is a word that is commonly used around us. We hear it on the way to school, on the news and even while eavesdropping on elderly people just taking a ride on the train. So what exactly does pollution mean? And how did it become a topic that is now widely discussed? What is the solution to this problem we are so accustomed to, but is killing us? It has become increasingly evident that for some that the only […]

Kinds of Pollution: the Future of Environment

Can you stay without light in your life?! Our environment is our light. God created the surroundings in their most beautiful form, but when a shadow got here over this light, our surroundings grew to become darkish and this shadow is us. The environment includes the living and non-living things that an organism interacts with or has an impact on it. Living elements that an organism interacts with are known as biotic elements: animals, plants, etc., abiotic elements are non-living […]

Air Pollution and Health

Air pollution is an evident mater that is only getting worse as time goes on. This is an issue that affects everyone, and it has been proven several times that poor air quality is severely damaging to people's health and wellbeing. There are several things that contribute to air pollution, even things that humans do on a day to day basis. It is imperative that we do all in our power to limit the pollution of our air in order […]

What you Need to Know about Air Pollution

With climate change becoming a major area of concern across the globe, air pollution is a topic that needs to be a closely paid attention to. Globally, cities track and report the air pollution that is produced within their area. To better fix and ideally prevent the air pollution issues in the world, cities are beginning to take steps to improve the air quality that its citizens are breathing daily. Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gas […]

Air Pollution and Environmental Quality

Environment refers to the surroundings. These could either be people, houses, factories or anything visible. Policy, on the other hand, is a term used to point out at rules or guidelines set to govern or protect something. In this case, the rules are set to guide the surrounding (Wu 184). Air pollution comes in when a surrounding gets overwhelmed by activities done by people in the name of earning a living (Knox 173). Human activities result in the emission of […]

Air Pollution in Houston

Introduction Houston has been facing an air pollution problem which affects our daily lives. With the establishment of numerous companies and refineries, the smoke and chemicals from them, and the enormous amount of automobile usage contribute to air pollution. The quality of air that Houstonians have been inhaling is detrimental to their health and it consequently places them at risk of suffering from major diseases like asthma, heart disease, and stroke. Although many controls have been considered to reduce air […]

During the Industrial Revolution

During the Industrial Revolution the urbanization of cities and the rise in factories in the US contributed to environmental damage and the health hazards of humans through pollution. This quote, Industries discharged foul, sometimes toxic, solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes into the surrounding air, water, and land (Rosen, 565) tells us how unregulated factories expelled dangerous wastes into the ecosystem without being treated to be harmless. During the Industrial Revolution the lifestyle of Americans in the US changed and population […]

Air Pollution in Vietnam Today

The development of technologies and the demands of human beings are creating severe problems to our planet. Global warming and polluted environment are being reinforced due to the human activities. This is also occurring in my country. Vietnam is developing, so the processes of industrialization are strongly pushed by my government. Tons of gas and industrial waste are emitted to the sky and into the sea. Also, the exploited activities in the forest and ocean are ruining a lot habitats […]

Impact of Air Pollution on Human Health

The quality of the air influences a lot in people lives. Living in an environment free of pollution supposes a better quality of life. In most cases we do not even know the way in which this pollution affects us. According to the World Health Organization website, because air pollution, around 7 million people died (7 million premature death). The growth of our population, the way in which energy is consumed, transportation, the air-conditioned systems, and others cause the emission […]

Managing Air Pollution with Urban Transportation

Abstract: The recent economic expansion along with the population growth experienced in developing countries has had a big impact on the development of large cities like Delhi, India. Accompanied by Delhi's rapid spatial growth over the last 25 years, urban sprawl has been contributing to increased travel. The vehicle fleet projected at current growth rates will result in more than 13 million vehicles in Delhi in 2020. Planning and managing such a rapidly growing transport sector will be a big […]

India’s Air Pollution and Climate Change

The World Health Organization states that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular systems (Secretariat 2018). Pollution is a worldwide problem. It is defined as the introduction of harmful materials into the environment (National Geographic 1). Materials are a variety of substances known as pollutants and can even be natural. Some of the substances are carbon dioxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO), and carbon monoxide […]

Rise in Air Temperature Worldwide

In order to understand climate change you need to understand the difference between weather and climate. Weather happens over a short period of time while climate happens over a longer period of time.The U.S. government should take aggressive steps to address climate change because it is there responsibility to keep us informed about air pollution,increase in storms,and water issues. High levels of carbon monoxide are being released causing the ozone layer to take in less of the sun's harmful U.V […]

The China Air Pollution

The problem that I will be discussing in this essay is about the pollution in China. The air quality is becoming worse and worse in China each year. Air pollution has been a major issue in China for many years, first record of China having unhealthy and unsafe air quality was back in January of 2005. They are still in the process of reducing the levels of nitrogen dioxide in their air. The water pollution has also been in an […]

Solution to Air Pollution and Environmental Degradation

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Catastrophic Effect of the Pollution in the World

Pollution has a catastrophic effect in the world today and our future. Its caused by the process of making new land, water , air or other parts of the environment that are unsanitary and not able to be used. Simple abiotic factors such as light, sound, and temperature can be considered as a pollutants once they are initiated artificially into an environment. There are three different types of pollution today land, air and water. A pollutant that is most common […]

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Essay About Air Pollution Air pollution is a type of environmental pollution that affects the air and mostly happens because of smoke or other harmful gases, mainly oxides of carbon, sulphur, and nitrogen. It occurs when those gases are introduced into the atmosphere in a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals, and plant. One of the biggest things that cause air pollution are cars, every time you see that smoke that comes from below your car's exhaust pipe, you see air pollution. Air pollution refers to the presence of foreign substances in the air that doesn’t belong there or excessive amounts of certain impurities that wouldn't harm us otherwise. When cars burn gasoline, they emit pollutants. Gasoline fumes escape into the air even when we pump gasoline into our fuel tanks. There are a large number of pollutions that come from cares, the first one is when cars produce carbon monoxide. That happens when the carbon in fuel doesn't burn completely and ruins the air. Second, is when a car's exhaust emits hydrocarbons meaning a toxic compound of hydrogen and carbon. Last, When fuel burns, nitrogen and oxygen react with each other and form nitrogen oxides and that pollutes the air. The air pollution causes a lot of problems like global warming, climate change and it also ruins the environment. An example is that air pollution impacts the process of photosynthesis in many cases, with serious consequences for the purification of the air we breathe. A solution that was invented for air pollution from cars was the Tesla. Tesla is an American automotive and energy company based in California. The main difference between normal cars and Teslas is powering. If gas is the number one fuel for cars around the world, Tesla cars are using electricity as their fuel. This makes a huge impact on the environment pollution as electricity lives no trace whatsoever in the air and the noise is minimal. Aside from air pollution, cities are battling with enormous sound pollution, and if cars become powered by electricity globally, a lot of the environmental problems that I listed will be solved just with this change. Regular vehicles need constant oil checks and if the oil runs out, much of the car won’t function because almost all the parts of the car need some kind of oil. Tesla cars do not need oil at all. Tesla cars work with a powerful battery, which is charged with electricity. This gives juice for the car to run for a certain period of time. This battery is a little similar to the batteries that you can find in your laptop and smartphone, you charge it, it drives for a couple 100 kilometers and then you need to charge it again. Tesla uses lithium-ion batteries in order to power up their supercars. These batteries are extremely powerful. In fact, a battery that you can find in a Tesla car is made out of thousands of lithium-ion cells and weights at least a thousand pound. Tesla cars work with a small motor, which is about the size of a watermelon. This is one of the latest innovations in electronic engineering. It converts electrical energy drawn from the batteries to mechanical power in order to move the vehicle. This is a more efficient technology when compared to the combustion engines that you can find on traditional cars. In other words, people who drive Tesla cars will be able to get a longer range for their charge, which can help them to save money in the long run. In conclusion, I think that Teslas are one of the best solutions for air pollution right now. They don't use gas which helps the environment and decreases the possibilities of global warming which is a very dangerous thing in our world right now. Sure, they aren’t the perfect solution and I'm sure that better solutions will be made in the future or are in the making right now but Tesla is a simple easy solution that is accessible for a lot of people and it makes a big change in our world for the better.

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Air and Water Pollution Descriptive Essay

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Air pollutants

Water pollutants, reference list.

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide are examples of air pollutants, which cause major damages to the environment. These pollutants are associated with many health problems that affect the respiratory organs. They also affect properties contributing to rusting of metal in vehicles and roofing materials.

They are classified as air pollutants because they affect the air. Carbon monoxide, which is processed by plants, is a hazardous substance emitted to the environment. Thus, it is classified as a primary pollutant because it is the most common pollutants in the environment. Carbon monoxide causes suffocation when inhaled in large quantities (Donald, 2001).

This happens in most cases, especially where people use coal to warm their houses. Carbon monoxide is emitted when coal burns in oxygen. Once emitted in abundance, it leads to death through suffocation. However, this happens when its release in the environment is relatively high.

For example, a house which lacks sufficient air circulation can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate thus affecting the occupants. In the environment, the impact of carbon monoxide is felt overtime, since it leads to respiratory problems. Consequently, Nitrogen oxide also constitutes primary pollutant.

This owe to the fact that, its production is in mass. The main sources of Nitrogen oxide emissions are; power plants and motor vehicles. Nitrogen oxide gas is produced by plants during the process of the nitrogen cycle, and despite being a pollutant; its production cannot be regulated.

In relation to the layers of the atmosphere, these two gases contribute to the destruction of the Ozone layer. The destruction takes place in such a way that it cannot be felt or noticed. However, prolonged process causes global warming. Nitrogen oxide, for example, is produced on a daily basis from plants, and thus, it cannot be controlled.

Consequently, products manufactured from industries emit these gases. The gas emitted diffuses into the environment, producing effects such as; corrosion of Ozone layers of the atmosphere which shelters the earth from dangerous rays of the sun (Donald, 2001).

The excessive emission of sun rays results in the development of skin problems brought about by ultra- violet rays, a good example of a problem caused by this phenomenon is the being skin cancer. Skin Cancer and related cases have increased sharply in the current years.

The most common water pollutants include; pesticides and chlorine. Pesticides get into the water systems when they are being applied to plants. These substances are swept by rain water into water bodies, absorbed into the soil, and in some cases, find their way through soil layers to the underground water (Parks, 2007).

However, the latter option might take a longer duration of continuous usage. Chlorine is believed to be a solution to contaminated water, but in the real sense, it pollutes the water by introducing chemicals. When chlorine interacts with decomposing vegetation, it results in toxic substances considered to form part of the causal agents of cancer.

Consequently, pesticides also play a destructive role to aquatic life. The damages they cause include; suffocating the breeding eggs, and poisoning the plants and animals that thrive in the sea or other water bodies (Parks, 2007).

Chlorine, on the other hand, leads to the formation of chloroform when it interacts with the dead and decomposing plants in water. The normal use of chloroform is to suffocate animals that are being used in experiments. When chlorine is used in a mild form, it serves as a drug that induces the coma, before an operation is conducted.

Donald, R. L. (2001). Air pollution . New York: Children’s Press.

Parks, P. J. (2007). Water pollution . Detroit: KidHaven Press.

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Air Pollution Essay

Air pollution essay in english for kids.

Air pollution is the presence of harmful substances in the air that affects humans and the environment. The pollutants which are present in the air have adverse effects on health and climate change. It not only affects human health but also the flora, fauna, and other natural resources. What can be the cause of air pollution? It is basically caused due to the release of poisonous gas from petroleum, automobiles, burning coal and wood, metallurgical processing, chemical fertilizers, etc. The gases released are harmful to the environment and ultimately impact the respiratory system of humans.

Is there any effect of air pollution? Yes, it releases harmful gases in the atmosphere such as particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, aerosols, and other automobile exhaust gases. Due to this, there are severe health issues reported among humans and animals. They are exposed to respiratory problems, asthma, and other chronic ailments. Most of the air inhaled is contaminated with harmful chemicals and gases. This leads to global warming, forest fires, and other natural disasters.

How can we prevent air pollution? We have to take stringent measures to overcome this problem. It is very important for us to control air pollution by reducing the release of harmful gases from the industries, using pollution-free fuels for transport, recycling wastes, growing more plants, and increasing afforestation. Although we have increased the level of air pollution to a drastic level, we can still find different ways to reduce the pollutants. We can work together to breathe fresh air and protect the environment for future generations.

Also explore: Learn more about pollution in this Pollution Essay and Water Pollution Essay .

Causes of Air Pollution

There were times when the air we used to breathe was pure and fresh. Sadly, the poisonous gases are polluting the air in far-reaching ways. The factors that contribute to air pollution are mentioned below:

Concentration of gases in the environment makes the air toxic.
Burning of fossil fuels and firewoods.
Deforestation and cutting down trees.
Release of toxic gases in the atmosphere such as aerosols, oxides of nitrogen, carbon and sulphur.
Poisonous gases released from the industries.
Release of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere
Release of industrial, agricultural and thermal wastes.

Effects Of Air Pollution

Do you feel suffocated while inhaling automobile smoke? It is because the smoke or air that you inhale is polluted. Needless to say, air pollution has severe effects on living creatures and the environment. It is responsible for chronic diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disorders. It has adverse effects on health and the well-being of people. Apart from this, deforestation and cutting of trees block the natural and fresh air required for breathing.

How to Prevent Air Pollution?

To overcome this issue, we need to bring out well-planned strategies. We should take stringent measures to combat air pollution in an effective way. It is better to replace hazardous substances with natural components to eliminate toxic gases. A few ways to reduce air pollution are mentioned below:

Development of policies and agreements to reduce air pollution in the industries, factories and other small scale industries.
Afforestation: To increase the level of oxygen in the air, you should plant more trees in the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
Prohibit deforestation: It is important to stop deforestation in order to increase the quality of air in the atmosphere.
Use of pollution free fuel: Formulate policies for eco-friendly gases such as bio gas, LPG and other eco friendly fuels. Also, you can restrict the use of fossil fuels.

We all need to stand together and help each other to reduce air pollution in the atmosphere. To give a safe and healthy life to our future generations, we need to follow the rules and take necessary measures to prevent air pollution.

We hope this air pollution essay was useful to you. Check Osmo’s essays for kids for more essays on a wide variety of topics.

Frequently Asked Questions On Air Pollution

What is an air pollution essay.

It is a short write-up on air pollution and its causes, effects, and measures to prevent pollution in the atmosphere.

What are the ways to reduce air pollution?

To reduce air pollution in the atmosphere, you can plant more trees, use pollution-free fuels, save energy, reduce the release of harmful gases from the industries.

What are the effects of air pollution?

The effects of air pollution are chronic respiratory disorders and other natural disasters.

To find more information, explore related articles such as technology essay and essay on internet .

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Human Impact — Air Pollution

Essays on Air Pollution

As you embark on writing an air pollution essay, it's essential to structure your content effectively. Begin with the introductory paragraph, where you provide basic facts, statistics, and definitions to establish context. Depending on the scope of your essay, you may choose to focus on indoor or outdoor pollution. Tailor your introduction to set the tone and direction of your essay.

Delve into the heart of your essay by discussing the problem of air pollution and its sources. Explain why these sources exist and highlight the pollutants involved. Consider various air pollution essay topics, including respiratory issues, child health concerns, ozone layer depletion, and impacts on wildlife and cardiovascular health. From municipal waste management to green energy initiatives, explore potential solutions and effective strategies for mitigating pollution.

In crafting your essay, ensure you present a methodical approach and propose at least one viable solution to address the problem. Draw inspiration from examples of proposal essays, where statistical data and compelling facts enhance the narrative. Your main thesis statement should encapsulate the causes and effects of air pollution.

To add depth to your essay, consider discussing environmental issues in your local area and drawing comparisons to broader ecological challenges. Providing concrete examples and leveraging factual evidence will enrich your argument and make your essay more compelling.

Consider exploring examples of proposal essays on air pollution to gain valuable insights into structuring and presenting your ideas effectively. By incorporating relevant examples, factual information, and a persuasive argument, your essay will resonate with readers and contribute to greater awareness and action on this critical issue.

Hook Examples for Air Pollution Essays

Statistical hook.

Did you know that each year, air pollution causes over 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide? These startling statistics underscore the urgent need to address this global crisis.

Anecdotal Hook

Picture this: A bustling cityscape obscured by a thick haze of smog, where children play wearing masks. This is the stark reality faced by many urban areas grappling with air pollution.

Question Hook

How can we breathe easy when the air we inhale is increasingly toxic? Explore the consequences of air pollution and discover potential solutions to this pressing environmental issue.

Rhetorical Question Hook

Can we afford to ignore the invisible threat that hangs in the air we breathe? Delve into the hidden dangers of air pollution and its far-reaching impact on public health.

Quotation Hook

"The earth does not belong to us: we belong to the earth." — Marlee Matlin. Reflect on this thought-provoking quote as we delve into the environmental implications of air pollution.

Historical Hook

Travel back to the mid-20th century when air quality in major cities like London and Los Angeles was notoriously poor. Explore the historical context of air pollution regulation and its impact.

Definition Hook

What exactly is air pollution, and how does it differ from other environmental issues? Gain a clear understanding of this concept and its multifaceted nature.

Contrast Hook

Contrast the serene beauty of pristine landscapes with images of smog-choked cities. This stark juxtaposition highlights the importance of combating air pollution.

Narrative Hook

Step into the shoes of individuals living in heavily polluted areas and experience their daily struggles. Their stories shed light on the human side of the air pollution crisis.

Shocking Statement Hook

Prepare to be shocked by the surprising sources of indoor air pollution lurking within our homes. The danger may be closer than you think.

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How Does Air Pollution Effect on Our Health

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The Urgent Problem of Pollution in Modern World

Negative impacts of air pollution and steps that the usa is taking to curb this problem, environmental pollution in the transport sector and the benefits of electric cars to our environment, ways you can reduce air pollution from your business , environmental factors and climate influences in california, environmental probelms in pakistan: issues in the big cities, evaluation of the health impact of air pollution in america and china, assessment of the ecological problem arising from air pollutants, analysis of the bronx air pollutants problem and the responsibility of the government, trees against world pollution, informative pollutions, their types, causes, impacts, and solutions, understanding the problem of air pollutants and its impact on temperature, the difficulties in mitigating the effects of climate change in the current world, analysis of the approach to better air quality and reduction of air pollution in the us, review of the documentary "under the dome" and the risks associated with air pollution in china, air filter in thailand, a study on the correlation between changes in air pollution and water sources, the serious problem of air pollution in saudi arabia and the solutions to the environmental issue, human impact on the carbon cycle, the problem of air pollution in the workplace.

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution. Pollutants of major public health concern include particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide.

Respiratory and heart problems, child health problems, mortality, global warming, acid rain, eutrophication, depletion of the ozone layer, negative effect on wildlife.

Policies and investments that support sustainable land use, cleaner household energy and transport, energy-efficient housing, power generation, industry, and better municipal waste management can effectively reduce key sources of ambient air pollution.

A child born today might not breathe clean air until they are 8. Inhaling air pollution takes away at least 1-2 years of a typical human life. Pollutants that are released into the air, as opposed to land and water pollutants, are the most harmful. Rising levels of air pollution in Beijing has brought a new disease – Beijing cough.

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Published: 17 June 2020

Half the world’s population are exposed to increasing air pollution

G. Shaddick ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4117-4264 1 ,
M. L. Thomas 2 ,
P. Mudu 3 ,
G. Ruggeri 3 &
S. Gumy 3

npj Climate and Atmospheric Science volume 3 , Article number: 23 ( 2020 ) Cite this article

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Environmental impact

Air pollution is high on the global agenda and is widely recognised as a threat to both public health and economic progress. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 4.2 million deaths annually can be attributed to outdoor air pollution. Recently, there have been major advances in methods that allow the quantification of air pollution-related indicators to track progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and that expand the evidence base of the impacts of air pollution on health. Despite efforts to reduce air pollution in many countries there are regions, notably Central and Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, in which populations continue to be exposed to increasing levels of air pollution. The majority of the world’s population continue to be exposed to levels of air pollution substantially above WHO Air Quality Guidelines and, as such, air pollution constitutes a major, and in many areas, increasing threat to public health.

Environmental determinants of cardiovascular disease: lessons learned from air pollution

Global air pollution exposure and poverty

Health impacts of air pollution exposure from 1990 to 2019 in 43 European countries

Introduction.

In 2016, the WHO estimated that 4.2 million deaths annually could be attributed to ambient (outdoor) fine particulate matter air pollution, or PM 2.5 (particles smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter) 1 . PM 2.5 comes from a wide range of sources, including energy production, households, industry, transport, waste, agriculture, desert dust and forest fires and particles can travel in the atmosphere for hundreds of kilometres and their chemical and physical characteristics may vary greatly over time and space. The WHO developed Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) to offer guidance for reducing the health impacts of air pollution. The first edition, the WHO AQG for Europe, was published in 1987 with a global update (in 2005) reflecting the increased scientific evidence of the health risks of air pollution worldwide and the growing appreciation of the global scale of the problem 2 . The current WHO AQG states that annual mean concentration should not exceed 10 μg/m 3 2 .

The adoption and implementation of policy interventions have proved to be effective in improving air quality 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . There are at least three examples of enforcement of long-term policies that have reduced concentration of air pollutants in Europe and North America: (i) the Clean Air Act in 1963 and its subsequent amendments in the USA; (ii) the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) with protocols enforced since the beginning of the 1980s in Europe and North America 8 ; and (iii) the European emission standards passed in the European Union in the early 1990s 9 . However, between 1960 and 2009 concentrations of PM 2.5 globally increased by 38%, due in large part to increases in China and India, with deaths attributable to air pollution increasing by 124% between 1960 and 2009 10 .

The momentum behind the air pollution and climate change agendas, and the synergies between them, together with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an opportunity to address air pollution and the related burden of disease. Here, trends in global air quality between 2010 and 2016 are examined in the context of attempts to reduce air pollution, both through long-term policies and more recent attempts to reduce levels of air pollution. Particular focus is given to providing comprehensive coverage of estimated concentrations and obtaining (national-level) distributions of population exposures for health impact assessment. Traditionally, the primary source of information has been measurements from ground monitoring networks but, although coverage is increasing, there remain regions in which monitoring is sparse, or even non-existent (see Supplementary Information) 11 . The Data Integration Model for Air Quality (DIMAQ) was developed by the WHO Data Integration Task Force (see Acknowledgements for details) to respond to the need for improved estimates of exposures to PM 2.5 at high spatial resolution (0.1° × 0.1°) globally 11 . DIMAQ calibrates ground monitoring data with information from satellite retrievals of aerosol optical depth, chemical transport models and other sources to provide yearly air quality profiles for individual countries, regions and globally 11 . Estimates of PM 2.5 concentrations have been compared with previous studies and a good quantitative agreement in the direction and magnitude of trends has been found. This is especially valid in data rich settings (North America, Western Europe and China) where trends results are consistent with what has been found from the analysis of ground level PM 2.5 measurements.

Figure 1a shows average annual concentrations of PM 2.5 for 2016, estimated using DIMAQ,; and Fig. 1b the differences in concentrations between 2010 and 2016. Although air pollution affects high and low-income countries alike, low- and middle-income countries experience the highest burden, with the highest concentrations being seen in Central, Eastern Southern and South-Eastern Asia 12 .

a Concentrations in 2016. b Changes in concentrations between 2010 and 2016.

The high concentrations observed across parts of the Middle East, parts of Asia and Sub-Saharan regions of Africa are associated with sand and desert dust. Desert dust has received increasing attention due to the magnitude of its concentration and the capacity to be transported over very long distances in particular areas of the world 13 , 14 . The Sahara is one of the biggest global source of desert dust 15 and the increase of PM 2.5 in this region is consistent with the prediction of an increase of desert dust due to climate change 16 , 17 .

Globally, 55.3% of the world’s population were exposed to increased levels of PM 2.5 , between 2010 and 2016, however there are marked differences in the direction and magnitude of trends across the world. For example, in North America and Europe annual average population-weighted concentrations decreased from 12.4 to 9.8 μg/m 3 while in Central and Southern Asia they rose from 54.8 to 61.5 μg/m 3 . Reductions in concentrations observed in North America and Europe align with those reported by the US Environmental Protection Agency and European Environmental Agency (EEA) 18 , 19 . The lower values observed in these regions reflect substantial regulatory processes that were implemented thirty years ago that have led to substantial decreases in air pollution over previous decades 18 , 20 , 21 . In high-income countries, the extent of air pollution from widespread coal and other solid-fuel burning, together with other toxic emissions from largely unregulated industrial processes, declined markedly with Clean Air Acts and similar ‘smoke control’ legislation introduced from the mid-20th century. However, these remain important sources of air pollution in other parts of the world 22 . In North America and Europe, the rates of improvements are small reflecting the difficulties in reducing concentrations at lower levels.

Assessing the health impacts of air pollution requires detailed information of the levels to which specific populations are exposed. Specifically, it is important to identify whether areas where there are high concentrations are co-located with high populations within a country or region. Population-weighted concentrations, often referred to as population-weighted exposures, are calculated by spatially aligning concentrations of PM 2.5 with population estimates (see Supplementary Information).

Figure 2 shows global trends in estimated concentrations and population-weighted concentrations of PM 2.5 for 2010–2016, together with trends for SDG regions (see Supplementary Fig. 1.1 ). Where population-weighted exposures are higher than concentrations, as seen in Central Asia and Southern Asia, this indicates that higher levels of air pollution coincide with highly populated areas. Globally, whilst concentrations have reduced slightly (from 12.8 μg/m 3 in 2010 to 11.7 in 2016), population-weighted concentrations have increased slightly (33.5 μg/m 3 in 2010, 34.6 μg/m 3 in 2016). In North America and Europe both concentrations and population-weighted concentrations have decreased (6.1–4.9 and 12.4–9.8 μg/m 3 , respectively). The association between concentrations and population can be clearly seen for Central Asia and Southern Asia where concentrations increased from 29.6 to 31.7 μg/m 3 (a 7% increase) while population-weighted concentrations were higher both in magnitude and in percentage of increase, increasing from 54.8 to 61.5 μg/m 3 (a 12% increase).

a Concentrations. b Population-weighted concentrations.

For the Eastern Asia and South Eastern Asia concentrations increase from 2010 to 2013 and then decrease from 2013 to 2016, a result of the implementation of the ‘Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan’ 21 and the transition to cleaner energy mix due to increased urbanization in China 23 , 24 , 25 . Population-weighted concentrations for urban areas in this region are strongly influenced by China, which comprises 62.6% of the population in the region. Population-weighted concentrations are higher than the concentrations and the decrease is more marked (in the population-weighted concentrations), indicating that the implementation of policies has been successful in terms of the number of people affected. The opposite effect of population-weighting is observed in areas within Western Asia and Northern Africa where an increasing trend in population-weighted concentrations (from 42.0 to 43.1. μg/m 3 ) contains lower values than for concentrations (from 50.7 to 52.6 μg/m 3 ). In this region, concentrations are inversely correlated with population, reflecting the high concentrations associated with desert dust in areas of lower population density.

Long-term policies to reduce air pollution have been shown to be effective and have been implemented in many countries, notably in Europe and the United States. However, even in countries with the cleanest air there are large numbers of people exposed to harmful levels of air pollution. Although precise quantification of the outcomes of specific policies is difficult, coupling the evidence for effective interventions with global, regional and local trends in air pollution can provide essential information for the evidence base that is key in informing and monitoring future policies. There have been major advances in methods that expand the knowledge base about impacts of air pollution on health, from evidence on the health effects 26 , modelling levels of air pollution 1 , 11 and quantification of health impacts that can be used to monitor and report on progress towards the air pollution-related indicators of the Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3.9.1 (mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution); SDG 7.1.2 (proportion of population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technology); and SDG 11.6.2 (annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM 2.5 and PM 10 ) in cities (population weighted)) 1 . There is a continuing need for further research, collaboration and sharing of good practice between scientists and international organisations, for example the WHO and the World Meteorological Organization, to improve modelling of global air pollution and the assessment of its impact on health. This will include developing models that address specific questions, including for example the effects of transboundary air pollution and desert dust, and to produce tools that provide policy makers with the ability to assess the effects of interventions and to accurately predict the potential effects of proposed policies.

Globally, the population exposed to PM 2.5 levels above the current WHO AQG (annual average of 10 μg/m 3 ) has fallen from 94.2% in 2010 to 90.0% in 2016, driven largely by decreases in North America and Europe (from 71.0% in 2010 to 48.6% in 2016). However, no such improvements are seen in other regions where the proportion has remained virtually constant and extremely high (e.g., greater than 99% in Central, Southern, Eastern and South-Eastern Asia Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) regions. See Supplementary Information for more details).

The problem, and the need for solutions, is not confined to cities: across much of the world the vast majority of people living in rural areas are also exposed to levels above the guidelines. Although there are differences when considering urban and rural areas in North America and Europe, in the vast majority of the world populations living in both urban and rural areas are exposed to levels that are above the AQGs. However, in other regions the story is very different (see Supplementary Information Fig. 7.1 and Supplementary Information Sections 7 and 8), for example population-weighted concentrations in rural areas in the Central and Southern Asia (55.5 μg/m 3 ), Sub-Saharan Africa (39.1 μg/m 3 ), Western Asia and Northern Africa (42.7 μg/m 3 ) and Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia (34.3 μg/m 3 ) regions (in 2016) were all considerably above the AQG. From 2010 to 2016 population-weighted concentrations in rural areas in the Central and Southern Asia region rose by approximately 11% (from 49.8 to 55.5 μg/m 3 ; see Supplementary Information Fig. 7.1 and Supplementary Information Sections 7 and 8). This is largely driven by large rural populations in India where 67.2% of the population live in rural areas 27 . Addressing air pollution in both rural and urban settings should therefore be a key priority in effectively reducing the burden of disease associated with air pollution.

Attempts to mitigate the effects of air pollution have varied according to its source and local conditions, but in all cases cooperation across sectors and at different levels, urban, regional, national and international, is crucial 28 . Policies and investments supporting affordable and sustainable access to clean energy, cleaner transport and power generation, as well as energy-efficient housing and municipal waste management can reduce key sources of outdoor air pollution. Interventions would not only improve health but also reduce climate pollutants and serve as a catalyst for local economic development and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Assessment of trends in global air pollution requires comprehensive information on concentrations over time for every country. This information is primarily based on ground monitoring (GM) from 9690 monitoring locations around the world from the WHO cities database for 2010–2016. However, there are regions in this may be limited if not completely unavailable, particularly for earlier years (see Supplementary Information). Even in countries where GM networks are well established, there will still be gaps in spatial coverage and missing data over time. The Data Integration Model for Air Quality (DIMAQ) supplements GM with information from other sources including estimates of PM2.5 from satellite retrievals and chemical transport models, population estimates and topography (e.g., elevation). Specifically, satellite-based estimates that combine aerosol optical depth retrievals with information from the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model 29 were used, together with estimates of sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic carbon and mineral dust 30 .

The most recent release of the WHO ambient air quality database, for the first time, contains data from GM for multiple years, where available The version of DIMAQ used here builds on the original version 11 , 30 by allowing data from multiple years to be modelled simultaneously, with the relationship between GMs and satellite-based estimates allowed to vary (smoothly) over time. The result is a comprehensive set of high-resolution (10 km × 10 km) estimates of PM2.5 for each year (2010–2016) for every country.

In order to produce population-weighted concentrations, a comprehensive set of population data on a high-resolution grid (Gridded Population of the World (GPW v4) database 31 ) was combined with estimates from DIMAQ. In addition, the Global Human Settlement Layer 32 was used to define areas as either urban, sub-urban or rural (based on land-use, derived from satellite images, and population estimates). A further dichotomous classification of whether grid-cells within a particular country were urban or rural (allocating sub-urban as either urban or rural) was based on providing the best alignment (at the country-level) to the estimates of urban-rural populations produced by the United Nations 27 .

It is noted that the estimates from DIMAQ used in this article may differ slightly from those used in the WHO estimates of the global burden of disease associated with ambient air pollution 1 , and the associated estimates of air pollution related SDG indicators, due to recent updates in the database and further quality assurance procedures.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the WHO Data Integration Task Force, a multi-disciplinary group of experts established as part of the recommendations from the first meeting of the WHO Global Platform for Air Quality, Geneva, January 2014. The Task Force developed the Data Integration Model for Air Quality and consists of the first author, Michael Brauer, Aaron van Donkelaar, Rick Burnett, Howard H. Chang, Aaron Cohen, Rita Van Dingenen, Yang Liu, Randall Martin, Lance A. Waller, Jason West, James V. Zidek and Annette Pruss-Ustun. The authors would like to give particular thanks to Michael Brauer who provided specialist expertise, together with data on ground measurements, and Aaron van Donkelaar and the Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group at Dalhousie University for providing estimates from satellite remote sensing. The authors would also like to thank Dan Simpson for technical expertise on implementing extensions to DIMAQ. Matthew L Thomas is supported by a scholarship from the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Statistical Applied Mathematics at Bath (SAMBa), under the project EP/L015684/1. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and they do not necessarily represent the views, decisions or policies to institutions with which they are affiliated.

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GS, PM, and SG conceived the project and led the writing of the manuscript. MLT and GR performed the data analysis. GS and MLT developed the statistical model used to produce the estimates. All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript.

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Shaddick, G., Thomas, M.L., Mudu, P. et al. Half the world’s population are exposed to increasing air pollution. npj Clim Atmos Sci 3 , 23 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-020-0124-2

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Essay on Pollution in 150, 250, 500 Words – Students of almost each class get an assignment or homework to write an essay on pollution. The word limit can be 150, 250 or 500 depending upon the class they study. Students from class 1 to 12 can take help of this short essay about pollution taking important points. Take help from this short essay on pollution in English to complete their homework on time. To help students, we have provided a pollution essay in 150, 250, 500 Words. Instead of using the exact words, students are suggested to modify the word and include more thoughts to make the essay on pollution more enticing. With the help of a well-phrased pollution essay, students will be able to get good marks in their final exams. Also read- Essay on Mahatma Gandhi

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Pollution is the presence of harmful substances in the environment. These harmful substances are called pollutants. There are various types of pollution that are Air Pollution, Water Pollution, Noise pollution and more. Because of the increase in population, pollution is also increasing on a daily basis. People are getting hazardous diseases with the increased level of pollution. Hence, everyone should be aware of the pollution, its effects and how to reduce it effectively. Also read- Essay on My School

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People exposed to high levels of noise pollution face hearing problems, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance and other issues.
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How to Reduce Pollution?

People should join hands to reduce pollution. So that our coming generations can experience the healthy environment. To preserve the healthy living environment, people should take some precautions and measures. Check the below steps that can help in reducing the pollutants-

Reduce the use of non-biodegradable things – Environment has a property of reviving itself by degrading the naturally produced substances. However, the non- biodegradable things like plastic bags and bottles pollute the environment.
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Pollution is referred as the presence of harmful substance in the environment. It impact on every person, animal or lining creature on this earth. These unwanted substances added in the environment also known as pollutant. These pollutant creates various diseases and often lead to death of the living creature. There are different types of pollution, and each one has its own problems.

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Air pollution is one of the most significant forms of pollution, caused by emissions from vehicles, industries, and burning of fossil fuels. These pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter, contribute to respiratory diseases, smog, and climate change.

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances are discharged into rivers, lakes, and oceans, contaminating drinking water sources and harming aquatic life. Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and improper disposal of sewage are major contributors to water pollution.

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Pollution not only harms the environment but also impacts human health, leading to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. It also disrupts ecosystems, causing biodiversity loss and ecological imbalance.

Addressing pollution requires collective action at local, national, and global levels. Implementing stricter regulations, adopting cleaner technologies, promoting renewable energy sources, and raising public awareness are crucial steps in mitigating pollution and safeguarding the planet for future generations. It’s imperative that we take urgent and concerted efforts to combat pollution and protect the health and well-being of all living beings on Earth.

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Water pollution is another pressing concern, resulting from the discharge of pollutants into rivers, lakes, and oceans. Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and improper sewage disposal contaminate water sources, endangering aquatic life and compromising human health.

Soil pollution, caused by industrial activities and improper waste disposal, degrades soil quality and affects agricultural productivity.

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It can take various forms, including air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.
Air pollution is caused by emissions from vehicles, industries, and burning of fossil fuels.
Water pollution occurs due to the discharge of pollutants into rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Soil pollution results from industrial activities, mining, and improper waste disposal.
Pollution poses serious health risks to humans, including respiratory diseases and cancer.
It also harms wildlife and ecosystems, leading to biodiversity loss and habitat destruction.
Plastic pollution, caused by the accumulation of plastic waste, is a major concern in oceans and water bodies.
Pollution is exacerbated by unsustainable practices and overconsumption of natural resources.
Addressing pollution requires collective action and sustainable solutions to protect the environment and human health.

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Students can use some facts and quotes to support their statement that will give some extra points in board exams.

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Focus on cities will boost benefits of air pollution action for most vulnerable

by Hayley Dunning, Imperial College London

Meeting UK air pollution targets by focusing on urban areas will maximize health benefits for the most deprived communities.

A study led by Imperial College London researchers shows that reducing typically urban sources of fine-particle air pollution like roads, wood burners, and machinery would also reduce inequalities in how different communities suffer the health impacts .

Air pollution can reach the lungs, causing short-term irritation and more harmful long-term impacts on heart and lung function. For people with existing conditions like heart failure and asthma, this can worsen already serious health problems. Residents or workers in more deprived areas are more likely to suffer these conditions, and as such are disproportionately impacted by air pollution.

The new study shows that while there are many ways to reduce the UK population's exposure to air pollution overall, focusing on these typically urban sources benefits deprived areas more, reducing the health inequalities across the country. The research is published in Environmental Advances .

Lead researcher Dr. Huw Woodward, from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial College London, said, "People facing higher air pollution in deprived areas suffer health inequalities, which have a profound impact on their quality of life. Reducing air pollution will benefit everyone, but thinking more deeply about how we get there can also help us alleviate the impact on the most vulnerable in society."

Reducing bias

There are several types of air pollution, including nitrous dioxide and fine particles. This study focused on a type of fine-particle pollution called PM2.5 (pollution particles that are less than 2.5 microns across).

The UK Environment Act of 2021 set a target for cutting the population's exposure to PM2.5 by 35% by 2040, compared to 2018 levels. In practice, this means reducing the sources of the pollution, which include industry, road transport, energy production and agriculture.

Experts and policymakers use models to explore different ways of reaching the target by reducing pollution from these sources by different proportions. While all reductions in pollutant emissions will reduce the population's exposure, previous studies have not considered how different ways of reaching the target would influence the health inequality.

To track how different scenarios impact the inequality, the team created a new metric, called the Indicator of Exposure Bias (IoEB). They paired this with the UK Integrated Assessment Model, used to investigate the impact of future emissions scenarios on air quality in England.

The team modeled several of these scenarios, including two that meet the 2040 target, and used the IoEB to assess their impact on the exposure bias. The successful scenarios both achieved the target by reducing PM2.5 sources from all sectors, but one focused more on urban sources, including road transport and wood burners.

While both these scenarios reduced the exposure bias, the one focusing more on urban sources had a larger impact, reducing the bias by 59% (compared to 43% for the other scenario).

North-south divide

There is also a bias between Southern and Northern areas of England, with the former experiencing higher levels of PM2.5 air pollution. This bias is due to the south receiving a greater proportion of pollution from shipping channels and continental neighbors. The south of England has fewer deprived areas than the north, and as such this north-south divide in PM2.5 from non-UK sources reduces the overall bias towards deprived areas.

Despite this, deprived areas still experience higher levels of PM2.5 pollution. Of the sources under English control, the bias towards deprived areas is greater than that assessed by considering all sources including those from outside of the UK.

The study looked at pollution at the level of populations, as individual exposure is very difficult to estimate accurately.

The team believes their new measure can be applied to different countries or regions using models that estimate population exposure and socioeconomic status. This could allow policymakers to identify the sectors which contribute disproportionately to the bias in exposure and to identify effective strategies for reducing this bias .

Provided by Imperial College London

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Airpocalypse Now: Facing the air pollution threat in India

Pollution in any form reduces our healthspan and lifespan

There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it all.

Robert Orben

Pollution in any form, whether it is the air we breathe or the noise around us or the water we drink or the heavy metals that seep into our bodies, reduces our healthspan and lifespan .

Each day, the papers bombard us with news, usually bad, about the air we breathe, the pollution in our cities, the air quality around us (many newspapers carry the AQI of the previous day or show it live in real-time online), the health problems due to poor air quality and so on. As a result, most newspaper readers have some understanding that the air we breathe is polluted and is bad for our health.

But what does this all really mean?

1. What do we mean by air pollution?

There are two ways of defining air pollution. One is subjective, where we can actually see and/or smell the polluted air…dirty, dark, grey, sooty air that smells, air that makes us gag when we breathe or makes us want to instantly cover our noses and mouths, fog that becomes smog with different shades of gray, smoke belching out from cars and trucks and wafting from people burning rubbish on the roads or agarbattis in full flow in enclosed rooms in temples or during poojas and weddings, or the smoke in our houses from cooking on stoves that use coal or kerosene or cow-dung. Our bodies and minds intuitively know when the air we breathe is bad. We understand the invigorating difference instinctively when we go to the mountains or beaches that have cleaner air.

The other way is to objectively measure and define the presence and extent of air pollution.

2. How do we measure air pollution?

Air pollution is divided into ambient air pollution and household air pollution. Ambient air pollution is defined as “exposure to fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2·5 μm or less (PM 2.5 ) in a cubic meter of air (μg/m 3 )” . [1]. PM means particulate matter. The larger particles (PM 10 ) can enter the lungs and cause respiratory problems, but the smaller (PM 2.5 ) particles have the ability to cross the lungs and enter the blood-stream and directly affect other organs like the heart, kidneys, brains, etc.

The impact of the particle size is better understood as an Air Quality Index (AQI), which is the composite of multiple parameters such as PM 2.5 , PM 10 , ozone, etc. The AQI scale varies from country to country.

Household air pollution at a population level is determined from surveys that look at the extent of solid fuel use in households and then convert these to PM 2.5 equivalents. For us as individuals, any smoke in the house, whether from cooking fuel or agarbattis constitutes indoor/household air pollution.

3. What values suggest air pollution?

The WHO values, updated on 22 nd Sept 2021 are quite clear and simple. PM 2.5 exposure should be less than a mean of 5 µg/m 3 annually, with a 24-hour mean of less than 15 µg/m 3 . The WHO also has published similar values for ozone, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. According to the WHO, 99% of the world’s population lives in areas that do not meet these criteria, which means that its current values are aspirational numbers that countries have to strive to reach over a period of time.

India last revised its numbers in 2009. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards are much more liberal allowing for a PM 2.5 of 60 µg/m 3 annually with a 24-hours mean of less than 40 µg/m 3 . India is also planning to revise its numbers this year sometime and it will likely be close to but not at the WHO levels.

The AQI is a color coded scale that gives a composite at a specific time point, of the air quality in your area. For e.g. at the time of writing this, the AQI for PM 2.5 in Sion (a central suburb of Mumbai) was 57, labeled moderate air quality, corresponding to a PM 2.5 level of 31-60, which is supposed to normal for Mumbai, but much higher than what the WHO considers normal.

In fact, if you just Google “air quality index kerala” you get the current AQI at different stations in the state. The same is true for major cities and towns across the world.

4. What is the extent of air pollution in India?

The 2018 paper [1] published by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Air Pollution Collaborators estimates that 76.8% of India’s population in 2017 was exposed to a PM 2.5 of > 40 µg/m 3 , more in North India (up to 125 µg/m 3 ) than in other states. Only Kerala has a PM 2.5 of less than 20 µg/m 3 while Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Meghalaya have PM 2.5 values between 20-39.9 µg/m 3 annually. There are variations with states and within cities (e.g. Mazgaon is more polluted than Worli in Mumbai), but the AQI does help us understand what we are exposed to based on where we live.

Basically, if you are an urban Indian, the more North the city or state you live in, the more you are in trouble.

5. How does air pollution affect our health?

There is good data linking air pollution to increased incidence of stroke (brain attack), coronary and ischemic heart disease, both acute (heart attacks) and chronic, hypertension [2], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also called COPD, lung cancer, pneumonia and cataract. There is suggestive evidence that links air pollution to poorer pregnancy outcomes, diabetes, kidney diseases, other cancers, dementia and cognitive impairment. The more the air pollution, the more the incidence of premature deaths and morbidity.

6. How big is the health problem?

According to the WHO, 8 million (80 lakh) deaths per year occur due to air pollution globally, 4.2 million due to ambient air pollution and 3.8 million due to household pollution. In India, 1.67 million deaths (16.8 lakh deaths) likely occurred due to air pollution in 2019, (0.98 million or 9.8 lakhs from ambient air pollution and 0.61 million or 6.1 lakhs from household air pollution) [3]. Deaths due to air pollution account for 17.8% of all deaths in India.

As a single risk factor, it is the leading cause of deaths in our country, as the recently updated Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data for 2021 also shows.

The cost to the country of these premature deaths is 28.8 billion USD or 214330 crore rupees. One third of the healthcare expenditure in this country can be attributed to air pollution, which means at a nationwide level, bring down air pollution can significantly improve our growth and the allocation of resources.

7. What is being done to reduce air pollution?

For ambient air pollution, legislative and non-legislative measures are constantly being updated and enforced, ranging from industrial (e.g. emission standards for factories) to agricultural (not burning crop stubble), to vehicular (low emissions, electric cars, more public transport). All of these help to some extent or the other [4].

For household air pollution, education and replacing stoves that use kerosene, biomass (wood, animal dung, crop waste) and coal with cleaner stoves make a huge difference.

8. What can we as individuals do to reduce the impact of air pollution on our health?

These can be divided into two main categories; reducing pollutants and reducing risk [5].

Reducing pollutants means not using stoves with fuel that produce smoke and not using incense sticks (agarbattis) in enclosed rooms. At an environmental level, it would also mean moving eventually to electric cars.

Reducing risk can be further divided into measures that we take based on the pollution levels on that day versus permanent measures. Permanent measures include the use of appropriate air filters in our offices and homes, efficient air conditioning in our homes and in our cars with our windows up when traveling within the city. Variable measures depend upon the AQI at that time. If the AQI is high, then wearing a mask, reducing outdoor movement including running, walking and other physical activity, choosing a less polluted car route, even it takes a little longer, can make a difference. Even if the AQI is within acceptable limits, it is a good idea to avoid high density traffic if it is possible, and try and walk and run on smaller roads with lesser traffic and preferably in the mornings.

However, whatever we do, in the end, we still land up breathing the same air though what you have and where you live make a difference even in the same city. The rich can reduce their risk far more than the poor. Our healthspan is the sum total of all the factors, external and internal, that go into keeping us healthy; though we have pretty much no control as individuals on ambient air pollution and are completely dependent on the Government and its agencies to improve the quality of the air we breathe, at an individual level, we can implement measures at home and in our offices to improve the quality of the air we breathe. Thankfully, like with noise pollution, since poor air quality affects all of us, including our politicians and leaders, there are conscious efforts at multiple levels to improve our air quality as much as is economically and politically possible.

1. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Air Pollution Collaborators. Lancet Planet Health. 2019 Jan;3(1):e26-e39.

2. Rajagopalan S, Landrigan PJ. N Engl J Med. 2021 Nov 11;385(20):1881-1892.

3. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative Air Pollution Collaborators. Lancet Planet Health. 2021 Jan;5(1):e25-e38.

4. Burns J et al. Environ Int. 2020 Feb;135:105400.

5. Carlsten C et al.Eur Respir J. 2020 Jun 4;55(6):1902056

Dr. Bhavin Jankharia’s new book “Atmasvasth” available online, dives deeper into this concept. He can provide references for all statements of fact and can be reached at [email protected]

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